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← Return to Anxiety over... anxiety meds
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@supernat Did the CT tech explain to your that you would feel a "flushing" or "warmth" within a few seconds of when the contrast is given? When I had contrast for a CT the contrast infusion was explained to me as a "flushing" sensation but when it became apparent to me it felt like an adrenaline rush and I got panicky for a few seconds. I breathed my way through it. A few months later I had contrast again with CT. Same sensation but this time I was expecting it so I was better prepared. Does this sound at all familiar to you?
I've had anxiety off and on for many years. I've found that someone who has never experienced anxiety the way you and I have really doesn't get it. It comes and goes and is always a challenge for me. I've found that cognitive-behavioral therapy works best for me and the research evidence supports this type of therapy for anxiety. I learned different ways to reframe my thoughts and skills to address the anxiety when it occurred. Do you have a therapist you connect with?
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They did, and I've had contrast on several occasions, for MRIs and CTs, so I thought I knew what to expect. In fact, I had one in the ER back in May and didn't bother me at all. I understand that contrast is diluted and different though. But my heart just went crazy this time. I guess it's possible it was a less severe allergic reaction. I just seem to be so hyper sensitive to any sensations in my body these days, even the smallest tinge of pain, hiccup in breathing, heart rate increase, shadow in my vision, list goes on, I start to get very anxious. So I wouldn't be surprised if this was a panic.
Sorry you've dealt with this for years too. Yes people don't understand how severe anxiety gets, especially when it starts to affect your physical state, and then that feeds back into the loop. It's so much more than just a bit of worry. Granted, that's where it usually starts.
For me, this all stared when I had a consistent pain in my side chest wall, and I went to Dr after Dr, test after test, doing my own research (which really created the majority of my anxiety initially). I probably could have dealt with the pain and even the amount of anxiety that was creating, but my dr put me on medications, which induced more anxiety. Gabapentin may be great for some people, but with the attacks I've had just going from 300 to 100 mg after only a couple of months, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone, find anything else.
Thanks for the tip, I'll certainly look into that. I DO need to retrain my brain, for one to stop thinking constantly about my pains, what's causing them (if Dr's can't figure that out, I sure won't), and lately thinking ahead that this or that event is going to cause me anxiety, because I dwell on it, and then it does. I wish I could just let it all go and ignore it all.
I don't yet have a therapist, but planning to contact one this week and get that ball rolling. Thanks for your response!