Is this the right decision to make?

[maverick2986]

I'm new and have only posted a few times but wanted to make this post about a decision I am inacting tomorrow.

I'll start at the beginning so that noone has to search for my earlier posts. About 2 and a half months ago I began having tension in my neck and pressure in my throat like it was strained or I was being choked and sometimes like someone is poking me in the throat below the adam's apple. It persisted almost constantly for a few weeks before I could not stand it any longer and went to the dr. They looked at me and said it was just muscle tension and gave me some Skelaxin - didn't help at all.

The tension remained and then a little over three weeks ago I began having other symptoms like chest pressure around the center, left and right sides at different times. Sometimes my shoulders would ache and a couple of times my arms ached and my fingertips would tingle for a second or so. I went to the dr again and thought it was cardiac related and had some chest X-Rays and EKGs done which came out normal. I went to another dr a week later and had another EKG done which was also fine. Both the Drs said it was Anxiety/Stress. However, I was doubtful that this was at all stress related since the symptoms persisted almost all the time, whether I am stressed or not. Most of my symptoms disappeared except for the chest pressure, throat pressure, and neck aches. I am more accepted that this is indeed Anxiety and notice that when I take a nice hot bath or first wake in the morning the symptoms are gone. I also managed to once go into the bathroom and run the sink water and run my hands under it while I sat down and this would take my symptoms away as well and it would give me a super-feeling of being relaxed (I imagine this is how people without Anxiety feel when they're normally relaxed.) This relaxation is different than the one I experience when I am just sitting around "relaxing".

I am a bit of a hypochondriac so in the back of my mind I keep thinking that it is something other than Anxiety like GERD, LPR, Allergies, Thryoid, Blood poisoning, Lung Problems, Caner, etc. and have done literally hours and hours of web searching for these symptoms.

In the end, I decided to go to a specialist and see a psychiatrist. I believe she will be able to give me a proper evaluation and give me the meds I need to get these physcial symptoms to go away. Once the symptoms are gone I can start seeking therapy to see what the underlying problem is.

I don't have insurance right now but I believe that it will be worth it if they can help me get my life back (I am 25 and married to a wonderful woman).

Does this seem like a step in the right direction? Does anyone else experience these symptoms like I do (whether you're "relaxed" or not the symptoms seem to always persist)? The one dr prescribed me Lexapro 10mg but I don't want to take this until I get a specialist who will listen to my problems and give a professional mental evaluation before prescribing me any kind of meds.

Please help, I am thankful for all inputs/advice. It does feel good to know that others out there have similar symptoms and problems and that you are not truly "alone". Thank you.

[Punkdizzle]

i don't know if anyone can tell you it is the right decision to make.. i personally like seeing my psychiatrist for my anxiety issues.. some people don't like going to them and like trying it on their own. its what you think is best for you not what we think..

just from my own personal experience with psychiatrists.. sometimes you may have to try a few different ones until you find one you are comfortable with.. or the first one you try may be the one that works for you.. ( i am kind of picky with my DRs so it may just be me)

the best advice i can give you is make sure you tell them everything you are feeling/experiencing. no matter how off the wall it may seem to you, they have heard it tons of times and it helps them make a proper diagnosis..

i had kind of the same problem as you with my throat a few years ago one summer.. but it happened only when i would swallow.. saw a few DRs about it and turned out to be nothing more then seasonal allergies..
never had them before and i have not had them since but just for that one summer they were bothering me.. go figure.. though because of the worry it caused me my anxiety went sky high and just made me obsess about it ( which made it 100 time worse) until i was finally told what was causing it..

[stressedteacher]

cymbalta works great for muscle and back and chest tension....