Please help!

Posted , 3 users are following.

Please help!!

So, I’ve been having some health issues over the last 12 months. I am 19 years old, male, in good shape, I’ve been running for the last 5 years, not overweight, non smoking, rarely drinking (a few times a year), blood pressure normal, cholesterol normal (a bit too low actually), I eat healthy, I do not do drugs… But I am in a lot of stress for the last few years.

I do not know what is related and what’s not, so I’ll just start at the beginning. It all started last November with palpitations and a feeling that my heart is skipping some beats. Because of that, I’ve gone to the ER a few times, they checked my blood, blood pressure, sugar, blood, they did an EKG and an ultrasound of my heart. Everything was okay. That happened like 3 times in about a month or so. After that I started having pain in my abdomen, my stool was soft and yellow, my skin was itchy. My doctor advised to check my liver, as ALT was slightly (really just slightly) increased (And the test was done a few days after a party where I drank a little bit too much). They did an ultrasound of the whole abdomen, and everything was as it is supposed to be. Also, my ALT went back to normal. But the problems persisted.

Then came the New year. I consumed a bit of THC (my first and last try), and I drank a couple of shots. About a week later, my head started to hurt, like a lot. I had blurry vision on my right eye and I felt my left arm and leg are numb (I could move, squeeze and everything, I just didn’t feel it right). I also felt dizzy and had vertigo. So, I went to the ER again. Again they checked for everything, they found nothing, everything was okay (except my temperature was 37 degrees celsius). They told me it should stop, but it didn’t. I went back to the ER, same story. Those problems persisted for 3 weeks. In the mean time, they’ve also sent me to the ophthalmologist. Again, they did all the tests, including visual range. Everything okay. Cause of my problems: unknown. But they did not scan my head.

After that, the neurological problems stopped, but my abdominal pain persisted. Again, they sent me to ultrasound, this time, they fount a 1cm of focal steatosis on my liver (Ultrasound with contrast.) They told me that is not the reason of my problems, and that is basically nothing to worry about.

The time went on, my finals were getting closer. Luckily, I had no symptoms during those final months of gymnasium (preparatory high school).

Then, in the summer of 2018, symptoms came back. This time, it was in a camp, 45 degrees outside, we were binge drinking. The next day, I woke up with a headache, palpitations and vertigo. I thought it’ll pass, but it didn’t. Symptoms lasted for a week. My heart was racing like 100-120 bpm. When I came back to my home country I went to the neurologist and cardiologist.

Cardiologist did an EKG, stress test, Holter EKG (24 hour EKG), ultrasound… He said, I only have sinus tachycardia.

Neurologist told me to do an MRI and to test my electrical impulses. On MRI they found a small Rathke cyst (pituitary gland). It was a coincidental find, they said, as it is present in up to 30% of the population and does not cause any symptoms. So, my MRI scan is okay, and a few days after that, I went on a vacation to Asia.

In Asia, headaches occurred again, this time in the back of my head, like a pressure on the back of my head. It happened every day, mostly in the evenings. On the day 10, I started vomiting, my headaches became worse, my heart was racing again, I was dizzy, my temperature was 39 degrees celsius, I also had a chest pain. I went to the hospital, where they discovered I just got a norovirus. I was in the hospital for a few days when they told me my pulse is too fast so they prescribed me Concor. A few days later I flew back to my home country. I was at home for one day when I went back to the ER because of chest pain, vertigo, severe headache… They decided to hospitalise me to diagnose me. I was on neurological department. They did another MRI, lumbar puncture, EEG, full blood examination, they checked my pituitary and hormones… They did not found the cause of my symptoms, so they sent me home (+, they told me to stop taking Concor because my pulse gets to low (like 30 bpm).

After that, I went to the ER for 12 times in 8 days, because I had chest pain and I also developed pain in my left arm). They checked my heart for 12 times, they examined everything. But nothing was wrong with me. They also found, that the reason of my pain in chest in hiatal hernia. In the mean time, they were recording a 5 day EKG, they found a few episodes of a few second long atrial tachycardia - again, something that is totally non dangerous and totally not causing any of my symptoms. They said it is stress related.

That’s when I went to the psychiatrist as I could not even sleep anymore. Diagnosis: panic attacks and severe anxiety disorder. I got Xanax for the first couple of days and paroxetine and Sulpiride. Panic attacks stopped after a day of taking Sulpiride, headaches stopped after a week, and my heart “calmed down” after about 20 days. I am now taking paroxetine only, and in the last month and a half I run 10km per day. There are no sighs of atrial tachycardia anymore, symptoms are (mostly) gone. Sometimes, I still feel pain in my chest though, and I still feel pain in my arm sometimes. I also had one or two headaches in the last month and a half. I also had itchy skin again (maybe because it is cold?) My heart rate is now between 45 and 55 in rest. My cardiologist said that nothing is wrong with me, so did my neurologist. They told me it was just stress. A lot of stress.

Is this possible? Could all of this really be just in my head? And sorry for this being very long and confusing, but I really don't know what is true and what isn't. Thank you.

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    Yes yes and yes, everything you have described can be anxiety and panic disorder and can be caused by stress or just your makeup, i will say that if you hadn't had all the tests i would have advised you to see your GP first to rule out any physical problems but you have had more tests than anyone i know and i know lots of people with issues the same as yours.

    I know that this want be easy to except but if you want to have a good life you are going to have to learn to just believe what you are told is true.

    As you get older the fear will become less and your anxiety will lessen.

    Keep off the alcohol that really doesn't help and also watch your cafein intake

    • Posted

      Thank you very much for your reply.

      Yes I thought so, but I am still experiencing some symptoms and it is really frightening to me. And yes, even if I deeply inside know it is just anxiety, I feel otherwise so it is really hard to accept that.

    • Posted

      Your welcome I'm just sorry I can't wave a magic wand and make you feel better.

      It's going to take time and a complete trust in you medical team, its not something you can get over instantly, I wish it was.

      I have been their and know it can waste many years of your life believing its terminal, ask for therapy because you are young enough to get passed this and live a long happy life.

      have you spoken to your parents about this as its very possible that one of them has had mental health issues in the past.

      I'm not saying its hereditary but it can run in families and its a really good to know your not on your own

    • Posted

      I'd like that magic wand too:)

      Yes I am trying my best to trust my doctor, and I think I am on a right track. I've also decided to get psychotherapy.

      Unfortunately I am the first in my family with that kind of problems but they understand and they support me. I think will be able to get through this with help of psychotherapy, friends and family. I am just sorry not to figure out it was anxiety sooner, as it would save me a lot of time and worries.

      Thank you so much for your time and help 😊

    • Posted

      Your welcome and i think that just knowing that you are not alone is really helpful with any mental health issues, its also brilliant that you have parents and family that are their for you even though they have never suffered with any problems themselves.

      It can't be easy for people to totally understand it if they haven't experienced it, I have seen it so often when parents struggle to come to terms with their childrens issues but i believe hopefully the tides have turned and things will improve.

      Therapy is definitely a good thing to access and i hope your life is long and full and your anxiety is something that can be a very small part of ypur life

  • Posted

    Hi there,

    would you say you were anxious before the symptoms started?

    I had laberynthtitis a few years ago which caused vertigo symptoms, I had no other real symptoms to tell me I had a virus. I get the his reoccurring as some people do. If stressed or I have another virus. oh, also-alcohol can make it worse. when I felt really bad with it and was falling to one side, I saw a doctor. I was also getting palpitations more and was very worried. I too had ekg and nothing showing but what did come up was low b12. So, I started taking a suppliment. The combination of the two things did make me anxious because, I felt unsteady physically. taking the b12 knocked things back down for me. I have positional cardiac arrhythmia which can set off palpitations and because I am aware of that, I know it's ok? I'm not on any meds for that but I get missed beats (normal) raised rate sometimes but then back to normal. The most scary things I've had is after drinking strong coffee that I stopped 15 years ago. I went to A and E (ER) I could feel my heart going really fast and then slow then fast then skipping beats! and I completely freaked out, I was in a lecture at the time and realised I had been given real coffee rather than decaf. I drank a ton of water and waited for my system to regulate. another time my heart rate went through the roof and I was admitted to hospital-again coffee! I used to be able to drink double expresso so, was confused why all of a sudden it was causing palpitations. Do you drink energy drinks/coffee alot? Infact, I am going to ask, apart from the alcohol you mention, do you keep hydrated? I ask because of the headaches.

    At present, I am taking something called Feroglobin for something else and I have noticed a decrease in missed beats (the one's that feel so strong in your chest? do you get those?) Feroglobin is a liquid vitamin supplement and contains iron and b vitamins that the body needs.

    The stomach and itching, well, I have intolerance to wheat and milk and chillies when I eat too much. I get itchy and can get bloated/painful stomach when I eat these things. I also get the need to evacuate my bowels within 15mins in the case of milk now!

    I do not think I have anxiety or a panic disorder. I did have anxiety when I was in my early 20's but, I smoked, drank and wasn't aware of the cardiac arrhythmia so panicked when I got palpitations after a heavy night and anxiety kicked in for a while, I was drinking too much, not eating well and was put on diazepam which when mixed with alcohol is not good. I had panic attacks etc and was pre occupied with my own death. when I quit smoking and drinking and could eat properly, I got pregnant and the health anxiety disappeared.

    I have also had PTSD symptoms after a car crash and so I'm aware of how bad things can get anxiety wise but, do not consider myself to be anxious, it took time to come through that though.

    I now manage things by eating really well, drink plenty of fluids, not having caffeine or alcohol at present, not panicking when I get heart issues, which I know will be the arrhythmia. When I get dizzy, I put it down to the laberynthtitis.

    Can you get psychological therapy? I feel it was useful for me in tackling the stresses as well as learning to relax and say I'm Ok.

    The body can be terribly quirky at times and sometimes there's no physical explaination and it just clears up.

    Hope that helps

    Beverley

    • Posted

      Hi Beverley,

      sorry to hear about your symptoms.

      Yes, I think I was a bit anxious before the symptoms started as I had to be straight A student to get in college. I think that affected me. So, 4 years of a lot of stress...

      I don't think I had problems with my inner ear, as they also sent me to otorinolaringologist to examine me. But I remember that my B12 was also low back then. I never drink energy drinks, I only drank them every now and then because we used to mix them with alcohol (bad idea, I know). But that didn't happened a lot, like I mentioned above. Also I never drank coffee, but I did drink green tea when I was studying at night. I drank a lot of that, but I don't anymore. I usually drink up to 4-5 litters of water per day, I keep myself hydrated, as I found it easier to run if I drink plenty of water.

      In fact, I did notice missing beats (at least I thought so), but we figured out that those were just extrasystoles, a common early beats when anxious.

      I think that same happened to me for the first time, I drank too much, and next day I ended up at the ER as I didn't know what was happening to me (palpitations). But I stopped soon after, I never dared to drink that much anymore. But last time it was the worse (about two months ago), I also was thinking about my own death, I couldn't even live a normal life. That's how I ended up at the psychiatrist on paroxetine and xanax (after going to the ER for 12 times in a week for no reason).

      I was thinking about psychotherapy, do you thing it could help? I really need to get my life back together, even though symptoms are not as severe as they used to be a couple of months ago.

      Thank you for your help:)

    • Posted

      No worries 😃 and yes, i believe psychotherapy could definitely help.

      Am glad that things have settled a bit in the last couple of months and hopefully this will continue to improve.

      let us know how things go.

      Beverley

    • Posted

      Cool, I'll arrange my psychotherapy tomorrow I think, I really hope it will help. Is it possible that psychotherapy could "replace" paroxetine (antidepressant)?

      Sure, i will keep you updated.

      Thank you for your kindness and help.😊

    • Posted

      Hi MK,

      over here in UK, the government believe just that. There is nhs provision that allows patients to access psychotherapy for anxiety and depression with no cost to the patient. clinical trials showed improvements for those who undertook therapy.

      Beverley

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