Luke1981
15-03-11, 05:29
Hi all,
I'm new to this forum but not forums in general. (I actually help run a forum in relation to my hobby/passion/job but that has no relevance to this forum. :blush:
I started getting panic attacks when I was about 14 & they were normally based on bullying & the fear of being hurt or bullied by other teens. I had a very bad time at school but at the age of sixteen had an "ugly duckling" breakthrough & suddenly became attractive to the opposite sex & my fear of people subsided.
Two days after finishing secondary school I started my first job & with the revelation of no longer being afraid of people & began to start worrying about my health. I was very suggestible to illnesses & nasty things I saw on the news or in the papers & often believed Iwas going into shock, or having meningitis etc etc. At this time I befriended a guy who had found out he was going blind & this snowballed me into thinking I too was going blind because of the floaters I could see & all the things that are normal human eye functions that pose no cause for concern (I was terrified because I couldn't see in the dark in fact). Along with this I had massive stomach pains which turned out to be IBS which I got from the stress of feeling so down & paranoid constantly.
Eventually A Dr whom I'd never seen before, sat me down & told me she had a poisonous finger that tingled & was numb all day & that she was going to give the disease to me - she proceeded to touch my hand & sure enough my hand went numb.
From this time onwards I was prescribed Seroxat which helped me no end but also came with the nasty side effects like only being able to sleep in daylight & only about two hours a night.
Fast forward about 10 years.
10 years is a long time to be on a drug like Seroxat & my health anxiety was not posing much of an issue (my then fiancée was the cause for all my stress & worry) & I managed to stop taking them.
I've not taken them in two years nearly now, I have a new girlfriend whom adores me & I have no worries in regard to trust matters, money or living arrangements.
Thus causing a problem... I've not been this settled in my life & as far as I can ascertain this has caused a massive flare up in my anxiety & health worries.
What started 5 weeks ago with a wisdom tooth coming through has sparked something in my mind & basically I have all the symptoms of the Epstein-Barr virus (or "glandular fever"). I've had full blood tests & x-rays to dis-prove that there is anything horrible wrong with me - all test are fine.
Every other day as one symptom fades, another takes it's place. Lymph nodes raised, all joints ache, bone ache, lower back pain, red throat.
Right now as I type my right eyelid feels swollen & keeps twitching.
I'll also add that In the last few weeks I've needed to have said wisdom tooth removed & I've had a dental splint fitted to loosen up my jaw (which is probably what is causing the stiff neck TBH).
I guess I'm lucky because all of my symptoms that led me to realize I was suffering again are the same as before but It's not enough to keep me calm.
A new DR listen to what I had to say yesterday morning (the same as I've written here) & prescribed Fluoxetine for the anxiety & Omeprazole for the stomach pains.
I'm telling a of this because I've never actually had this conversation with anybody who actually understands how terrifying it is to suddenly think your about to snuff if because of some mad disease that came from a slightly swollen eyelid that means my eye is now being pushed from it's socket by a brain tumour & I may suddenly turn into a werewolf...:blush:
That's pretty much my story, bit long but I figured just get it all out, I have an understanding of my situation despite not being in control of it yet, although I plan to be, I beat it once & I'll do it again but Perhaps some support from people who understand may help me & likewise, anything I've said may help somebody else who doesn't understand what's happening to them.
Thank you for your time,
Luke.
PS. Google is the worst tool in the box for sufferers.
I'm new to this forum but not forums in general. (I actually help run a forum in relation to my hobby/passion/job but that has no relevance to this forum. :blush:
I started getting panic attacks when I was about 14 & they were normally based on bullying & the fear of being hurt or bullied by other teens. I had a very bad time at school but at the age of sixteen had an "ugly duckling" breakthrough & suddenly became attractive to the opposite sex & my fear of people subsided.
Two days after finishing secondary school I started my first job & with the revelation of no longer being afraid of people & began to start worrying about my health. I was very suggestible to illnesses & nasty things I saw on the news or in the papers & often believed Iwas going into shock, or having meningitis etc etc. At this time I befriended a guy who had found out he was going blind & this snowballed me into thinking I too was going blind because of the floaters I could see & all the things that are normal human eye functions that pose no cause for concern (I was terrified because I couldn't see in the dark in fact). Along with this I had massive stomach pains which turned out to be IBS which I got from the stress of feeling so down & paranoid constantly.
Eventually A Dr whom I'd never seen before, sat me down & told me she had a poisonous finger that tingled & was numb all day & that she was going to give the disease to me - she proceeded to touch my hand & sure enough my hand went numb.
From this time onwards I was prescribed Seroxat which helped me no end but also came with the nasty side effects like only being able to sleep in daylight & only about two hours a night.
Fast forward about 10 years.
10 years is a long time to be on a drug like Seroxat & my health anxiety was not posing much of an issue (my then fiancée was the cause for all my stress & worry) & I managed to stop taking them.
I've not taken them in two years nearly now, I have a new girlfriend whom adores me & I have no worries in regard to trust matters, money or living arrangements.
Thus causing a problem... I've not been this settled in my life & as far as I can ascertain this has caused a massive flare up in my anxiety & health worries.
What started 5 weeks ago with a wisdom tooth coming through has sparked something in my mind & basically I have all the symptoms of the Epstein-Barr virus (or "glandular fever"). I've had full blood tests & x-rays to dis-prove that there is anything horrible wrong with me - all test are fine.
Every other day as one symptom fades, another takes it's place. Lymph nodes raised, all joints ache, bone ache, lower back pain, red throat.
Right now as I type my right eyelid feels swollen & keeps twitching.
I'll also add that In the last few weeks I've needed to have said wisdom tooth removed & I've had a dental splint fitted to loosen up my jaw (which is probably what is causing the stiff neck TBH).
I guess I'm lucky because all of my symptoms that led me to realize I was suffering again are the same as before but It's not enough to keep me calm.
A new DR listen to what I had to say yesterday morning (the same as I've written here) & prescribed Fluoxetine for the anxiety & Omeprazole for the stomach pains.
I'm telling a of this because I've never actually had this conversation with anybody who actually understands how terrifying it is to suddenly think your about to snuff if because of some mad disease that came from a slightly swollen eyelid that means my eye is now being pushed from it's socket by a brain tumour & I may suddenly turn into a werewolf...:blush:
That's pretty much my story, bit long but I figured just get it all out, I have an understanding of my situation despite not being in control of it yet, although I plan to be, I beat it once & I'll do it again but Perhaps some support from people who understand may help me & likewise, anything I've said may help somebody else who doesn't understand what's happening to them.
Thank you for your time,
Luke.
PS. Google is the worst tool in the box for sufferers.