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Q: Is It All In My Head?
asked by: olive_oil1977 on May 15th, 2007
New User
Shocked
Ok. I'm a 30 year old female with a history of GERD, gastroparesis (not diabetic) sinusitis, and anxiety. I have had blood tests, EKGs, tilt table, heart ultrasounds, Holter monitors. All were normal (The heart monitor showed PVC's, the doctor wasn't worried about it) Two years ago, I had sinus surgery and it made it WORSE instead of better. I feel as if I'm in a constant foggy state for more than 3 years now. I've tried different medicines for my sinuses, multiple antibiotics. But nothing works. It's been so long since I felt normal, I don't know what it is anymore.

Lately, I have been having spasms throughout my body. My legs, arms, face, stomach and head. If I feel it in my stomach, I will take some mylanta and it seems to get better for a small while. But the spasms continue. Most of the time, the spasms are like a quiver, like something wiggling beneath my skin. Other times, I feel my muscles get so tense that it hurts (it's as if if I am a marionette with a sadistic puppeteer) I feel these pains mostly in my arms and legs and feet. I feel as if my throat is tight too. My thyroid levels were a little low, but the doctor didn't think I needed treatment for it. Sometimes, when the spasms start, I feel as if I am short of breath but only in the back part of my throat, where the uvula is. If I breathe through my mouth, I can clearly tell I am able to get air in fully. Other times, I feel like I am forced to sigh. Sometimes, the spasms make me feel as if I am a scratched CD or DVD and my brain 'skips' a few seconds. When I stand up, my head feels as if it is going to explode. Sometimes, after eating, I break out in a sweat, no matter what it is I ingest. After taking something to alleviate the sinus pressure, I feel a little better, but not by much. I can be just sitting and my ears feel as if they need to be popped, but I'm not in an elevator. I have been seeing a therapist for anxiety for over a year. My anxiety attacks have dropped immensely, but I wouldn't have them if my body wasn't so defunct. When I try to explain my symptoms to my doc, she just looks baffled. It is quite frightening and I feel as if I cannot concentrate. I spend most of my day doing a mental body system scan to check and see what hurts and feels funny. Could mold cause these problems? I recently found mold in my home and got it cleaned and cleared away. My breathing is better, yet these other symptoms continue. I fear I may have nerve damage (vagus nerve, perhaps?) I try to not Google my symptoms, it makes my paranoia take flight, but I don't know what else to do. Sad
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Stan
replied on May 15th, 2007
Moderator
You need to have a glucose tolerance test. Those symptoms were things I once experienced. Read real quick about hypoglycemia online (looking at a few sites because many contradict each other). Do you notice any differences depending on eating?
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johnR
replied on May 16th, 2007
Experienced User
If you have had all those tests and they are basically clear it sounds to me like you are spending way too much time concentrating on how you feel which will produce anxiety and symptoms in anyone that does that. Once you focus on normal body sensations that everyone has, but are under most people's radar, your focus will perpetuate them to the point of fearing the worst. This is a vicious cycle that if it goes uninterrupted will get worse. You need to learn how to stop worrying so much and the best way to do this is through a cbt group. It is hard work but it helped me overcome my panic attacks, anxiety and depression and I am feeling better all the time. Life's too short to be ruled by anxiety.
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Stan
replied on May 16th, 2007
Moderator
Though that can be true I must emplore you to not stop being tested until they've cleared you for certain things. Sugar problems should be one of them, you need a gtt done. I did just what was suggested there, only to find out two years later, after months and weeks of agony and suffering, that if I would have pushed the issue and demanded more tests, I would have figured out my problem was merely physical and was corrected over time with a simple diet plan. Don't just take this 'all in your head' crap, because based on the diagonsis criteria of the dsm-iv, rarely is it.
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