Suffering with anxiety

FormerMember
FormerMember
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Hi

I had a mastectomy 5 weeks ago and I am suffering extreme anxiety. Does anyone have any tips that might help. I am not sleeping very well and have no appetite so having to really force myself to eat whilst having nausea all the time. The Dr is just saying it’s anxiety but my mind wonders especially at night. I  have been I on Lorazepam but she is  weaning off them over next two weeks and  now has introduced Sertraline. I think a lot  of the side effects of the drugs don’t help really.

Thank you x

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hi Riggins welcome to the forum and sorry to hear about how anxious that you are feeling. However, given what you have gone through you would not be normal if you didn't feel a  bit out of sorts at all so don't be too hard on yourself

    In respect of eating why not have what you really fancy food wise just for a few days and see if that helps to kick start the appetite again though I think anxiety can make you feel nauseous as well so it might be that. I understand the GP trying to help with the anxiety and introducing medication to help with symptoms immediately, but have they suggested counselling of any sort to get to the route of what you are anxious about? There will be a reason do you have any thoughts on that and what it could be?.

    Sertraline like most drugs of this type can take up to 6 weeks to get to full helpful levels of the drug in your system .

    I wondered if you knew that there is also a thread on here called the Awake Thread for the the night owls amongst us and always lovely folks in there during the wee small hours when you cant sleep if you wanted to chat to someone.

    I wish I could reach out and give you a huge big hug but as I can t I'm sending some huge big virtual hugs your way for now.  xxxxxx 

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to FormerMember

    Hi Granny 59

    Thank you for your lovely message. It’s nice to hear from someone who has been on this rollercoaster ride. I keep saying since my diagnosis I am surrounded by so much love and support from family and friends but it seems such a lonely place to be. I think well I know my anxiety started to get worse when my original diagnosis required a lumpectomy then after the MRI it showed that the tumour was too big to leave a safe margin changed very quickly to the mastectomy and clearance of all the lymph nodes. It is all very overwhelming and I don’t seem to be able to switch off from it at all. 
    sadly last year we lost my 13year old nephew to cancer and I think this is constantly on my mind as I was very involved in all his treatment and went to live with my brother and his wife for the last few weeks. He was so brave and I keep thinking why am I such a baby. I want to get through this and I think that’s why I keep going to such a dark place thinking of him. 
    The breast nurse was so lovely today when I went to the clinc, she said it’s important to eat as it helps with the healing and some of the meds to do their job. So I’m trying little and often , my hubby is amazed chocolate is still in the fridge as pre this I’d have eaten the lot ha ha. 
    Thank you again for your kind words.

    Take Care xxx

  • Hello there, I to suffered with extreme anxiety following completion of treatment, I just felt totally overwhelmed by everything, I got prescribed a short term course of beta blockers, which really helped me - is this an option for you? xx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to TT50

    Morning TT50

    My Dr has had me on Lorazepam since diagnosed as I was so stressed but is weening me off them over the next couple of weeks as the side effects are causing me even more problems to cope with. She has started me on Sertraline so I’m hoping they work. It’s such an awful thing to experience isn’t it when I first had a severe panic attack I thought I was having a stroke! Trying lots of different things to help , relaxation music, tapping anything anyone suggests as just want to feel more like I did before diagnosis.

    Thanks for your reply xx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    I know exactly how you feel, I had a lumpectomy and then a masectomy just over 3 weeks ago. My anxiety has been awful, I have 2 young kids so keep thinking about not being around and not trusting my own body. I saw my GP as I've been emotional for weeks and she suggested counselling. That may be something you can look into. She did say it's completely normal and likened the period that I'm in to a kind of PTSD. Please contact your GP for a chat, I feel much better knowing I'm not a lunatic Wink.  Tamoxifen probably also not helping. Hang in there, you are not alone xx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to FormerMember

    Hi

    Thanks for your message. I have no idea how you have been coping with 2 young children to look after, that must be so hard for you with what you’ve had done. My breast nurse suggested some counselling when I saw her yesterday and gave me Breast Care Haven who she has used for other ladies before and had great results. Sadly because of the effects of Covid effecting the donations etc they are closing at the end of June. How sad is that when there must be so many ladies like us who need some support to get us through this time in our lives. My GP just keeps telling me all my symptoms are of anxiety and not that the cancer has spread as I keep thinking. 
    I hope you get on ok 

    Take care xx

  • Hi , anxiety is just horrible, isn’t it?

    about eating, sometimes using tv to divert your mind while you’ve a meal in front of you can divert your mind enough to allow you to get a meal down? It’s a dodge learnt from ‘mindless eating’ that actually normally encourages us to overeat, but can also help in early days after chemo, and our daughter found it helped after her donor bone marrow transplant when eating was a bit of a psychological battle with herself! 

    Hope the Sertraline helps, it will take a while to work, though, so give yourself time and a self-hug for confessing how rotten this time is!

    Hugs xxx

    Moomy

  • When my husband had Chemo he couldn't eat so the nurses advised giving him whatever he fancied. He lived on chocolate and Lucozade! That was 6 years ago and he is stronger than ever.

    I didn't have chemo but never lost my appetite but then my mum said that I would eat even when ill sometimes throwing up afterwards.

    Just eat what you fancy and keep writing on the forum as it helps keep you sane!

    Good luck and stay safe.