Hello,
So I've had an anxiety disorder that began around 4-5 years ago. It started when I was 18 when I stopped heroin. I did some therapy and medicine (Cipralex with Xanax) for a few months and everything improved for around 3-4 years. The anxiety literally disappeared. I'm 23 and completely clean and sober but around a month ago, I had a panic attack while working out, and it all came back. I've done many tests physically, including seeing the best cardiologist in my city and doing EKGs, and the best neurologist aswell. I've been to the ER maybe 5 times this month and everytime they've been telling me it's anxiety. They both tell me I'm healthy and I believe it but I still have anxiety. I've began taking Cipralex again 10mg for 2 weeks now and tomorrow I'm going to start taking 20mg. I'm feeling better but I have this headache that happens everyday. It comes and goes. I feel pressure on my head, all around my face sometimes, I feel lightheaded and dizzy often. There are two physical symptoms that I feel that keep me worrying, my left side chest and arm have been tense for a couple weeks which im trying to ignore, and these headaches.
I'm doing my best to fight it, I'm starting to develop some hypochondriac tendencies and I'm doing my best to just ignore them. The thing is it all matters where the pain is, If it's my stomach, foot or leg it's easy to ignore. But all the physical symptoms I feel are either in my chest or head and its wearing me out. I've seen a lot of doctors recently, the best of the best and I'm doing my best to stop this. I'm trying my best to make the decision that nothing is wrong with me. I was completely okay a month and a half ago. I graduate with my BA next month and im doing my best to stay focused but it's so hard. I've informed all my professors what im going through and they're nice enough to take my situation into consideration. I was never really the worrying type towards my health, it was more social anxiety, anxiety of the future. But it seems to have shifted towards my health now. I smoke a pack of cigarettes everyday, other than that I used to exercise often and I barely drink any alcohol.
A detailed explanation of what I feel from my headache:
- Pressure between the eyes and my nose.
- My left ear seems to get blocked often.
- My jaw hurts because I clinch my teeth a lot.
- Eye strain, not sure if it's Myopia or too much computer but they hurt sometimes.
- Heavy and lighteadedness, sometimes I feel like I get dizzy when I move my head either left or right.
- Nasal Congestion, I have a devitation in my left nostril that makes it annoying and hard to breathe properly sometimes. I'm also taking Avamys nasal spray. I had taken Otrivin for 2 months almost beginning of 2013 and that's bad.
- Red eyes
- Swollen Cheekbones
- Skin sensitivity on scalp and face
So yeah, my neurologist which I saw today actually told me to not worry, that I'm not going to have a stroke, a hemorrhage, an aneurysm or a tumor. He just me to relax and that I'm a good healthy young man. And I believe him, this doctor has one of the best reputations in my region but I'm just not convinced about
the diagnosis'. Sometimes the ER doctors tell me it's a migraine, sometimes a tension headache, sometimes it could be an allergic reaction, sometimes sinusitis and it's driving me insane I can't figure out what it is.
I would like to know if anyone else has been having anxiety related chronic headaches?
Is 20mg Cipralex a big amount?
What bothers me the most is that I feel a lot less stressed out than how I was 3 weeks ago, even when I take half a tablet of Xanax and I'm feeling 'calm' the headache is still there. It's just making me impatient.
My psychiatrist has also told me to start taking a small dose of Inderal, but I'm so aware of my heart beats that if I feel it beating slow I will freak out and I don't want to, I don't have any problems with blood pressure.
I haven't had a panic attack in a month, and I feel more stable, but it seems that my 'normal' anxiety is just always high and consistent rather than experiencing them via attacks. I'm also somewhat OCD.
Any information will be appreciated,
Mark
Post Edited (Mark_K) : 5/21/2013 9:50:34 AM (GMT-6)