New member looking for help..

[ed]

Hi everyone,

I'm not really sure how to get this out so please bear with me but all last year I was in crazy great spirits and shape I went to the gym 5 days a week and really loved life then in late Aug (The 27th to be exact) I had one of the best days of working out I'd ever had, everthing was great then that night I felt like I couldn't breath and then like my throat was closing up and that something was in it needless to say this was something new and extremely scary that hasn't seemed to go away  I've made many a trip to the E/R and my Doctor's office, Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists etc.....And on my last trip to my Doctors office he told me it was all in my head and told me to see a psychiarist and wrote me a prescription for Fluoxetine that was on 10-12-05 and after reading about side effects and such on the net I haven't taken them. I can't have anything touching my neck (Throat) I constantly have to pull the collar of my shirt off so it's not touching my neck...It's a very strange situtation that I don't know how to deal with.

I feel like no one can help me...My throat either feels like it has something in it or it gets so dry and scratchy that all the water in the world doesn't help and sometimes my mouth feels like my tongue is swelling up...I've basically become addicted to cough drops and Chloraseptic sore throat losenges I never feel like I have a sore throat but it seems to temporarily alleve the bad feelings. I apologize if it sounds like I'm whining or anything but I just don't know what to do...
It is affecting how I do my job, I haven't worked out since Aug 27th, I don't hang out with or take any calls from my friends or family. It's getting the best of me and I don't like the feelings i've had of late (0119) I'm not depressed nor am I sad and I'm smart enough not to 0473 but just the fact it's crossed my mind as opposed to this time last year has me very worried. If anyone can please help me out I'd appreciate it!!! I don't know if I have Panic Attacks, some type of anxiety disorder or if it's a legitimate medical problem like I think it is (I.E. not in my head).

I'm sorry for the long winded post but I don't know what to do.....I just know I don't want to live this way.

Thank You for taking the time to read this.

 Ed 

[tanya]

hi ed
i know what you are descibing and it is classic anxiety symptom. on this site there are alot that write about disturbing lump in throat. i get that feeling when i get stress i to take cough drops in case it is my throat. hang in there and read what others have written it helps. also if you type in lump in throat in web search you will find numerous sites about it. try deep breathing exercises that sometimes helps me. hope that help
tanya

[ed]

Thank You Tanya, I appreciate the advice very much!!

I'd like to know about the various medications available if anyone knows I would appreciate the advice.

My PCP keeps telling me over and over to see a psycharist...Now I've been actively looking and am saying it's
easier said than done.....Not to mention he's insisting I take the Fluoxetine, But after I checked it out online I didn't like the side effects it mentioned, plus it's Prozac!!! I'm not a hyper active little kid...I'm an adult who up until Aug 27  had a life...
And I want it back!! So I'm looking for anything that will make this go away...I went 35 yrs without this problem and am not ready to accept it now....Also I need to find a psycharist just to appease my PCP but I'm having a very hard time finding one and will take any advice on making that happen as well....
Also I'm curious to know if this is something that can just sneak up on a person?? I mean I lived 35 yrs without it and GOD knows I don't want to hit the end of Aug this year and still have this problem.

I feel kind of funny posting here, and it took me a little while to do it..So if my posts seem ridiculous or silly I apologize...But this is new terrority for me.

Thank you for any help you can provide..


Ed
 

[basketcase]

  Ed,
   Hello  :) Please don't apologize for your feelings as they are real and valid. All of us here have gone through many symptoms with anxiety and we all have had bad times with it. I  grew up with a mother who was a nervous wreck all the time and I've read that that could be the cause of my anxiety. Anyway, I don't blame you for not wanting to start Prozac. It is NOT the best medication for anxiety, it can make symptoms worse, it did that to me. There are natural things out there that might help. St. Johns Wort and also, 5-HTP, kava kava.  Also, make sure you take a good vitamin B complex. Sometimes we need extra help in that area. Try to stay away from caffeine as that can trigger anxiety and watch your sugar intake too.
   Right now I take Klonopin which seems to help but my doctor is now wanting me to take Celexa. I saw what taking anti-depressants did to my mom, I believe they were the cause of her death......she ended up with extreme anemia which the doctors couldn't find the cause of.
    I wish you the best and don't give up looking for the right medication or doctor who will listen and take your concerns seriously. I just started talking with a therapist last week and maybe that would be helpful for you. Stay in touch and let us know how you're doing. Take care and do know that you're not alone.
Sincerely,
Valerie   

[ed]

I can't thank you enough Valerie for the advice!! Believe me when I tell you I'm trying as hard as I can to deal with this
I definetly feel like I'm losing the battle though.....The throat thing started again at work today and needless to say I didn't have much to say to my co workers which is always a downer since I used to be pretty cheerful and funny.

I have a question to ask and I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea...but here it goes..
What about getting high (smoking pot)?? I just want it to be known that I don't get high or take any kind of drugs...I'm not somebody just looking for an excuse to smoke this stuff.It's just that the prescription drugs scare the hell out of me..If I'm to be perfectly honest!! I mean Valerie just said in the previous post that she thinks that's what killed her Mom...That's an extremely scary thought!! I can't seem to get my PCP to realize just how scared I am about this...I don't live my life anymore and that's not good....I wasn't depressed at first..At first it was just a throat problem and I was scared but now that I can't make this go away I definetly am getting depressed...And I don't want that.

So please if someone can anwser my question about getting high I'd greatly appreciate it...And thank you for all your help.


 Ed

[basketcase]

Dear Ed,
   Oh dear :-\ I can feel your desperation with your anxiety but turning to smoking pot isn't the answer. Please don't feel that taking a precription drug is a bad thing. I am fearful of taking anti-depressants because of my mom. She by the way suffered with clinical depression off and on for 14 yrs. She also tried almost every drug out there without any luck other than trazadone which helped her to get some sleep. As I mentioned in my previous post, there are natural things you should try. Do you have a GNC store in your home town, or a Wal Mart? The St. Johns Wort can be bought there, not sure about the 5-HTP. As with anyone with anxiety, it tends to cause depression because you soon begin to isolate yourself to avoid the situations that cause the symptoms you're experiencing. For me, I can't drive anymore because my first panic attack happened while I was driving. It was the scariest thing I've ever gone through. I thought I was going to faint and have an accident and 0473 or someone else. Thank goodness that I was able to drive a few blocks to a hospital and find out what had happened. That was 10 yrs ago and my life has never been the same. It's just recently that I asked my doctor about talk therapy and I am hoping that will help. I do have a lot of unresolved issues and maybe you do as well.
    Again, please look into buying the couple of things I mentioned and don't turn to illegal drugs. You sure don't need to cause more problems for yourself and possibly get caught and end up in jail. I hope to hear more from you and hear that you have tried the natural remedies I suggested. Don't give up. Also, do you have family that you can lean on? Is there someone in your family or a close friend you can confide in? Try deep breathing when you start feeling that lump in your throat and think of something that gives you pleasure, something that makes you smile  :) You'll be in my thoughts.
Valerie

[mbabynz]

hi ed i have the throat thing going on very annoying to have it it feels like a have to keep swolling was so worried but after a bit of research its just a syptom of anxiety.so u have been checked by a doc and cant find any medical reason id see another doc there are meds there to help you being scared to try a drug can be very dibilitating take your time on deciding u may have to try a few to get the right ones that could take a while but dont give up 1 will work thats just right.go to healing on this site  medication table'different groups posted by apple print it out then go see your doc with it.
good luck cheers michelle

[amariahmicheal]

Hello,
This web site has a lot of information about the definition of anxiety disorders according to the DSM, and about the treatment methods. There is a list of all the different meds used for the treatment of anxiety along with their side effects. It may help you to make a more informed decision.
Smoking marijuana may help you temporarily to feel better, but I wouldn't recommend it for the long term.
Are you worried about anything? Do you feel stressed out at work? Do you have a significant other that you can confide in? Please don't consider 0119. There is help out there for people who need it.
Amariah

[Tracy]

Hi there buddy,

Sometimes the mind is a wicked thing, you get all these thoughts and visions that you can't shake.
I also hope you don't think you are alone - or that no one understands you, because I do.  My brother suffers from mental illness.  It makes me sad and angry because I can't fix it or change brains with him.  I feel guilty because I only have a lump in my throat when I am nervous (darn lump feeling never goes away) - he has life long problems, he hates going outside, he hates talking face to face.  He basically lies at home, sits in his room and does nothing.  I miss having my brother around, I miss having him come outside and smile.  I miss having a big brother to take care of me when no one else will.  I would't wish this on anyone my friend!  He is on meds but that's it.  He won't talk to a specialist cause he thinks the meds will fix it all.  Do you talk to anyone?  maybe you could call a helpline or something when things get really down.  Or write yourself a journal.

You are needed in this place.  take care of yourself

Hey, when you think no one cares, or no one is here for you... just remember someone needs you back even if you have no one at the time!  so hang in there, do what you got to do to get better, do it for yourself and your sister if you have one!