Anxiety??????

[money1]

It started one day with back/neck aches and stiffness and a "fuzzy" head.  Not a true dizziness, but a feeling of fullness in the head/mild lightheadedness.  Then came the stomach upset, gas, loose stools, acid reflux and by the end of the first week I was crying on a regular basis, severe insomnia, a constricting throat and the urge to throw up.  All of the symptoms would wax and wane over days but the "fuzziness" was constant.  March was a terrible month.

I had all of the tests, blood work, sinus x-ray, upper GI, CT Scan of the head, urine work and everything came back normal except for slightly elevated cholesterol and a 9mm cyst in my left temporal lobe.

In April my Doctor gave me 15 mg Paxil and 0.5 mg Klonopin per day.  The Klonopin eased some of the symptoms.  Once the Paxil kicked in it cleared up most of the symptoms except the fuzziness, although it did get better and I started having days without fuzziness, but not everyday.

A mild tinnitus in both ears (high pitched whistle) started over the summer with a feeling of ear fullness and popping sounds when loader noises occured.  The popping only happens when noise happens but the whistle is ALL OF THE TIME.  Its quite mild though.

My questions:

I seem to have anxiety symptoms but I have NO WORRY, very little stress; I am very laid back.  Don't the two go hand in hand?  If I don't worry about anything consciously is it possible to have anxiety problems?  What about the cyst, my doctor says they are not uncommon and won't cause the symptoms, is this true?  Should I mention the tinnitus to him or is this another symptom of anxiety or a side effect of the Paxil.

I no longer need the Klonopin (haven't taken in a month)and take Valerian Root to sleep once or twice a week.

Thanks.

[Forum-M.D.-DT]

Thank you for visiting the Family Practice Forum,

Lets review your symptoms
1. Neck Aches and Neck Stiffness
2. Light-Headed
3. Stomach upset
4. Gas and loose stools
5. Insomnia
6. Nausea
7. Normal blood tests/upper GI/ Sinus Xray
8. 9mm csyt in the temporal lobe.

To begin, Symptoms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ... and be present in patients with anxeity and/or depression. Interstingly, many of these symptoms improved when you started taking Paxil. Paxil is used for both anxiety and depression. Maybe your main problem was, in fact, more related to "depression" than "anxiety". In my experience "tinnitus" is not a common side effect of Paxil but the Physicians Desk Reference does state it is a "possible" side effect of this medication.

Secondly, I also want to mention a condition known as "Meniere's disease". Meniere's  (pronounced "men-ears") Disease is a problem involving the inner ear. It is caused by fluid in the canals of the inner ear. Although it can be a troublesome condition, Meniere's is not a serious condition and is not contagious.  People with Meniere's don't usually have symptoms all the time. When symptoms occur it is called and "attack." It usually affects only one ear but can affect both ears in about 30% of patients.  The symptoms present during an attack include dizziness, a feeling of fullness or loss of hearing in the ear, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
The doctor examining the patient with possible Meniere's Disease will closely examine the ears and check for problems with balance. He/she may check a hearing test and will possibly order a CT or MRI of the head to rule out other more serious causes for these symptoms.
Treatments for this condition include limiting dietary salt (less salt will likely help reduce the potential for fluid to build up in the canals of the inner ear), also a medicine called a diuretic (water pill) may be prescribed as the best treatment for this condition remains medication which helps reduce the potential for fluid to collect in the inner ear. During episodes of dizziness, a medication called "Antivert" may be prescribed. Additionally, for the nausea which commonly accompanies the "attacks", medicine may be helpful.

This brings me to the third consideration here, that is, the 9mm cyst in the temporal area of the brain as noted on the CT. If you continued to have the symptoms of "fuzziness" and "tinnitus" and it was determined that this was NOT due to Meniere's disease, a Neurology consultation would be in order. The Neurologist, in addition to doing a detailed neurologic exam would likely order an MRI as well as an EEG (brain wave test) to help determine if this "cyst" is in some way contiributing to your symptoms.

I hope this helps you sort through and get this problem solved.

Take care,
Dean M. Tomasello, M.D.

[stress]

I’m very curios about how and why stress effect the body and a person’s health. I sometimes find my self-getting overly stressed and very fatigue. I feel tired and find my color becomes much paler than normal. I find that at times I become emotional and break down in to tears. I let things get to me such as work, college and money issues. I suffer from neck pain and occasional headaches. I wake up tossing and turning with an uncomfortable pain that hurts when I move my neck down toward my chest or to either side of my shoulders. My menstrual period is completely off track. I have a period every 5 to six months. I had been on the pill when I was 16 and continued to take it for about 1 year. I skipped pills on many occasions. I have not taken a birth control pill for almost 5 years and since than I have not had a normal cycle. I have been with my fiancés 41/2 years and have not used protection. I wonder is it only luck that has prevented me from not getting pregnant or could something be wrong. I have begun to walk more and have started using other alternatives that don’t involve medicine such as an ancient healing therapy, which is very relaxing. I find these extra alternatives along with some medicines (depending on the situation) are very effective on relieving some medical and stress issues. Do you agree with this and why? I do realize that many issues do need medicine, but could a lot of issues such as, low self-esteem, mood changes, different patterns in your menstrual cycle, changes in sleeping patterns and pain issues be caused by every day stress. Could it be caused by such things as heavy work loads, not enough sleep, bad communication skills, poor eating habits, not enough exercise, not making time for one self such as meditation, breathing techniques etc. Is stress something that effects a lot of people. Is it normal to feel frustrated, confused and tired all the time? What do you usually recommend when dealing with stress issues?  Do you believe in using other alternatives do help deal with stress ?

[Nazish]

My brother had a car accident , nad went int ot a coma on the of Sept 2000.
He is beign given Klonopin, nad Dentrium, for hte relaxation of his muscle spasticity.
However he seems to be always sleeping, and has the following side efeects of Klonopin, nystagmus, coughing, facial edema, constipation, coated tongue, urniary retention.
Is there another alternativve to Klonopin?
WIll Valium be suitable?
He has also developed gynacomastea, and hisblood sugar level keeps jumping up and down!
WHat could be the cause of that?