Body hurts from overload of anxiety

[mitchell1963]

I have always dealt with anxiety all my life and can't take any medications cause of extreme allergies and adverse reactions. I am at loss of my current anxiety level. In the past month I have had issues, my elderly mom's health is getting worse, her memory is going. She call daily to ask the same questions over and over. I know she can't help it but I can't deal with it anymore. Then I had a tooth extracted and then got a dry socket in it which was a painful ordeal. I then went for my yearly mammogram and the physician assistant was so rude with me. I am a 4 year breast cancer survivor and she had the nerve to say rudely to me that it will be 5 years next year and it will likely come back as I didnt follow the protocol well couldn't had reactions galore. I have been trying to chill out and get back to my life even tried to take a vacation which I didn't enjoy and now am suffering with horrible muscle spasms in my lower back and hips. I went to see my primary dr and she had took a urine sample and said there was a trace of blood in my urine and her immediate response was you need to have a sonogram of your bladder and kidneys with a cystoscope of bladder. I am so stressed from all of this that I don't know what to do, how to get a grip and calm down some. I can't sleep, I am biting everyone's head off, the muscle tension is bad. My husband won't let me see a counselor so I am in this alone. I just feel like I am waiting for the ax to drop and my time here on earth is limited. I am so stressed. Well just writing this feels a little better to get it out in the open.

[AnnieBrooke]

I was just reading that people can take L-tryptophan, a supplement, to help with anxiety because it increases their serotonin. Have you ever tried that?

[Paxiled]

Tryptophan isn't very well absorbed as far as passing the blood-brain barrier, and is usually used for that reason in the 5-HTP form.  This is mainly for depression.  There are many natural anti-anxiolytics out there, and some people are helped by HTP, but it does take some time, you need the right dosage, etc.  It's not so simple as popping a tryptophan pill.  

[AnnieBrooke]

I was trying to get at, has the poster ever had a doctor who would suggest an amino acid or other more natural approach versus simply popping a big-pharma medication. I was not recommending simply popping a pill.

[Paxiled]

I think that's a good suggestion, but doctors don't do that -- they don't study that in school.  Only those who study integrated medicine or functional physicians or the like do that, so usually you have to see a different kind of professional than a doc for guidance on alternatives to meds.  I agree with your premise, there's a lot out there most people don't learn about because they only see mainstream docs.  But I was just cautioning about the effectiveness of tryptophan in case the poster wanted to try it, which is why I mentioned the HTP form and what it's usually used for.  Peace.

[Paxiled]

Not sure where you you live, but if you need therapy you don't need your husband's permission.  If you need your husband's money or his health insurance, are there family members who will help?  Has he said why he won't "let" you?  Are you in an abusive relationship where you feel imprisoned by your husband, which can be a source of anxiety?  Now, I don't see any way you're going to be free of stress at this point -- nobody likes medical problems and you've got some big ones.  Anxiety sufferers unfortunately get the same problems as everyone else has.  I get it -- I've gotten so anxious after a medication wrecked my brain that I'm avoiding everything these days, but I don't recommend it.  As to the medication problem, there are natural remedies that might help if your body won't tolerate medication, but you'd need to see a professional who knows how to use them.  Don't know how your husband would react to that, as they don't take insurance at all.  But it is an alternative if it's true no med out there can help you.  I'm wondering if that's maybe a bit of an exaggeration, maybe you're more tired of tilting at windmills -- I've also been there and am there.  At some point it just becomes more stressful trying than not trying.  But again, I don't recommend that.  Do you have anything in your daily routine to try and cope, such as exercise, meditation, relaxation exercises, hypnosis, etc.?

[mitchell1963]

Thank you for replying. I have the world on my shoulders and was exercising - walking for a while it helped a little. I guess I need to go back to that. I live in the United States. My husband likes to make me feel guilty about stuff and after 33 years of marriage I think I would have got use to it or maybe just tired of dealing with it. I  just feel so stressed and tired of trying.

[Paxiled]

Spouses are good at knowing your buttons and how to push them.  But when your health is at stake, you just have to ignore that stuff and get the help you need.  Somehow.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Why does your husband not let you go to the counselor? You stated you are biting everyone's head off so isn't he displeased with the home atmosphere?
One suggestion is to stop taking people's comments like the assistant's to heart, and you won't have to dwell on them as you still are just because you feel he was rude. If he was rude it is a past event and so it is irrelevant the next minute. Living in the present is a good attitude to have to help you avoid baggage (like dwelling on past "grievances") causes. Perhaps you can find a book about dealing with anxiety if your hubby won't let you see a professional.

[mitchell1963]

Thank you I will try to find a book and maybe a new husband.