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Headache, nausea, tightness of jaw, twitching in hand....anxiety or unfound underlying problem

Hello, I am a 32 year old male, athletic, but suffering.  About 2 months ago, I was having supposed anxiety attacks, where I would turn pale, have sweaty palms, get nauseated, have shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and shake over my entire body uncontrollably.  After a visit to the ER, they claimed after blood tests were negative that I suffered from a Panic attack.  I was then given Lorazepam for the time being to take when the onset of an attack occurred.  After realizing that Lorazepam had addictive tendencies, I decided to go to a Neuro who then did an EEG and claimed it was 'perfect'.  He then prescribed me Zoloft and Paxil, which both made me worse off due to side effects.  Now, I am not taking anything, but I do suffer from stinging eye pain and headaches, one stuffy nostril at night (always on the laying side), tightness of the jaw, and occaisionally hand twitching on the thumb.  I also get weird sensations in my head sometimes as if something is bouncing around or moving around inside my head.  These symptoms don't seem to help with anxiety since I worry I have something severe wrong inside my head, but I try to tell myself that I am 'ok' to reassure.  Last May I was at a Neuro clinic and they performed CT, EEG, Sleep EEG, and Lumbar puncture.  The chief doctor said I was completely healthy.  Playing certain computer games have also triggered attacks, (which was the case here) especially games which depict war/combat in realism.  I also sometimes feel like crying without a reason when doing every day things that I normally enjoy (such as internet browsing).  From what I heard so far from doctors, if there was something seriously wrong in the head, i.e. tumor, encephalitis, meningitis...you would certainly know it.  I don't consider my headache pain to be that severe, but mild and annoying.  I do stay up late at night alot, which made me think it could also be a  lack of rest.  But even when I rest a bunch, I still wake up unrefreshed, or sometimes can't get out of bed at all.  Is it anxiety causing this?  Or is there some underlying condition that I am unaware of causing it?  I would want to believe that a recent EEG would have found something if it was something serious, but I am no doctor.  I guess I will have to take the Neurologists' word, which was 'its perfect' and that I have no problems.  But could this be anxiety or something underlying?
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Avatar universal
Hi.  Anxiety can cause everything you describe, and you have had every test to detect any problems, which showed none.  Another thing anxiety does is make us become fiaxated on something being seriously wrong with us even when all tests say otherwise.  This fixation and worry feeds our anxiety which keeps it strong and going.  You have recognized one trigger to your problem and that is the video games, it sounds like the violence is disturbing to you, so you should avoid these types of games.  You're staying up late at night which deprives you of sleep making it difficult for you to get out of bed and function properly during the day. So you can make sense of "why" you feel as you do in the mornings.  Since this worrying about your health is interferrring with your day-to-day life I think it needs to be addressed by a psychiatrist.  The two of you can discuss which route of treatment is best for you, therapy and/or medication.  I know you've had some bad experiences with medications and unfortunately it is often trial and error with these types of meds, and what will work best for us individually.  Therapy can be a huge help in teaching us how not to obcess over things like this, and you may want to try this first.  I think it's the first route to go since you are so young and can nip this in the bud now! By addressing this now so you won't live a lifetime of "what ifs."  Acceptance is the key to you getting better with this. You had some symptoms....got a thorough check-up....everything was fine....you're okay.  Now you have to accept this and live your life, or this will consume you!  You say your browse the internet, I hope it's not looking up symptoms because this is fueling your anxiety big time, and defeats what you are trying to do....accepting that you are okay.  Because symptoms are so broad, there is no way to diagnose ourselves and doctors have gone to school to learn how to define the symptoms.  The symptoms tells them what tests to perform, and so on.  You are too young to be worrying like this.  You have been given a clean bill of health, it's time to accept this and start living your life.  IF by chance you need medication you need to realize that anxiety is like any other illness that may need medication to control the symptoms. Often we think because it's a mental problem we should be able to handle it ourselves, but often we can't.  Make an appt. with a psychiatrist so you can get your life back.  I do wish you all the best, and take care.
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Avatar universal
Magnesium deficiency can cause exactly the things you describe.  Have a read over my journals about this matter.
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Avatar universal
I wish I could share more info with you but just to let you know we're on the same boat.  I experienced it with migrane with aura for starter and somehow translated into generalized anxiety disorder by a psychotherapist whom I met only met 3x and dismissed her.  then insomnia,  now I've got to see a psychiatrist for the insomnia issue.  My doctor won't deal with me because I kept bringing up problems that he said he can't deal with me in so many words.  So just to let you know, you're not the only one with this problem.  I went through the same stuff and symptoms that you went through.  Just hang in there, that all we can do for now. JS  
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