Mil1ion, I could relate to the obese problem.

Back in the early 80s I was a towering 5'10" and 175 lbs.

Now I'm just weigh a bit over 17-1/3 stones.

 

Yeah, and I'm on the skinny side of normal (5'11", ~150lbs). I'm fairly active and don't eat too much sugar (well, I didn't think so until I went on this hypoglycemic diet, now I know that just about everything has sugar of some sort added), but a lot of carbs (potatoes, white rice, and bread until recently) and fruit juices.

Aftrmidnite: I have flashes every once in a while, but they seem to be in one part of my vision or another, I always blame it on something else (kinda like a car driving by my house and the sun reflecting through my window in a flash). I've actually run across something in my research along the lines of the aneurysm (chiari malformation). When you say "similar problems" did you mean the electrical stuff or the eye problems? Both? Thanks, if nothing else you've given me something else to worry about J/K.

I actually have had a really tight shoulder/neck muscle and have been clenching my jaw a lot, to the point I went a got a massage a week ago (from a girl who was almost too cute to be doing it, luckily). I just brushed it off as stress from all of this. I wonder...

I've had anxiety attacks that seem to come out of nowhere for a while (my heart would start racing, and I could feel adrenaline being released like I just had a lion run at me). Even sitting just talking/joking with old friends, BOOM out of nowhere. That is the reason for the hypoglycemic diet. I have my doubts about it though, and the tests for it are apparently flawed almost to the point of being useless, not to mention stressful (maybe the last thing I need right now) from what I've been told.

My thinking/speaking has seemed a little off since the eye stuff started, I just don't feel as sharp as I used to sometimes.

Man, I realize I'm falling apart after writing all this down.

Another big thanks to everyone.

 

Mil1ion: I'm 27, 150 Lbs. 5'11" and fairly active.

I've had jaw surgery (sawed apartand repositioned my jaw titanium screw etc.) when I was 14. I also had a pretty bad bike wreck just before that where I landed upside down on my chin (chain came off as I was standing/peddling uphill). A couple car wrecks since then but nothing in the last decade. One I hit so hard I bent the steering wheel about an inch forward and busted my lip pretty good somehow, never really knew exactly what happened, I wasn't at fault but was wearing my seatbelt. Just me and the other guy around, he went through a stop sign at a blind T apparently. I don't remember anything in the minute surrounding it (before/after). Nothing else I can think of that's worth mentioning.

I heft a lot off feedbags/goats at weird angles. I'm also always contorting myself in most of my jobs, but nothing's ever popped sprained from it. I try to do everything "properly" though. I stretch and have always been very flexible.


I take swedish bitters, different algaes and vitamins sometimes, but nothing too weird. I will maybe be taking MSM just in case it has something to do with mercury. I took it once and it made me feel very weird in the center of my chest, poison weird. I hadn't taken it before this started.

Man, a year ago I would have thought I was good to go for the next 50 years...

 

tdister, According to the BMI index, your at normal weight, if you believe those charts.

I'm at my ideal weight, IF I were 8' 6".

 

You may not beleive what I say. I didn't when I was told this in the late 70's. I had symptoms similar to yours. Numbness, tingling, almost passing out, no heat tolerance, dissy, feeling of disconnect, like in a dream state, plus numerous other problems as you do. The symptoms would come on suddenly. I would shake all over and sweat. I had every test known at that time. I lost 40 lbs that I didn't have to loose.

The doctor said it was "acute anxiety syndrome", panic attacks. I could not believe nerves would do this. I kept going to doctors, and kept getting worse. The ER drs all knew me. I couldn't work, wanted to sleep all the time, but sleep was dreadful, for I would see colors in my head and wake up with some part of my body numb.

I finally started taking my "nerve pills" like the first doctor said. Within a few days I was much better. Within a few months I had gained most of my weight back, and was able to function again.

I am still on this medicine. Every day is not perfect, for once "panic attacks" get the best of you, they do something to your brain where you are never completely cured.

Ask your doctor about panic attacks. Your nervous system controls every part of your body, and will cause some horrible sensations when out of whack. It seems you have ruled most everything else out.

I have found that the class of drugs called benzodiazepines works best for me. This is the valium, clorazepate, class of drugs. This class of drugs does a better job for panic attacks that antidepressants, in my opinion.

Warning, benzodiazepines CAN and WILL create an addiction to them, but if that is your only drug of choice for your paticular problem, what is the difference. I stopped taking my medication severals years ago in a controlled way to see if I could do without it. The panic attacks came back worse, so back on the meds.

The moral of this long story is, you may have panic attacks, they can cause your symptoms. Because you have to take a nerve medication does not mean you are crazy. A diabetic must take their insulin every day, so in a way they are addicted also. They must have it to live. Most any medicine is addictive if taken long enough.

You do what you have to do to live and get by. I also have fibromialgia as Mil1ion does, plus several other medical conditions. It sucks, but you do what you can, when you can.

P.S. I have had lots of floaters since I was in my teens. Enough that they get in my line of vision and I have to work my eyes back and forth to get them to move .

 

Yardbird, considering I've had most of the medics I've seen tell me stress I'm inclined not to discount it. I have and probably will always have an aversion to "head drugs". I've buried too many friends who died by their own hand, all of them were on one sort or another and they all seemed better off before "treatment". I don't know if they were a cause, but I have the connection in my mind and it's hard to overcome. I hope this doesn't come across as an insult or anywhere close to it, I'm happy you found something to help you, very happy.

I should maybe mention: when I said 150 lbs., that's what I normally weigh, the nurse said I'd lost a few pounds at my last exam. I didn't ask what a few was.

I came close to asking for something a while back anyway, I might call tomorrow and see if my doc will get me something to try out. I've never had an addiction REALLY take hold of me anyway (I quit smoking pretty easily after a few years of it, never really NEEDED a drink etc.). I don't think I'm above it, just saying. It's worth a shot if just to rule out. Anything will be better than my current situation, and the thoughts I've had surrounding it. Thanks.

I'm even more glad I started this thread now, maybe it will help someone else out sometime, even if unrelated to my problems.

I feel miles away from the position I was in even just yesterday, I can't thank everyone enough.

/I've also had a few other symptoms maybe related to this, I'm just too embarassed to mention them, even anonymously, or completely acknowledge them myself .

 

I don't take insult to anything you said. I felt the same way for years.

If what I wrote before or now sounds familiar, you might want to think about what I said about the medication.

I couldn't eat or leave home unless I had the route mapped out and knew where each hospital was. I couldn't go to any place that I had an attack at. I tried a hypoglycemic diet, a high protein diet, everything in the world. I was always tense. I would clench my teeth till my jaw was sore. I have bitten through my lip and tongue during an attack and not feel it because I was so numb. I just knew I was having strokes, or dying. The attacks sometimes would back off for a while, or maybe slow down to just a few times a year.

Stress would enter my life, and then I would go down hill again. It was 10 years after my first diagnosis of panic attacks before I started taking my medication like I should. Before then I was afraid of the medicine, and I did not want to believe nerves was the problem. I kept telling myself I wasn't crazy, only crazy people or druggies take nerve pills.

One night after almost totally breaking down, plus needing to start a new job, I decided the only way I would be able to leave the house was to start taking my medicine like I should.

I took 1/2 the amount that the doctor prescribed. That was 17 years ago. I still take the same amount. I have been very concious of the power of this drug, and have worked very hard to keep the doseage under control by taking it as I should. I may take 1/2 pill extra at night after a few bad days related to other medical conditions, but this is very rare.

I have been to the best doctor in this field, who said what I did was working for me, and assured my regular doctor I was not abusing the medicine, and I should keep taking it as long as I felt necessary.

You have the ability to control the medicine intake. It is not an all consuming drug, unless you let it be. People drink and smoke. Most get addicted when they allow themselves to.

A "head drug" is no different that a blood pressure pill, a stomach pill, or any other medicine. I have a medical condition, same as the people who take their medications for other things. Mine just happens to be nerve related.

People making fun of nervous conditions have kept many a person from treatment. To this day I try to keep my problem and medication hidden for that reason. I am bringing it up on this forum to try and help.

If your doctors are telling you it is stress and anxiety, please just try something like one 7.5mg clorazepate a day for a week. There is no way you can become addicted or have long term side effects in that amount of time. The only side effect while taking it for this short time is maybe some tiredness, plus you will sleep better. You will probably even have more energy since your muscles will be relaxed for a change.

Give it a week, what have you got to loose. Please, if this is your problem, don't go through 10 years of denial and torture, as I did, before doing what was needed.

I, like you, had lots of symptoms from the panic attacks that I rarely, or never talk about. Believe me, I know what you are going through. No one can understand unless they have been there.

 

Yardbird is right there with me.

Panic attacks are in my resume' as well.

I use Ativan (Loresapam .1mg S.L. Sub Linugual)

I would try a few of these as they are quite inexpensive and work fast due to placing them under the tongue.
They aren't additive either.

See how you feel after 15 minutes after taking one.

I tell you though you are one step ahead of most people that suffer with things like this. you have people who are listening .

Trying to let doctors know EXACTLY how you are feeling gets that "deer caught in the headlights" stare way too many times for me.

 

A comment on the lesser of the problems mentioned:

As far as I know "floaters" in the eyes are caused by dust and/or dead skin cells falling into the eye, this is natural, everyone sees them sometimes in their lives. The eye flushes these out by crying, sometimes we think we cry for no reason when all that is happening is the eye is cleaning itself. You can never completely get rid of them as they always come back but I had to use the emergency eye wash station at work once and I saw no floaters for a good two days! So don't let the "floater" thing bother you.

I've posted on here before about stress and anxiety and some of the symptons sound familiar, I have a lot less stress now than then so i can say it does get better. I didn't take any medicines, but I'm stubborn and could be giving myself 10 years of torture and be in denial, I don't know, I think I can be a writer someday too so maybe I'm feeding off of my pain and channeling it into my writing, who knows? You will find out what works for you and you will get better. Time heals all wounds they say, I say it is what you do in that time that either distracts or focuses you from/towards the problem and a solution. Good Luck, get well soon! We're all in this together, I'm pulling for you(as I rip off a line from the Red Green show)

I say humorously, "And no comparisons to Greywolf!" as I wander off to settle in for the night.....

 

four-sixty-power, I think eye floaters are internal (inside the eye).

At least according to the link below.

http://www.uic.edu/com/eye/LearningA...Floaters.shtml

 

tdister mentioned his vision went "swirly" a couple weeks back, this guy mentions something like a heat shimmering(my word) effect:
a link for a link between floaters and muscle tension:

http://www.ctds.info/eye-floaters.html

the above link is my favourite because here is someone who is thinking and Acheiving sucess in the battle against floaters. I hope this can be of help.


some good comments on this floater site:

http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&con=492

here's another link, with 2 pictures!

http://www.vis-ability.com/floaters/floaters.html

and a different page with lots more links:

http://interservicesnetwork.tripod.com/floaters/

and here is the link for what I searched on Google:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%22eye+floaters%22&btnG=Google+Sear ch&meta=

I typed "eye floaters" if the google link doesn't work

sorry if i hi-jacked the thread, we now return to regularly scheduled programming

 

I made it back to the doc this morning and he's got me taking Busipirone (aka Buspar). As of now it's planned for ~6 months worth of treatment, if I understood correctly. Things may change, we'll just have to see. As of now I go back to see him in a month. I'll let you know.

four-sixty-power: thanks for the links, I've got lots of reading to do now.

 

You probably have seen the ads on TV (if you haven't, you can check one out at BuSpar.com): a cartoon thirty-something female, animated with bland, funny-pages strokes, mopes against a white background, her glasses pushed distractedly back on her head. "I can't concentrate," she complains. "I feel anxious." "I'm so irritable." The words materialize around her, heavy text that she throws onto a mounting pile of other phrases, like "out of control" and "slipping." Meanwhile, the kind and understanding female voice-over informs us that if we have experienced "excessive worry" or similar symptoms for six months or more, we may be suffering from the same plaint that apparently troubles Ms. Cartoon: generalized anxiety disorder.

For viewers who find these symptoms all too familiar, this diagnosis might come as a relief. After all, once you've been diagnosed with a "disorder" there's a good chance that the pharmaceutical cavalry is on its way. And indeed, according to the ad, Bristol-Myers Squibb's non-habit-forming BuSpar may be just the ticket. Of course, we must face a raft of side effects, which the voice-over rattles off like the credits that race by the end of sitcoms: excitement, headache, nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, and nervousness. Though you might think twice about taking a drug that replaces anxiety with nervousness, our bugged-out cartoon Cathy is clearly willing to risk the fallout. Fortified with BuSpar, she smiles confidently as she sweeps up the oppressive verbiage into a little wastebasket. "Worry" falls from the sky, and it lands neatly in her pocket. "Relax," goes the tag line. "BuSpar can help you handle it."

 

I am glad you have taken the step to getting better. It appears your docor is being very conservative in his treatment, which is good. The medication he prescribed has shown some good effects in controling panic disorders.

The major upside is that this medication is not supposed to be habit forming. What could be a couple of downsides are that this medication is not a muscle relaxant, and usually takes several weeks before results are seen. For this reason, most doctors prescribe a benzodiazepine, such as the one I mentioned earlier, for the first couple of weeks. The benzodiazepine is a fast acting drug, which will give relief within 20-30 minutes of taking it.

If you still have some major problems within the first couple of weeks, you may want to speak with you doctor about benzodiazepines along with the Buspar. This would only be until the Buspar is fully into your system.

I truly hope you have found a medication in the Buspar that helps. Keep me posted, for if you have good results I may consider changing meds myself. There are so many new drugs coming out it is hard for even doctors to keep up with them and how they should be used.

Panic syndrome is something very few doctors fully understand, and a lot of times you have to do research and help the doctor with what is and is not working for you, assuming your doctor is willing to work with you.

It has taken many years of working together, but my doctor trust my judgement, and finds that I usually have a correct diagnosis and treatment for what I see him for. If I don't know what the problem is, I read up on what he diagnosed and the medication he prescribed.

It pays to stay informed, and in this world of internet research you can end up knowing more about your condition than your doctor. But never treat yourself for anything serious. Go to the doctor and let them diagnose your symptoms, and prescribe treatment. Many diseases can mimic each other, and it takes a professional to know the difference. Just go in armed with all the possibles and the treatments for your own peace of mind that your doctor is treating you for the correct thing.

 

i took the first dose 2 hours ago, 30 minutes after taking it and up until about 20 minutes ago, my head was feeling pretty weird. Some kind of surging sensation, not bad or good, just weird and I'm a little dizzy. I'm going to make sure everything stays fairly normal for a while and then take a nap.