allergyphobia
05-05-10, 18:44
I have become quite a regular poster on here although I still haven't spoken to a lot of you, some of you have been very kind to me both through advice and through words in the chatroom.
I guess I just wanted the chance to write down my story as I feel like I'm going backwards instead of forwards.
I suffered from panic attacks at University after I started taking ecstasy. One night I had taken two pills and we got back to the house and i had a massive panic attack. These became quite frequent and I became scared to drink and even socialise in case they came on again. I remember I used to pace the house thinking I was dying and my ex boyfriend was the only one who could just sit with me until it passed. Eventually, somehow without medication, I seemed to conquer the panic attacks. I graduated in 2008 "panic free" and rarely got panicky since.
In October 2009 I got something called costochondritis, which was inflammation of the chest bone and rib. It was really painful but I didn't bother about it too much at the beginning. Around this time my sister moved out, and I broke up with my then boyfriend, my decision. At some point around October-November I developed a "barking cough", and was tried on several antibiotics which didn't shift it. The costochondritis symptoms disappeared towards the end of November when I realised I had begun to fall into a bit of a depression about being alone as well as this cough that wouldn't seem to go away. I attended a few counselling sessions and felt happier in myself, and I came to the conclusion that they could no longer help me - talking about the cough didn't make me better, it was a health problem and that's why I was anxious.
As time has gone on they have started to take my cough more seriously, i am numerous inhalers, have had chest x rays and am now trialing a new tablet that I have been recommended by a consultant. I still live alone, my sister is miles away in Bristol and my parents live abroad, and I don't have a boyfriend. A lot of my university friends have moved back home too. I want to move closer to my sister if i can get a job.
When I saw my consultant for the first time I had a skin prick allergy test where i tested positive for a few things including birch pollen. I also got diagnosed with oral allergy syndrome, where you get an itchy mouth and throat from raw fruit and some vegetables - i actually knew i had this before and I avoided most fruits. The consultant said i most likely had hyper responsive airways and they should settle down with a steroid nasal spray and inhaler use, and if not these tablets should help. If no improvement I am to go back for further testing. This was in March. I also had a full blood count at the doctors (normal), thyroid blood test (normal), additional blood allergy test - very mild reaction to nuts.
The position I am in now is currently waiting for my consultant appointment to be brought forward. I have not responded to inhalers and have a regular cough sometimes really bad throughout the day, fairly constant. I have been on montelukast tablets for 2 weeks with no improvement though apparently these could take a couple more weeks to kick in. I took 3 weeks off work to try and right myself and I have now been back at work for 2 days. Somewhere along the line I have developed a phobia with regards to what I eat. I am particularly funny about fruit and vegetables and now also nuts even though i have eaten most things before absolutely fine. I hardly ever eat dinner because I am too frightened I will cough and react, and my throat will close up.
I believe my workplace has "sick building" syndrome as we moved buildings in September then everything seemed to start in October. My work has no openable windows or air circulation and I am so much worse in stuffy, warm environments. This afternoon my cough came on really badly, I cried all the way home and had a full scale panic attack about being on my own.
I doubt anybody is still reading! I just wanted to try a little self-therapy and a bit of self-indulgence in the hope it might make me feel a bit lighter. I often think I am going to die in my house alone and no one will be able to get to me in time if I can't breathe. What I struggle with is the fact I have real symptoms at the moment with no diagnosis and then I get panic on top, and now this phobia. I am no medication for anxiety and I am a bit hesitant to go down this route.
I guess this is all for now. Thank you for reading and for all the support everybody has given me so far on this wonderful site.
:flowers:
I guess I just wanted the chance to write down my story as I feel like I'm going backwards instead of forwards.
I suffered from panic attacks at University after I started taking ecstasy. One night I had taken two pills and we got back to the house and i had a massive panic attack. These became quite frequent and I became scared to drink and even socialise in case they came on again. I remember I used to pace the house thinking I was dying and my ex boyfriend was the only one who could just sit with me until it passed. Eventually, somehow without medication, I seemed to conquer the panic attacks. I graduated in 2008 "panic free" and rarely got panicky since.
In October 2009 I got something called costochondritis, which was inflammation of the chest bone and rib. It was really painful but I didn't bother about it too much at the beginning. Around this time my sister moved out, and I broke up with my then boyfriend, my decision. At some point around October-November I developed a "barking cough", and was tried on several antibiotics which didn't shift it. The costochondritis symptoms disappeared towards the end of November when I realised I had begun to fall into a bit of a depression about being alone as well as this cough that wouldn't seem to go away. I attended a few counselling sessions and felt happier in myself, and I came to the conclusion that they could no longer help me - talking about the cough didn't make me better, it was a health problem and that's why I was anxious.
As time has gone on they have started to take my cough more seriously, i am numerous inhalers, have had chest x rays and am now trialing a new tablet that I have been recommended by a consultant. I still live alone, my sister is miles away in Bristol and my parents live abroad, and I don't have a boyfriend. A lot of my university friends have moved back home too. I want to move closer to my sister if i can get a job.
When I saw my consultant for the first time I had a skin prick allergy test where i tested positive for a few things including birch pollen. I also got diagnosed with oral allergy syndrome, where you get an itchy mouth and throat from raw fruit and some vegetables - i actually knew i had this before and I avoided most fruits. The consultant said i most likely had hyper responsive airways and they should settle down with a steroid nasal spray and inhaler use, and if not these tablets should help. If no improvement I am to go back for further testing. This was in March. I also had a full blood count at the doctors (normal), thyroid blood test (normal), additional blood allergy test - very mild reaction to nuts.
The position I am in now is currently waiting for my consultant appointment to be brought forward. I have not responded to inhalers and have a regular cough sometimes really bad throughout the day, fairly constant. I have been on montelukast tablets for 2 weeks with no improvement though apparently these could take a couple more weeks to kick in. I took 3 weeks off work to try and right myself and I have now been back at work for 2 days. Somewhere along the line I have developed a phobia with regards to what I eat. I am particularly funny about fruit and vegetables and now also nuts even though i have eaten most things before absolutely fine. I hardly ever eat dinner because I am too frightened I will cough and react, and my throat will close up.
I believe my workplace has "sick building" syndrome as we moved buildings in September then everything seemed to start in October. My work has no openable windows or air circulation and I am so much worse in stuffy, warm environments. This afternoon my cough came on really badly, I cried all the way home and had a full scale panic attack about being on my own.
I doubt anybody is still reading! I just wanted to try a little self-therapy and a bit of self-indulgence in the hope it might make me feel a bit lighter. I often think I am going to die in my house alone and no one will be able to get to me in time if I can't breathe. What I struggle with is the fact I have real symptoms at the moment with no diagnosis and then I get panic on top, and now this phobia. I am no medication for anxiety and I am a bit hesitant to go down this route.
I guess this is all for now. Thank you for reading and for all the support everybody has given me so far on this wonderful site.
:flowers: