Sufferer Hi everyone! i have gad and i cant stop hyperventilating.

[AnxietyGADude]

Hi everyone. This has happened before to me and its pretty scary, annoying, uncomfortable and really F's up your life.

I have GAD Generalized Anxiety and panic disorder. I have recently went through 8 months of a pretty loving but crazy relationship that was drama every other week.

I was taking prozac 10mg during that time and no real need for Clonopin. Just when I was a lil anxious.

Anyways, a month ago I got off of prozac to try Viybrid (ssri). I was doing well for 4 weeks but then I had missed a dose and had a massive dizzy spell at work. I freaked out, felt like passing out and TRIGGGERED my hyperventilation/ anxiety for the last month now.

I currently am only on .5 mg of CLonopin a day, and waiting to hear from my doc if I should up my dosage. The .5 helps for about 4 hours and then the hyperventilation returns. Its so slight, I get dizzy and feel I can't breathe. You know the deal.

I consistently have been doing the breathing excersises and chilling my life out, sauna, no tv, reading books etc. I can't seem to break this HVS syndrome.

Any advice?

Thanks!!!!

 

[Freida]

Hi there

maybe some yoga to get you moving and breathing? If your body is moving your brain might re-register it as breathing to move rather than breathing to calm.

 

[Friday]

I have GAD Generalized Anxiety and panic disorder.

Do you also have PTSD?

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

Not sure which breathing exercises you are currently and actively utilizing, but wanted to share this one in case you haven't tried this particular one yet. It was a major life changer for me, so much so that I no longer required meds to try to manage my anxiety (under the guidance of my doc, of course) once I learned it and practiced it a bit. I've been practicing it daily for a few years now and it's become my automatic default response to most stressors.

Rhythmic Stress Relief: Stopwatch Tap Technique with Jim Donovan

In addition to the breathing exercises, I made drastic lifestyle changes in regards to ALL of my consumption habits, daily movement, contact with nature, and my sleeping/hydration habits, so it was, and remains, a collective daily effort of every aspect of my life. Wishing you wellness.

 

[AnxietyGADude]

Thanks. I think I have PTSD from a year of abuse from a bad relationship. I will try this Rhythmic stress relief. Thank you

 

[EveHarrington]

Was it physically and/or sexually abusive?

 

[AnxietyGADude]

Was it physically and/or sexually abusive?

No just verbal. Fights

 

[EveHarrington]

Then the relationship could not have given you ptsd. Do you have any other trauma in your past like near death experiences or sexual assault?

 

[Gamereign555]

I feel for you. My latest trauma was actually hyperventilation related. I foolishly drink too many energy drinks and the body’s natural system wouldn’t allow me to pass out or anything, Was my first real panic attack and it was massive. In fact, I have felt nothing like that sense. By all right I should have passed out from it, but I think all the energy drinks I had would not allow that to happen, this disruption in that natural process probably damaged my brain and it took a long time to heal.

So I hyperventilated like an hour. I had turned blue, entire body was tingling In my hands stiffened and clenched together and my vision went dark. Next step after that is your blood pretty much turns into rust. So now, every time I’m anxious or start to panic, my breathing becomes seriously compromised as it remembers that trauma. Breathing exercises work. But they only really maintain. They will get you by.

 

[AnxietyGADude]

I hear that. I have had all that in the past. The only good thing for me is clonopin to help and long term SSRI's. I am hopeful to get past this in the next few months. Seriously sucks. Im doing exposure excersises daily. Running a lot to.

I feel for you. My latest trauma was actually hyperventilation related. I foolishly drink too many...

How long have you been in recovery, have they ever went away?

 

[Gamereign555]

I hear that. I have had all that in the past. The only good thing for me is clonopin to help and...

Yes I’ve mostly recovered from that I think. My panic attacks are pretty few and far in between. I seem to be able to manage it well in the long run medication.

For the first three months, it was like one long panic attack. I was in and out of clinic’s in the hospital and they observed that my oxygen saturation was low and that I was pale and blue. I had lost a ton of weight and could hardly eat. I was mostly bedridden and struggle just to make it to the mailbox. I was experiencing type of depression that was debilitating brought on by constant panic attacks.

That didn’t turn around until I tried citalopram, it worked and was immediately for me though it did give me serotonin syndrome after week. I decided to keep taking it for the next two years, then they pulled me off of it because they saw evidence it would cause a heart problem so I went on paxil which worked just as well if not a little better. I took that one for two years also.

I eventually fell like I was being kept in a flat level and that was unacceptable for me so I decided to take myself off meds slowly.

The gamble paid off because today I am just fine. Although all I have to do is stay mad for a couple days and be overworked and start to spiral downhill. But I can recognize that and pull myself away and get relaxed again, I do not want to go back on meds. My last panic attack was a few months ago during symphony so I know I’m not out of the woods and that I still need to manage things well.

 

[Raph]

Then the relationship could not have given you ptsd. Do you have any other trauma in your past li...

i have read and had multiple shrinks tell me the opposite. they said the reason i get so freaked out by loud voices and door slams is that was what i grew up in. i'd like to know where you got this information so i can read it, please? i'm not meaning to be offensive, honestly want to read it. i don't trust shrinks anymore.