Fibromyalgia/RSD and anxiety??

Hi everyone,
I have just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and have had RSD for 5 years. In the last few months I have had such terrible anxiety and difficulty breathing which I am going to assume is the fibromyalgia. Anyone else experience this?

Best,
Eliza

That sounds like a classic panic attack. I've had them.

However, panic attacks can mimic cardiac problems, and I see in your sig that you've got some nutritional issues, along with a low BP. That could be contributing as well. Using a proton pump inhibitor like omeprezole (Prilosec OTC) works for me, I've had GERD since I was a teenager, and all of those meds were prescription only. The reflux can trigger an attack as well.

Air goes in and out, blood goes round and round. If something is interfering with that, get it checked out. There are meds for the anxiety, as well as some therapeutic techniques, like square breathing, that can help them to pass.

I would talk to your doctor about this issue. He may prescribe something, or refer you to a psychiatrist to deal with the emotional side of the pain. Because there is an emotional side. Anxiety and/or depression seem to go hand in hand with chronic pain. I would ask him about that referral, even though he can just write a scrip for something to "calm the nerves" and help prevent or reduce panic attacks.

And just as another thought, the SCS could be triggering some of this. It's a constant new sensation that the body does not really know how to deal with yet. That by itself can trigger anxiety.

Hope some of this helps.