Sleeping…

Two weeks ago, I went to my new doctor to talk about the numerous anxiety attacks I had almost every day. They got so bad that they were waking me up in the middle of the night.

We decided to try an anti-anxiety medicine and decrease a different one I was currently on. The thing about me is if there are side effects to any medication, I almost always experience them. It took seven different blood pressure medications until we found one I could tolerate back in 2013.

I got a headache within an hour when I started taking the new medicine. Medicine headaches aren’t relieved for me with Tylenol. The doctor warned me about the side effects and asked me to tough it out because she thought this drug would be a good fit for me. So I toughed it out.

I read that 65% of adults stop taking anxiety medication because they cannot tolerate the side effects. Most people don’t even give it a week, even though it takes at least a week or two until your body adjusts to the new medication.

I had terrible headaches and fatigue for a week; then, I figured out that if I ate a substantial meal and drank a can of coke, which I rarely do, it worked.

Then a marvelous thing happened; I slept for 9 hours twice last week. I slept for 8 hours last night. These days, the alarm didn’t wake me up at the ass crack of dawn, and I woke up naturally.

I feel like a completely different person being well rested, something I have never been before. When I get out of bed, I am not thinking about when I will be able to rest later.

I go back to the doctor for a follow-up appointment in two weeks. I need to ask about one drawback and if I need to be concerned if the medication will affect my ulcerative colitis since things have been dicey in the mornings. That’s putting it nicely.

I still need to eat and drink a little coke in the morning; too much coffee bothers my stomach, which is why I use cola for caffeine. The other issue mentioned above after taking my medication may also fix itself since it is another well know side effect. I have to wait and see.

The good news is that I have only had one anxiety attack in the first week since I started the new medication. If I continue to sleep well, that will be even more good news for me! Yay!