Originally Posted by
fifthxxchild
So I have an extremely long story. For the past three years, I have had major health anxiety. About three years ago when I was 20, I had a terrible panic attack with the works. Slight brain zap on the left side of my head, tingling of the left side of my face, fast heartbeat, felt someone was strangling me, sweating, the works. For the past three years, I was able to live with these symptoms despite thinking that I had major heart problems. This summer changed everything, when I had panic attacks nearly daily, almost convincing myself that something terrible was wrong. I went to the ER at 10 o' clock at night one evening in late July simply because I thought I was a heart attack after feeling some chest pains and thinking that I couldn't eat without choking and throwing it back up. My ECG and blood enzymes test all came back normal and I was suggested to follow up with my GP. The week or so between that time was the probably the worst experience, as I thought the worst of everything; my dizziness, stomach sickness, and brain zaps on the left side of head indicative of a brain tumor. Finally managed to get an appointment around July the 4th and finally been got on Citalopram 20 mg, while also having a CBC test to rule out any abnormalities. I noticed almost immediately that my chest pains and rapid heart rate almost disappeared. However, within the first day of taking the citalopram, I noticed radiating headaches throughout skull, sometimes accompanied by a feeling that my head had a rubber band around it, as well as general fatigue and some minor vision blurriness if I stare at one thing for too long. These symptoms sometimes occurred at random, sometimes due to increase stress, but I haven't had any instances of full-blown panic attacks since. After a month, I was bumped up to 40mg a day. Some of the symptoms started to disappear a bit more.
Fast forward to now, and after beginning to get tapered off the medication, the headaches have gotten worse, I have had terrible diarrhea, worse vision problems, facial tingliness, neck pain, a feeling of being choked, and the headaches have just gotten got to the point that they are just scary sometimes, all bringing back the brain tumor fear. I'm a Senior in my Chemistry. I just want to the bottom of this. I've seen my GP at least two times since being on the medication, and despite telling me that all of these symptoms are just anxiety and side effects of the medication. I plan on making an appointment to re-evaluate the issue. I just need some help and confidence if any one else has had similar brain tumor anxiety. :/ It sucks being a 23 year old male with these issues and not getting the guidance I'm looking for.