Anxiety Advice

[Judthepud]

Hi, I've always been prone to low grade depression, but had never suffered from anxiety until i tried to come off Paroxetine (Seroxat) in 2013, having been on it for a number of years. Even though i weaned myself off slowly over 18 months the anxiety was severe and eventually i gave up, went back on it and was fine after six weeks. Then a couple of years ago i was started on a statin, Atorvastatin, and i started having severe anxiety again. I came off it and was fine after about a week. About a year ago my doctor started me on a different statin, Rosuvastatin, and I was fine, until recently when extreme anxiety kicked in again. I tried coming off the Rosuvastatin about a month ago and the anxiety is still there, and it's so unpleasant and debilitating.

I'm 67 and retired from community nursing a year ago. I'm not very good at setting routines and don't know if it's the lack of routine that causing the anxiety or the anxiety is causing my lack of motivation.

Has anybody else had anxiety linked to statins??

Or if this is just how I'm going to be, what's the best advice to cope with it.

Hope somebody on here can help, I'm really struggling with this grinding anxiety.

Thanks.

[Babe1213]

Hi Judthepud - First let me say I am not a medic of any kind, but I have had all of the medication you have mentioned in your post, so I know first hand how that medication affected me. Let me add also I have NEVER been diagnosed with a MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION' Like you, I was on Paroxetine (Seraxat) for many years - more than 2 decades, this drug quite literally took my life away from me. I was first prescribed this because I had a 'cerebellar ataxia' after which I was diagnosed in 1982 with a Pheochromocytoma - a then rare tumour of the adrenal glands, which is not visible to the naked eye. (At that time it was so rare doctors didn't even consider looking for it, so rare I had to wait about 3 months for a serum to come from Germany before I could be scanned). The symptoms of this were hypertension, nausea, tremors, sweating, confusion, tachycardia, lack of concentration to name but a few. Eventually I was put on various hypertensive tablets, diazepam, then onto Seraxat. I was like a Zombie. I couldn't function, put on over 6 stone whilst eating hardly anything. I was calling my children up for school at 5.00pm in the afternoon just as they were coming home from school, I had slept throughout the day. Oblivious to everything. Panic attacks lasted days, sometimes several days, and were soul destroying. Many times I asked the doctor to take me off them safely, each time I was refused. - Eventually we moved from West London to Buckinghamshire and my new doctor also would not take me off this drug. It was only when I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, in 2016, during a consultation with the Cardiologist he asked why I was taking Seraxat, I told him my story and he immediately gave me a plan to stop them. That was 6 years ago - from that aspect I never looked back. I still have Atrial Fibrillation, but I control it with appropriate medication, prayer, meditation. I also had breast cancer twice 1989, when I had a lumpectomy and radiation therapy, and 1994 total mastectomy. I had 3 stents in my heart in 2010, 2011. In 2019 I was finally able to lose most of the weight I had gained.

Next. Atorvastatin, I took for about 8 years from 2006 - 2014, I experienced all of the symptoms listed for this tablet, ANXIETY WAS NOT ONE OF THEM AND IS NOT LISTED AS A SYMPTOM! When my joints became too painful, I stopped taking Atorvastatin. On my diagnosis of A.F. the A & E cardiologist asked why I had stopped the Atorvastatin, I told her and she gave me a bit of a telling off, and said I needed a statin, mainly because of my age I was 68 at the time (almost 75 now). She put me on Rosuvastatin - which is one of the most expensive of all statins. The Side effects are mostly the same as for Atorvastatin - Again, ANXIETY IS NOT LISTED AS A SYMPTOM! I am fine on Rosuvastatin.

Anxiety in itself - is not a illness, neither is it genetic, although it may seem like it is if more than one or two in the family experience it. It is the body's natural response to something within the body going awry, and is merely natural hormones being released to prepare for fight or flight - but you as a retired community nurse should know this. This could be family problems, money problems, the effects of a long lock-down , such as we have experienced during the COVID years, which is of course still ongoing and still affecting us all, now with the added stress of high prices, inflation etc; we are all still struggling. I often have anxiety issues even now, but I will not allow it to take any more of my life. For every negative there is a positive.

I believe what is happening to you could be that you have some unresolved issues of past hurts in your life, maybe even back to childhood days. It is these things that you need to address. I suggest, when you feel this episodes of anxiety, you take time to think (do you pray?) about your past life, what has hurt you, can you pin point any specific times you were hurt, but didn't resolve that hurt. We all have these times, but we do learn how to control them. Can you self refer to someone you can trust with confidences and confidence, maybe a clergy person - who is bound by confidentiality, a friend who will listen without judgement maybe, your doctor has a contact number you can call anonymously. You can even call the Samaritans - I am not suggesting you are suicidal, but the Samaritans of UK have to hand many contact details of agencies who can be a listening ear, and point you in the right direction. You can also learn how to meditate. There are many self-help books, but I find by the time you have sourced then, read them, even understand them, the trauma has passed. When you need help, you need it NOW!

Perhaps when you feel at your lowest you could also put a post on here - there is always someone who will pick up, and respond. Try to help yourself, you can do it. But you have to be firm with yourself. So many people start off well, don't see an immediate improvement and then convince themselves they are ill. You are not ill, You are a human being. My prayers will be with you.

[Judthepud in reply to Babe1213]

Thank you Babe, for taking the time to reply to my post.

I know that anxiety isn't listed as a side effect of statins, but when I was suffering anxiety while on Atorvastatin, I coincidentally heard a radio programme on which a consultant said that psychiatric side effects are an under acknowledged side effect of statins and explained that the brain is made up of high levels of cholesterol and by reducing this, it can produce psychiatric symptoms. After hearing this I immediately stopped taking Atorvastatin and my anxiety disappeared a few days later. In this case I had been on Rosuvastatin for almost a year before I began having anxiety again, and although I stopped taking the tablets a month or so ago, the anxiety has not abaited. I'm aware that this may be because it will take time for my brain cholesterol levels to increase enough for the anxiety to resolve, or as you say I may just be having anxiety due to external life life events, certainly at 67 I've had my share of troubles, and having retired within the past year im aware that this is a major life change that can exacerbate anxiety.

How sweet of you to suggest that I pray, I so wish I had faith, I think that really does help people.

Thanks once again for taking time to reply to me. Bless you.

[Babe1213 in reply to Judthepud]

I will reply further tomorrow! Don't wish for faith, Just know that He loves you and wants only that which is good for you - that is to be at peace. Mind, body and spirit.

[Judthepud in reply to Babe1213]

Thank you Babe x

[Moon_Glitter in reply to Babe1213]

what the heck? This isn't advice. You and Mr. Judthepud are two different people. With two different body chemistry. What was fine for you may not (obviously) be fine for him.

Note: all caps. Is yelling. Not necessary.

[Babe1213 in reply to Moon_Glitter]

Sorry to say this Sunontheice but your post makes no sense at all. Have you just responded out of the need to say something? Have you come into a conversation without going back to the beginning and reading previous responses between two people? You are right though in what you say, 'This isn't advice', nor was it meant to be, it is a way of looking into things that have happened - examining how they came about and what our own responses to problems are, you are right a second time, we are all different - unique - humans, who have agreed in a way to support each other in our distress, this means talking (electronically) and sharing experiences. My question to you, Why 'all caps? Is yelling? Not necessary? What are YOU trying to say - or ask?

[Babe1213]

Hi Judthepud (great name) - I have done a bit of investigating since your last post - hence the delay in responding. My immediate thought when I read this post was a bit of anger, and a bit of confusion, hence the checks. I have also spoken to my granddaughter who is a senior nurse manager at one of the west London training hospitals.

I have discovered that you are right in what you heard on the radio, there is some concern about statins interfering with the cholesterol within the brain. BUT... there are different types of cholesterol. The brain actually manufactures its own cholesterol. It contains between 20% and 25% of the total cholesterol within the body. It also produces exactly what it needs on a day to day basis. This is what the health site I checked on says about this: Cholesterol in our bodies, cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, this is why the brain makes its own supply. The cholesterol manufactured in the brain is not affected by dietary cholesterol consumption (or lack of it.)

My granddaughter says the statins we take are designed to relieve the body of having harmful deposits of cholesterol which can restrict the blood vessels and cause stroke, blood clots, and early death, and they are given in relatively safe dosage. I said in my 'long reply' that I had stents between 2010, 2011. At the time I was having some chest pain, though not too much and had test (can't think of its name now) where a catheter is threaded from wrist to heart to check for blockages, I was found to have 94% blockages - hence the stents, this followed with the Statin. Earlier in 1990 my husband was at work at Heathrow, and felt unwell, he drove himself to hospital (IDIOT) and was diagnosed with cardiac arrest. He had a triple by-pass, and it was found that he had 98% blockages in 3 arteries. He was very lucky to be alive. Since then he has been taking atorvastatin, but has other heart issues including having a MERLIN defibrillator fitted. Thankfully he is okay - he also has the condition Becker's Muscular Dystrophy and is severely disabled. Without statins it could be much worse. Although the dietary cholesterol from the main part of the body cannot pass into the brain - the blood it is inside can, so effectively the cholesterol stays behind but the affected blood travels through, and it is this that can cause a stroke.

It seems to me whichever way we look at it we are b------d whatever we do. If we stop taking the statins we are at risk of stroke, and or heart attack and psychiatric symptoms. If we continue to take the statins we are at risk of stroke, and or heart attack and psychiatric symptoms. This leaves me with the thought that we must decide for ourselves which is the greater threat.

I think myself, having been told off and being made to feel like a child by a doctor for stopping statins and having since spoken with my Cardiologist I shall continue with the Rosuvastatin.

You also have your choice, but may I suggest on behalf of my granddaughter you at least speak with your doctor and weigh up your thoughts after consultation.

You say you are also aware that it will take time for your brain cholesterol to rebuild - this is not so as I mentioned earlier the brain manufactures its own cholesterol and therefore you have not had a deficit.

I would also like to suggest you pay attention to your anxiety - or the reason why you are unable to control the effects. I am a Anglican Minister, fully trained in Anxiety, Grief, Loss, and it seems to me there may well something that is holding you back. I think it vital you seek some for of help - a listening ear - at 67 you are still a young person and if there is a chance someone can help you - then take it.

As far as faith goes, you say you 'wish' you had faith, because you think it does help people. When you 'think it does help, that is the beginning of faith.' The GOD that I know will always be with you - if only you will allow Him.

God bless x

[Judthepud]

Thanks do much Babe. God bless you too