NO...you are definitely not alone....I am in the middle of an attack right now as I write and took the med my doc gave me ... lorazepam or something like that....I feel faint when mine happen and chills and just so mentally not there...so don't feel alone...I am searching for other ways to control this as I don't like the drugs but also want a more natural approach. You may want to try yoga.

I too suffer from anxieties and take Loraxepam like Casmira. It's a touch thing to handle I know, but don't know how to give you good advice since I'm suffering too. The medications only slightly help take the edge off of the attacks.

My good friend has issues with anxiety during her relapses and she says that yoga and taking walks outside help her. If you're in fight or flight mode, your body is preparing for you to run away from danger, even if there is no danger. By taking a walk or doing other light exercises, you can walk out some of the energy without having to exhaust yourself. Anxiety can be exhausting enough!

http://www.www.FreebiesForMSers.org

Since I retired from teaching and lost my walking ability for a bit, I will now suddenly have anxiety. My neurologists gave me a new script for Xanax. Whenever I plan to go out with friends, etc. I'll pop a Xanax just incase and I'll be fine.

Hope this helps. Anxiety is no fun.

Me too. I get the MS "hugs" from time to time that really accentuates anxiety. I have a script for the minimum dose of Xanax that helps but I try not to take it every day. They all can be habit forming and like opiates seem to require an ever increasing dose to be effective. You might want to try another in the benzodiazpam class as some make people more sleepy than others. No two individual are the same.

Hi Pinkfranz,
I can sure commiserate with you on the anxiety stuff. For me, I experience anxiety at some really inconvenient times. I used to end up crying along with the fight or flight shaking and panic. I have been seeing a mental health support person for the past few years and she has pointed out to me that I have experienced a lot of losses in my life related to MS. I've been working on this and working with it I should say for quite some time. I have been able to identify that at some times I can start to feel the "panic" wave coming on when I am trying to do something or think in a way that my MS brain can't keep up with. I compare it to a bottleneck on the hiway scenario- too many cars trying to get to the same place at the same time or another example is like when there are too many commands in the works for a computer and keep hitting the keys to make it do something...the darned computer just crashes!. So- when I'm trying to think and find that I can't accomplish the simple task I start to feel panicked and the whole thing spirals out of control. ICK....
So to make a short story long, I have learned to try and let my brain "buffer" to slow my patience with myself and wait for the words to come or the task to be able to understood or interpreted by my brain and filtered through in a way that doesn't set off my panic. I'm probably going to age myself here but I sometimes visualize the DOS green screen with the blinking cursor that took so long to respond. But it DID respond just not quite like the fancy computers we have now. Both systems are all about data storage and retrieval!
I know for me that when there is a lot of sensory information coming at me I can't process it all and I get overloaded.
Mostly, I have gotten a lot of help and acceptance from the awesome folks that are on this site. i have come a long way in making a life for myself with this disease and I owe a debt of gratitude to the people that share themselves here.

I have had anxiety pretty bad since my dx 13 yrs ago. I have learned breathing exercises that really help me. My worst days are always when the weather is miserable and I can't get outside for even a short walk. Ugh! Try looking up some breathing exercises on youtube, they have some great realaxation videos there.

I don't have problems with anxiety, but depression hits when I'm in flare and it can be quite bad. My flares are wierd. I'll have a big burst of energy and almost get manic. Then I start sleeping bad even with meds. I get weepy and the least little thing makes me cry. It will be that way for a few weeks and the depression gets very bad as does my sleep. Then the twitches, jerks and spasms get worse, ri gong in my ears, ect. I'm on cymbalta for pain and mood management, and it foes help.

I was dealing with unbelievable anxiety for a couple or years 2008-2009. It sure messed me up!

I think it was the beginning of menopause. All done with that now thank goodness.

I handled it with prayer (and still do). When things got really bad, I made my prayer a list of all the things I am thankful for. Mostly I was thanking God for the people in my life (by name).

Can't hurt!!!
Amy

I get almost instant anxiety from when I take my Rebif shots. I didn't even know that it was a side effect until another MSer told me about it. So, I tried going without Rebif for two weeks and my anxiety lessens a lot. And then when I gave myself a shot, I got anxiety almost instantly.

I found that Buspirone helps a lot although I was told by my therapist that it doesn't work for most people. But it does for me. I also take a very low dose of klonapam. They really help. But I learned that I have to take a small amount regularly. When I wasn't taking any during the day--just at night, i felt anxious. My doctor noticed that my schedule wasn't regular and now that I take it all day, it helps. Good luck.

Rebif was causing phobias and they went away with buspirone.

I get a lot of anxiety but because of the amount of other medications I am on including valium I dont take more fore it,
I use what is called "arrow prayers" (quick prayers direct to God). Deep breathing to try to calm me, if I can't find words I use visualisation. By that I try to see what I am trying to say words like it to try to get my point over. It calms me & the other person usually understands what I mean, sometimes I use sounds like it if can't think of words that describe it.

Oh my yes I have a lot of experience with anxiety-often comes on for no reason but usually when I am trying to hurry/rush to much. I have to tell myself to slow down and take a breath or two and it will sometimes help. I have a lot of trouble with getting to sleep due to spasms and pain so that makes the anxiety worse. I do stretching daily and do yoga but not regularly like I used to. Stressful situations where I have to think or respond quickly make it worse and I used to thrive on stress as an ER nurse. Can't do that anymore:) I have found sitting down with my dog and snuggling helps or sitting down with computer on fb helps divert my attention. If all else fails I resort to Diazepam. Gardening is relaxing but not in the snow which we are still having. I wish you help with your attacks...know how you hate the meds and I do too but they do help even 2mg of Diazepam. I just hate when our bodies revolt like this-it's not like we don't have enough to deal with but I know life isn't fair. Hugs!

Thank all of you for your stories. I feel better with it now but, I really do hate it.

Can you get something called Valerian where you live? It is like an herbal tea, and it certainly calms me right down! (The first couple of months after I was diagnosed, I had really bad anxiety expecially at night.) Valerian is also available here in pill form, and I will sometimes 'pop' one if I think I might be about to be in an anxiety-filled situation.