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Mental Health (Expert Forum)

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anxiety

Answered by

Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness

Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.

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MedHelp Member's Question

anxiety

by lizbeth219, Dec 21, 2001 12:00AM

Tags: Anxiety, mental, Health, Mental Health, ativan

I BEGAN WITH SPASMS UNDER MY RIBS IN AUGUST 2001, THEN THEN SPREAD TO MY LEGS WHICH WERE IN SPASM FOR THREE DAYS , THEY EVENTUALLY RELEASED AND THEN THE TWITCHING STARTED since then the mucsles are either moving , twitching or contracting and then tightening up again. then the twitches and contractions spread to my head, then to the topsof my legs, then now my face. I also havs spasms and cramps all over. I WENT TO SEE A NEUROLOGIST WHO AFTER A NORMAL EXAM AND A EMG SAID i was suffering from extreme anxiety. He gave me clozepam 0.5 twice a day . THE SYMPTOMS SEEM TO POWERFUL FOR ANXIETY. CAN YOU HELP

tHANKYOU

Doctor's Answer

by Roger Gould, M.D.

, Dec 21, 2001 12:00AM

I think your neurologist should be listened too in this case as long as you feel he is a well trained and accomplished physician. If you have any doubts about that, you should consult your primary care doctor and get another referral.

The picture you present does not fit any neurological diagnosis and can certainly be from extreme anxiety. You know whether you are anxious or not, so you are the best judge. Give the medicine a proper trial and see if it works,and increase the dose under supervision.

If you want to start exploring some of the sources of anxiety, go to my masteringstress program (above link) and become a member.

Member Comments (3)

by ziros, Dec 21, 2001 12:00AM

To: I agree

Sound like you are right, I Know personnaly, That anxiety can make a organic situation worse, you should ask your neuro to look further and deeper, If he refuses, seek another neuro.

Their are a lot of lazy docs out there..

Take care

by nofanofcelexa, Feb 23, 2002 12:00AM

Six weeks ago I took one 20 mg. tablet of celexa...4 hours later I was in the emergency with what was described to me as an "anxiety" attack.( Note: Although I have been battling depression and fatigue since a full hysterectomy some 22 years ago, I had never had such an extreme reaction to any medication. Over the years I have tried numerous SSI's, ritalin, depacote, had tests for sleep disorders, acupuncture, holistic medicine etc.) I left the emergency room with Ativan which has kept me stable enough for the last 6 weeks while I wait to get in to see a psychiatrist and an endocrinologist. The Ativan seems to have exacerbated my previous depressive symptoms to an unbearable level. This evening I went to emergency to request a medication that might help with the anxiety but have less "depressive" side effects. They gave me Valium only because I told them that in the literature that I had read there was no mention of not giving it to someone who has depression...Ativan always mentioned that it as a precaution in any of the information I had on it. The pharmacist at the hospital said that it is all individual but didn't seem to think the Valium would make any improvement. I do not see a psychiatrist for another two weeks or an endochrononologist for another five weeks and I am considering quitting all these medications...how quickly (to be safe) can I do this. I have been taking Ativan for 6 weeks, 4, 1 mg doses during the day and 2, 1mg doses at night.

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