Anyone Please Help - Open to All Other Health Topics Message Board

joe2037 · 10-18-2004, 06:54 PM

Hey everyone. This is my 1st post on this site. I'm 23 years old and when I was younger I suffered from panic attacks. As I grew up I started to learn to control them untill about a year ago. October of 2003 I got laid off from my job and the stress began to set in. I started to get the anxiety attacks more and more. I couldn't sleep at night didn't want to eat. I would be sooo tired that I would doze off for a second and wake up a minute later in a cold sweat from nightmares. I am still having a hard time sleeping. Even during the day sometimes it feels like I'm in a dream. I'm afraid to travel far from home especially by myself because I fear and anxiety attack. It's been about a year now that I have been out of work and also have no medical benefits. I just applied for individual benefits which I start next week but have to pay $380 a month for. I've been DJ-ing to try and pay off my bills which is also hard due to late hours. It is also hard because I feel like I have to please everyone in the crowd. When I mess up I get that feeling like when your in a dream at school naked. I get a lump in the back of my throat and get a pit in my stomach. In the last 3 months, I've noticed a pain develop in the right side of my neck towards the back top. I didn't think anything of it until a week ago when my right eye lid started twitching. I've had twitches before that last for like 5 seconds and go away but this has been on going now for a week. Just yesterday I got a headache (I’m guessing from the pressure of the stiff neck) and I never unless I'm sick have ever had one. I looked online to see what might be wrong and I came up with some scary results. Some possible causes were too much alcohol and caffeine intake, brain tumor, lyme disease, meningitis and high stress. After reading about that I’m scared for my life. What should I get checked out in 2 weeks when I go to the doctor? What questions should I ask? What tests should I get if any? Someone please help me.

crabbyroad · 10-19-2004, 06:53 AM

Joe,

I would surf over under the anxiety and stress board or panic disorder board.

I would tell your doctor about your stress, anxiety attacks, then up to the headaches. I think the anxiety from stress is the culprit here, just as stress can cause anxiety attacks, you can also have a whole host of other things appear, stress headaches, twitching of muscles, the knots in the stomach, and some agoraphobic behavior as you stated, fear of going to far by yourself for fear of anxiety attack.

joe2037 · 10-19-2004, 11:34 AM

Do you think that anxiety is the cause? I've never had twitching before. I also just found out my insurence woun't be effective till Nov. 1st.

What tests do you think I should have done to eliminate the other possibilities or detect them early?

zuzu8 · 10-19-2004, 12:11 PM

Joe,

I tend to agree with Crabby that most of your physical symptoms and sensations are probably anxiety related.

As for the twitching, fatigue (lack of restorative sleep) is one of the most common causes.

The doctor will know what tests to order...Probably will want a full blood panel with CBC (complete blood count), also the blood tests should include diagnostics for thyroid function, electrolytes and cholesterol. You should have the bloods taken while FASTING for the cholesterol #s to be accurate. So when you set up the appt, make sure you tell them you want a "lipid panel" done and the nurse will tell you not to eat or drink anything (but water) after midnight. Given that you'll be hungry by the time you get to the doctor's office, best to schedule the appt. as early in the A.M. as possible!

zuzu xxx
P.S. Edited to add: The sensation of a lump in your throat is also a very common symptom related to anxiety. It's known as a "globus" sensation. Or "globus hystericus". So try to relax, and stop surfing the Web and scaring yourself to death!!!

joe2037 · 10-25-2004, 08:27 PM

Thanks I'll try.