Hi, my name is Danielle, I'm 24, for the past 3 weeks I've been taking venlafaxine (antidepressant) and propranolol (beta blocker) for the past 4weeks I've been unable to sleep or eat properly as even though I've been taking propranolol for 3 weeks in still having what seems like panic attacks, i am unable to fall asleep until 5-6am every morning....its getting to the point where I'm getting scared of sleep, like I'm wasting away my life sleeping, but in the back of my mind i know i need it......i just don't know what to do anymore, I'm past breaking point and gone into suffering, and i am, I'm suffering now from lack of sleep, exhaustion, not enough food......and i feel anxious and panicky all the time, especially at night.
I've tried a lot of tips from very helpful people on here....but right now its 4:22am and i want to sleep :'( please can anyone help???? I'm begging now, please!!!!!!
Hi Danielle, I'm so sorry you're going through this. I'm going through the same thing and idk what to do either so sorry I'm no help... Just wanted you to know you're not alone hun , take care
Hi Danielle , your probably worrying that much about not sleeping it's preventing you from actual sleeping , you must be tired because you're human so it must be your active mind preventing it . Why don't you do a yoga session and practice very deep breathing drink chamomile tea and try to relax your mind , maybe try some exercise a little run maybe , you'll be surprised how it will relax you and you might even get to sleep . Hope this helps good luck x
Yes, I've also found that if I walk fast or run until I feel physically exhausted then it helps me sleep better. Presumably you have tried Zopiclone or other sleeping pills. They help me.
Also make the bedroom a nice place to be. Put the TV in there. Read a book. Put the radio on (radio 4 extra is quite good for distraction) quietly. Play Mozart's requiem. Get a teddy bear. A hot water bottle. Put some drops of lavender oil on your pillow. Anything that makes you feel cosier, more comfortable, safer and more snuggly. Be very,very kind to yourself. Do everything you can to be nice to yourself. You deserve it. You will get through this, as many people on this website can testify. Get all the help you can and hang on in there!
Unfortunately no i have not tried prescribed sleeping pills as the 3 doctors I've seen wont give them to me, i don't know if i cant have them due to the medication I'm already on or what but they all said no.
when i used to take citalopram i tried nytol an it gave me a severe panic attack so i kind of got put off taking over the counter sleeping pills, from what I've seen you cant take over the counter ones with propranolol anyway, so I'm at a loss.
Danielle
Yes, I don't think you can take any over the counter 'herbal' or alternative sleepy stuff with anti-depressants. They don't mix, but you can always check with the chemist if there is anything you can take.
Can you see another doctor in the practice or go to another doctor's practice and explain your situation. If they say no, ask them why you can't have sleeping pills. I'm on Venlafaxine and propranalol but I also have Zopiclone sleepers.
It's useful to remind yourself that anxiety is a natural defence mechanism created by your body to protect you. It has just been triggered mistakenly. There is nothing 'wrong' with you, it is just adrenaline hormones being released into your bloodstream. This creates lots of different physical sensations and an urgent and 'emergency' mind state. This is very uncomfortable but will do you no physical harm. The thoughts you get in this mindstate are all desperate and panicky, but these are just thoughts. They cannot harm you. The main thing to do to counteract this is to not take it all too seriously and to try to ignore it. I know this doesn't sound possible at the moment for you, but try it. Ignore the sensations and the 'desperate' thoughts by distracting yourself as much as possible. Reading, TV, radio, write it all down, do a drawing, whatever works. Remember that even though you may feel like you are going to die, you won't. It just 'feels' like it. Just because something is intense doesn't mean it's true. It is just intense. You will survive this and you will be fine, like hundreds of thousands of people before you.
Hi Danielle.I am in the same situation
My heart constantly races, I'm in a fog, scared of being alone, scared to fall asleep because I might not wake back up.Its terrible.I have been to the hospital ER three times this week.They hooked me up to a EKG and blood pressure.Everything came back normal but I'm still in a constant state of panic, or at least my heart is.My fiance has about had it with me.I think he thinks I can control it, obviously not.So, your not alone having this issue.I hope you and I will be all better soon
Hi danielle,
Im sorry you're going through this. Unfortunately, insomnia and increased anxiety are both side effects of many ssri's. I had them terribly, plus a whole load of other side effects, when i was taking fluoxetine so stopped taking meds. In friends who take sertraline, the side effects seem to calm down around 4-6 weeks and you'll start seeing the benefits. You can choose to stick with them, or go have a chat with your doctor and tell him/her how you're feeling. The main thing to remember is that panic is just adrenaline....it can't hurt you.
Hope you feel better soon. xx
Ok so bit of a weird question. I'm trying everything to help me sleep now, some things work and some things don't.
Shamefully the newest one was getting absolutely blathered out of my face, not the best idea I've had so far, fell asleep right away but i woke up 4 times and felt worse than a hangover this morning, guessing that was the reaction to the meds aswel......and yes i know your not supposed to drink on them but this is the first time I've had a drink in forever and trust me i wont be doing it again in a hurry.
Tonight i tried camomile tea, to sum up it was disgusting, i had to hold my nose whilst drinking it, the fella said to put a teaspoon of sugar in it, it made it taste worse :-S ...... But it has made me a little sleepy and I've not felt sleepy in so long it actually feels nice.
So i guess what I'm asking is does anyone have any tips to improve the taste? Or have any other ideas worth a go.
And as explained above, no my doctors will not give me sleeping pills because they're mean and like to see me suffer......or that's what it feels like, I'm sure there's an explanation, I've just been a little preoccupied each time I've gone up to be bothered to ask why.
best wishes to all
Danielle x