Anxiety since surgery

[JoAnn5]

Maybe i'm just crazy, but since my surgeries in October, my emotions have been all haywire. I have experienced 3 full-blown anxiety attacks since then for the first time EVER in my life, the last one which was just last week landed me in the emergency room. I'd always been known in the family as the calm, level-headed one. Even in the most stressful of situations, i was usually able to remain calm, outwardly at least. But not anymore. My mother is 86 yrs old and very fragile healthwise. All 3 anxiety attacks were due to news of her failing health and my trying to get to her when she needed me.
Last week i was at work, doing fine (I thought), when i received a phone call about my mother, and i left work to go check on her. Along the way i started hyperventilating, and it rapidly progressed into the tingling arms and legs, tightness in chest, dizziness, wheezing, crying mess that frightened my family. Also, not sleeping at night is a major problem for me. And i become very short of breath from doing the simplest of tasks around the house.
Have any of you experienced difficulties like these since your surgery? I thought by this time (3 months post-op) things would have settled down more than they have for me. Discouragement is lurking in the corners, i'm afraid.

[LindaRacine]

Hi JoAnn...

You're not the first person I've heard of who talked about this. You need to make an appointment with your primary care doctor to discuss this. I'm guessing that it has something to do with changing brain chemicals from all of the anesthesia and drugs.

Regards,
Linda

[Karen Ocker]

Anxiety

Jo Ann;
I had the exact same thing when I was coming off narcotic pain meds too quickly(3 months post -op). Since I was working with a pain doctor he gave me short term anti depressants as well as TENS on my EARS. The answer is NOT antianxiety meds like Xanax(alprazolam)or booze. Because you switch into addiction mode very easily with those meds. I also was very emotionally sensitive for many months afterward. It helped to talk about it.

Karen

[cathydownunder]

Anxiety-Post Surgery

Hi JoAnn
After a minor surgery last April (bi-lateral knee arthroscopies) I suddenly developed panic attacks and anxiety disorder 2-3 months after. Like you ,I was always the strong one who coped all the time so it was a double whammy when it happened to me, I couldn't understand why and it was very frightening.The hyperventilating, dizziness and palpitations got so bad I couldn't even drive or go into a store alone.
I decided to go on anti-anxiety meds for the short term and also saw a psychologist for a few visits. I was hoping to wean off the meds now but with a lumbar fusion coming up in probably 2 months I will stay on them till afterwards now. I have difficulty with intubation and extreme throat swelling after sugery so you can understand my trepidation.
I had always been very much against anti-depressants but I am thankful they helped me. It may not be your answer but in the short term it may help.
Good luck,and keep us updated please.

[Karen Ocker]

anxiety meds

Make sure you tell your anesthetist about the anxiety meds-dose and frequency. Sudden withdrawal can cause seizures.

Karen

[HGD24]

JoAnn ~

I have always been athletic and have noticed that since my surgery, I get easily winded. I did some PT this summer and the cardio part of it was so hard for me and now that I'm going to the gym every week, it's still the toughest part.

I did have one panic attack at the 3 month mark which started with a sharp pain in my upper back followed by tightness in the chest then hyperventalating. It was very scary, but I learned to curb future attacks by using relaxation and breathing techniques that I learned during a class at the hospital where I had my surgery.

Good luck!

[JoAnn5]

Thank you so much for your replies. I have an appointment this afternoon with my General Practitioner to discuss these things. A couple of years ago i did take Lexipro, an antidepressant, for a while after losing two very close friends within one month. It is possible she will recommend my returning to it, i don't know, shouldn't try to anticipate i guess.

I'm glad to hear that i'm not alone in these anxiety feelings...I take a Lortab 7.5 for pain only occasionally and only at night... usually rely on tylenol or advil... and i take Robaxin 750 for muscle spasms when i've overdone the housework or exercises. I don't think those are considered narcotics are they?

It is interesting to read that you have also had trouble with your breathing. Since those 3 surgeries, i have had a rough, raspy voice (singing ability is gone) and feel that my throat is just going to close up, especially in stressful times. Do you know when i can expect that to improve? I teach in an elementary school and when i apologize to the children for the "frog in my throat", they look horrified that i've swallowed a frog...lol.

Thank you so much for your caring replies, and i'll let you know the results from my dr. visit.

[HGD24]

Joann,
My singing ability did come back full force after about 6. I love to sing (in the car and around the house only) but found it tough to sing for the first few months and found that I was actually getting really sad that I couldn't sing along to my favorite songs! I didn't realize what a release and what a comfort singing was for me. It was tough to catch my breath and hold notes, but I'm doing well with it now. You have to remember that your body was put through amazingly major trauma and it's going to take a while for it to recover. Good luck with your appt. today....

[JoAnn5]

Hi again. Just wanted to let you know that the doctor yesterday prescribed Alprazolam (Xanax) .25. Have any of you had that? It's to be taken only when i feel myself starting to panic. At my next appt. in 2 weeks, she says we may consider starting the Lexapro again for a continual release antidepressant. For the sleeping problem, she recommended Valerian.. which is an herbal supplement. I tried it last night and didn't sleep much, but maybe it has to build up effectiveness. Really i'm thankful that she begins with the milder and gentler solutions to start with, but i would really like some relief soon...lol..

Thanks for the encouragment on the singing ability returning... I was a bit depressed that i'd lost that... Yet another time when this forum has helped me very much!!

[Jacque's Mom]

Xanax

Joann, Yes I was on Xanax when my back was acting up again and my mother was terminally ill. My stress level was beyond and the doctor prescribed .50 mg. for me. It does help and I was able to use it when necessary. Never was addicted to it so don't worry. That may help you sleep as it did for me. I would take one in the evening when I came home from my parents house and had trouble sleeping with the anxiety. On another note, I also had severe panic attacks when I was on the Duragesic Patch - so bad I felt like I was coming out of my body! It was the medication that was causing it. Once I got off of it and was put on a different type, NEVER had one again. You'll be fine and sleep well. LYNN

[dawnkennedy]

New to this conversation

I had posterior and anterior combined surgery November 30, 2004, so I'm just a little past my year mark. I have been told that I act differently than before my surgery and have ever since I came home from the hospital. I have had a few times where I just totally blew up at my husband, bless his heart. He had no idea how to handle the situation because I have always been such a calm mannered person as well. I think it must be something with the anethesia and then all the meds you have to take afterwards. Especially the pain killers. I just recently started taking Welbutrin because I have been so down and just don't feel like I thought I would by this point in my recovery. My doctor says that it's perfectly normal and that almost all of his scoliosis patients have to take an anti-depressant at some point after their surgery. He had tried to put me on Lexapro back in the summer, but I just felt weird about having to take something for depression and I stopped taking it after about 3 weeks, which was a mistake that I realize now.
I was still having to take pain meds at night when I went to bed (if I wanted to get a decent night's sleep) up until about 10 months post-op, which was something that I never would have expected. It takes your body a LONG time to truly recover from the trauma of the surgery. I have learned that, for sure. I never dreamed it would be such a long road, but, you know what, I have to say that if I had it to do over, I most definately would. I wouldn't have said that 3 or 4 months ago though. Time really makes all the difference. You just have to give yourself time to heal, in body AND in mind. That's something that I've just started to realize. I hope that all my babbling has helped someone.
Thanks for listening,
Dawn

[judyk]

My surgeon explained that with scoliosis surgery, and any extensive surgery, your serotonin level in your brain drops dramatically and antidepressants help tremendously to get that serotonin level back up. He said usually they are needed only short term, and then you are weaned off of them. He prescribed Lexapro for me because it helps with anxiety as well. Check your prescription benefits: in January our prescription plan changed and Lexapro was more expensive than the generics and some other brand-name antidepressants. It was classified as a non-preferred antidepressant on our plan. There are others that may help you--see what your doctor says.

[JoAnn5]

Thank you for your comments! I am glad to read that some of you are still needing pain medicine at night. I have tried to get away from it and only take over the counter things, but frequently have to resort to the prescription one.

I teach guidance classes in an elementary school which require me to walk to different classrooms all over the building and then stand during the lessons, then in addition i have bus duty where i must come an hour earlier in the morning and stay an hour later in afternoon to supervise the children who ride buses. Some nights i'm just hurting so badly by the time i drive 25 miles to my home that i have to have something, either the pain med or muscle relaxant. Sometimes i have to take both in order to be able to lie in bed.

My surgery was in 3 parts done 3 days apart in October, so i was really thinking i could be going full-blast by this time... but my body is telling me that "I'm not as good as i once was" as the song goes...lol...And when anything stressful pops up unexpectedly, well it really throws me into a spin. I haven't had to take the xanax yet, but it's reassuring to know that i have it in my purse should the panic start again. If i can just get the sleep thing taken care of, i'd be happy... nights can sure be long and lonely when you cant sleep..

[Karen Ocker]

JoAnn--too much, too soon

My surgery was in 3 parts done 3 days apart in October, so i was really thinking i could be going full-blast by this time... but my body is telling me that "I'm not as good as i once was" as the song goes...lol...And when anything stressful pops up unexpectedly, well it really throws me into a spin. I haven't had to take the xanax yet, but it's reassuring to know that i have it in my purse should the panic start again. If i can just get the sleep thing taken care of, i'd be happy... nights can sure be long and lonely when you cant sleep..

It sounds, from my own experience, it is too soon to expect such a heavy load from your healing body; gosh, your fusion isn't even healed yet! Using medication to "cover" the symptoms of overdoing it will exact a great price and can set you back.

Mentally, I sometimes wonder whether we get a case of PTSS for awhile after such big surgery. I went through a period of feeling very "mortal", more easily up-set and lack of confidence. I got good results from giving myself a break by resting more often and not taking on too much. When I went back to work, I went one day a week for 4 hours a day and gradually worked my way up. My back got very tired for many months and the area where the chest tube was placed sometimes drove me crazy. The antidepressent I was givem for a few months helped me sleep/pain at night without danger of addiction. But, even anti-depressants need tapering off.

Karen

[JoAnn5]

Karen, you know, i never thought of it that way!! I was reading these other messages of how well people were doing after just a short time, and i thought i was 'malingering' or something and tried to make myself buck up and try harder! What you said about PTSS makes sense too, because such major surgery IS a traumatic stress for sure. Thanks for the common-sense thinking!!