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Anxiety help?? lightheaded
okay hello, 20yr old male. back in 2009 when I was in about 8th grade I sat down to wait for gym class to start and then I suddenly became very lightheaded! I felt like I was going to faint and it was there constantly since that moment! I went to tons of doctors from cardio to neuro and nobody could tell me what was wrong. I would do nothing but sit around at home for about 2 months because I was too lightheaded to walk! then eventually I began to feel slightly better to the point where I returned to school and could function somewhat normally. I would still feel lightheaded but not as bad, I feel like a may have just gotten used to it enough to deal with it.... then here in 2014 while at work my heart beat very strongly and I felt very nervous and suddenly the lightheadedness was back full blast. I have never been diagnosed with anxiety. So, now I went back to all the same types of doctors with still no answers. The neurologist suspected migranes and gave me some beta blockers (blood pressure/migrane/etc.. pills) These didn't seem to change anything. I've been out of work for over a month now because all I can do is lay at home litteraly. The cardiologist did a physical exam but didn't actually look at my heart before he recomended I see a neurologist first. Then... the neorologist also just did a physical exam and didn't look at my brain. I'm worried they both could have overlooked something serious.Then I noticed a few more symtoms that seem to be differnt from my first encounter back in 2009 some of my recent symtoms are
lightheaded 24/7
frequent headaches
some chest pain and random arm pains
shaky feelings mostly in my head, chest, or legs
and I can always feel my pulse in my head
Then a few days ago a brought up anxiety to my doctor and she perscribed me .5 mg per day of clonazepam which I feel like has decreased my anxiety and a small amount of my lightheadedness, but I'm still lightheaded enough were I can't attend work and definitely dont trust myself driving! I find myself always searching these symtoms and it only makes me more scared of how serious it could be, brain tumor, heart disease?? or what I could have. I have times almost everyday where everything gets really bad and i feel like I'm really going to just die. I never had any anxiety really until I started feeling lightheaded so that makes me feel like it isn't anxiety because it hit me like a train both in 2009 and now. It completely ruins my life leaving me bed/couch ridden for months at a time!! any ideas on what could be wrong with me?? thanks everyone
lightheaded 24/7
frequent headaches
some chest pain and random arm pains
shaky feelings mostly in my head, chest, or legs
and I can always feel my pulse in my head
Then a few days ago a brought up anxiety to my doctor and she perscribed me .5 mg per day of clonazepam which I feel like has decreased my anxiety and a small amount of my lightheadedness, but I'm still lightheaded enough were I can't attend work and definitely dont trust myself driving! I find myself always searching these symtoms and it only makes me more scared of how serious it could be, brain tumor, heart disease?? or what I could have. I have times almost everyday where everything gets really bad and i feel like I'm really going to just die. I never had any anxiety really until I started feeling lightheaded so that makes me feel like it isn't anxiety because it hit me like a train both in 2009 and now. It completely ruins my life leaving me bed/couch ridden for months at a time!! any ideas on what could be wrong with me?? thanks everyone
Best Answer
Dizziness/lightheadedness and anxiety/panic go hand-in-hand. So you can relax knowing that it's almost certainly nothing more serious. I have been dealing with this problem for 3.5 years. Best thing you can do is try not to focus on it. The more you do, the more it will continue to be a problem. Try plowing through it. Acknowledge that you're feeling dizzy, but you're not going to hyperfocus on it or let it keep you from doing things you want/need to do. It may take some time, but after a while it should become less of a problem. God bless you!
It's more common than you would think. We get a lot of people who describe a continuous, sometimes debilitating dizziness/lightheadedness. Here's a few links to threads from people in similar situations (the threads are a bit old, but they contain a lot of valuable info I think you'll relate to):
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/24-7-dizziness-/show/4545
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/always-feel-lightheaded-and-dizzy/show/514577
It sure sounds like anxiety IMO as well, and here's why....for one, you're young, and the likelihood of you having something very seriously wrong (like a brain tumor, etc) is slim, not to mention, you've been thoroughly evaluated by many different specialists, more than once. If there was something big and bad going on, one of the doctors would have most likely found something abnormal in the findings of your diagnostic tests. Lastly, to me, it's telling that the Klonopin DID help you to an extent. Most likely, if you were on a more therapeutic dose (and dosing schedule), you would notice a lot more relief. Klonopin is a medication that is most effective when dosed at least twice a day. It's a longer term benzodiazepine that builds in the blood plasma to allow for a more steady state of calm, whereas the shorter acting benzos, like Xanax and Ativan, are better served as rescue meds, to be used when anxiety is very high (ie poanic attack).
Like Lron says, if indeed the dizziness is caused by anxiety, the best thing you can do is to try NOT to focus on it, think about it, and definitely quit searching the internet about it (Dr. Google is a HUGE trigger for anxious folks...especially when it comes to health related anxiety). It's easier said than done, yes, and it takes time, and usually the help of a good therapist, who can help you learn how to manage those anxious thoughts...redirect the brain when those "what if" thoughts start spinning around. Medication may also be a valuable tool for you, along with the therapy. There are many different antidepressants commonly prescribed to help manage symptoms of anxiety. Good starting places would be Zoloft, Lexapro.
So, a good next step would be to ask your doctor to a referral to a psychiatrist, who can discuss medications with you (if you're interested in trying that), and a therapy referral to get that ball rolling. It's preferable to find a therapist who is well versed in CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) if possible. CBT is a slightly different therapeutic approach compared to the more traditional talk therapy. CBT helps you to learn new ways to think, react and cope.
I know it's frustrating to experience such REAL physical symptoms and try to accept that anxiety could be the cause. So many people really struggle with the acceptance part of things....and they continue chasing their tail, trying to find that elusive medical diagnosis that is causing their symptoms. Sadly, this only keeps the person "stuck". By all means, continue working with your doctor(s), but starting to address the anxiety is reasonable...because even IF anxiety isn't the underlying CAUSE for your symptoms, it's certainly a factor now.
Best to you, keep us posted!
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/24-7-dizziness-/show/4545
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/always-feel-lightheaded-and-dizzy/show/514577
It sure sounds like anxiety IMO as well, and here's why....for one, you're young, and the likelihood of you having something very seriously wrong (like a brain tumor, etc) is slim, not to mention, you've been thoroughly evaluated by many different specialists, more than once. If there was something big and bad going on, one of the doctors would have most likely found something abnormal in the findings of your diagnostic tests. Lastly, to me, it's telling that the Klonopin DID help you to an extent. Most likely, if you were on a more therapeutic dose (and dosing schedule), you would notice a lot more relief. Klonopin is a medication that is most effective when dosed at least twice a day. It's a longer term benzodiazepine that builds in the blood plasma to allow for a more steady state of calm, whereas the shorter acting benzos, like Xanax and Ativan, are better served as rescue meds, to be used when anxiety is very high (ie poanic attack).
Like Lron says, if indeed the dizziness is caused by anxiety, the best thing you can do is to try NOT to focus on it, think about it, and definitely quit searching the internet about it (Dr. Google is a HUGE trigger for anxious folks...especially when it comes to health related anxiety). It's easier said than done, yes, and it takes time, and usually the help of a good therapist, who can help you learn how to manage those anxious thoughts...redirect the brain when those "what if" thoughts start spinning around. Medication may also be a valuable tool for you, along with the therapy. There are many different antidepressants commonly prescribed to help manage symptoms of anxiety. Good starting places would be Zoloft, Lexapro.
So, a good next step would be to ask your doctor to a referral to a psychiatrist, who can discuss medications with you (if you're interested in trying that), and a therapy referral to get that ball rolling. It's preferable to find a therapist who is well versed in CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) if possible. CBT is a slightly different therapeutic approach compared to the more traditional talk therapy. CBT helps you to learn new ways to think, react and cope.
I know it's frustrating to experience such REAL physical symptoms and try to accept that anxiety could be the cause. So many people really struggle with the acceptance part of things....and they continue chasing their tail, trying to find that elusive medical diagnosis that is causing their symptoms. Sadly, this only keeps the person "stuck". By all means, continue working with your doctor(s), but starting to address the anxiety is reasonable...because even IF anxiety isn't the underlying CAUSE for your symptoms, it's certainly a factor now.
Best to you, keep us posted!
lightheadedness 24/7 though?? to the point where I can't go to work or even drive?
Hello, I also experience lightheadness and after seeing my gp I found it was caused by anxiety. I'm not a Dr but you may benefit by talking to a therapist. If they feel that you may benefit by medication, there are a lot of good medication out there. I just started taking zoloft and in the beginning stage, I having problem with increased anxiety while I'm adjusting to the increase in dose. Hang in there there is a lot of help out there.
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