HELP ME! Thats all my little brain keeps thinking. I am stuck in a rut that I dont like and I cant figure out how to right myself.

My BP has been extra low due to some migraine meds I was on, and while its climbing (over 90) is still low. Since the introduction to the cardiac guy, my brain is racing with all the what ifs.

I had EKG, Echo, monitoring all day. I have had a stress test in the past and it was fine other than I have no stamina. I easily get my heart rate up to their target without flinching. I come from a mess of a gene pool. my mom, dad, grandparents on both sides, my sister, and both brothers have heart disease to one extent or another. Some had by pass, others dropped dead at their first sign of chest pain. All but 3 died in their 50s, the others died in their 60s. So...my 50th b/d is coming in a couple of months. see the trigger?

I eat healthy, I exercise. I get great medical care. My EKG, Echo and so forth were perfectly normal other than my low BP.

Why is it that I sit and feel my heart run, and my chest crush (ms hugs) and I cant turn off some TV program or relative I heard about how little johnny had your same sx and she just dropped dead. now, im not a worried person by nature, so its off for me to ruminate on something, but I just cant get this out of my head!

Took ativan yesterday. that helped the hug, and then took more to sleep, and then at 5am I woke in a panic (did I mention emotional stress can cause it too?) and took one more.

Is this chest crush normal? cant be heart of ativan wouldnt fix it. im a nurse for silly sake! you think all my years of service, and training would pull my head up high, but I cant shut it off!

Help me! What is YOUR experience? (watch, no one will answer. thats a big fear, that Im doing this wrong, and others are laughing at me.) UGH!

You might want to look at l-theanine:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post786294-1.html

http://web-us.com/l-theanine_anxiety_reducer.htm

Since this was recommended on PN last year based on a newsletter from Neurosurgeon (retired) Dr. Blaylock MD, as helping with nerve damage...it might be helpful.

It works like benzos (on GABA receptors) only it is not habitforming or numbing of cognitive functions.

I really like it, and my son takes it too. It is not expensive and I'd suggest if you do consider it, to get the Doctor's Best brand.
I think effectiveness varies between various companies.

I only use 300mg at night, and I find it very helpful, as I've had anxiety issues all my life. (from a painful childhood)

Is it ok to take l-theanine with prozac? Even taking 40mg of prozac, I still have a little spillover anxiety.

I have searched twice since last July and found nothing about interactions with SSRIs.

Here is an example:
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/s...p/theanine.htm

I was having alot of anxiety during the night, bad dreams etc.

I started at 150mg at night and raised to 300mg after 2 weeks.
It really seems to help and even lowered my fasting glucose a bit which tends to run high. So that is when I searched again, and found the cortisol blocking action. Cortisol when released during stress has a very hours long negative effect on the brain.

I intend to stay on it still. I like it alot. It evens me out.
My son tested high in anxiety when he had his ADHD intake.
He started theanine months before I started. He likes it too.

Doctor's Best .... that is the one I'd recommend if anyone tries it.

Theanine and neuroprotective effects:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18452993

This is the closest I could come to Prozac:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/47...ase-serotonin/

Since theanine is mostly working on norepi, and dopamine, I could not find concrete effects with Prozac (SSRI).
Theanine does not appear on drugchecker at Drugs.com

So the bottom line is discuss with your doctor.
Theanine is found in green tea, and black tea.

Increased anxiety, phobia etc came with my M.S. and I blame the M.S. for it.
Thanks for the supplement info! I am definately going to look into it myself.

Wonder what Jack D would have to say about it He is the supplement King!

I've been dealing with anxiety issues for many years, way before my MS diagnosis, though it's MUCH worse now. So...does that mean it's not MS related? That it's MS-exacerbated? Or that I've had MS for a lot longer than I think? (Those are trick questions)

I've had anxiety all my life... It was my response to incomprehensible parental behaviors (overly punitive and chaotic reactive etc)... I don't have MS, so I can't say what the connection to MS would be biologically.

But just having a serious condition like MS must be very difficult and anxiety producing in and of itself!

It is possible to have one or more OTHER things wrong going on at the same time. So I typically encourage people to have an open mind about symptoms.

Yes, yes and yes..

Thanks for this info. I'll look into Theanine. I had tachycardia when younger, and nothing to stop it. Propanalol now keeps that at bay, as well as atrial fibriillation--just a small amount, 5 mg times 3 times a day, or 15 mg a day. Most people with Porphyria take it, and it is apparently harmless for porph patients.
Do I have anxiety? I am not sure. I know I, like you, MrsD. have terrible memories, and these are becoming worse now that I'm alone most of the time, husband having died 3 1/2 years ago. I have anguish more than anxiety, I think. Remembering what might have been IF....especially if I'd been properly dx'd when in college, and not allowed to get nerve damage which ended up with MS dx in middle age, then Porphyria...(I also have Polycythemia Vera, posted about taking p32 on another thread today).
But a wise counselor told me this two years ago while I was in Seattle: nothing that turned out well in my life, such as the love of my wonderful husband, would have been the same, or even exist, without what went before in my life, including the horrible things. Someone said the same thing this morning in my church "discussion group"--we are what our past made us, combined with what we realize right now.

I'm a paraplegic who's MS is progressing rapidly. If I was to panic & it was to heal me, then hell ya i'd panic. But it won't so I don't. A guy's point of view try it Dej.
10mg of Prozac I started 2? yrs ago sure doesn't hurt. I tried it to increase proactin which it did, but MS still goes down hill. At least I can smile as I do.