confused over medical or mental

Hello, I am confused over what to do next. About 11 months ago I started getting light-headed and seen my doc he said it was bending over too fast but the symptoms got worse and more frequent. Then I started having chest pains and went to the E.R. they could find nothing wrong. the same thing happened 3-4 times and they sent a neurologist in to see me, he asked me five questions and diagnosed me with pannic attack and sent me to see a (shrink) doc. and i was given paxil which I took for 4 months, it did not seem to help. then zoloft which made me sick so they switched to prozac I took that for 4 months with no effect so the  doc sent me back to my regular M.D. Since then I have been in the hospital 4 times for a week each they ran several tests, blood,nuclear med.,cat scans,mri's,heart stress tests,and others and can find nothing wrong. I have sleep apneia, hypothyroidism,high blood pressure, and im only 32. I am fatigued constantly, have frequent chest pain, and pain under my left rib cage. and am terrified i have some diesease that will take me from my two small children. I also find no joy in anything anymore. I have allmost constant foggy-lightheadness, I am getting scared to drive or hold my baby for fear of fainting. please help I am getting desperate.

[HFHS MD - RG]

Dear Mike Young,

Considering that you had medical tests done previously and the results were normal, you may be suffering from Panic Disorder and possibly Major Depressive Disorder.

A Panic attack is often completely spontaneous, although occasionally follow excitement, physical exertion, or moderate emotional trauma. Certain activities like the use of caffeine, alcohol, or unusual patterns of eating may precede an attack.

The attacks develop abruptly and reach a peak within a 10 minute period of rapidly increasing symptoms. Physical signs often include increased heart rate, difficulty of breathing, sweating, and chest pains. The attack generally lasts 20-30 mins up to an hour.

Treatment consists of the use of medications like the ones you mentioned, Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac which belong to a group of antidepressants called SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), they are relatively safe but takes 3-4 weeks before any subjective improvement of symptoms. Other medications, like alprazolam or clonazepam may be used as well as older types of antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

The other type of treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy which deals with patients way of thinking. The therapy centers on the patients tendency to misinterpret bodily senasations as indicative of impending panic attack or doom.

I suggest that a re-consult with your physician for a reassessment.

The information provided in this forum is presented for general educational purposes only. Specific questions you have pertaining to your health should always be directed to your personal physician or you may call Henry Ford Behavioral Health at [phone].

I wish you the best,

HFHS MD - RG

Keyword: Panic Disorder