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PositivePerson
01-21-2015, 03:23 PM
Hi there,

I'm new here. I've been reading posts for a few days now. Today, I finally decided to register/post in hopes that maybe someone can help me to figure out what is going on with my body.

Here is a bit about me. I am in my mid-30's. I have always been a pretty healthy person. I'm a positive person that has never had depression or anxiety in the past. Up until December 2014 - the only pill that I was taking was a daily multi-vitamin. I have always despised taking pills of any kind. Up until the end of December I was working at a small business as a dog/cat groomer/bather. I must tell you that the 2 people that I worked with were extremely negative. They caused a lot of stress in my life. I'm pretty sure that these people played a major part in everything that you will read below. Also, I ended up quitting this job at the end of December.

This is my story.

Last December 10th I woke up with a bit of stomach/back pain. I left work and went to the doctor that day. They did a urine and blood test. I was told that I had a "kidney infection" and was given an antibiotic called Dipro. They told me that they would call with the blood results. When I got home, I did a horrible thing and goggled "kidney infection". This somewhat freaked me out and made me worry. After 5 days of taking the antibiotic, I decided to go back to the doctor. I wasn't feeling any better. The doctor did another urine test and read my last blood results. He told me that there were never any signs of a kidney/bladder infection. Everything looked normal. I had been taking the antibiotic for no reason. He set up an appointment with a physical therapist for my back pain.

Upon waking up the next day (December 16th), I felt extremely shaky. My chest felt heavy and I was in a strange panic. I went to the doctor again. I told her what was going on. I was tested for diabetes and thyroid problems. Everything came back normal with that. She gave me an anxiety medication called Citalopram 20mg. I was also given something called Lorazepam and told to take it if I was in an extreme panic mode. She then told me to come back in 2 weeks so that she could see how I was doing with the new medication.

As I have never taken any sort of anxiety medication, the idea of it freaked me out. The Citalogram caused a bunch of weird side effects. I felt pins and needles in my hands and feet. I was nauseous and couldn't function very well. After 10 days of that, I stopped taking it.

On January 5th, I went back to the doctor. I still had stomach and back pain. I told her what was going on with the Citalogram. She prescribed a different kind of anxiety medication called Fluoxetine. I was to take half of the pill for a week and then start taking the full pill after that week. As far as the stomach and back pain went, she suggested that I might have IBS. She printed off a bunch of IBS information and told me to read it. That was the end of that.

I am now into 2 weeks of taking the Fluoxetine. I know that this kind of medication is supposed to take time to build up in your system. I still have back and stomach pain. My eyes constantly feel dry. My chest feels heavy. I have a weird lump in my throat. I have a constant major acid reflex/heart burn type of feeling in my throat/chest. I feel shaky/jittery. I've been having strange dreams every night. I wake up in the morning and have the hardest time getting out of bed. I feel like I'm going crazy. I have many things that I have to accomplish daily but don't feel like doing any of them at all. I've never felt this way in the past.

I am afraid to go to the Doctor again as I don't want them to think that I'm a hypochondriac. I feel like they're brushing me off and don't really care what is going on with me. This all began with a bit of stomach/back pain and escalated into a big mess. The past month seems like a huge blur to me. This is the worst I've ever felt in my life.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I should do now? Do I even have anxiety? Should I be taking the Fluoxetine? Could I have had anxiety or depression without even knowing it? How can I start feeling normal again and push myself to accomplish my daily activities? Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my message. It means a lot.

Kelsey2009
01-21-2015, 07:34 PM
Hello,

I am glad you decided to post. I am also new here to the forum and am hoping that in finding others with the same issues it will help me feel 'normal again'. I was also on the Fluoxetien that I was prescribed for anxiety. After a few days of being on the medicine I was so sick that I called off work thursday, friday, was sick the weekend and then called off monday as well. When I told my doctor she said that it was unusual for such severe side effects so soon but I told her that I have always been sensitive to medicines and side effects. So she lowered the dose and i took it for a few more weeks. Still, i didnt like the way the medicine made me feel and went off of it. I think that there are many medicines that have more, and often worse, side effects than the original problem they were supposed to be treating. I am no doctor but, i would say if all these issues started when you began to take the medicine there is a connection there. Maybe try a smaller dose? As far as whether or not you should go to the doctor. If you have insurance go. I go to the doctor a lot. I have insurance and that's what the doctor is there for. So i go. It also puts my mind at ease if i go and they tell me nothing is really wrong. Sometimes I feel like the doctors make me feel even more crazy i am already am. I often go to the doctors for their medical expertise and then ignore what they say about my anxiety. Lately I have been trying to go the all natural route. Relaxation, yoga and exercise, eating healthy. Controlling the things in my life that I can. I am starting a new job on monday though so I am a little more stressed out.

So, I think that you should go to the doctor and let them know how you are feeling and that you would like to try a lower dose or different medication.

alex42
01-21-2015, 07:49 PM
I used to go to the doctor ALL the time when I was younger... In my 20s. I don't do that anymore. After hearing I was "fine" physically all the time... I figured it was all in my head. Which, funny enough, it is. Anxiety and panic disorder is a mental health issue. I am in my 40s now. I've had years of "remission" from it. But when it comes back, it comes back strong. So the meds are working for me for the time being. I also see a therapist weekly. That also helps. Good luck on your new job! :)

Kelsey2009
01-21-2015, 08:02 PM
Thanks Alex,

I have also been thinking about starting therapy. It has been suggested to me by many people and doctors. Did this really help? It just stresses (like i need more) me out to think about taking more time out of my day to go to therapy if doesnt really help. Do you think the therapy really helps with anxiety?

alex42
01-21-2015, 08:14 PM
It's different for everyone. For me, yeah... I like to get things off my chest so to speak. So it does soothe me. I think it's a great stress reliever in and of itself. But, you have to find the right person. That can be tricky.

PositivePerson
01-21-2015, 09:33 PM
Kelsey2009: Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it. I was wondering if you are on any other anxiety medication now? Or is the relaxation, yoga and exercise and eating healthy working for you? I'm thinking of stopping the Fluoxetine stuff all together too. I really don't see why you should have to suffer worse side effects so that another issue can be resolved. That just doesn't make sense to me. Good luck with your new job. That's awesome!

Kelsey2009
01-25-2015, 06:10 PM
Hello Positive Person,

Sorry for the delay. I haven't been on in a few days. I wish this site informed me like e-mail when people reply to subscribed post. But, no i am not on any medicine currently. I do have ativan and xanax for if i go into a panic attack but i dont like to take them. I go through periods of highs and lows sometimes. I do know that when I was fit and healthy and worked out and did yoga everyday I was also at my happiest, I think too I felt better about myself so it boosted my mood and self confidence as well. Recently I have been busy and stressed out so I havent been spending time on myself. And in result my anxiety and fears have been worse. I have also been looking into essential oils. There are a lot of oils that are supposed to help with anxiety. I havent tried yet and am debating spending the money. But, I personally want to control this on my own because any medication I have ever been on has had more symptoms than I was dealing with premeds.