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"Brain Stutter/Lockup"-JUST Anxiety like my doctors say??
Hey all. I had a rather frightening episode last week that has left me baffled and confused about the past diagnosis of suffering from merely "Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder" as most of my doctors have claimed, and left me to question what REALLY is going on with me??
Let me tell you a little about myself.
AHEM.
My name is Crystal, and I am now 24 years old. All of my symptoms started on October 31st, 2006 when I experienced a bout of severe chest pain and what felt like heart palpitations and lightheadedness, and points where it felt like my heart "stopped." It caused me to PANIC thinking I was having a heart attack or something, since I didn't know what the heck it was, and it lasted for maybe 1/2 hour to 45 minutes off and on.
Well, after that first day I had chest-pain related attacks every day.
I was admitted to the ER and ran tons of bloodwork for blood count, thyroid and who knows what else, as well as an EKG and a chest CT which all came back normal.
I do have minor Mitral Valve Prolapse and Tricuspid Regurgitation, but they said this was not causing my symptoms and it was just panic attacks and injected me with 2MG of Ativan and after all the tests came back negative sent me on my way.
I went to my GP, who put me on Toprol XL, which I am now on 50 MG a day, and it has helped for the chest pains and increased heartrate/irregular heartrate, yet I still was getting attacks, so my doctor put me on Zoloft since it was at this time she suspected Panic Attacks/Anxiety, yet it only made NEW symptoms appear and my life more of a living hell!!
I started getting head electrical surges that would surge through my brain, up and down my spine and cause my entire body to tremble, I would feel light-headed, my vision would go blotchy at times, the electrical surge would radiate up and down my spine and even into my arms and legs at times, I would have parathesias (basically one side of my body would feel numb, including my face), and of course I would start to panic since my heart would also race releasing adrenaline into my body and only making the symptoms worse. I eventually quit the Zoloft cold-turkey after a month after my doctor finally became convinced it was causing my new onset symptoms, but that was a HUGE mistake on her part, for now I had to go through a worse living hell.
I would wake up in the middle of the night SCREAMING because it felt like my brain was going entirely haywire-PHYSICALLY SPEAKING, not emotionally. I cannot even describe it. It felt like I was about to go into convulsions or something, but never did. God it was horrid. I had no control over the sensations, which passed in a few minutes or 10-30 seconds at the most.
I have had limb tremors, as I call them, where I would have an episode where I would get one of my head-electrical attacks which would then cause the numbness in one side of my body, and a few times either one of my arms or legs buckled up and I could NOT MOVE IT!!! I could only stare at my leg or arm until the sensation in it returned and I was able to move it again and I could feel the arm/leg go "erect" and I was able to move it again.
I started on a mult-vitamin, since I thought maybe I had a vitamin deficiency, and I cannot express how that alone seemed to alleviate 80-90% of my symptoms.
For some reason, though, I stopped the med, but I did start taking Lorazepam for the Panic Attacks and other symptoms I was experiencing, and it has done wonders. Yet now this recent incident has caused me to question the diagnosis of Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder and wonder if something else more neurological or chemical is going on??
I am now working at a store near where I live as a sales associate, and while greeting a customer (please not that I had taken my Lorazepam 1/2 hour or more prior to this), I felt like my brain physically locked up on the left side of my brain near where the vocal region is located, and I could not even say what I was trying to say. Instead I found myself in a constant stutter of where I left off right before the brain lock-up, as I call it, occurred. It passed after about 10 seconds or so, and left me baffled as to what the heck caused it, and I must have looked like a stuttering idiot to the customers, and I want to get this resolved. Could it simply be the new found stresses of work since I had been off for a year due to the panic attacks and neurological/physiological symptoms that aggravated me during that time? Or is there something more neurological/pathological going on that I should get checked out?
Late last year I did get an EEG and regular MRI (without contrast) done as well as a complete neurological work-up when I had the other head-related problems, but all came back fine. I was going to get a 24 hour EEG done, but the tape was ruined so I vouched to NOT get another one done again since I didn't suspect seizures at the time. But now I just don't know what is going on with me. I would have also had an MRI with contrast done, but I barely got the one done WITH contrast since I had a head electrical sensation attack on the table while doing the MRI without contrast, and I was just barely able to get the 4 or so images required to finish it.
I am feeling much better, I must say, but that recent "brain lockup/stutter" incident leaves me baffled and confused. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!
Let me tell you a little about myself.
AHEM.
My name is Crystal, and I am now 24 years old. All of my symptoms started on October 31st, 2006 when I experienced a bout of severe chest pain and what felt like heart palpitations and lightheadedness, and points where it felt like my heart "stopped." It caused me to PANIC thinking I was having a heart attack or something, since I didn't know what the heck it was, and it lasted for maybe 1/2 hour to 45 minutes off and on.
Well, after that first day I had chest-pain related attacks every day.
I was admitted to the ER and ran tons of bloodwork for blood count, thyroid and who knows what else, as well as an EKG and a chest CT which all came back normal.
I do have minor Mitral Valve Prolapse and Tricuspid Regurgitation, but they said this was not causing my symptoms and it was just panic attacks and injected me with 2MG of Ativan and after all the tests came back negative sent me on my way.
I went to my GP, who put me on Toprol XL, which I am now on 50 MG a day, and it has helped for the chest pains and increased heartrate/irregular heartrate, yet I still was getting attacks, so my doctor put me on Zoloft since it was at this time she suspected Panic Attacks/Anxiety, yet it only made NEW symptoms appear and my life more of a living hell!!
I started getting head electrical surges that would surge through my brain, up and down my spine and cause my entire body to tremble, I would feel light-headed, my vision would go blotchy at times, the electrical surge would radiate up and down my spine and even into my arms and legs at times, I would have parathesias (basically one side of my body would feel numb, including my face), and of course I would start to panic since my heart would also race releasing adrenaline into my body and only making the symptoms worse. I eventually quit the Zoloft cold-turkey after a month after my doctor finally became convinced it was causing my new onset symptoms, but that was a HUGE mistake on her part, for now I had to go through a worse living hell.
I would wake up in the middle of the night SCREAMING because it felt like my brain was going entirely haywire-PHYSICALLY SPEAKING, not emotionally. I cannot even describe it. It felt like I was about to go into convulsions or something, but never did. God it was horrid. I had no control over the sensations, which passed in a few minutes or 10-30 seconds at the most.
I have had limb tremors, as I call them, where I would have an episode where I would get one of my head-electrical attacks which would then cause the numbness in one side of my body, and a few times either one of my arms or legs buckled up and I could NOT MOVE IT!!! I could only stare at my leg or arm until the sensation in it returned and I was able to move it again and I could feel the arm/leg go "erect" and I was able to move it again.
I started on a mult-vitamin, since I thought maybe I had a vitamin deficiency, and I cannot express how that alone seemed to alleviate 80-90% of my symptoms.
For some reason, though, I stopped the med, but I did start taking Lorazepam for the Panic Attacks and other symptoms I was experiencing, and it has done wonders. Yet now this recent incident has caused me to question the diagnosis of Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder and wonder if something else more neurological or chemical is going on??
I am now working at a store near where I live as a sales associate, and while greeting a customer (please not that I had taken my Lorazepam 1/2 hour or more prior to this), I felt like my brain physically locked up on the left side of my brain near where the vocal region is located, and I could not even say what I was trying to say. Instead I found myself in a constant stutter of where I left off right before the brain lock-up, as I call it, occurred. It passed after about 10 seconds or so, and left me baffled as to what the heck caused it, and I must have looked like a stuttering idiot to the customers, and I want to get this resolved. Could it simply be the new found stresses of work since I had been off for a year due to the panic attacks and neurological/physiological symptoms that aggravated me during that time? Or is there something more neurological/pathological going on that I should get checked out?
Late last year I did get an EEG and regular MRI (without contrast) done as well as a complete neurological work-up when I had the other head-related problems, but all came back fine. I was going to get a 24 hour EEG done, but the tape was ruined so I vouched to NOT get another one done again since I didn't suspect seizures at the time. But now I just don't know what is going on with me. I would have also had an MRI with contrast done, but I barely got the one done WITH contrast since I had a head electrical sensation attack on the table while doing the MRI without contrast, and I was just barely able to get the 4 or so images required to finish it.
I am feeling much better, I must say, but that recent "brain lockup/stutter" incident leaves me baffled and confused. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your story with me. At least now I know it indeed is a part of my anxiety (or we can at least attribute it to that). I must say the brain stuttering incident frightened me, but it was only the one time (luckily) and it is good to hear I am not alone. I cannot thank you enough for your post. I am truly sorry to hear your experiences with SSRI's and disastisfaction with them. But it comes as no surprise to me. Honestly, I think you and I are a lot more alike than you think.
I have had ADVERSE reactions to the SSRI class of anti-depressants, where I, such as yourself, were told that they would "solve ALL of my anxiety problems within a matter of a month or so and I will feel like myself again!" Well, sure, the drug put me into a drugged state of happiness, yet it could not compare to the unexplicable suffering I had to endure from not only the worsening panic attacks but also the whole new array of symptoms I had to endure thanks to those supposed "cure-all" drugs, the SSRI's.
Doctors falsely sell and give these drugs to people suffering from panic attacks, thinking it will cure all their ailments. Sure, maybe it helps 80% of panic and anxiety sufferers, but there is STILL that 20% that instead have an ADVERSE reaction from the drugs. The reason? These people suffer from an overly stimulated Autonomic Nervous System, and usually present with atypical panic attack symptoms as well as sensitivity to the SSRI class of antidepressants, since SSRI's are a STIMULATING DRUG. Now think of it this way: What can you imagine would happen to a person with an OVERLY stimulated ANS and then are given an SSRI antidepressant, a STIMULANT itself? Just as you think....worsening panic attack symptoms, and indeed even NEW symptoms can develop (neurological and physiological), as it did for me. I got head electrical sensations that surged up and down my spine and through my brain thanks to those dang drugs, and now they are just a part of the many symptoms I get from my panic attacks, as my body became used to reacting that way and it became just a part of the array of physical symptoms I had to endure. BEFORE the SSRI's. the worst of my symptoms were occassional chest-related attacks where I would get the typical chest pain, racing heartbeat, feeling lightheaded, the heart would race/thump in my chest and then feel faint/light, and go off and on along with the chest pain. But these became bearable and I learned to control them. These new attacks I could not, and were a worse living Hell I have ever endured.
Luckily, the symptoms only lasted about 2 1/2 months at the most extreme. I was on the SSRI Zoloft for a month, which made the symptoms first appear, and then my crazy doc made me quit it COLD TURKEY, which exhibited a WHOLE ARRAY of new symptoms, particularly the head electrical sensations which worsened, one-sided parathesias where one side of my body and face would go numb, one time I had a tremor or TIA or something that mimicked it where my leg buckled up, went numb, and I could not move it (this was a right-sided attack, most of my attacks tended to be left-sided), and times I would wake up in the middle of the night SCREAMING because my brain PHYSICALLY felt like it was going haywire like it would go into convulsions or SOMETHING. It was a NIGHTMARE!!!
Surprisingly, I had a gut feeling to just start on a simple multi-vitamin supplement, and that alone alleviated 80-90% of my symptoms, especially those brought on by the Zoloft (and later Lexapro when another crazy shrink decided to give that a try)! I was shocked at the outcome....surely some vitamin deficiencies must've been causing my symptoms.
Yet, now I am taking Lorazepam/Ativan, a benzodiazephine, along with a beta blocker to help with the chest related and heart related physical symptoms, and those two drugs coupled together have done me WONDERS!!! I cannot express enough what these two drugs have done for me!! Along with my mult-vitamin, I am again in remission completely from panic attacks, and I feel great! I still sometimes get overly sensitive and have mood swings (things upset me easily) which depression plays a part in panic and anxiety, so I am still overcoming that obstacle, but I am learning to try to keep a more positive outlook as well as just enjoy life in general. It is not easy, but I know I can do it!! :)
Good luck to you, and I hope my story helps you.
Please realize that not all drugs are bad. If you are in as bad of a situation as I was, you may need the meds. to just get you over the "hump" of the worst part of panic disorder. Then, get a GOOD Psychiatrist or Psychotherapist who specializes in CBT and can help re-work your way of thinking and help get you on the track to full recovery and getting off of the meds. for good! Good luck!
I have had ADVERSE reactions to the SSRI class of anti-depressants, where I, such as yourself, were told that they would "solve ALL of my anxiety problems within a matter of a month or so and I will feel like myself again!" Well, sure, the drug put me into a drugged state of happiness, yet it could not compare to the unexplicable suffering I had to endure from not only the worsening panic attacks but also the whole new array of symptoms I had to endure thanks to those supposed "cure-all" drugs, the SSRI's.
Doctors falsely sell and give these drugs to people suffering from panic attacks, thinking it will cure all their ailments. Sure, maybe it helps 80% of panic and anxiety sufferers, but there is STILL that 20% that instead have an ADVERSE reaction from the drugs. The reason? These people suffer from an overly stimulated Autonomic Nervous System, and usually present with atypical panic attack symptoms as well as sensitivity to the SSRI class of antidepressants, since SSRI's are a STIMULATING DRUG. Now think of it this way: What can you imagine would happen to a person with an OVERLY stimulated ANS and then are given an SSRI antidepressant, a STIMULANT itself? Just as you think....worsening panic attack symptoms, and indeed even NEW symptoms can develop (neurological and physiological), as it did for me. I got head electrical sensations that surged up and down my spine and through my brain thanks to those dang drugs, and now they are just a part of the many symptoms I get from my panic attacks, as my body became used to reacting that way and it became just a part of the array of physical symptoms I had to endure. BEFORE the SSRI's. the worst of my symptoms were occassional chest-related attacks where I would get the typical chest pain, racing heartbeat, feeling lightheaded, the heart would race/thump in my chest and then feel faint/light, and go off and on along with the chest pain. But these became bearable and I learned to control them. These new attacks I could not, and were a worse living Hell I have ever endured.
Luckily, the symptoms only lasted about 2 1/2 months at the most extreme. I was on the SSRI Zoloft for a month, which made the symptoms first appear, and then my crazy doc made me quit it COLD TURKEY, which exhibited a WHOLE ARRAY of new symptoms, particularly the head electrical sensations which worsened, one-sided parathesias where one side of my body and face would go numb, one time I had a tremor or TIA or something that mimicked it where my leg buckled up, went numb, and I could not move it (this was a right-sided attack, most of my attacks tended to be left-sided), and times I would wake up in the middle of the night SCREAMING because my brain PHYSICALLY felt like it was going haywire like it would go into convulsions or SOMETHING. It was a NIGHTMARE!!!
Surprisingly, I had a gut feeling to just start on a simple multi-vitamin supplement, and that alone alleviated 80-90% of my symptoms, especially those brought on by the Zoloft (and later Lexapro when another crazy shrink decided to give that a try)! I was shocked at the outcome....surely some vitamin deficiencies must've been causing my symptoms.
Yet, now I am taking Lorazepam/Ativan, a benzodiazephine, along with a beta blocker to help with the chest related and heart related physical symptoms, and those two drugs coupled together have done me WONDERS!!! I cannot express enough what these two drugs have done for me!! Along with my mult-vitamin, I am again in remission completely from panic attacks, and I feel great! I still sometimes get overly sensitive and have mood swings (things upset me easily) which depression plays a part in panic and anxiety, so I am still overcoming that obstacle, but I am learning to try to keep a more positive outlook as well as just enjoy life in general. It is not easy, but I know I can do it!! :)
Good luck to you, and I hope my story helps you.
Please realize that not all drugs are bad. If you are in as bad of a situation as I was, you may need the meds. to just get you over the "hump" of the worst part of panic disorder. Then, get a GOOD Psychiatrist or Psychotherapist who specializes in CBT and can help re-work your way of thinking and help get you on the track to full recovery and getting off of the meds. for good! Good luck!
I really empathize with on the "brain/stutter lockup" as you described it. I have been suffering from anxiety since I was 18 (now 35). Anxiety envelops every aspect of my life. It is chronic anxiety, so there is not one thing that does not cause me extreme anxiety. As opposed to the one incident you describe, I experience this all day every day. I even get the "brain/stutter lockup" when I speak to my family! Needless to say, it is affecting my personal and professional life. Because of this conditions, I have low self esteem. It is very hard to bond with people. Bonding with people came natural to me before the anxiety kicked in. I never had trouble making friends; I was a people person. Because of the grip anxiety has on every aspect of my life, I tend to keep to myself. I think people notice my difficulty with speech and assume I am dumb or something, affecting their ability to connect with me and vice versa. I cannot seem to relax or control my breathing and I feel lightheaded most of the time accompanied with a lot of self doubt. I am truly in my own little bubble; this is no way to live. It is the anxiety that has kept me from realizing my true potential.
I am not saying that you are lucky that you experienced the one incident, I just wanted to share my story with you. I did have an MRI done June of 2006 and everything was fine. So all I can attribute my chronic brain/stutter lockup is to the extreme chronic anxiety that afflicts me every minute of every day. I really want to stay away from any medication. I have tried Zoloft, Wellbutrim, Lexapro and until recently Paxil CR. I am not weaning off of it as I went through a period of "dullness" and increased anxiety. I would instead like to focus on natural remedies, that is if they even exist...
Good luck to you and I hope you never experience another of that debilitating episode.
I am not saying that you are lucky that you experienced the one incident, I just wanted to share my story with you. I did have an MRI done June of 2006 and everything was fine. So all I can attribute my chronic brain/stutter lockup is to the extreme chronic anxiety that afflicts me every minute of every day. I really want to stay away from any medication. I have tried Zoloft, Wellbutrim, Lexapro and until recently Paxil CR. I am not weaning off of it as I went through a period of "dullness" and increased anxiety. I would instead like to focus on natural remedies, that is if they even exist...
Good luck to you and I hope you never experience another of that debilitating episode.
Hey all. This is just an update. I have been taking my Vitamin D supplements so far. I have not gone in for the PTH test yet, nor have I gotten rechecked for the Vit. D, and I am also getting checked for a blood clot since it came back positive once (only a D-Dimer), but I wanted to get it ruled out since one test came back positive I am getting another one done to see if it also comes back positive. Not too worried about the blood clot, but I just wanted to rule it out since it was in my past bloodwork. I am more concerned about the Vit. D and Parathyroid hormones, and am wondering if it is causing my panic attacks and physiological symptoms. So far there has been no problems taking the Vit. D. Only some internal shaking one day I took the pill and the following day, but I think it was just anxiety (since I had been nervous before taking the pill the first time, so it was probably anxiety that occurred AFTER the fact) and just coincidental, because I just took my third pill yesterday and none since. So I am doing great otherwise, and just waiting to get my Vit. D levels back up there as well as seeing what the PTH test comes back as. If it comes back low or high, then maybe then my mother will let me get the other testing that is needed done (1,25 Dihydroxy, Serum Calcium, Urinary Calcium, Serum Inorganic Phosphorous, Urinary Phosphorous, cAMP Plasma, cAMP Urinary, and the Gs Alpha Gene Mutation.
Also, to my knowledge, RCA, neither my birth mother or half-brothers suffer from any of my symptomology. All I know is my birth mother gets the panic attacks OCCASSIONALLY with chest pain as well as occassional anxiety, which she takes Klonopin for as needed. She has not suffered the myriad of symptoms I have.
Also, to my knowledge, RCA, neither my birth mother or half-brothers suffer from any of my symptomology. All I know is my birth mother gets the panic attacks OCCASSIONALLY with chest pain as well as occassional anxiety, which she takes Klonopin for as needed. She has not suffered the myriad of symptoms I have.
I really don't keep in contact with them much, and as I stated before, for me to actually GET the testing done is practically impossible. Both my GP's and my mother (ADOPTIVE MOTHER) are fed up with me going to doctors to try to figure out what is causing my myriad of symptoms. I am still living at home, and my parents are paying for my insurance still, so technically whatever they say goes...... :( :( So getting the tests done is impossible.
And quite honestly, my biological mother's family is a little too messed up for me to get involved right now....I really don't have much contact with them at all. I only got in contact with them a few times. And right now there are too many problems going on with them that would only add on to the stresses which I do not need (since they try to get me involved) that would increase my panic attacks and other neurological/physiological symptoms, and with me almost in remission again at the moment I'd rather not bring those about again quite honestly...
But thanks Ryan. Thank you for all of your help and concern.... I am getting the PTH tested at least....that is the ONLY test my doctor and mother would allow me to issue. If that comes back negative, my mother said herself "NO MORE TESTS OR DOCTORS," so I am screwed I guess..... :'( I will be stuck with this dilemma forever, and will continue to have to take the Lorazepam, Toprol XL, and occassionally jack up on Vitamin D to cover up what is really wrong with me.... covering up exactly what I will never know... :(
And quite honestly, my biological mother's family is a little too messed up for me to get involved right now....I really don't have much contact with them at all. I only got in contact with them a few times. And right now there are too many problems going on with them that would only add on to the stresses which I do not need (since they try to get me involved) that would increase my panic attacks and other neurological/physiological symptoms, and with me almost in remission again at the moment I'd rather not bring those about again quite honestly...
But thanks Ryan. Thank you for all of your help and concern.... I am getting the PTH tested at least....that is the ONLY test my doctor and mother would allow me to issue. If that comes back negative, my mother said herself "NO MORE TESTS OR DOCTORS," so I am screwed I guess..... :'( I will be stuck with this dilemma forever, and will continue to have to take the Lorazepam, Toprol XL, and occassionally jack up on Vitamin D to cover up what is really wrong with me.... covering up exactly what I will never know... :(
Honestly Ryan, I would not know if any of my relatives had Pseudohypothyroidism or any of my symptomology. The thing is is that I was adopted, so I know nothing about my personal background or history, let alone my health background. All I DO know is my half-brother suffers from Autism, and my birth mother gets Panic Attacks and has Mitral Valve Prolapse (as do I), but she was adopted as well (my birth mother) so she knows as little as I do about her health history. And of course I don't know my biological father let alone do I know how to get in touch with him (he probably wants nothing to do with me by what I hear of him) so finding out this information is literally impossible. All I can go on is what my birth mother has, and even some of what my half-brothers have...
I would, but maybe you didn't read the last part of my post...sighs..... BOTH My GP's and my mother are fed up with all of the testing I want done. They are sick of me asking for bloodwork, even though the Vitamin D came back as extremely low. I would go to a new GP, but being under parent's rules and restrictions and all, we are "NOT SWITCHING DOCTORS," according to my mother and father. They are fed up with me going from neurologists to psychiatrists to psychotherapists to cardiologists, and I even asked about the endocrinologist and my mom was PISSED. Everyone is fed up with me trying to figure out exactly what is wrong with me..... :( I feel so lost..... I feel like everyone is against me rather than helping me on this. Even my mom said, "after this last bloodwork, NO MORE tests or wanting to see any other doctors or anything, GOT IT??"
So...the Mayo clinic or any other doctor is out of the question....... since I am still a dependent technically..... and am still under their house until I get a place of my own and under my own insurance.... so in the meantime I am screwed.... :(
So...the Mayo clinic or any other doctor is out of the question....... since I am still a dependent technically..... and am still under their house until I get a place of my own and under my own insurance.... so in the meantime I am screwed.... :(
What about the Mayo Clinic? They are very thorough and have all the different specialists and any testing you would need. It's a "one stop shop". I had a very positive experience there and would highly recommend it. The doctors all have computers in their exam rooms and they communicate with eachother. They have test results quickly since they are done in their lab and they are available to the physician so he can help you. I'd start with internal medicine, then let him set up endocrine, neurology, cardiology or whatever you might need. It might take a couple visits, but if you are near one, it's worth a shot. Just a thought.
Good luck to you!
t.
Good luck to you!
t.
How about a NEW GP? I know that would stink, but maybe start somewhere fresh with someone who will listen....How about a hemotologist??? I am not sure if that is the specialist to go to for your situation, maybe Ryan can suggest a specialist????
Hello again Ryan. I tried getting my doctors to get the tests done for me, but according to them they had done a Calcium test, which came back fine, they said they checked the Phosphorous levels which also they claimed came back fine, and also they seemed to be confused on the 1.25 Dihydroxy and 25 Hydroxy, and they said, "well your Vitamin D came back low," and seemed to think this was the same test. But I am getting the Parathyroid tested at least....that was the only test I got out of my GP's. My doctors are beginning to assume I don't "trust their judgement," and my doctors say, "well we need to have a good patient-to-doctor relationship, and feel like I am not trusting their judgement enough." *sighs* GREAT now I am having problems with my GP's and both seem to think now that I am just a hard-to-deal-with patient who doesn't trust their judgement, when that is not the case at all. I just want to rule this last thing out, and put my mind at ease...and if it does come back that it is a problem then at least I can finally take care of my problems once and for all. I already had a hard time getting my one GP JUST to issue bloodwork for my Vitamin levels, and look what happened: the Vitamin D came back LOW, lo and behold, and now I am getting treated for it. I feel like they are the ones with the problem....they don't want to issue me the testing,and when something else DOES come back wrong then they act like it was necessary testing. I dunno, I am just frustrated at this point....all I wanted was to rule it out, like you and my pharmacist suggested.
My GP's said it was perfectly normal for the low Vit. D. and said that it is seen in many women my age and older. It being so low is a result of the fact that we get Vit. D. from sunlight, and since we are not outdoors as much we are not getting the Vit. D. we need. Also, since I have not been taking multi-vitamin supplements for I cannot even fathom how long it's been, they said it would be of no surprise if those alone caused my low Vit. D. They highly doubt I have a parathyroid problem, but are going to get me the bloodwork for it and get it written up.
I just feel like it is like pulling teeth with my doctors these days, and both them and my mother are sick of me wanting more and more tests done. They think I am just overreacting to the fact that I have a low Vit. D. and now I "want all this testing done for this and that." :( It sux....it really does....and I just feel like nobody cares and that they just think I am being a hasty, hard-to-deal-with patient who doesn't believe a word they say. It is not a matter of me not believing them, I just want to rule out a possibility that I have not only heard from a pharmacist but that I have now heard from you.
~Crystal P.~
My GP's said it was perfectly normal for the low Vit. D. and said that it is seen in many women my age and older. It being so low is a result of the fact that we get Vit. D. from sunlight, and since we are not outdoors as much we are not getting the Vit. D. we need. Also, since I have not been taking multi-vitamin supplements for I cannot even fathom how long it's been, they said it would be of no surprise if those alone caused my low Vit. D. They highly doubt I have a parathyroid problem, but are going to get me the bloodwork for it and get it written up.
I just feel like it is like pulling teeth with my doctors these days, and both them and my mother are sick of me wanting more and more tests done. They think I am just overreacting to the fact that I have a low Vit. D. and now I "want all this testing done for this and that." :( It sux....it really does....and I just feel like nobody cares and that they just think I am being a hasty, hard-to-deal-with patient who doesn't believe a word they say. It is not a matter of me not believing them, I just want to rule out a possibility that I have not only heard from a pharmacist but that I have now heard from you.
~Crystal P.~
It seems like you have had almost all of the test to rule out pysical causes for your problems. If you are on Zoloft and it dosn't work (it didn't work for me, thats for sure) then you should probaly go to a psyciatrist (a M.D. who specializes in medicine for psycological disorders) and see what he has to say. If you had a seizure at work, or at anytime, you would fall down, regarless of the type. But you can get a neurologist to do tests for seizures. Everything you're describing could be panic/anixeity related. I have a few books that list pysical ailments that can cause panic attacks if you wold like that info just let me know. But go see a Psyciatrsit, not a psycoanalist or psycologist, even though seeing a psycologist wouldn't hurt, more commonly referred to as therapists now because most of them don't have Ph.D.s anymore, they are more for talk therapy or cognative behavioral therpay. Good Luck with everything!
Thank you for this information Ryan. I have already started on a supplementation for the Vit. D. I am taking 50,000 IU of Vit. D twice a week for the next 6-8 weeks. I was also told about the possibility of suffering from some variant of Parathyroidism by one of the pharmacists at the pharmacy I get my medication at. She is fairly new there, but suggested that I should get tested to rule out parathyroidism and anything else causing my symptoms and my lack of Vit. D.
Thanks again Ryan. I cannot express enough how all of your advice has helped me when going through the worst of my problems in the past. Yet despite that, I was always convinced something else was at work causing these symptoms, and I may finally get to the root of it all! I hope to finally figure out what caused this quick onset of neurological/physiological symptoms, my dramatic mood swings and irritability, minor depression, etc. It all seemed to manifest around the same time. First it was the mood swings and easy rigidity/easily anxious/cry over silly things, then the panic attacks appeared along with the heart symptoms (which came back negative with EKG's), I have normal blood pressure (never has been high in my entire life), but then the neurological and physiological symptoms exacerbated by the Zoloft made me suspect something else entirely was going on, when I would get leg tremors, wake up in the night screaming from my brain going haywire, as well as the head electrical sensations, lightheadedness, panic of course, shakiness, sweating/clamminess, hot and cold flashes, racing heartbeat and sometimes chest pain, the head stuttering incident, etc...
I don't get these symptoms as often or as severe as I used to, but things can and do bring them on. I had a bad reaction to Ceftin, an antibiotic, which again manifested my neurological/physiological symptoms, etc. I would get an "attack" about 30 or so minutes into taking the pill, and then again later in the day after taking my second pill (I only took the pill twice but stopped it abruptly after the horrid incident which occurred while visiting the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in DC).
I also had very seizure-like experiences, like the head-stuttering episode, as well as the times when I would get one of my head-electrical attacks during laser-tag that made me fear I would go into a seizure, and the very stroke-like incident when I felt the right side of my body and brain going wack and I thought I was going to have a stroke, but it mimicked more of a TIA. That is the incident where the right side of my body went numb, and my leg buckled up and I could not move it. When I called 911, they thought for sure I was having a mini-stroke or partial seizure. But then the symptoms subsided, and the feeling returned to my leg and I was able to move everything fine again. Of course they dismissed it as anxiety/panic and I went on my way since I passed the "neurological inspection" of me being able to balance on one foot, walk in a straight line, walk on my heels forward and backwards, etc....
Thanks again Ryan. I cannot express enough how all of your advice has helped me when going through the worst of my problems in the past. Yet despite that, I was always convinced something else was at work causing these symptoms, and I may finally get to the root of it all! I hope to finally figure out what caused this quick onset of neurological/physiological symptoms, my dramatic mood swings and irritability, minor depression, etc. It all seemed to manifest around the same time. First it was the mood swings and easy rigidity/easily anxious/cry over silly things, then the panic attacks appeared along with the heart symptoms (which came back negative with EKG's), I have normal blood pressure (never has been high in my entire life), but then the neurological and physiological symptoms exacerbated by the Zoloft made me suspect something else entirely was going on, when I would get leg tremors, wake up in the night screaming from my brain going haywire, as well as the head electrical sensations, lightheadedness, panic of course, shakiness, sweating/clamminess, hot and cold flashes, racing heartbeat and sometimes chest pain, the head stuttering incident, etc...
I don't get these symptoms as often or as severe as I used to, but things can and do bring them on. I had a bad reaction to Ceftin, an antibiotic, which again manifested my neurological/physiological symptoms, etc. I would get an "attack" about 30 or so minutes into taking the pill, and then again later in the day after taking my second pill (I only took the pill twice but stopped it abruptly after the horrid incident which occurred while visiting the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in DC).
I also had very seizure-like experiences, like the head-stuttering episode, as well as the times when I would get one of my head-electrical attacks during laser-tag that made me fear I would go into a seizure, and the very stroke-like incident when I felt the right side of my body and brain going wack and I thought I was going to have a stroke, but it mimicked more of a TIA. That is the incident where the right side of my body went numb, and my leg buckled up and I could not move it. When I called 911, they thought for sure I was having a mini-stroke or partial seizure. But then the symptoms subsided, and the feeling returned to my leg and I was able to move everything fine again. Of course they dismissed it as anxiety/panic and I went on my way since I passed the "neurological inspection" of me being able to balance on one foot, walk in a straight line, walk on my heels forward and backwards, etc....
It turns out what made the Vit. D. so low is simply due to the fact that I did not take multi-vitamins for years (literally) on a constant basis. I was off-and-on it at times during the past year or two, but only for a few week intervals and then I was off it again. And Vit. D is not really found in many foods. The only pure way to get it is via the sunlight, supplements, or milk which is SYNTHESIZED with sunlight to have the Vitamin D in it. Milk does not come with Vitamin D naturally. So in reality, I caused the Vit. D. deficiency to myself by not taking my mult-vitamins...
Anyways, I will consider looking for another shrink and psychologist/psychiatrist, but I have had it up to here with doctors just poo-pooing me away as "only having anxiety/panic" and not wanting to help me get to the root of it all. Most don't even WANT to listen to my PAST history on anxiety and panic attacks and the treatments I took for it, and just want to know how I am feeling NOW. To me, they should care about my health history, because it describes what I went through and it will help them to be able to assist in treating me and getting to the root of my panic attacks better as well as all the other physiological and neurological symptoms manifesting around whatever is causing all of this in the first place.
Thanks for your advice, and if you can think of anything else that can assist me, then please contact me back. Thanks!
~Crystal P.~
Anyways, I will consider looking for another shrink and psychologist/psychiatrist, but I have had it up to here with doctors just poo-pooing me away as "only having anxiety/panic" and not wanting to help me get to the root of it all. Most don't even WANT to listen to my PAST history on anxiety and panic attacks and the treatments I took for it, and just want to know how I am feeling NOW. To me, they should care about my health history, because it describes what I went through and it will help them to be able to assist in treating me and getting to the root of my panic attacks better as well as all the other physiological and neurological symptoms manifesting around whatever is causing all of this in the first place.
Thanks for your advice, and if you can think of anything else that can assist me, then please contact me back. Thanks!
~Crystal P.~
For my money -get the shrink, one whose practice spealizes in panic and anxiety. This person should be able to speak to whatver connections there are between the panic and the seemingly unconnected symptoms. That was amazing about the Vit D. And you gotta wonder of whatever made that so low is also at work on other stuff.
The problem here is that the medical community you've been dealing with so far has sort of lost credibility in your eyes (little wonder) and job one is to connect with someone who takes time and makes sense to you.
For what its worth, I CAN tell you that if you read through the posts here, you'll see plenty of symptoms that seem impossible to associate with panic -and yet they are. That doesn't automatically mean yours are -it simply raises the possibility.
I hope you'll keep a journal of your actions and findings in your search for credible professional support. I'm disappointed by what has happened thus far and do wish you the very best.
The problem here is that the medical community you've been dealing with so far has sort of lost credibility in your eyes (little wonder) and job one is to connect with someone who takes time and makes sense to you.
For what its worth, I CAN tell you that if you read through the posts here, you'll see plenty of symptoms that seem impossible to associate with panic -and yet they are. That doesn't automatically mean yours are -it simply raises the possibility.
I hope you'll keep a journal of your actions and findings in your search for credible professional support. I'm disappointed by what has happened thus far and do wish you the very best.
I am not denying that Panic and Anxiety aren't part of the whole picture. I DO believe I have anxiety and panic attacks, but my question is this: What is causing my panic/anxiety and all my other seemingly neurological and physiological symptoms seemingly unassociated with Panic Attacks or Anxiety? Certainly, what I believe is that this is just part of a greater, and simpler picture. What I mean by this is I refuse to just sit back and say, "it is merely panic attacks and anxiety," when I think something else is going on with my body/mind entirely that is causing this hoard of symptoms that my doctors claim is just "anxiety and panic attacks." When I asked, "can this ALL merely be Panic/Anxiety?" I wanted to get some opinions from others such as yourself to see if there are any tests or anything else I could get done which I may have not done so already to rule other things out and get to the root of this.
Most of my doctors continue to "dismiss" it as panic/anxiety after the CT Scans, MRI w/out contrast, the bloodwork for Lupus (ANA TITER), Lime (Western Blot test), Vitamin deficiencies, countless number of thyroid tests (EVERY doctor seems to do this test although it always comes back fine), complete neuro bloodwork/workup, EEG, EKGs, Echocardiogram (which again validated my minor MVP and Tricuspid Regurgitation), electrolytes test, complete blood count tests, among others I can't even remember, all came back normal, EXCEPT for the Vitamin D which came back extremely low (the normal range is somewhere between 32-240 or so; mine was at 7).
So you can see now why I am even more skeptical of what the doctors tell me, and how even my GP called the bloodwork I wanted to have done "pointless bloodwork that will come back negative/fine," when I insisted on getting it done. If it wasn't for that "pointless bloodwork" according to my GP I would not have found out I was severely Vitamin D deficient, and am now going to get proper supplements and treatment for it to take care of the problem.
I agree that I need more tests done, but at this point my hands are up in the air and I am in a stupor as to exactly what to do next?? I am left feeling hopeless...doctors won't believe me (my current ones) so I can't get the proper tests, and I do not know where else to turn to get the proper tests needed to rule other things out that could be causing my hoard of symptoms and explain it all? Any advice from you or anyone else? I am truly grateful for your response JSGeare. But now my question is is what to do next? Where should I go? Who do I go and see? I am going to try to find a good doctor, but would a shrink, neurologist, psychologist/psychotherapist, WHO would be better in helping me figure out the problem? I am sick and tired of getting crazy shrinks, my GP, or neuros who dismiss me and just get the tests done to "put me at ease" rather than actually care and try and help me out and figure this out with me!!
Thanks again.
~Crystal P.~
Most of my doctors continue to "dismiss" it as panic/anxiety after the CT Scans, MRI w/out contrast, the bloodwork for Lupus (ANA TITER), Lime (Western Blot test), Vitamin deficiencies, countless number of thyroid tests (EVERY doctor seems to do this test although it always comes back fine), complete neuro bloodwork/workup, EEG, EKGs, Echocardiogram (which again validated my minor MVP and Tricuspid Regurgitation), electrolytes test, complete blood count tests, among others I can't even remember, all came back normal, EXCEPT for the Vitamin D which came back extremely low (the normal range is somewhere between 32-240 or so; mine was at 7).
So you can see now why I am even more skeptical of what the doctors tell me, and how even my GP called the bloodwork I wanted to have done "pointless bloodwork that will come back negative/fine," when I insisted on getting it done. If it wasn't for that "pointless bloodwork" according to my GP I would not have found out I was severely Vitamin D deficient, and am now going to get proper supplements and treatment for it to take care of the problem.
I agree that I need more tests done, but at this point my hands are up in the air and I am in a stupor as to exactly what to do next?? I am left feeling hopeless...doctors won't believe me (my current ones) so I can't get the proper tests, and I do not know where else to turn to get the proper tests needed to rule other things out that could be causing my hoard of symptoms and explain it all? Any advice from you or anyone else? I am truly grateful for your response JSGeare. But now my question is is what to do next? Where should I go? Who do I go and see? I am going to try to find a good doctor, but would a shrink, neurologist, psychologist/psychotherapist, WHO would be better in helping me figure out the problem? I am sick and tired of getting crazy shrinks, my GP, or neuros who dismiss me and just get the tests done to "put me at ease" rather than actually care and try and help me out and figure this out with me!!
Thanks again.
~Crystal P.~
"...merely 'Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder'?"
"...it was just panic attacks?"
"just?" "Merely?"
Spare me.
There is no "merely," there is no "just" when it comes to PANIC, thank you very much. What there is, is all that stuff you talked about, THAT'S what there is. Only worse, because no matter how much we try to describe it -it ain't even close.
You may be right -it could be some other thing, but whatever thing it is -you certainly have a fair share of anxiety and panic to season the mix.
You might not like what I'm going to tell you next, but here goes:
You are probably going to need (whispers) more tests. Only THIS time, you need to have a qualified shrink on your team to monitor and interpret the data. The symptoms you describe -while not inconsistent with panic- could apply to something else either instead of -or in addition to- panic.
So the time has come to get to the bottom of things. Much as I and everyone here would love to be able to say -"Hey, it is all about vitamin X"- we can't do that first of all because we are not qualified to do that and second of all because we don't know. But, what we CAN and will tell you is that -for many of us, anyway- there was a helluva lot of testing involved to figure out the target of therapy. And, to the extent that pamic is a player in whatever you've got, you have come to the right place.
Your next move? Can you say, "Enough is enough," and get some top-shelf help? That's what you do. Meanwhile, while a healthy diet and life-style never hurt anyone, don't go off on some tangent about a silver bullet -or, if you DO find a silver bullet -tell us (I'm beggin' you) what it is. Believe me, this forum is NOT populated by a bunch of people who all found the silver bullet.
Now -and this is important -stay in touch, tell us what's going on with you and lend a hand to others who need it. Heap good therapy, that.
We're with you on this.
"...it was just panic attacks?"
"just?" "Merely?"
Spare me.
There is no "merely," there is no "just" when it comes to PANIC, thank you very much. What there is, is all that stuff you talked about, THAT'S what there is. Only worse, because no matter how much we try to describe it -it ain't even close.
You may be right -it could be some other thing, but whatever thing it is -you certainly have a fair share of anxiety and panic to season the mix.
You might not like what I'm going to tell you next, but here goes:
You are probably going to need (whispers) more tests. Only THIS time, you need to have a qualified shrink on your team to monitor and interpret the data. The symptoms you describe -while not inconsistent with panic- could apply to something else either instead of -or in addition to- panic.
So the time has come to get to the bottom of things. Much as I and everyone here would love to be able to say -"Hey, it is all about vitamin X"- we can't do that first of all because we are not qualified to do that and second of all because we don't know. But, what we CAN and will tell you is that -for many of us, anyway- there was a helluva lot of testing involved to figure out the target of therapy. And, to the extent that pamic is a player in whatever you've got, you have come to the right place.
Your next move? Can you say, "Enough is enough," and get some top-shelf help? That's what you do. Meanwhile, while a healthy diet and life-style never hurt anyone, don't go off on some tangent about a silver bullet -or, if you DO find a silver bullet -tell us (I'm beggin' you) what it is. Believe me, this forum is NOT populated by a bunch of people who all found the silver bullet.
Now -and this is important -stay in touch, tell us what's going on with you and lend a hand to others who need it. Heap good therapy, that.
We're with you on this.
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