Anxiety/panic attacks

[Gabby]

I'm new to the forum. I've suffered with RLS for 10 years and its progressively getting worse. I also suffer from anxiety/panic attacks. Does anyone else suffer with this also. Feel like I just want to give up some days.

[ViewsAskew]

Research that came out a few years ago showed that people with WED (RLS) are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders and from depression than those without WED.

Unfortunately, it's all too common with us. I hope they learn why!

Many of us have talked about here over the last few years. For me, when the WED is at it's worst, it's as if I'm having a panic attack. The sensations cause me to feel intense anxiety. It seems related to the WED for me. For some people, I think it's separate.

[Polar Bear]

I don't suffer from specific panic/anxiety attacks but I have always had an anxious/worrying over-thinking nature.
This has eased considerably with citalopram which fortunately does not appear to have had a massive negative affect on my WED symptoms.
Whether this is a part of WED or separate, I don't know.

[Gabby]

I also take .20 mg of lexapro for the anxiety/panic attacks. Some say it could cause the symptoms on RLS to become worse. I feel I am in a catch22 situation. If I didn't take Requip I would NEVER sleep

[Polar Bear]

Yes, it is considered that anti depressants can aggravate the WED symptoms in a % of WED sufferers. But that doesn't mean that they definitely will be a problem.
Of course, it is best not to take the risk if possible. But if an anti depressant is needed, then it is needed.

If I recall correctly, Dr B at a time said that if it is necessary to take an anti depressant, then do so and deal with any increase of WED/RLS symptoms.

I refused an AD for a long time, reckoned I didn't need it. I was dealing with WED, Fibromyalgia, osteo arthritis and insomnia.
In the end I agreed, and my doctor agreed to work with me if my WED symptoms got worse.
Now, I am so glad that I started it - if I had known previously just how much it would help my feelings of anxiousness, I would have taken it much sooner.

Please don't anyone think that I am advocating the general use of an AD, but in some situations such as my own, they are very helpful.

[badnights]

I've had phases of my life when I experienced anxiety "attacks", in which my heart pounded rapidly for hours on end (They didn't feel like attacks, so I'm uncomfortable with the word). That was before the WED got bad enough to talk about, even.

My son has WED as well as anxiety that becomes disabling at times.

I've also heard that daytime anxiety can be a side effect of the non-benzo Z-drug sleeping aids like zopiclone, which I take, and maybe that accounts for the new type of anxiety I have (not the heart-pounding variety, just incessant worrying). On the other hand, I think my life in general can account for that (trying to do more than I'm capable of ).

It's fairly common, a lot of us have both anxiety and WED. For some of us they're separate, for others one seems to cause the other indirectly (as in, life sucks when you had WED so you get anxious about things), and for still others, the connection is direct and immediate (like the anxiety is a symptom that comes and goes with the sensory abnormalities). And some of us have all of those types. No one really has it figured out, but there sure is a lot of anxiety and depression mixed up with WED.

[Polar Bear]

badnights says [i"]trying to do more than I am capable of"[/i]
Absolutely concur with this.
I can never, ever, just sit down and do nothing. I do 3 things at once, and manage to do them all...more or less properly (most of the time).
Then think to myself...... how come everyone else gets to relax when I never have a minute to spare.
When I am the only person who is filling up all my minutes - with stuff that (supposedly) can't wait.
Self inflicted.

[Sojourner]

Hi, Gabby and welcome. I'm guessing that, with WED, some level and form of anxiety is the norm. Just my opinion. Other non-WED related anxiety can pile on and just make things more difficult to understand, treat, and survive. Like others here, I have struggled and continue to struggle with WED related anxiety. Seems like every visit to my doctor I want to bring up the topic of an AD but, as of this minute, I have not. I suspect if I knew I would feel like Polar Bear (and quite a few others who have posted similar sentiment) I might do it a heartbeat. The people here are good sounding boards, good listeners, and share more similarities than differences. To a one, I bet we have all felt like giving up some days and some days, in my opinion, it's ok and perhaps even necessary to do just that. I'm hoping that you have a good medical provider or will do all you can to find one. A caring and competent doctor is perhaps the first line of defense for WED rivaled only by caring support and understanding from family and friends. You will always have the latter here. Wishing you peace this night.

[Polar Bear]

Sojourner - just to say briefly... I had several episodes of chest pain over several years, they were months apart and I told noone - I don't know why I kept it to myself. Then I had 3 episodes of severe chest pain in 2 weeks, really bad where I couldn't move and could hardly breathe and it took about 15 minutes for the pain to subside. After 2 of them I visited my GP who on the 2 occasions, sent me to ER with a letter. ECGs came up good with no problems. I was started on lanzoprazole for stomach and on the AD. I have had no chest pain whatsoever since then. It might be coincidence.....

[Gabby]

well it sounds like I'm not alone. I've had anxiety/panic attacks since 1986 - right after the birth of my first child. It has gotten better through lots of support from family and doctors thank goodness but over the last 10 years the depression hits and now when the RLS is bad I feel so trapped and get so angry and of course then comes self pity. I've decreased the dose and some days I think the RLS is better but its hard to tell. Thank you everyone for responding. I do not feel as alone

[badnights]

I've had anxiety/panic attacks since 1986 - right after the birth of my first child. It has gotten better through lots of support from family and doctors thank goodness but over the last 10 years the depression hits and now when the RLS is bad I feel so trapped and get so angry and of course then comes self pity.

Sounds so familiar