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[anxietyjayme]

Well where do i begin.....i have had anxiety/panic attacks for 8 years now and for the last few months they have been awful.  i started meds again i just had a bunch of blood work done, liver, kidneys, sugar, whtie blood cells and an ultrasound of my tummy and of course everything came back fine....i was fine yesterday when i left the dr but today i think i have a brain tumor (of course i do,dont we all) or some form of epilepsy because i have been having jerkiness in my arms and legs for weeks now and inner tembling and shaking. Well  thats all for now

[barfer]

I've had anxiety/panic for almost all my life (I'm 55) so what I can tell you is that it can take on different characteristics as you get older, go through puberty, adulthood, having children, menopause, basically all the milestones in a persons life.  What once didn't bother you, can all of a sudden become a problem.  The other thing you have to consider is that it can also be the case with allergies.  I never had any allergies when I was young and then when I hit my mid 20s I developed an allergy to grass and trees that became a problem in the spring/summer, like right now.  I have ringing in my ears and feel stuffed up and am far more off balance during these months.  I know that this is related to the allergy and not the anxiety...although having anxiety doesn't help the problem.  The weather can have a HUGE impact on how you feel.  If there is a low pressure, I can bet I'll have a headache and or ringing in the ears.  Please don't assume the worst.  There are usually simple logical reasons for how we feel and people like us are almost too in tuned with our bodies.  Sometimes a headache is just a headache and sometimes something new, like ringing in the ears is just because of the weather or a new part of a new milestone in our lives.  Ringing in the ears is annoying and if it does persist, of course talk with your doctor and maybe he can come up with a remedy but for right now, don't put the cart before the horse.  It may just be related to weather conditions.  I know this may sound too simplistic to you but sometimes the simplest things are the right things.  Don't read too much into how you are feeling...Try to distract yourself by concentration on something other than the way you feel.  By the way, if your doctor feels that you are wasting his time when you are going through this difficult time in your life, maybe it wouldn't hurt for you to remember who is paying his salary.  Remember he is working for you and that nice office he is in and the house he lives in all comes from seeing people with health issues.  Don't feel sorry for him.

[anxietyjayme]

Yes the trembly and shakiness was there before.  I have had the trembling and jerky movements for a couple of months now.  I never had those before, thats why when they started i didn't think it was my anxiety because i have had the anxiety for so long and never had those symptoms.  I dont know anymore im kinda disgusted.  Today is not a good day, last night i started having this ringing in my ears and i still have it now so i  think of course im dying and them i was googling and saw brain tumor = ringing in ears (sometimes) so of course there is another sysmptom i have of a brain tumor.  Im really freaking today, i just dont know what to do.  I want to go back to my dr. but im afraid to becaue i dont want him to be like get over it girl its just anxiety take your pills and shutup already.

[barfer]

It doesn't matter how far you go, just make sure you go.  After a while you will be able to go further.  Keep working on going out...the last thing you want is to be so restricted that you miss out on the life you deserve.  Honestly, I know it is a struggle because it is for me too.  That is why I make sure that I go out almost everyday, even if it is just for a short while.  It is real work to get a handle on this annoying disorder but it is worth it in the long run.  When you manage to do something you never thought you would be able to do again...that is the reward (along with a cinnamon bun in my case for doing so well).  The reason I asked about the depression is because I am always curious whether the depression is a result of the anxiety or the depression comes first.  It is my opinion that that could have a lot to do with how a person goes forward with treatment.  I hope your doctor knows that the depression came after the panic and anxiety because it can make a difference to treatment.  It does sound like you are heading in the right direction.  You just need reassurance that you are doing the right thing.  Side effects can be are part of going up on SSRIs, but this time it might not be the case for you.  I know that when I started Remeron (a tetratricyclic), I had some side effects and then months later when I went off of it, I again experienced side effects but when I decided to go back on it again, I don't know if it was my attitude and relief that I needed the meds and was getting them, but I really didn't experience any side effects that time.  I was a very happy camper, fat, but happy!  When I went off it again years later, it wasn't easy but it was doable and now I am off it again and have been for some time.  I am on medication, clonazepam, which gets bashed a lot but it is working for me and that is all that matters.  That is why I say to you, if lexapro worked for you in the past and you were happy with the results, go for it with an open mind and you may not experience the side effects like you did before or they may be reduced.  I really believe in the power of positive thinking...it will help you get through this.

One other thing, did the trembling and jerky movements start before or after you started lexapro?  Were you trembly before?






















































Cheers!    

[anxietyjayme]

i was on lexapro before and it worked fine for me then well i have been on 5mg lexapro  to start and i need to go up to 10 but i always have side effects so im looking for the right time to move on up.  I have panic and anxiety and i get depressed from the anxiety and panic.  I am very easily housebound.  For a while i didn't leave at all now i will but i wont go far.  

[barfer]

When you say that you started meds again, what meds were you on before and were they working for you and what are you one now and for how long?   Do you have just panic and anxiety or depression as well?

Just to make you understand, I know and I think just about everyone on this forum knows how you are feeling and certainly once the medication kicks in you will feel better and even if you don't then there are other alternatives that you can look at.  So don't worry, this will resolve.  Just keep positive thoughts and don't let this be the centre of your life.  You should try and make sure you continue to do things you enjoy to take your mind off of your anxiety.  Even when I have felt really twitchy, I've gone out and done my day to day things outside of the house.  It is important to do that if you are anything like me in that I could very easily become housebound.  I make sure I get out everyday or atleast six days a week.  Keep positive and active even with the twitches and shakes.  I make fun of myself all the time about the shakes.  Example:  I can scramble eggs better than anyone, it comes naturally to me.  You've got to have some humour, it will help get you through it.

[MrGreen]

Welcome to the board. Your story is not unusual. So don't think you're alone. It is tough auld thing to beat when you are at your worst. But never give up the fight. If you have questions, just fire away. Lot of fine folk here that have a lot of good answers and some good advise too.