For Steve, formerly known as Steve in Trouble. Other opinions welcomed too!
 

Hi Steve,

I was very lucky to be able to view one old post where you had posted that when you first were diagnosed with SFPN your anxiety levels were high. And you also said that your BP consequentially became high due to the anxiety.

Well you know I have developed anxiety/panic. I am very certain I have this problem as 95% of the time it occurs in the context of social settings. I am even seeing a phycholgist now. When I get anxious and panicky my BP goes up high and I get the jitters and so on. There is something about people who develop PN who also seem to develop anxiety/panic. You have said you suffered,and cured yourself from it, and I am wondering what you have done. Why do you think you developed panic/anxiety in the first place?

I have a theory for myself. I think I developed this problem for a few reasons. But mainly because I was constantly being told by doctors that all my tests were normal,and I felt as if they thought I was going mad. Secondly, I am in a high pressure job, and I have moved heaven and earth to hide my illness. Lastly when the docs kept telling my husband that all my tests are normal, even he was doubting me, and wasn't being supportive. So I stopped telling him how I felt.

So the combination of all of this was devestating me and somehow or other I developed agoraphobia.

Everytime I walk into a business meeting or a work related social setting I feel like I am going to explode or pass out. Today I had a meeting,and I for the first time took 5mg of Valium,and I was a whole different person. I was calm,social, NORMAL!! That little tiny pill gave me back my LIFE!!!

Normally I would have been very ill the rest of the day.

I am already taking Betaloc for hypertension, and feel fatigued. I was also on a Trycilic and felt so over medicated and fatigued it wasn't even funny. That is why I stopped the Tryciclic. The problem I have is that my GP as a rule of thumb, will not prescribe Valium because he said it is a drug of addiction.

Any thoughts on the Valium? Does it help anyone else? Does anyone else suffer any anxiety because of the PN?

Any thoughts are very welcomed.

Thank you,

Aussie:)

It is still
 

a chicken-or-egg problem for me. My problems date from the sudden onset of my PN. I remain suspicious that the anxiety and PN were organically related--that is, both brought on by a physical cause, such as a self-limiting autoimmune reaction, or a virus, or an endocrine problem, or whatever. But if not, then my anxiety was brought on by the abrupt and harsh nature of my PN.

Once both arrived, they fed each other: Anxiety causes muscle and connection tissue stiffness and cramping, which in turn impinges upon nerves.

Speaking entirely from my own personal point of view, I avoid drugs if at all possible. (Partly because a physiatrist suggested my own myofascial problems result from a drug reaction a few years ago.)

I found that, in my case, treating the body was the key to breaking the cascade. Massage helped. Biofeedback helped. Breathing exercises definitely helped (you can find some online).

In the bad, early days, one of the most helpful things was a post I read on another message board by someone overcoming lifelong panic disorder. He said that whenever he felt an attack coming on, he told himself, "Oh, here comes an anxiety attack. Nothing I can do about it. Whatever. Let it come, so it'll be over." And, in fact, attempts to resist anxiety directly--whether to "not" have an attack or to "not" breathe shallowly often backfire completely: many people report they get very anxious over their anxiety!

There's a pretty good site I found: www.anxietycentre.com (yes, British spelling). It has a very helpful step-by-step program. I was primarily going there because of the forums, where, amid all the various maladies, I found people who had myofascial/neuro problems like mine and were trying to figure out what they were. I believe I've also suggested www.aboutBFS.com to you as well. Both have lots of useful information.

As always, your mileage may vary, but because my worries were so tightly bound up with my PN, once the symptoms started to decline, so did my concerns.

Good luck!

Thank you Steve
 

I am very happy to hear that your anxiety has diminished. It is very evident now almost 18 months after my sudden and also harsh onset of PN that I suffered a monophasic episode of PN. It hit me like a Cyclone. Came on extremely strong,damaged the heck out of me, and finally spit me out. I have been in a very slow healing process.

But since the anxiety thing has come on, it has become heaps more unpredictable and torturous than the PN. Chicken and egg all over. I have looked on the british sight many many times. I like it alot.


But I am very happy you have been recovering.

Thank you for replying.

Two things to remember:
 

First, anxiety can't hurt you. It just can't.

Second, it doesn't matter what the root cause is. It's treatable, even if doctors don't understand a damn thing about it. That Brit site has some good ideas.

Take care! Just FYI, I don't post or frequent the boards here all that often, so don't take it personally if I lag in responding.

panic
 

Hi ausie
I am one that has suffered from agroghobia for 27 years it took me a long time to get to where i am now, but don't get yourself hooked on valium, I was hooked on it for 20 odd years it took me a lot of hard work to get off of it,with the panic disorder you have to keep yourself positive and also do breathing techneaks it is the only way to get past it, I had agrophobia before I have pn,since l have had pn I have been more determined to change my life and it has helped, if you need the valium try not being dependent on it all the time.

Thanks Dianne
 

I know valium is not a longterm solution. I looked at it as a short term emergency sort of solution, like a bandaid. I have been feeling very emotionally tired lately because of this disorder. I try to be positive, I try to be happy and calm but I am soooo tired.

I appreciated your posting it's very nice to get support from the wonderful people on this forum. May I ask you Dianne are you an Aussie Queenslander? Or is there someplace in America which is also Queensland?

queenslander
 

Hi steve I am a fellow queenslander in bundaberg to be exact good state.

Home of the RUM!!!
 

That's wonderful!! You use the same teacup as someone else I know who posts on forum, but she is from America. I always liked that little teacup!!:)

hi aussie
 

Hi aussie
It is the home of bundy rum but l don't drink it haha. I thought the little tea cup was a great thing to have up it is me l like my cuppa.

Hello,
Years ago I suffered a post partum ordeal that became full blown panic disorder, my dr. suggestion was to send me to mental health, I knew my own body so I knew I wasn't crazy, just not in control of my thoughts. My sister had gone through the same ordeal just the year before and actually went to the doors of a pych ward before she backed off. A friend from across country told her to buy Hope and Help for your Nerves by Claire Weekes, so she in turn told me to get the book. I was so wracked that I ordered every book she had authored, actually the only book one needs is the first one mentioned above. I was such a wreck that at first I couldn't even absorb the words of her book, but after about a week I came away with the phrase "Face, accept, and let time pass" every time I started to feel panicky.

With the sudden onset of my PN sixteen years later came great pain in my ankle and a huge anxiety that landed me in the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. Once again "Face, accept, and let time pass" became my mantra, okay, along with a milligram of ativan..

Clair Weekes died many years ago, but that book continues to serve alot of people and I highly recommend for anyone going through anxiety, panic disorder. It saved my sanity and I still use it today. I hope this helps!

Hi Jannaw
 

Thank you for the recommendation. I will try to locate the book today. Any bit of help is worth it to me,and I like to read. I appreciate your comments.


Dianne, all us Aussie's enjoy our big cuppa!;)

panic
 

Hi jannaw
I have read most of claire weeks books and they are just great they are helpful there is another book which l have it is POWER OVER PANIC by bronwyn fox FREEDOM FROM PANIC/ANXIETY RELATED DISORDERS it was like a bible for me when l was going through the worst part of my agrophobia, I also read the, IT BOOKS they where so so, but l found that brownyn fox book excellent.


Hi aussie yes we do .

Aussie,

I am very glad to see that you have already received lots of good advice. I am somewhat reluctant to offer much more - you know, something about too many cooks spoiling . . . but it seems like I just can't resist.

In the past, I often recommended seeing a professional therapist (I am a Clinical Psychologist by profession but not currently practicing) - not because anxiety is a "serious problem," but because psychotherapy was often useful. That is still true, however, I now am more likely to recommend something in the area of what is loosely called energy psychology (EP) or sometimes called mind-body work.

In short, a practitioner trained in such things (can be and often is a therapist) starts from the assumption that the mind and body (and usually spirit or soul) are not at all separate but really manifestations of a complex and interactive system in which the parts are inseparable from the whole. Techniques that are grounded in this belief involve some work with the body as well as the mind. Such bodywork does not necessarily involve touch at all.

I am not sure what is available in your area but here are examples of 2 commonly used methods. In my opinion, both are excellent, and importantly are extremely low risk (I would like to say no risk but am being very, very careful). The first is mindfulness meditation which I practice myself. While it can be learned from a book, I would strongly recommend some initial group instruction.

The other is called Somatic Experiencing (SE). This technique does use a practitioner. When a skilled practitioner is involved, very significant and sometimes dramatic changes are possible.

Also, SE and other EP techniques can teach you very quick things to do to help when anxiety flares up. Breathing and other simple actions are the core of these types of "band-aids."

Just a word about the Valium - since you report feeling very tired, Valium is not a good choice. I would be much more concerned about that effect than the danger of addiction (although that is also very real). If you need some temporary use of a medication, I hope you will discuss it further with your doc. BTW, folks are often unaware of how tiring it can be to go through recurring anxiety and/or panic attacks. It takes a lot of you. One of the huge benefits of the other techniques is that they promote increased energy rather than further depleting it.

good luck.

rfinney

rfinney! You have been MISSED!
 

and you are right the mind-body-spirit connection is so often overlooked in terms of working to heal the WHOLE. Usually it's a patching of parts.

I have found one medical area that is opening up to the wide open aspects of it all and that is for those being treated with cancer...I've no clue as to WHY that particular area is more open, but, now I'm dealing with both, I am planning to take judicious advantage. In my area, there are lots of cheap and accessable classes at daytime times, frequently. So, I've no excuse. I don't see how anyone in chronic pain could be denied...I learned lots of body-mind awareness techniques in sports- in many ways they've helped immensely.

One neuro I no longer see, but I respect, used to have patients fill out an 'update' sheet...it always asked if one had felt depressed to ...suicidal. My response was always: Duh! not to be at least depressed seems would be abnormal!.. It's all part of learning about yourself. How you react, the triggers etc. - j

thanks dahlek . . .
 

It helps that cancer kills folks. Now maybe if a killer form of PN is uncovered . ., nah, forget it - I don't want to go there.

Many other reasons why cancer gets so many resources. The good thing is that so much of what we learn there is is applicable to PN and lots of other chronic (and not so chronic) illnesses.

I find it fascinating that in treating the whole, that treating the supposedly more basic symptoms, such as anxiety, can become more effective. And for anxiety, the use of breathing as a core component of these techniques is directly related to its effectiveness in relieving the anxiety.

It is nice to be back. I still trying to catch up on all the goings on - both on this forum and with Braintalk.

rfinney

Thank rfinney
 

As I mentioned right now I am seeing a clinical psycholgist. He has explained alot to me and I have a muvh better understanding of what the heck is going on. I also found the book by Claire Weekes. I am midway through already. Very intresting book with some solid advice for people like me.


I am very intrested in Somatic Experiencing, I will look into it.


Thank you

I spoke to
 

someone regarding Somatic Experiencing. The quick explanation: A rabbit, if frightened by a predator, will jump around after it escapes to shake out its tension. Humans do not, and especially in the modern world, are more likely to "hold it in" physically.

I didn't follow through, but I thought it might be helpful for my PN TMJ combo. Folks with whatever-it-was-I-had tend to hold a lot of tension in the muscles, and this tension need not necessarily be anxiety. Simple concentration on a computer will do it, too. I found that I had become very unaware of what my muscles were doing, to the point some of my neck muscles were electrophysically exhausted because I held them tight all the time.

Anyway, I thought it was a promising approach.

Hi Steve
 

Can I ask you if you have PN at all? Or was your problem solely myofascial?

You can ask, as long as you don't expect an answer! :p I don't really know!

To be more precise, I certainly did--and still do--have entrapment PN, in various places all over my body. (It comes and goes, at much milder levels.)

My hand pain, for instance, seems to have come from entrapments in my neck and thoracic outlet and underarm and on my arm--all at once. It's a double-crush syndrome, whereby one pinch makes the nerve more vulnerable to other pressures all along its length. My cervical vertibrae were so tight I could literally hear them move; my PT used a "wedge" and traction to open them up.

I still have bilateral elbow neuropathy. I wake up with tingling numbness in my ulnar area, sometimes just the hand, sometimes the whole elbow side of my forearm. It goes away with movement or straightening my arm.

All that said, I don't really know what happened, or what caused what. My onset was extremely abrupt and followed viral illnesses and inoculations, so autoimmune reactions have not been ruled out at all. Did my connective tissue have the reaction, or did my nerves develop PN and become more susceptible to irritation? No one knows.

Also, it's important to remember that myofascial pain is itself a neuromuscular condition. Trigger points are considered to be dysfunctional endplates of motor neurons, and what causes that to happen, nobody knows.

Confusing enough for you?;)

ETA: Aussie, I've always felt, reading your posts, that you have exactly the same thing I had. While the causes remain a mystery, I do know that the treatments worked!

Ironically enough
 

I also have c-spine problems. Bulging disc at C2 with spinal stenosis, & arthritis as confirmed by MRI last year. The neck makes noises when it moves,and is always very very tight. I have spasms in shoulders and neck from this, and lord help me if I slept on it wrong!! The pain goes in the arm. But I am sure you can relate. Funny huh??:D

The noise is called crepitis. See a physical therapist.

My PT loosened up my neck to 100% mobility, and I now have little noise. She used something called a wedge to loosen the connective tissues between my vertebrae, and also used careful traction. Huge difference.