Anxiety or long haul covid

Posted by rick63 @rick63, Mar 24 9:04am

I been dealing with an unusual situation, since June 2023 , I got really fatigued, stressed, at about the same time. I’ve been diagnosed with long covid, 2023, later in 2024 I was diagnosed with panic disorder, and GAD. This is really hard because, they both have same symptoms, I don’t know which one to believe?, I wish there was a way to have a process of elimination, so I could treat the symptoms

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

I’m in a similar situation! It’s very frustrating. I’m trying to treat symptoms with help of primary and various specialists. Also, in talk therapy for anxiety. It’s the most helpful, imo.

REPLY

@rick63 Perhaps if you speak to both medical providers, and see if they will communicate with each other, to come up with a beneficial game plan going forward? I don't know what the treatments are for long-haul Covid. What treatment are being proposed to address the GAD and panic disorder?
Ginger

REPLY
@celia16

I’m in a similar situation! It’s very frustrating. I’m trying to treat symptoms with help of primary and various specialists. Also, in talk therapy for anxiety. It’s the most helpful, imo.

Jump to this post

I’m going to go to talk therapy in a week, are you able to take antidepressants

REPLY
@rick63

I’m going to go to talk therapy in a week, are you able to take antidepressants

Jump to this post

Well….I probably could. And, I will if I have to. It’s just that I am concerned with A) Side effects. And B) Withdrawal. I’ve probably read too much about both. But, it concerns me. I already take quite a few prescribed meds, vitamins and supplements.

I have a prescription for Lexapro, but haven’t started it. I think my anxiety symptoms have improved with talk therapy. We discuss it in our sessions and if I will need to take it. I also have a prescription for Klonopin to take on an as needed basis. I take it very cautiously. In 4 months, I’ve only taken about 4 pills. I half the low dose.

I haven’t ruled it out, but I hope it can be avoided. My adrenaline rush episodes have decreased and I am able to recognize them now. I’ve learned techniques like tapping to address them.

How do you feel about meds?

REPLY

Okay, I was on lexapro for around 12 years until I got covid. So I after I got covid I went to my doctor, because I was so fatigued at the time, and I didn’t know what was wrong. She said that maybe lexapro stopped working, she said maybe I should try another antidepressants,( I was leery at the time because I didn’t want to, but I gave in and , that started the spiral of around 7-8 different antidepressants that didn’t work) anyway went back on lexapro, but it didn’t work. Every other antidepressants I tried my ears would buzz within 1day to 2weeks after starting??. So I’ve tried everything. The psychiatrist. Gave me Ativan as needed, she told me to take every day, well I tried to take it as needed, So did you have an adrenaline? Rush like how did it feel? Mine feels like I’m going a hundred miles an hour?, do you think talk therapy helps on the anxiety? And overall. Thank you

REPLY
@rick63

How does ginger help

Jump to this post

Sorry I thought you mean take ginger

REPLY
@rick63

Okay, I was on lexapro for around 12 years until I got covid. So I after I got covid I went to my doctor, because I was so fatigued at the time, and I didn’t know what was wrong. She said that maybe lexapro stopped working, she said maybe I should try another antidepressants,( I was leery at the time because I didn’t want to, but I gave in and , that started the spiral of around 7-8 different antidepressants that didn’t work) anyway went back on lexapro, but it didn’t work. Every other antidepressants I tried my ears would buzz within 1day to 2weeks after starting??. So I’ve tried everything. The psychiatrist. Gave me Ativan as needed, she told me to take every day, well I tried to take it as needed, So did you have an adrenaline? Rush like how did it feel? Mine feels like I’m going a hundred miles an hour?, do you think talk therapy helps on the anxiety? And overall. Thank you

Jump to this post

My adrenaline rush episodes started after covid. Background: I’m diagnosed with post covid syndrome. I have multiple symptoms, but one of my worst was smell/taste disorder. I ended up at neurologist for fasciculations and neuropathy symptoms. But, he says not neuropathy. He prescribed my meds, as well as Gabapentin, which I couldn’t take, due to vision distortion, but did help. Have you tried it? It made me feel wonderful. I loved it. But, my vision was very blurry and that was not acceptable.

I read that a lot of people with Long covid describe it as shaking in the inside. For me, it’s more like a big rush. High intensity on the inside. I had panic attacks many years ago, but addressed them and haven’t had one in almost 20 years. But, these new episodes are different. They feel more like a physical force, not a mental thing. I guess it is a fight or flight response. They can emerge usually when I am preparing to do something , but not always.

However, whatever it is, I’ll treat it. They started along with my other post Covid symptoms. They have decreased a lot since I started talk therapy. I discuss everything with him, including relationships, but my main focus is anxiety and health anxiety. I have my share of long standing issues like type 1 diabetes that can be stressful.

My talk therapy is the most helpful thing I have done for myself…..perhaps in my life. Acupuncture helped me a lot too a few years ago with s separate issue. I have tried therapy on a limited basis over the years, but the right therapist is the key.

Sorry you couldn’t find a med that works for you. I’m afraid I don’t know much about that. My therapist says it is a matter of finding the right dose or combination of meds.

REPLY

I never had a anxiety/panic attack in my life (54 yrs)....Until after i recovered from covid.
I still have them but they are less frequent now.
My issue is still shortness of breathe and fatigue.
My doctor finally gave in and i am seeing a lung doc in April.
He even mentioned Long Covid for the first time in 2 yrs.
Maybe he is finally coming around to believing it as he sees more and more patients
with the same complaints.
I am not expecting much as every test i have had has come back fine.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.