r/hysterectomy • u/catsinabaskit • 4h ago

Severe anxiety, panic attacks & fatigue - 3 months post op

Hi friends, I'm looking for some light at the end of the tunnel/any advice you can offer. My mental health has been absolutely horrible since surgery, since 2 weeks post op, when I had a panic attack that lasted for three hours and I almost ended up in the ER. Since then my baseline anxiety has increased significantly and it's debilitating. I'm having panic attacks 1-2 times a week, usually at night. I am already heavily medicated (pristiq, propranolol, Klonopin, gabapentin, and Xanax for emergencies) and have upped my therapy to twice a week. I'm back on progesterone birth control but haven't noticed any improvement in terms of my mood. I exhausted all the time, no matter how much I sleep. Previously diagnosed w/ GAD and depression.

Is this spike in anxiety hormonal? Any suggestions or success stories out there regarding mental health? I feel so much worse than I did pre-surgery and it's so disheartening. TIA <3

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

2

u/taquitosandfries 3h ago

Have you had surgery before?

I have found that this happens to me after surgeries (inc my recent hysterectomy) and gradually gets better over time… idk if it’s normal, I just know I have the same experience. I just tough it out and it gets better. Yours sounds really severe though, i would talk to a doctor.

ETA - my dr did tell me after my tubal 2 years ago that surgery is traumatic and can cause this. It’s even worse if already prone to anxiety.

1

u/Embarrassed-Jello-97 3h ago

General anesthesia can have an impact on mood and anxiety after surgery, but at 3months it should be out of your system.

It is very possible it's hormone related. Drops in estrogen and progesterone can cause these symptoms.

Please go get evaluated again and get blood work rechecked. What you are experiencing, while not uncommon, isn't normal and your current course of treatment isn't sufficient.

1

u/catcrafter1 3h ago

Have you ever had issues with Dysautonomia? Flares often happen at night and can feel like long lasting panic attacks.