Strange bouts of weakness and unctrollable shaking

Lately I have been having strange episodes similar to an anxiety attack but without the psychological symptoms.

I have been spending 2 months in another country (Mauritius), but am originally from Perth, Australia. The attacks have happened rarely in the past and not enough to cause me much worry (it takes quite a lot for me to consider seeing a doctor) however lately the attacks have become much more severe and regular. The attacks begin with shaking through out my body then a feeling of incapacitating weakness followed by dizziness. I then feel incredibly hungry but no amount of food seems to make me feel any better. Sometimes this is all accompanied by a tingling sensation in my fingers and I begin to sweat profusely. Lately I have also started getting strange headaches..

I am 21 years old and drink alcohol daily (atleast 6 beers in a usual day) and use recreational drugs on and off, usually just small amounts of cannabis and sometimes mushrooms and lsd. I also recently kicked a serious meth amphetamine addiction (9 months ago) and am on several medications as a result of psychotic episodes/depression and anxiety caused by excessive meth use and staying up for days sometimes weeks at a time. Daily I take 100mg Sertraline hydrochloride (zoloft) for my depression, 5mg Diazepam 3 times a day for my Anxiety and 50mg Quetiepine (seroquel) before bed to help me sleep and as an anti-psychotic. During episodes of psychosis or sever anxiety obviously I increase those doses incrementally until I have the desired effect.

Would like a little insight into these attacks, I suspect it may have something to do with blood-sugar levels or thyroid issues or possibly even the fact that in the last month and a half my valium regime has been all over the place due to not being able to get a script renewed in Mauritus easily.

[im4u]

Please find a Dr. that deals with anxiety stop taking so many drugs please do not spend your youthfull years not knowing what day it is.

[jemma116]

I get a picture that you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
But having said that, the symptoms you describe are also those of hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia is when the sugar levels in your body drop very low (you do not have to be a diabetic to get hypoglycemia.  So you are right that it is likely to do with a drop of sugar levels in the blood.

I would suggest that:

You stop drinking the alcohol (which may be difficult as you already may be addicted, so may experience withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms with this).

You stop taking all the "recreation" drugs, cannabis, mushrooms and the rest.  No doubt you will go "cold turkey" if you have been taking these for a long time.

Carry on taking the antidepressants and the other drugs that have been prescribed to you by a doctor.  If you go off the antidepressents and get very low again, it can take 3 months to get up to a good level again.  If you feel the antidepressant meds are not helping, you need to get back to your doctor to try a different type.  Some antidepressents suit some people better than others.  It's finding the right one that works the best for you.

I take Citalopram that suits me now.  But I have been on different antidepressants, from Dothiapim, Prozac and others.  I also have Diazepam which is used in extreme emergencies when I have been really badly stressed.  I don't always take those though, as going for a walk in the fresh air or doing other forms of relaxation or anything to distract your mind from the trigger problem, can help.

It is very important that you have a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veg and drink plenty of water (not beer or alcohol!).
If you drink a lot of coffee and then cut down, that can cause the shakes and dizzyness too.  This is withrawal symptoms from drinking less coffee.

Because you have experienced these hypoglycemic episodes, it is extremely important for you to keep to a regular intake of healthy food.  Do not allow yourself to get so extremely hungry.  Have a healthy snack in between meals.  Keep off highly refined foods (like white bread, biscuits, junk food for example), these foods cause a high sugar rush and then drops again dramatically.   It takes our brain 20 minutes to get a signal from our stomach that we are full.  So eat slowly.

As well as all the above, I suggest you get a blood test to rule out diabetes, and/or a glucose intolerant test.  Glucose intolerant test involves, fasting, have a blood test taken, drinking a high glucose drink and then another blood test is taken and tested.  This will confirm or not whether you are diabetic, bordeline diabetic or glucose intolerant.  I experienced the symptoms of hypoglycemia and the doctor referred me to have a glucose intolerant test which confirmed that I am glucose intolerant and if do not modify my eating and drinking habits could end up being a diabetic within 10 years.

You are a 21 year old young man, don't waste your youth and health on these unhealthy drugs.

I presume you have the medication for psychosis because of taking the drugs.

Diazepam is addictive, so only keep these to use as an emergency.

Hypothyrodism (underactive thyriod) will make you feel very cold even in the summer months and gain weight very easily.

Has the doctors prescribed you with all these pills (antidepressant, valium, diazepam, sleeping pills)?  

Some drugs cannot be taken with others because they can cause adverse effects.  If you have self medicated and do not wish to see the doctor, a pharmacist will tell you (if you ask him) which medications can be taken together and which cannot.

Have you tried any form of counselling for your depression/anxiety?  If not, you may benefit greatly from the right type of counselling.

You could keep a diary of what you eat and drink including listing the ingredients as well as the times when you get the symptoms you describe.  Write down the times of when you eat and drink too.  This will then be able to give you a pattern to see if it is related to low sugar levels.

Best wishes.

[zachcb]

Ok, first of all. I am a "recovering" meth addict. I have been clean for 9 months now. All the medications I am on are prescribed by a doctor I DO NOT SELF MEDICATE at all. I have thoroughly questioned my doctor and researched the interactions between the prescript meds I am on. Its all safe.

I am not "wrecking" my body... I am doing everything I can to re-establish a healthy life style. I excercise regularly and am a healthy weight. I eat extremely healthy food. Ie NO junk food of any kind. Organic when I can. I only ever recreationally use psychadelics and its more of a ritual than a drug binge or anything else.

I thought this website would give me answers but 2 of the 3 replies I have gotten have only been critical and negative. If you had read my post correctly you would have understood. I never use amphetamines of any kind (mdxx included), I don't over do anything and smoke cannabis in small amounts. I use mushrooms VERY responsibly as I know my entheogenics well and know my limits even better. I meditate daily and have plans to come off the valium ASAP. I think any benzo is evil. I never use opiates (my dad was a heroine addict).

As for therapy I have been seeing a psychologist and Psychiatrist for a few years now (yes, even before I decided to beat my meth addiction). My psychosis is only ever brought on by Amphets. I dont know why, every body is different and thats how it works for me. Psychadelics cause me no problems at all, I never roll the dice with research chemicals. LSD25 and naturally occuring psychoactive drugs cause me no harm mentally. Physically with the right diet harm can be reduced to almost nothing.

[zachcb]

Thank you very much, I will take your advice and get tested asap.

[jemma116]

I am glad to hear that you will go to your doctor soon and get tested.

I am really amazed regarding your healthy eating, in fact you eat more healthily than I do.

I hope I have not offended you in asking if you have self-medicated.  The reason I asked is because I have found a lot of people using these forums have access to buying medicines over the counter and don't realise the risks of mixing different medications.  I live in the UK and we cannot buy certain medicines and drugs without a doctors prescription.
But even if I went to buy some painkillers or decongestant medications, the chemist asks what other meds I am on.  For example medications to dry out congestion (Sudafed) is not safe for people who suffer from hypertension, because the blood pressure will increase.

I have never tried cannabis or other drugs (a member of my family did when they went to on holiday to Holland).    I did find a small hard ball of cannabis that had been brought into my house by a visitor.  It did smell really nice.

I have heard that cannabis has theraputic properties to help people who suffer from arthritis for the pains, but that it is a restricted drug.

Hope you are able to find out soon what is causing your problems so that it can be treated accordingly.

Best wishes.

[jemma116]

I have noticed that one nasty comment has been removed.  Was this reported and hence the reason it was removed?

[zachcb]

In Australia it is very much the same regarding prescription drugs. None of mine can be bought over the counter. Especially Benzos,most doctors will not even prescribe them.

You did not offend me at all but the previous comments did. For this reason I reported the second comment as I believe it had no good reason for being there and was totally unjustified.

Again, thanks alot for your help. Did some research on hypoglycemia and my symptoms match almost perfectly. I have been doing a few little experiments with the foods I'm eating and meal portions/times. I have also stopped drinking coffee just incase.

[jemma116]

Yes, I agree that the comments removed were absolutely uncalled for and I am glad that you reported it, and it has been removed.

I am fairly new to this medhelp and I strongly feel that it is here for people to help each other through experience or knowledge and not to be slagged off.  

Although I agree with what you are doing in respect of your food intake, keeping a note of what you eat and when you experience these symptoms, I hope you will get your blood sugars checked to rule out diabetes.  Although initially Type 2 diabetes is controlled through diet, if diet does not help to control the sugar levels then people get prescribed with medication to control the insulin.  It may be that you are just glucose intolerant (I am), but it is worth getting a proper diagnosis.  

Coffee drinking is OK as long as you don't overcoffee yourself.  People who drink a lot of coffee experience those symptoms you describe when they miss their caffeine.

I cannot sleep if I have a coffee or tea in the early evening.

Best wishes.