medication for physical symptoms

Thank you annie. I see that you should avoid alcohol with this medication, and I just couldn't give up my wine-with-dinner – such a huge pleasure for me that life without would be even more miserable.

The other good thing about this thread is that I realise I'm not the only one – I had never heard of anyone else with buzzy, burning skin and feel pretty alone. My GP is very nice but struggles to understand anxiety and panic, she's so calm herself! She did say I needed counselling and referred me, but after three cancelled appointments all I got was a sort of triage person who ascertained I'm not actually suicidal, said yes I do need counselling, but the waiting lists were closed so she was "discharging" me, and sent me away with no treatment and no hope. Can you imagine if they took that attitude with diabetes or something?!!

I also have burning skin, my arms burn every morning when I wake up and sometimes throughout the day when I'm really tensing. I also have tingling in my hands and feet and right shoulder pain and muscle tension everyday from holding my up. I can't seem to relax at all. Every time I notice my shoulder is up and tensed I try to relax and it automatically goes right back up tensed like it feels normal to me. I'm ready to rip my arm off I also have miscle twitches everywhere hey seemed to have calmed down some but instill get them every now and then they are just annoying. It's hard to think anxiety can do all this it feels horrible

Yes it does feel absolutely horrible and I too want to rip my arms off. Sometimes I try, I scrape my nails along my skin but of course it doesn't stop it, just distracts me a bit You also reminded me abut the muscle twitches – I'd forgotten them! I only notice them at night, when I wake up I can feel little random tics like fireworks going off all up and down my legs. I do gently massage nivea into my legs and arms before I go to sleep, that does help both restless legs and this muscle twitching – I don't rub it right in, just leave it so it feels cool (someone on a walking holiday recommended this method to me and it does help). I suppose I am so grateful that I don't have massive panic attacks any more (just small ones!) and am happy out of the house and in supermarkets and cinemas and most situations – just can't cope with tubes, lifts, buses sometimes, restaurants, open countryside... bother, way to go yet!

Well, I've just seen my GP and she's prescribed sertraline so I'll give that a go. She's also booked me in for complete blood tests including vit B12 which is sensible. But I'm sure it's chronic anxiety. As she kindly pointed out, it's an illness same as a physical one, and sometimes we have to resort to medication.

medication really helped me it took 3-4 weeks to see big changes though .hope you get completely good soon. i am in the try too. best of luck ! 

 

She is very good – and nice – but I think I deserve one after about 30 years of awful and sometimes criminal GPs!