Anxiety & pain

This past winter I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have a pretty severe generalized anxiety and panic disorder. I have had it since I was a child. My anxiety has already been running high with issues I am having with my body dysmorphic disorder but Ive found that on days when my fibro flares I have really severe panic attacks over the pain. I get terrified that it won't stop and that I can't control it and that it's going to spiral out of control. The more I stress, the more I hurt. I Am in the queue in the healthcare system to see a psychiatrist and have been for about a month now. In Sweden they have to give you an appointment within two months of the referral but I'm not sure when I will hear from them. In the states my doctor had me on Xanax and Zoloft to help with the anxiety. My primary doctor put me on Cymbalta for the fibro and claimed it would help wih the anxiety but it hasn't. Any advice on controlling the panic when I flare? I've always had medication to deal with my issues and not having them now is proving to be very very hard.

Physical distress will certainly bring on anxiety. Can you try chamomile tea, while waiting for your psychiatrist? Or lavender scents? Methods to relax. Do you practice any forms of meditation?

Pain will at times take your breath away, I can see how that can be panic inducing.

Have you tried posting in the chronic illness forum or joined the fibromyalgia social group. They may have specific suggestions to help.

Dear friend

medication alone is not going to help you forever. try relaxation techniques like deep breathing, EFT, PMR.

How long have you been taking the Cymbalta and are you taking 60 mg or more? I have fibro too, and have been lucky that on Cymbalta I rarely have flares anymore, and if I do, they aren't very bad.

I know what you mean about anxiety and panic making the pain level go up, up, up. I had that problem in the past, and it's very frightening. I had lorazepam for a while for anxiety. It sounds like a benzo is not an option for you now.

I don't have any great advice for you. I would concentrate on pain control. If you are still having significant pain while on the Cymbalta, describe it to your doctor. I ended up being diagnosed with a type of autoimmune arthritis that affects soft tissue in addition to the fibromyalgia. For a long time, all the pain was being attributed to fibromyalgia.

I take Arthritis Tylenol now for break-through pain (not that strong, I know, but more helpful than people expect.) It's 2 650-mg time-released tablets.

Another over-the-counter thing I use for pain that helps me because it makes me sleepy and relaxes me is called Salonpas. It's a patch containing menthol and methyl salicylate. I like it because you can put it right on the spots that are hurting worst. It was recommended to me by a pain specialist as "something extra" to use.

I found regular massages and acupuncture treatment (if you find someone who knows how to treat fibromyalgia - I went to an acupuncture school) to be helpful with fibromyalgia pain, too.

Sorry I don't have more ideas about the anxiety. I don't think my anxiety was ever as severe as what you are talking about. It usually wouldn't turn into panic.

I hope you find something to help.

I am on 60mg of Cymbalta, I started on in last February. So I've been on it around 4 months. My flares have gotten better, but I'm still getting some decently severe ones. I have an appointment to go back to my doctor in a few weeks. A hot bath and heat packs can offer some relief, as well as a combo of paracetamol and Ibprofen that my doctor recommended. But once I start panicking about the pain it's hard for me and o put the breaks in the panic, so to speak.

I've started doing meditation in the evenings and am slowly getting back into doing yoga. I used to do it 6 times a week, but had surgery on the ulnar nerve in my elbow last year which has made yoga difficult.

I will ask my doctor about massage and acupuncture when I see her next time. I will also look into salonpas, thank you so much for the suggestions.