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Anxiety or is it something else?
Hello,
Here is my story...
About 5 weeks ago i had really bad Diarrohea which lasted the afternoon. By the evening it had stopped due to the Imodium i took, but i felt really weak and lethargic. I kept drinking lots of water to try and keep hydrated and went to bed early. When i woke up the next day i felt really strange and out of it and so took a few days off work. Since then i have felt worse and worse - really strange, out of it, not like me at all.
My parents and boyfriend think i am suffering with my anxiety again (im prone to anxiety and depression) because when i had my Dirrohea i looked up dehydration on the internet and it said in severe cases it can lead to brain damage. I am now convinced a part of my brain is damaged, which is why i feel so odd or the tummy bug i had has effected my brain in some way. I have been to the doctor who thinks it is just anxiety and depression and has prescribed Paroxetine. I have been on Paroxetine before and it really helped, but i have been on it for 4 weeks now and I don't feel any better at all. I still feel odd 100% of the time and because im not getting any better even on medciation im convinced something is wrong with me?
I have been signed off work because i can't concentrate and i feel like i can't cope - i feel mentally ill :-(. I tried pushing myself to go to work for a few weeks but i went in one morning and burst into tears because i couldnt cope and had to go home. I have had a lot of stress over the past year including moving house for the first time, relationship problems, problems with my boyfriends family, stress at work, money worries, worrying about a mole which i thought was cancerous, feeling ill all the time, worrying about my future, my nan being unwell and general everyday worries!
I don't know what to do anymore, i just want to be myself again and be happy. I am scared i will never feel my normal self again or be happy and i don't know how to get better or understand what could be wrong with me...I feel so scared.
Please help me xxx
Here is my story...
About 5 weeks ago i had really bad Diarrohea which lasted the afternoon. By the evening it had stopped due to the Imodium i took, but i felt really weak and lethargic. I kept drinking lots of water to try and keep hydrated and went to bed early. When i woke up the next day i felt really strange and out of it and so took a few days off work. Since then i have felt worse and worse - really strange, out of it, not like me at all.
My parents and boyfriend think i am suffering with my anxiety again (im prone to anxiety and depression) because when i had my Dirrohea i looked up dehydration on the internet and it said in severe cases it can lead to brain damage. I am now convinced a part of my brain is damaged, which is why i feel so odd or the tummy bug i had has effected my brain in some way. I have been to the doctor who thinks it is just anxiety and depression and has prescribed Paroxetine. I have been on Paroxetine before and it really helped, but i have been on it for 4 weeks now and I don't feel any better at all. I still feel odd 100% of the time and because im not getting any better even on medciation im convinced something is wrong with me?
I have been signed off work because i can't concentrate and i feel like i can't cope - i feel mentally ill :-(. I tried pushing myself to go to work for a few weeks but i went in one morning and burst into tears because i couldnt cope and had to go home. I have had a lot of stress over the past year including moving house for the first time, relationship problems, problems with my boyfriends family, stress at work, money worries, worrying about a mole which i thought was cancerous, feeling ill all the time, worrying about my future, my nan being unwell and general everyday worries!
I don't know what to do anymore, i just want to be myself again and be happy. I am scared i will never feel my normal self again or be happy and i don't know how to get better or understand what could be wrong with me...I feel so scared.
Please help me xxx
Hello,
Thank you for your reply - it really means a lot to me.
Since my last post I have been back to my doctor and asked for an MRI/CT scan but she wouldn't give me one, because she said i do not have any other symptoms of any neurological problems/brain tumours etc. I stated that i was worried that the virus i caught, which gave me the diarrhea may have also affected my brain and messed me up...she said there is no chance this could have done this and thinks my symptoms are just anxiety. I mentioned the pressure i have in the roof of my mouth and asked if this could be a sinus infection, but she said an infection would have shown up on my blood tests and it didn't so she too thinks this is anxiety.
I am having a hard time believing this is just anxiety because i am not getting any better. I have felt this way everyday for 3 months now and i'm so scared. My life is falling apart...because of the way i feel i have missed friends weddings, social outings etc and im sick of feeling this way! The doctors don't seem to be listening to me...i'm convinced something is wrong with my brain otherwise why would i have this weird smirking feeling?!! It's just not going away...i feel so weird and not like me anymore :-(
My doctor has recommended i go back on medication and try it for longer this time, as she thinks my anxiety is so severe that i need medication as well as therapy. I am back on the Paroxetine now at a 10mg dose. I have only taken two tablets so far and am expecting to feel worse for the first few weeks like i did last time i was on it. I was on it for 6 weeks last time so I am going to try it for longer this time and also take it in the morning, as i was taking it at night last time, which affected my sleep.
I am still having my therapy (CBT). My therapist has advised i would probably not start to feel better for about 3 months. I have had two sessions so far and am having a session once a week. His advice at my last session was to try and focus my attention on external things rather than myself and to treat my anxiety as if it is a bully?!! But it's easier said than done and I just can't turn off these horrible thoughts I have someting else wrong with me, because my physical and emotional sensations are soooo strong :-(
I feel so hopeless, i just want to feel better...this is never ending :-(
Nicola x
Thank you for your reply - it really means a lot to me.
Since my last post I have been back to my doctor and asked for an MRI/CT scan but she wouldn't give me one, because she said i do not have any other symptoms of any neurological problems/brain tumours etc. I stated that i was worried that the virus i caught, which gave me the diarrhea may have also affected my brain and messed me up...she said there is no chance this could have done this and thinks my symptoms are just anxiety. I mentioned the pressure i have in the roof of my mouth and asked if this could be a sinus infection, but she said an infection would have shown up on my blood tests and it didn't so she too thinks this is anxiety.
I am having a hard time believing this is just anxiety because i am not getting any better. I have felt this way everyday for 3 months now and i'm so scared. My life is falling apart...because of the way i feel i have missed friends weddings, social outings etc and im sick of feeling this way! The doctors don't seem to be listening to me...i'm convinced something is wrong with my brain otherwise why would i have this weird smirking feeling?!! It's just not going away...i feel so weird and not like me anymore :-(
My doctor has recommended i go back on medication and try it for longer this time, as she thinks my anxiety is so severe that i need medication as well as therapy. I am back on the Paroxetine now at a 10mg dose. I have only taken two tablets so far and am expecting to feel worse for the first few weeks like i did last time i was on it. I was on it for 6 weeks last time so I am going to try it for longer this time and also take it in the morning, as i was taking it at night last time, which affected my sleep.
I am still having my therapy (CBT). My therapist has advised i would probably not start to feel better for about 3 months. I have had two sessions so far and am having a session once a week. His advice at my last session was to try and focus my attention on external things rather than myself and to treat my anxiety as if it is a bully?!! But it's easier said than done and I just can't turn off these horrible thoughts I have someting else wrong with me, because my physical and emotional sensations are soooo strong :-(
I feel so hopeless, i just want to feel better...this is never ending :-(
Nicola x
I'm glad you will be seeing your doctor soon. After two months with absolutely no improvement, further testing is definitely indicated. I hope he/she will agree to order an MRI and/or CT scan.
Rereading your original post, I have to reiterate that ONE afternoon of diarrhea will NOT dehydrate you enough to cause brain damage! Especially since you said you drank water to prevent dehydration. This is a prime example of why people like us with anxiety and particularly health anxiety, MUST stay off Google! I have no idea what website you ended up at which would lead you to believe a short bout of diarrhea, supplemented with extra hydration, would lead to such severe dehydration you'd end up with brain damage!
The kind of SEVERE dehydration it would take to cause brain damage would be in a place where there is virtually ZERO water and nobody has had a solid bowel movement for perhaps their entire life.
It does not happen to young, intelligent women living in a highly inustrialized nation surrounded by billions of gallons of clean, fresh water.
As for Paxil being the culprit...........one of its side effects IS diarrhea. But if I'm reading correctly, you were on the Paxil for 7 weeks and only had ONE episode of diarrhea during that time. That tells me it most assuredly wasn't the Paxil...........one episode of diarrhea does not make for a SERIOUS side effect.
We can also rule out the Paxil as having caused any brain damage since you were having virtually all the symptoms BEFORE you began taking it. And, you said you'd taken it before and obviously did not end up brain damaged that time either.
One thing I do wonder about is the length of time you took the Paxil. It normally takes about 4 weeks for Paxil to reach therapeutic levels, but that is not a hard and fast rule. It can vary from person to person. So I wonder if perhaps you came off the Paxil too soon? And even after an antidepressant has reached therapeutic levels and we actually begin to notice a change, they aren't "magic beans," they aren't going to fix us overnight. Patience is the mantra for all people starting out on ADs. Perhaps if you'd given it more time, your symptoms would have begun to abate?
You've told us you saw a psychiatrist who thought you may have OCD and health anxiety and sent you on to a specialist in these fields, but you state, even after having seen this person, you still feel "so odd." How many times have you seen this person? As with the medications, therapy is not going to lead to recovery overnight.
I sense a bit of a pattern here in which you really, truly and sincerely DO try to help yourself........but when results are not quickly forthcoming, you give up, you convince yourself they aren't working and it seems now, you've convinced yourself things are quite hopeless.
I feel concern when you write.......... "I'm convinced there is something else wrong with me...I feel no hope at all and just want to die, I feel like i am living in hell and i don't know what to do to feel better."
These are feelings that someone in a deep depression would have and my concern is that you may be on the wrong medication (not that the Paxil is BAD mind you, it just may not be the right one for you. I also think the psychiatrist should have sent you to someone who specializes in depression. BTW, I believe his diagnosis of health anxiety, but where does the OCD come into this? I've seen nothing in your writings that leads me to see you with OCD. (DO keep in mind I'm not a psychiatrist, as if that isn't blaringly obvious)
The diagnosis of health anxiety is, again in MY unprofessional opinion, spot on. If you read any other posts on this forum, you will soon see that health anxiety affects nearly all of us.
I know medical appointments in the UK, as in Canada, are not as easily attainable as in the US, but if I was in your current situation, I would start by getting a really complete physical, from top to bottom and I'd be sure they checked my thyroid. Be sure you discuss with your doctor not only your physical symptoms, but your mental/emotional ones as well. Sometimes what WE, as lay people, write off as a mental or emotional "symptom," can frequently be a physical "clue" the doctor will pick up on.
I'd get a second opinion on your mental and emotional status. I do believe you have depression and anxiety, I question the OCD and just wonder if Paxil is the right medication and also if adding a benzodiazepine might not help on a short term basis until you get established with a therapist who is helping you with the correct issues.
You ask if you could have caught a virus which gave you diarrhea. Absolutely. And you had that diarrhea for ONE day and felt pretty lousy the next day which would all mesh with a virus. That it might have affected any part of your brain is, I believe, your hypochondria, anxiety and "Google-itis" working overtime to keep you scared.
It's not an easy road we're all on, it's full of hills and pot holes and seems endless at times, but you have to believe two things absolutely. First, that light you can see.............waaaaay down the road there.........that is the light of your recovery from this lousy crap we're dealing with. And second, this road we're on? It leads us there. I promise.
Peace
Greenlydia
Rereading your original post, I have to reiterate that ONE afternoon of diarrhea will NOT dehydrate you enough to cause brain damage! Especially since you said you drank water to prevent dehydration. This is a prime example of why people like us with anxiety and particularly health anxiety, MUST stay off Google! I have no idea what website you ended up at which would lead you to believe a short bout of diarrhea, supplemented with extra hydration, would lead to such severe dehydration you'd end up with brain damage!
The kind of SEVERE dehydration it would take to cause brain damage would be in a place where there is virtually ZERO water and nobody has had a solid bowel movement for perhaps their entire life.
It does not happen to young, intelligent women living in a highly inustrialized nation surrounded by billions of gallons of clean, fresh water.
As for Paxil being the culprit...........one of its side effects IS diarrhea. But if I'm reading correctly, you were on the Paxil for 7 weeks and only had ONE episode of diarrhea during that time. That tells me it most assuredly wasn't the Paxil...........one episode of diarrhea does not make for a SERIOUS side effect.
We can also rule out the Paxil as having caused any brain damage since you were having virtually all the symptoms BEFORE you began taking it. And, you said you'd taken it before and obviously did not end up brain damaged that time either.
One thing I do wonder about is the length of time you took the Paxil. It normally takes about 4 weeks for Paxil to reach therapeutic levels, but that is not a hard and fast rule. It can vary from person to person. So I wonder if perhaps you came off the Paxil too soon? And even after an antidepressant has reached therapeutic levels and we actually begin to notice a change, they aren't "magic beans," they aren't going to fix us overnight. Patience is the mantra for all people starting out on ADs. Perhaps if you'd given it more time, your symptoms would have begun to abate?
You've told us you saw a psychiatrist who thought you may have OCD and health anxiety and sent you on to a specialist in these fields, but you state, even after having seen this person, you still feel "so odd." How many times have you seen this person? As with the medications, therapy is not going to lead to recovery overnight.
I sense a bit of a pattern here in which you really, truly and sincerely DO try to help yourself........but when results are not quickly forthcoming, you give up, you convince yourself they aren't working and it seems now, you've convinced yourself things are quite hopeless.
I feel concern when you write.......... "I'm convinced there is something else wrong with me...I feel no hope at all and just want to die, I feel like i am living in hell and i don't know what to do to feel better."
These are feelings that someone in a deep depression would have and my concern is that you may be on the wrong medication (not that the Paxil is BAD mind you, it just may not be the right one for you. I also think the psychiatrist should have sent you to someone who specializes in depression. BTW, I believe his diagnosis of health anxiety, but where does the OCD come into this? I've seen nothing in your writings that leads me to see you with OCD. (DO keep in mind I'm not a psychiatrist, as if that isn't blaringly obvious)
The diagnosis of health anxiety is, again in MY unprofessional opinion, spot on. If you read any other posts on this forum, you will soon see that health anxiety affects nearly all of us.
I know medical appointments in the UK, as in Canada, are not as easily attainable as in the US, but if I was in your current situation, I would start by getting a really complete physical, from top to bottom and I'd be sure they checked my thyroid. Be sure you discuss with your doctor not only your physical symptoms, but your mental/emotional ones as well. Sometimes what WE, as lay people, write off as a mental or emotional "symptom," can frequently be a physical "clue" the doctor will pick up on.
I'd get a second opinion on your mental and emotional status. I do believe you have depression and anxiety, I question the OCD and just wonder if Paxil is the right medication and also if adding a benzodiazepine might not help on a short term basis until you get established with a therapist who is helping you with the correct issues.
You ask if you could have caught a virus which gave you diarrhea. Absolutely. And you had that diarrhea for ONE day and felt pretty lousy the next day which would all mesh with a virus. That it might have affected any part of your brain is, I believe, your hypochondria, anxiety and "Google-itis" working overtime to keep you scared.
It's not an easy road we're all on, it's full of hills and pot holes and seems endless at times, but you have to believe two things absolutely. First, that light you can see.............waaaaay down the road there.........that is the light of your recovery from this lousy crap we're dealing with. And second, this road we're on? It leads us there. I promise.
Peace
Greenlydia
My blood pressure was fine. I have an appointment with my doctor next week and im going to ask for an MRI/CT scan.
Have an MRI on your head to rule out any of your concerns. MRI's will reveal any abnormalities. You obviously are feeling something. How your blood pressure?
Hello,
Well it's been 2 months since i have posted this and I still feel the same or perhaps even a bit worse. I feel completely weird and loopy like i have something else wrong with me, like another mental illness or some neurological problem. I really don't know what to do anymore...I was on the Paroxetine 7 weeks and they made no difference so i came off them. I have been off them for a while now but feel no different. I was referred to a psychiatrist who thought i had OCD and Health Anxiety and he referred me to a specialist in this field who i have seen but i still feel so odd. I'm convinced there is something else wrong with me...I feel no hope at all and just want to die, I feel like i am living in hell and i don't know what to do to feel better. I have tried going back to work on reduced hours and eating well, walking, but i still feel no better. I am losing all hope with everything. All my friends are enjoying life, as i should be at 25 and getting engaged/married or having children and I feel so lost...I can't cope anymore. I'm not sure how much longer i can go on struggling and not getting any better.
Alongside this i have pressure in my nose and head and my nose feels twitchy. I feel like there is a big ball stuck in my head and the roof of my mouth is throbbing. I have been to a dentist and they can't see anything wrong and have been to the doctors as i thought it may be a sinus infection, but she did blood tests to check for everything and nothing came up on my blood tests.
Is it possible i could have caught a virus which gave me Diahrroea and may have also affected a small part of my brain. I am fine otherwise, just this weird sensation i have and i don't feel anything like me...i feel loopy!!!!
PLEASE HELP ME SOMEBODY I'M SO FRIGHTENED xxx
Well it's been 2 months since i have posted this and I still feel the same or perhaps even a bit worse. I feel completely weird and loopy like i have something else wrong with me, like another mental illness or some neurological problem. I really don't know what to do anymore...I was on the Paroxetine 7 weeks and they made no difference so i came off them. I have been off them for a while now but feel no different. I was referred to a psychiatrist who thought i had OCD and Health Anxiety and he referred me to a specialist in this field who i have seen but i still feel so odd. I'm convinced there is something else wrong with me...I feel no hope at all and just want to die, I feel like i am living in hell and i don't know what to do to feel better. I have tried going back to work on reduced hours and eating well, walking, but i still feel no better. I am losing all hope with everything. All my friends are enjoying life, as i should be at 25 and getting engaged/married or having children and I feel so lost...I can't cope anymore. I'm not sure how much longer i can go on struggling and not getting any better.
Alongside this i have pressure in my nose and head and my nose feels twitchy. I feel like there is a big ball stuck in my head and the roof of my mouth is throbbing. I have been to a dentist and they can't see anything wrong and have been to the doctors as i thought it may be a sinus infection, but she did blood tests to check for everything and nothing came up on my blood tests.
Is it possible i could have caught a virus which gave me Diahrroea and may have also affected a small part of my brain. I am fine otherwise, just this weird sensation i have and i don't feel anything like me...i feel loopy!!!!
PLEASE HELP ME SOMEBODY I'M SO FRIGHTENED xxx
A doctor once said that if he could put the benefits of cardio exercise in a pill, all the other anxiety medications would be obsolete. Brisk exercise which raises the heart rate is known to release endorphins, which makes us feel calm and euphoric. Try to go for a brisk walk, a jog, or a bike ride until you are sweaty and tired. Your brain will respond with a release of these chemicals and you might find that you feel better than after taking meds.
Twice now you have stated how scared you are and, trust me, all of us on this forum can relate to that fear. But you can't just sit there, telling yourself how scared you are and expect to feel better. You have to become proactive in your own healthcare if you want to get unstuck.
Since you have taken the Prozac before with excellent results, it's highly unlikely it is now the CAUSE of these feelings.
Anxiety and depression can make us feel so many bizzare and nasty symptoms, but you add hypchondria into that mix and you can, indeed, make yourself feel "loopy!"
Doesn't mean you are, though. These are just feelings and feelings can't hurt us.
Once again, I advise therapy and letting your doctor know the Prozac does not seem to be working well this time. Perhaps your doctor could add a mild benzo to your regime for a few weeks until the Prozac kicks in to help with the anxiety.
Talk with your doctor...............
Since you have taken the Prozac before with excellent results, it's highly unlikely it is now the CAUSE of these feelings.
Anxiety and depression can make us feel so many bizzare and nasty symptoms, but you add hypchondria into that mix and you can, indeed, make yourself feel "loopy!"
Doesn't mean you are, though. These are just feelings and feelings can't hurt us.
Once again, I advise therapy and letting your doctor know the Prozac does not seem to be working well this time. Perhaps your doctor could add a mild benzo to your regime for a few weeks until the Prozac kicks in to help with the anxiety.
Talk with your doctor...............
Thank you for your reponse Greenlydia.
I really hope it is just anxiety, i am just worried it's something else or there is something wrong with my mind because i feel so odd. My head feels woozy and i know this sounds strange but i feel 'high' sometimes and smile even when im not happy. I feel like i am smirking so i feel like i've gone loopy. I just want to feel my normal self again. Before when i've had anxiety and depression i have got a bit better week by week, but this time im not getting any better so im not sure its anxiety.
Im so scared, i don't know what to do.
Is it possible the tablets could be causing this feeling?
I really hope it is just anxiety, i am just worried it's something else or there is something wrong with my mind because i feel so odd. My head feels woozy and i know this sounds strange but i feel 'high' sometimes and smile even when im not happy. I feel like i am smirking so i feel like i've gone loopy. I just want to feel my normal self again. Before when i've had anxiety and depression i have got a bit better week by week, but this time im not getting any better so im not sure its anxiety.
Im so scared, i don't know what to do.
Is it possible the tablets could be causing this feeling?
One day of diarrhea is NOT going to cause brain damage from dehydration. Besides, you said you drank lots of water, so you did the correct thing by not allowing yourself to become dehydrated.
What you read on the Internet about diarrhea causing brain damage refers to sever and prolonged diarrhea lasting days or weeks and having no means of rehydration, such as what is happening in some areas of Africa that do not have access to water or medical care. Your Internet search found the absolute worst case scenerio and it does not apply to you.
I think your parents and boyfriend are right. Your anxiety and hypochondria have turned a mild stomach bug into a major health crisis.
You went to your doctor who did not, apparently, think there was any cause for concern about your episode of diarrhea. If he had, he would have ordered further tests.
What he did see was an anxious hypochondriac and prescribed the Prozac, which you have been on before and worked well for you. Going back on it I believe is in your best interest.
Prozac can take up to 4 weeks to begin showing signs of relieving symptoms, but we are all different in how we react to medications. It may take you a week or two longer before it kicks in. Since you are concerned, speak with your doctor and ask if he thinks your dose should be raised.
You have quite a bit of stress in your life and I believe the best thing you can do to help yourself would be to have your doctor recommend a good therapist to lead you to the root cause of your anxiety and hypochondria.THAT is what will give you your life back, allow you to feel like your old self, feel happiness again best of all, it will rid you of the horrid fear those of us with these conditions live with every day of our lives.
It is up to you to choose mental health.
The Prozac will only mask the symptoms, and until you figure out what is causing them and deal with them now, you will, quite possibly, be dealing with them for the rest of your life.
I hope you choose recovery. The road can be long and difficult to navigate at times, but the destination is so worth the trip.
Peace
Greenlydia
What you read on the Internet about diarrhea causing brain damage refers to sever and prolonged diarrhea lasting days or weeks and having no means of rehydration, such as what is happening in some areas of Africa that do not have access to water or medical care. Your Internet search found the absolute worst case scenerio and it does not apply to you.
I think your parents and boyfriend are right. Your anxiety and hypochondria have turned a mild stomach bug into a major health crisis.
You went to your doctor who did not, apparently, think there was any cause for concern about your episode of diarrhea. If he had, he would have ordered further tests.
What he did see was an anxious hypochondriac and prescribed the Prozac, which you have been on before and worked well for you. Going back on it I believe is in your best interest.
Prozac can take up to 4 weeks to begin showing signs of relieving symptoms, but we are all different in how we react to medications. It may take you a week or two longer before it kicks in. Since you are concerned, speak with your doctor and ask if he thinks your dose should be raised.
You have quite a bit of stress in your life and I believe the best thing you can do to help yourself would be to have your doctor recommend a good therapist to lead you to the root cause of your anxiety and hypochondria.THAT is what will give you your life back, allow you to feel like your old self, feel happiness again best of all, it will rid you of the horrid fear those of us with these conditions live with every day of our lives.
It is up to you to choose mental health.
The Prozac will only mask the symptoms, and until you figure out what is causing them and deal with them now, you will, quite possibly, be dealing with them for the rest of your life.
I hope you choose recovery. The road can be long and difficult to navigate at times, but the destination is so worth the trip.
Peace
Greenlydia
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