My symptoms, my first post, please help if you can.

[hyperlogic]

Hi everyone.

I wonder if there is anyone that can help me. I am in the process of "sorting out" my head right now and have been seeing a psychiatrist for a few months now trying to get to the bottom of the problem. I need a pointer in the right direction from other people.

My main problem.

My head is racing 100% of the time. Usually like someone has an ipod on shuffle constantly in my head. It can be a loop from the same song over and over and over and over and over again or snippets of TV ads etc etc. From reading on here I have found that this is usually called "Mind chatter" and I have had this for many years now. (sorry - I am 34 year old Male - forgot to mention.) This constant music goes on all the time. I cannot hear the music - just think it - like someone puts it on in the background. Like when you think of a song you just heard. But all the time. From the minute I get up to the minute I drop off to sleep. This includes when I am having conversations with people eg at work. It obviously affects my concentration.

Second problem.
Following on from the above - lack of concentration. I think this is due to the above constantly interrupting me.

Other issues -
Throat problems - globus hysterica probably. Widely reported as the need to swallow all the time. Like a gloopy throat, like someone is pressing on my throat. I described it to my doctor as feeling like I was about to cry or really upset about something. I have had this for nearly a year and my doctor (GP) thinks it is nervous related and it will go away.

Toilet issues -
I always need a wee! There is nothing physically wrong but I need to go all the time! If I am out and about I almost need to scan the scene to make sure I know where the nearest loo is!

Dizzyness -
I have episodes of feeling dizzy - my GP gave me tablets for this (stemitil) which are great to take if I really need them but only take it I am feeling "fall over" dizzy.

GORD -
I am prescribed Omeprazole (proton pump inhibitor) to control my terrible acid indigestion that used to keep me up all night.

I am always on edge as well.

Initially (3 years ago) I was diagnosed as being ADHD and prescribed Concerta XL (Ritalin) but after a month these made absolutely no difference so I stopped them. As my symptoms have come on over the last few years (5 maybe - since I got divorced probably) - this seems not to be ADHD or I would have had the symptoms all my life.

Around 6 months ago I went back to my GP and they passed me on to the local NHS Psychiatrist who I am seeing not to try to sort the above. The main issue is the constant thoughts / repetitive thoughts / music and lack of concentration. I do not feel down. But more of a anxious feeling all the time.

Thats how I ended up here - searching for a way to calm the constant mind chatter. I found this page

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms/

and the list of anxiety related feelings almost described me down to the letter. I will put this to my Psych when I go in a couple of weeks but wondered if anyone else could please offer some assistance. I am almost at my wits end. I have tried some relaxation techniques and tried to slow down (I am 100% on the go all day) but these just fail as I constantly interrupt myself. I have heard that some SSRI's can help (eg citalopram) and may discuss this when I go back.

Just after general advice please!

Many thanks for reading this long post.
Ben

Just thought of another thing. I seem to feel out of breath a lot - like I think that I am forgetting to breath. Sometimes when I am in bed it feels like I am going to stop breathing unless I remember to breath. Its getting silly now! One more thing - I generally feel "not with it" almost like life is passing me by and I am watching TV.

Ta.

[gypsywomen]

wow it seems like you are realy suffering ,,i cant comment on what is wrong ,,when you hear music why dont you ware head phone play it load ,i know it sounds sill but when i do this it stops me thinking ,,i feel for what you are going through hope you can find peace maggie

[hyperlogic]

Many thanks for the reply. Yes - I stick the iphone on and listen to music. At night if I struggle to sleep - I put the music on. The louder and faster the better!
I will keep reading the info on here. Hopefully all the members can help me along with my GP and Psychiatrist.

Many thanks
B

[gary_2.0]

Hi Ben. Welcome to NMP. There's a very good community of sincere and helpful people here. I hope you reap the benefit.

Where to start? At the risk of sounding like I'm patronising you, I think you're in need of congratulating for writing a very articulate and detailed post despite your many symptoms. To my mind it displays the rational and objective personality that will ultimately allow you to 'take back control' as-it-were, so I hope you never take this for granted or allow all the negatives to over-shadow this valuable resource. It sounds like anxiety/stress is the cause of a number of your symptoms, and your objective reasoning is your main weapon against these.

I was prescribed Stemitil a number of years ago for Labyrinthitis, an inner ear infection that gave me the same dizzy, unbalanced symptoms you're experiencing. It also created the very surreal affect of feeling as if I were outside myself looking in, much like how you describe a later comment: "I generally feel "not with it" almost like life is passing me by and I am watching TV." Have you, or are you able to find any respite from this disconnected feeling after taking Stemitil? Another way I remember it was like looking at the world through the wrong end of a telescope. The Stemitil brought relief to both these events. You indicate you take it 'as and when', so I wonder if a regular dose, mine was 3 times a day, would help you with both too. I was on this does for several weeks, or perhaps a couple of months, and eventually I needed to take them less and less. Very occasionally now I get the dizziness, but as it's viral this is to be expected. It can only be treated, not cured.

I hope this proves usual information for you Ben.

P.S.
www.labyrinthitis.org.uk

[hyperlogic]

Hi Gary,
Please excuse the short reply - I am about to leave the house and have about 2 minutes..

Thanks for your input - I will reply properly later / tomorrow. I am an upbeat kind of guy and always feel theres people worse off in the world than me. Having said that - I want to get things sorted and look after myself for once!
I only take the stemitil about once every 3 - 6 months when I have a dizzy spell and it works in about half an hour. I have not tried taking a larger dose. It's not the dizzy thing that is a problem. That is only minor and for most of the time not there. The "not with it" is also not my main concern although I would like to be a bit more with it. My main problem is the constant mind chatter. I believe this may be an anxiety issue as well. Mind you - if I DO have general anxiety then hopefully I can reduce the affects of all the symptoms I have.

Thanks again for the info. I will be back later / tomorrow / when I have 2 minutes.

Kind regards
B