brain fog, bad hospital experience, symptoms, meds

[JussicaPark]

I had a panic attack last night and was basically refused service at the hospital. It was early hours in the AM and I started to freak out because my pupils were MASSIVE. I've been on heavy drugs before and it looked like I was on heavy drugs. So anyway I stared into a mirror and just freaked myself out and then thought something was going on with my brain etc. and started getting worse sensations, and asked my boyfriend to take me to the hospital. When I got there I rang the buzzer and waited 5 mintues and nothing, and so I rang the buzzer another two times and the nurse comes out and yells at me that she's the only one on shift and I need to be more patient (Well sorry, I feel like I'm about to die) and then she must of recognised me and she says. What is it. Your anxious again. Have you taken your tablet? (Which I had taken half of). Then she goes on to say if you've taken your tablet theres nothing we can do. What do you expect me to do? I said you can't refuse to help me and then she goes on to say there's nothing much they can do and tells me to sit down. So I walked out the door while she was saying 'I didn't say we couldn't help you.' BASICALLY YOU DID. Some reassurance would of been nice? atleast check my obs? For all I knew I was dying at that very moment and I was getting told there's nothing they could do. I was supposed to be seen by a case worker today (child and adolescent mental health worker) but because of the New Years holiday there aren't any available til Thursday. Too bad if I wanted to neck myself off. I have a Drs appointment on Wednesday that im kind of looking forward too (more for the peace of mind aspect, and knowing If I am actually healthy) I'll be asking for a full medical, the works. I discovered two rockhard lumps on either side inside the crease of my groin which Im assuming are swollen lypmh nodes, Ive already been to the hospital after I found a gland in my neck that worried me and I was told that you should only really worry when they are rock hard...Well...Ofcourse I am now worried. I also woke up this morning with a pretty fast heart rate. I fekt this big wedge of anxiety in my chest. I had a shower and that seemed to make me feel a little better. All day I've been in this brain fog and I can't get out it's like I'm stuck in a dream. I've had chestpains too. I ate for the first time in three days so I think that might of helped a little. I haven't taken any of my meds today (Lexapro10mg and Zyprexa5mg) Because im afraid that's whats been causing me to feel like this. Has
anyone else experienced the following symptoms:
*Feeling like your brain isnt your own and something is wrong with it/and it's all foggy and extremely hard to think
*Random things popping into your head at random moments like the other day I was having a conversation with someone and out of the blue the word 'Redbull' jumped *into my head and I don't even know why/Not being able to remember things
*Not pains but sensations in your head
*Dilated pupils
*Muscle twitching (sometimes it's only part of a muscle that twitches)
*popping sound in head/popping ears
*Overall feeling of something not being right
*Extreme hypervigilance - and I mean extreme. I will jump at anything.

All replies would be greatly appreciated I am a 17 year old girl, is this common for anxiety? Also what would you advise on meds, are they making me more anxious? I have taken them before but then I stopped but now I'm trying to take them again, this would of been the third or fourth day on them if I had taken them. I have 7.5mg of Serepax(Oxazepam) left, should I take this to stop the anxious feeling or wait til I'm having an attack? please respond x

[jinxedau]

My advice would be to ring The Mental Triage Service in your area. They may help to Calm your racing thoughts down.I've been in your situation many times and I too have oxazepam to take when It's getting out of hand.
I'm no doctor but if your freaking out , take the oxazepam it will take the edge of it.

Cheers
Paul

[raggamuffin]

Hello, I recommend taking a look over this forum sticky:

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?1200-Anxiety-Symptoms-The-List

Everything you listed is common with anxiety. The lsit of symptoms your body can give out when you're anxious for a long period is almost limitless. But it depends how much fear and worry you devote to it. The more you worry the worse it'll get and the longer it'll last.

It'd be best to look into some for of therapy. CBT is effective when treating anxiety, help you to understand anxiety better. but at the end of the day, it's down to you and your acceptance of anxiety. Anytime a pain occurs, most anxious people get scared, this kicks in the fight or flight response pumping adrenaline round the body and before you know it, with enough fear and anxiety you're having a full blown panic attack or the pains are all over the place and sometimes agonizing.

It's at times like that you need to remain calm, focus on deep breathing and remind yourself you're not in danger. Rationalize the situation, you've been there before, you're young, it's not going to hrut you, you're healthy. It's just anxiety. Etc

I'm not sure what tablets you're on but perhaps discuss with your doctor about being prescribed beta blockers. They help stop the fight or flight response in it's tracks which means you don't wind up with a racing heartbeat and surge of fear and adrenaline. They're pretty damn effective. But precriptions for drugs must be paired with therapy for an effective approach to overcoming anxiety.

It's never an overnight cure, it takes a lot of hard work but you can do it.

Ed

[JussicaPark]

Ive been in CBT with the same therapist for nearly four years now, Im unsure whether too take the Oxazepam7.5mg, Ive started getting chest pains and more pain in my head now and more popping. If people could tell me if theyve experienced these symptoms and what they would do would really help, I tried to call a supposedly 24/7 helpline but I was on hold for atleast fourtyfive minutes. Can someone please help me out, should i take the oxazepam? Im scared :(

[raggamuffin]

It's all in the stick mentioned. Ches tpain is probably the most common anxiety pain. I get the popping sounds in my head all the time. i associate it with the neck stiffness that people with anxiety get. 4 years is an awful long time for CBT. Then again it can't ever be truly beneficial without first being able to accept it's all anxiety. It's the first and by far the hardest step. but if anxiety has been occuring over 4 years, surely you've got enough evidence now to realize that these pains, no matter how real or scary, aren't going to kill you. It's nothing sinsiter at work here, just fear and worry causing your body to act up.

Ed

[JussicaPark]

I was first diagnosed with major depression and have only just recently (in the last 6 months) been experiencing panic attacks and anxiety, but I have been told they go hand in hand. I took the oxazepam and feel much, much better now. like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. this also tells me that it was anxiety and not something more sinister. thankyou so, so much for your help :)