Anxiety & Hrt Help!!!

Please , if you can.....I am 35 years old and my TAH/BSO is scheduled for November 5, 2002. I have had panic disorder for about 5 years now, and I am scared to death that after the surgery, while I am trying to get my HRT balanced, I will be having horrible panic attacks. I am on Zoloft 150 mg. daily, and take Xanax .25 mg as needed (I haven't had to take it in over a year). These panic attacks are totally debilitating, and if I run the risk of having these again I may have to cancel my surgery. Please help I am so !!! Also, I could use any advise available regarding HRT.

Thanks everyone,

you should do a search in the jungle for "zoloft", panic attacks, then xanax and see what you come up with. of sourse someone will be along with more answers, i'm sure.

Hi,

I had anxiety attacks way before my surgery. (surgery was April 9 2002) I had quit taking my Effexor about a year before the surgery. I didn't feel that I needed it and the anxiety attacks didn't come back after I stopped taking it.
To make a long story short... About 6 weeks after the surgery I started having the attacks again. I asked my Gyn about it and he said that it had nothing to with the hyst. He prescribed paxil which I never took. Then I went to my GP and asked the same question. She said that the same thing that he did. The hyst had nothing to do with the anxiety attacks! She prescribed something which I never took. I just kept trying to deal with it myself.
Finally about 2 months ago I was at the end of my rope. I was ready to go and commit myself! husband came home from work and drove me back to my GP. She told me that I had to start taking something. And if effexor had worked in the past, fine she would prescribe it! I currently take 75 and will be filling a script for 150.
I guess my point is..please talk to your DR. I would not wish the anxiety on anyone who's had a hyst. Maybe he can up your dosage you to something else before you have the hyst.
I am in no way trying to scare you, but I know what your going through! Maybe you can head it off before it starts!
I have had 3 c-sections, a Burning of the uterus and now the hyst and I think I know my body better than anyone. If someone had told me that the anxiety would come back after the hyst, I would have started taking the effexor way before the surgery!!
Please talk to your Dr. If you need the surgery don't cancel because of the anxiety until you talk to him/her.

Good Luck
tburk

Thanks tburk....
You're right and I will speak to my Dr. I have to go in Monday for pre-op visit. Maybe, if I am real lucky, everything will go smooth and I will have worried for nothing. I think it is getting so close to the actual surgery date and I am starting to "freak out". Thanks though for the advice, I need it.

Shelly35

HI Shelly,
As they say, we are all different and I just wanted to tell you that I suffered with panic attacks for about 2 years before I had my surgery. I learned to deal with it in just about the same ways that you have, except that I could never get passsed the side effects of the anti depressants, so I was not on them.Bio feed back and xanax,books,breathing, and just doing it anyway which is not a comfortable way to live.But I have 2 children and ...whatcha goin do???? Anyway I had my hyster 4/20/01 with everything removed and lo and behold about a week after my husband took me to eat and I was still in pain and tired from the surgery but I noticed something after we had been there for about 10 minutes...the panic was gone...and it has not been back.There have been moments when I was a little apprehensive but nothing like before.I cannot tell you how wonderful this is,not to have to live in survival mode..and to be able to drive my car wherever I want..so take heart ..you never know Good luck and let us know how you are doing.......dbbylyn

Oh dbbylyn....God Bless you and Thank you so much!!
As I was reading your reply to my plea for help, the tears kept falling. Thank you so much for the positive reassurance... you really have no idea how much I needed to hear it. There is so much to think about and deal with when a woman has this surgery (emotional, physical, sexual, etc). I keep thinking that if the fluctuation of different hormones can CAUSE anxiety/depression why can't there possibly be a positive affect if the hormones have been removed??? Anyway, your reply has made my thinking real now, and I thank you for taking the time to reply, and I am so glad you are now panic free.

Big

Shelly