General
Medication induced anxiety
September 22, 2023
in General
On Wednesday during our webinar, @coopscadoop brought up something I find really fascinating, which is anxiety as a side effect of our meds.
i’m curious if you’ve experienced this, and how you’ve coped? For me currently I mostly try to manage my anxiety through holistic/alternative methods versus pharmaceuticals (though I have done that at times too!) some of my favourite tips for managing anxiety are cold showers/baths, embodiment practices and nervous system release (like shaking).
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I have bouts of really bad anxiety. Meditation has helped me so much over the years. I meditate twice a day. When my anxiety is really intense I go for a power walk. It helps direct all that energy out of my body. And sometimes I will sleep it off.
This is going to sound strange and I can’t believe I’m going to say this but what does anxiety feel like? I don’t know if I have it or not?? I get nervous, jittery and can’t sleep….. is that part of it.
Not a strange question. I didn't know what it was until a doctor told me. For me, it's much more than nervous. It feels like something is sitting on my chest restricting me from being able to take a deep breath. But I still can take a deep breath, if that makes sense. Like a strong sense of fear. For me, it usually catches me by surprise. If its nerves, I know it will happen. But this is like you can't control it, everything is spinning out of control. But when I really think about it, it usually comes from suppressing a million things that I have been juggling.
I think that is the best way I can explain it.
I have a lot of anxiety around missing medication. I have alarms on my phone, and I have a great support system in the home, and I carry extras with me so I know that I shouldn't have the anxiety around it, but I do!
I knew, when I was on insulin when I missed a bolus, or didn't have enough. I am not sure that I will "feel" when I have missed my meds, and it causes me sometimes to wake up at night and go check my pillbox. As of yet, I haven't missed, but I assume it will be inevitable.
I always assumed it was because new meds, I never made the connection that it could be caused as a side effect of meds.
This is making me think a little because I never really correlated my anxiety to be a side effect of medication. I honestly related it more to my medical trauma, lack of boundaries for self, the mental load that dialysis took on me, and now transplant, stress, and especially the collective consciousness and world events. I have absolutely developed more anxiety since dialysis and transplant but I feel it has more to do than just because of my medications, however, I do believe that could be a reason as well. Being on Tac makes my nervous system feel a certain way sometimes which then manifests into feelings of anxiety. I have never taken pharmaceuticals for anxiety. I utilize cannabis, yoga, somatic movement, chanting, sound healing, mantras, dancing, and nourishing foods and herbs because the gut also plays a huge part in our mental health.