Terrifying symptom I just had. Please help me people!!

10-06-2003, 10:26 PM

I just had a very frightening symptom that I have
never experienced before (at least not to the degree
that I just did) but before I go into much detail I
think I should give you all a little bit of background
so you'll be better informed.

I am 40 years old and male. Although I do take a long
walk each morning (and 25 pushups), I have continued
to sit at this computer ALL day/EVERY day for about 7
years straight. I suffer from anxiety, depression,
really bad allergies, hypertension (160/90 usually),
GERD and Turette's Syndrome. It all runs in my family.
I keep a goat and a goose in my bedroom as pets -
although not both at the same time (and I DO keep them
very clean). I take Atenolol and Hydrochlorothiazide
for the high blood pressure, xanax ("as needed") for
my anxiety and I also take Prevacid for my acid reflux
(GERD). I am by nature, a "type A" personality and am
very easily irritated and often get impatient. I am
also a work-a-holic. I chew tobacco but do not smoke
or drink (although I used to smoke and was an
alcoholic for over a year until I quit both cold
turkey).

Anyway, I was sitting at my computer earlier today
eating a bag of salty pretzels and all of a sudden I
get this really intense feeling like low-medium
voltage/current going through my brain and I was
getting dizzy. It was'nt like a "jolt" or "shock" but
more like someone had implanted an electrode in my
brain and then turned the current on for about 30
seconds. It felt "electric" and tingly inside my brain
and I was VERY scared!!.

I've also had sensations from time to time (but not
recently) where I get this feeling inside my
brain/head like I am withdrawling form something but
the thing is...I'm not addicted to anything. It kind
of feels like the sensation you would get if you
crossed your eyes for a few minutes and you get that
dizzy/bug-eyed/spacey feeling, you know what I mean?.
Sometimes my head just feels like it's going forward
and I am about to momentarily lose consiousness (but
not that bad).

Anyway, I don't know if these two sensations are
related in anyway but I know when I got that tingly
electrical feeling surging through my brain about an
hour ago, I KNEW I was in trouble. I'm still reeling
from it.

Can anyone tell me what this is or if it sounds
familiar?. I just took a Xanax so I'm hoping it will
go away but I'm not sure this was anxiety because it
was REALLY freaky and scary. Come to think of it, I
have had this sensation in the past but not very
often. It continues to baffle me and I continue
searching for answers.Did I just have a stroke?.
Anxiety?. Side effects from meds?. Deep Vein
Thrombosis (a clot) that went to my brain from sitting
too long at the computer?. I'm totally stumped )-:

Thank you VERY much!!

[This message has been edited by TawnyToad (edited 10-06-2003).]

thehomefolks · 10-06-2003, 11:31 PM

How long have you had tourettes? do you take meds for it? i think xanax is probably the worst drug yu could take. If i were you I would have my doc give me something that is not addictive. There are many drugs out there for depression and anxiety. That's probably your problem. Not a doc, but xanax is not a drug you want to have to withdraw from...you think you've got problems now.......oh man......

bookmiser · 10-06-2003, 11:45 PM

tawny,
i just read your post and felt so bad for your situation. i only suffer from panic attacks. i am on 100mg a day of zoloft to avoid these attacks, but too much caffeine, too much stress, whatever, will cause an attack. see, my mom died 6 days after my 30th birthday in 1994. two months after her funeral, i was at work one day and all of a sudden i felt this heat rising up from my feet all through my body. i felt fear like i've never felt before. i was dying. or so i thought. my brain began buzzing, i got hot all over and felt like i was going to vomit. i also felt a need to have a bowel movement. the physical part was scary, the mental part-horrific. i think what your experiencing is panic attacks. mine only last less than a minute at a time, but feel like an eternity. write again and let me know what you think. relax, talking helps.