Anxiety
 

Hello! I was looking at another web site that talks about s/s PD. It was eyeopening to see that the # 1 symptom is aniety. I definitely fit the bill! I am likely quitting my health care position due to the incredible stress and anxiety I feel. i did try a small amout of Celexa but it did nothing. Other than tremor and weakness, I think Anxiety is right up there with the worst symptoms. I think there needs to be more focus on this awful symptom. Thanks for letting me vent, FG

anxiety is due to illness but also drug addiction [s]
 

anxiety strkes daily if my [more like when] body and mind get into a certain state. james parkinson believed pd was from anxiety and stress didn't he? born with colic [they think they found the cause - a bacteria. then who knows what 6 months of crying and misery does to brain development, i am wound tight. it is between the hours of 4 and 6 p.m. and is largely due to not enough eaten and l-dopa overload.

Panic sets in when i start adding up what i've eaten. it's a chemical/nutritional/ metabolic state of being, and as much as i hate it, i seemed destined to repeat the mistake, frequently forgetting to pay attention in the evenings, when i must have two xanax to sleep..and not hungry.

here's an encouraging observation and recent. i am at a better place at the moment, personally and focused, and you can gain some energy back but am usually too immobile. Dyskinesia is my work out. When i get this high anxiety state of body, i have to have someone with me or call someone. however, i am dancing at midnight, what a mess. where's the hula hoop?

thriller - what a dance song!
works out some of the anxiety by moving, let's not be picky.
paula

thanks for being here, Paula
 

For Paula

I see you dancing past midnight

far from this laptop-laden room,

when, suddenly, like unruly birds,

these tremulous hands take flight.


In solidarity,

Rose

PS Hang in there, Floridagal!

possibly of some help
 

1: Psychiatr Serv. 2000 Sep;51(9):1130-4.

A review of herbal medicines for psychiatric disorders.

Beaubrun G, Gray GE.

Martin Luther King, Jr-Drew Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.

OBJECTIVE: This review examines herbs commonly used for psychiatric symptoms-St.
John's wort, kava, ginkgo biloba, and valerian. METHODS: MEDLINE was searched for
articles related to the use of herbs in psychiatry published after 1990. A
secondary search examined sources cited in articles obtained from the MEDLINE
search. RESULTS: Of nine controlled and standardized trials of St. John's wort,
five showed the herb's superiority to placebo, and four found no differences in
effectiveness when compared with antidepressant drugs. The pharmacologically
active components are not known. Several double-blind, placebo-controlled trials
have demonstrated the anxiolytic efficacy of kava, but these studies had
ill-defined patient populations, small sample sizes, and short treatment
duration. All but one of 40 controlled trials of ginkgo extracts in the treatment
of dementia found clinically significant improvement in memory loss,
concentration, fatigue, anxiety, and depressed mood. Most studies of gingko had
poorly defined patient populations and small sample sizes and used nonstandard
measures. A recent well-designed multicenter study showed significantly less
decline in cognitive function among patients with dementia receiving gingko.
Valerian has been shown to decrease sleep latency and nocturnal awakenings and
improve subjective sleep quality, but placebo effects were marked in some
studies, and in some cases the beneficial effects were not seen until two to four
weeks of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although evidence of the efficacy of herbal
preparations in treating psychiatric conditions is growing, translating the
results of efficacy studies into effective treatments for patients is hampered by
the chemical complexity of the products, the lack of standardization of commonly
available preparations, and the paucity of well-controlled studies.


PMID: 10970915 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I can relate to anxiety state.
 

Floridagal and Paula I have the same problems with anxiety since before dxs with P.D. and the problem just gets worse. I have tried antidepressants but don't like the side effects so I am presently trying to go without, when I get very anxious(as Paula says usually late afternoon and early evening) I resort to using Lorazepam in small amounts. It might be time to try some Ginkgo or St. John's Wort.

effexor and stress reduction
 

I take Effexor for anxiety (and depression); seems to work. I've worked hard at paring my life down to relieve stress, and I believe that has decreased my bouts of anxiety as well.

how are you feeling today?
 

Hi FG,

I was too sleepy last night to come up with anything useful. But today's a new day, and I hope it finds you feeling a bit better.

Anxiety hit me hard and early...at least a couple of years before dx. Last summer I was too anxious (and fatigued) to return to work after vacation. After complete rest for a week I returned, feeling worse instead of better. Two months later, after I self-diagnosed my PD, my stress/anxiety level went through the roof. Physically, mentally and emotionally shredded, I collapsed.

What decreased it? For me, it was action primarily: educating myself, finding an MDS, making decisions, handling related paperwork. Getting things done brings peace of mind for me.

I also returned to my yoga practice, to a spiritual center and to swimming. I dabbled in antidepressants (fluoxetine 10 mg), committed to them for 6 months (same 20 mg), and began the full regimen below.

Vent anytime...viva la venters! :)

Studies have firmly established that a feeling of lack of control is a killer. Rose took control and her anxiety went down.

Similarly, a rat exposed to bacterial toxin in utero is born with unusual anxiety-related behavior. Presumably, so is a human. In the workplace important things make us anxious if someone else is doing them. So, we maneuver around to take the responsibility which is often gladly handed over. After 20 or 30 years of this we find that we run the place.

Thanks for your thoughtful input! After reading and processing all the info, getting support here and elsewhere, I feel much more hopeful. Some days my anxious thoughts and feelings consume me, and just when I think I should just submit to it and give up, along come compassionate, intelligent folks like you telling me there really are ways to deal with it and to "hang in there" kind words help so much! FG

hopeful good
 

TY for the TY, FG. i forgot to mention something. If you get to a point where you need time off from work, or need to stop working, you may find it anxiety-reducing to know your options. The easiest time to explore these is when you are not in crisis mode...so sooner rather than later.

Employment, disability and benefits laws are complicated, and I gather from your previous posts that your situation raises a number of questions that only an attorney(s) in your state can advise you well on. Eg: if the employer asked inappropriate questions and you gave less-than-complete answers, do those two sins cancel one another out legally? If the employer has been paying for STD or LTD coverage, are you entitled to access it despite what was said?

My basic point is that you might benefit from having a few sit-downs with specialty attorneys (disability, benefits, labor) to outline the situation and get a sense of what is possible and what you would need to make happen in each case. Then you decide what to do: quit, take a medical leave, clarify the record, apply for STD/LTD/SSDI, nothing, or something else entirely. Knowledge is key to making career-altering decisions.

To be blunt, receiving LTD this summer (and eventually SSDI) is infinitely better than receiving nothing last winter while contemplating the value of my life-insurance policy. Finally, don't let guilt of any kind deter you from doing the smart, wise thing for yourself and your family. You/they must be first on Floridagal's List of Responsibilities.

Whatever you decide, this approach of fact-finding, careful decision-making (nonemotional) and planful implementation may maintain for you that sense of control Rick talks about and thereby reduce stress.

Hope this is helpful...
Rose