# How can I keep my anxiety levels down?



## 14448 (Jun 14, 2006)

My anxiety seems to go in waves throughout the day, even when I'm staying in, but much worse when I'm around other people. The worst thing is being in seminars or out in public. I make a big effort to relax with deep breathing and visualisation (and sometimes benzo drugs) and feel calm for a few minutes- then I get a huge rush of adrenalin, nausea and IBS cramping and am worse than before. It's like being on a giant see-saw and it's exhausting. How can I make my anxiety STAY down? For example, my seminars are 3 hours long and I'm having a near-panic-attack every 5 minutes.


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## 21185 (Dec 31, 2006)

Just a thought. Get a physical and get a full thyroid panel. It could be something metabolically going on.


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## 20215 (Dec 6, 2006)

yes I agree with Egbert thats the first test they did on me was my thyroid. Second it sounds like you have some agorphobia going on have you thought about seeing a therapist or talk to your GP about it. I spoke to my GP about it and he put me on lexpro which seems to help, Now i still have alot of anxiety but the lexapro takes the edge off and I am definitly not as bad as I was. Good luck.


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## 23037 (Mar 7, 2007)

My doctor put me on Lexapro, too, and it's helped tremendously. I've been taking it several years. When my anxity level raised again, he added Cymbalta, and I'm doing great again. Talmem


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2007)

Sukie - Egbert made a very valid point - when I became ill last year with depression - cos of my age (I was 43 at the time) - thyroid levels was one of the first things he checked - matter of fact they were normal. In any event - there is absolutely no need to battle on alone - you should be seeking some medical help - whether for depression/anxiety or to run some tests to rule anything "physical" out.Good luckSue


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## 14448 (Jun 14, 2006)

Thanks, my GP's referred me to a psychiatrist at last, I'm just waiting for an appointment. I also saw a consultant psychiatrist when I got lost in a nearby seaside town at night recently, (after taking too much codeine, benzos and weed and being found by police but that's another story), who said I had Panic Disorder. Now I've cut down on benzos and codeine but I can't start taking the Citralopram he prescribed until have seen Psychiatrist here, as GI (yes have been referred to him too at last) says some antidepressents make IBS-D worse.







I've had lots of blood tests recently (from GP and GI) so I'm sure they would have picked up anything abnormal. I'm trying to relax as much as possible. And deep breathing. Rescue Remedy spray doesn't seem to do much though.


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