LSalo
05-28-2012, 06:59 PM
Like most other people my anxiety has gotten me to the point where I am looking online for others who have similar problems to talk too. Here's my story:
About 2 months ago, I went to a restaurant, got very sick, and then had bad G.I. problems immediately after. I came home, laid down on the couch for a few hours and then decided to get up and take a shower. After my shower I got dressed and then noticed that my arms were both swelled up. This instantly created a panic reaction in me and my heart started throbbing, I thought I was having some sort of allergic reaction, my throat closed up, I could barely breathe and my fiance took me to the hospital. At the hospital I was hyperventilating. They did some blood tests and hooked me up to a pulse monitor device and a blood pressure monitor. Every time the things beeped (because my heart was getting faster again) I would freak out and scream for the nurses. I honestly thought I was going to die. They gave me an addavan, told me I had an allergic reaction to the veggie burger I had eaten at lunch, and then sent me on my way. Two days later I ended up in an urgent care facility. My throat was still swelling (had been for two days), my heart was still racing, and I was having trouble functioning. The P.A. that I saw told me to take benedryl and sent me home. Two days later, same symptoms, no relief, I went back and saw a different doctor. This guy told me I had sever hypertension (did I mention that I'm 27 and my family history is for low blood pressure, not high...the only times I had my blood pressure taken were during an attack), anxiety, and probably some depression (though I wasn't feeling too down). He gave me metropolol, xanax, and paxil. The holy trinity of anxiety relief right? Wrong.
I started taking the metropolol and xanax and the way that the beta blockers made me feel was crazy. I could barely walk, couldn't get off the couch, felt like I was in a fog....about a week later I started to get depressed about my symptoms (the attacks were still happening) and my fiance talked me into taking the paxil. I took the paxil for 4 days and was awake the entire time. Didn't sleep for one second during those 4 days. I started hearing things, seeing things, etc. and finally took myself off of them. After about a week later I started getting very dizzy and would monitor my BP at grocery stores. I was having a pulse in the 40s and my bp was very low. I went back to the PA who prescribed the pills and he told me to get back on the paxil (I didn't) and to take 2 of the beta blockers at night (100mg) and not to take any in the morning. Well, I couldn't function on the 50 in the morning and the 50 at night so I decided after speaking to a pharmacist, that I needed to cut my pills in half. So I did. I was ion 25mg in the morning and 25 mg at night and taking the xanax (splitting them in 1/4s) whenever an attack was coming. I started to have very bad vision problems, and got very dizzy so I went back to the urgent care (I dont have health insurance so this is why I had to keep going here) and saw a real doctor. He told me that I had labyrinthitis and nystagmus but that they would go away on their own. He told me to start to get off the beta blockers if I didn't want to be on them (music to my ears) so I started taking 1/4 of a pill in the morning and a 1/4 in the evening. The labyrinthitis lasted about two weeks or so. I'm just barely getting over it. In this time I established a General Practitioner and finally got to visit him. This doctor told me that yes all of my symptoms, dizzyness, racing heart, diarrhea (that I had for 6 weeks), vision problems, numb hands, chest pain (GERD), were all because of the anxiety. He helped me get completely off of the beta blockers. So now, here I am today a couple weeks later, waiting for blood tests to come back from him.... taking only Omeprazole for my GERD symptoms and the occasional xanax. But.... my anxiety has gotten the best of me today. I think I have sinus infection right now, my head is all stuffed up, bad post nasal drip, muscle pain, very tired.
I have also had some other strange symptoms this week that don't really make much sense to me but I think I'll post them here to relieve a little more of my anxiety. (Lots of it stems from the fact that I have become hyper aware of my health and every twitch of my body). My vision is still suffering. I have had swelling in my ankles and have had spider veins appear over the last couple of days. My fingers become numb and then turn white and even wrinkly sometimes (like they have been wet, but they arent wet!) This pressure in my head is killing me (I think it is sinus'). Every time my chest starts to hurt I think HEART ATTACK and try my hardest not to go into a full blown panic attack. I am also very concerned about having a stroke. I've had weird shooting pains in my head.... my doctor told me I am too young for a stroke though and to quit worrying about that. I also forgot to mention that I have called the ambulance once in the past month to come to my house (They gave me a free EKG) and things were fine on that. I've had neck pains, eye pains, pains everywhere and they're driving me mad. Sometimes I just feel like I'm about to lose myself to this anxiety. My fiance is losing patience with me as well I fear. I am a full time student (4.0gpa) and a full time mother. It would be nice to talk to other people who have similar problems or have overcome anxiety.... I'm trying to get to the point where I take 0 meds...its very hard though. I went a few days last week with nothing...but have gotten back on a little xanax since (Finals are coming up)....
I have tried changing things in my life since this all started. I quit smoking, i hvaen't had any alcohol in 2 months, I don't eat spicy foods, no caffeine, no sugar or salty foods etc. I'm eating very bland but have upped my potassium.
If anyone wants to talk...I'd appreciate it... I need to know I'm not the only one out there ( I know this already...it just feels good to have someone to speak to)....
About 2 months ago, I went to a restaurant, got very sick, and then had bad G.I. problems immediately after. I came home, laid down on the couch for a few hours and then decided to get up and take a shower. After my shower I got dressed and then noticed that my arms were both swelled up. This instantly created a panic reaction in me and my heart started throbbing, I thought I was having some sort of allergic reaction, my throat closed up, I could barely breathe and my fiance took me to the hospital. At the hospital I was hyperventilating. They did some blood tests and hooked me up to a pulse monitor device and a blood pressure monitor. Every time the things beeped (because my heart was getting faster again) I would freak out and scream for the nurses. I honestly thought I was going to die. They gave me an addavan, told me I had an allergic reaction to the veggie burger I had eaten at lunch, and then sent me on my way. Two days later I ended up in an urgent care facility. My throat was still swelling (had been for two days), my heart was still racing, and I was having trouble functioning. The P.A. that I saw told me to take benedryl and sent me home. Two days later, same symptoms, no relief, I went back and saw a different doctor. This guy told me I had sever hypertension (did I mention that I'm 27 and my family history is for low blood pressure, not high...the only times I had my blood pressure taken were during an attack), anxiety, and probably some depression (though I wasn't feeling too down). He gave me metropolol, xanax, and paxil. The holy trinity of anxiety relief right? Wrong.
I started taking the metropolol and xanax and the way that the beta blockers made me feel was crazy. I could barely walk, couldn't get off the couch, felt like I was in a fog....about a week later I started to get depressed about my symptoms (the attacks were still happening) and my fiance talked me into taking the paxil. I took the paxil for 4 days and was awake the entire time. Didn't sleep for one second during those 4 days. I started hearing things, seeing things, etc. and finally took myself off of them. After about a week later I started getting very dizzy and would monitor my BP at grocery stores. I was having a pulse in the 40s and my bp was very low. I went back to the PA who prescribed the pills and he told me to get back on the paxil (I didn't) and to take 2 of the beta blockers at night (100mg) and not to take any in the morning. Well, I couldn't function on the 50 in the morning and the 50 at night so I decided after speaking to a pharmacist, that I needed to cut my pills in half. So I did. I was ion 25mg in the morning and 25 mg at night and taking the xanax (splitting them in 1/4s) whenever an attack was coming. I started to have very bad vision problems, and got very dizzy so I went back to the urgent care (I dont have health insurance so this is why I had to keep going here) and saw a real doctor. He told me that I had labyrinthitis and nystagmus but that they would go away on their own. He told me to start to get off the beta blockers if I didn't want to be on them (music to my ears) so I started taking 1/4 of a pill in the morning and a 1/4 in the evening. The labyrinthitis lasted about two weeks or so. I'm just barely getting over it. In this time I established a General Practitioner and finally got to visit him. This doctor told me that yes all of my symptoms, dizzyness, racing heart, diarrhea (that I had for 6 weeks), vision problems, numb hands, chest pain (GERD), were all because of the anxiety. He helped me get completely off of the beta blockers. So now, here I am today a couple weeks later, waiting for blood tests to come back from him.... taking only Omeprazole for my GERD symptoms and the occasional xanax. But.... my anxiety has gotten the best of me today. I think I have sinus infection right now, my head is all stuffed up, bad post nasal drip, muscle pain, very tired.
I have also had some other strange symptoms this week that don't really make much sense to me but I think I'll post them here to relieve a little more of my anxiety. (Lots of it stems from the fact that I have become hyper aware of my health and every twitch of my body). My vision is still suffering. I have had swelling in my ankles and have had spider veins appear over the last couple of days. My fingers become numb and then turn white and even wrinkly sometimes (like they have been wet, but they arent wet!) This pressure in my head is killing me (I think it is sinus'). Every time my chest starts to hurt I think HEART ATTACK and try my hardest not to go into a full blown panic attack. I am also very concerned about having a stroke. I've had weird shooting pains in my head.... my doctor told me I am too young for a stroke though and to quit worrying about that. I also forgot to mention that I have called the ambulance once in the past month to come to my house (They gave me a free EKG) and things were fine on that. I've had neck pains, eye pains, pains everywhere and they're driving me mad. Sometimes I just feel like I'm about to lose myself to this anxiety. My fiance is losing patience with me as well I fear. I am a full time student (4.0gpa) and a full time mother. It would be nice to talk to other people who have similar problems or have overcome anxiety.... I'm trying to get to the point where I take 0 meds...its very hard though. I went a few days last week with nothing...but have gotten back on a little xanax since (Finals are coming up)....
I have tried changing things in my life since this all started. I quit smoking, i hvaen't had any alcohol in 2 months, I don't eat spicy foods, no caffeine, no sugar or salty foods etc. I'm eating very bland but have upped my potassium.
If anyone wants to talk...I'd appreciate it... I need to know I'm not the only one out there ( I know this already...it just feels good to have someone to speak to)....