Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
Hi, Newbie here. I have a disease similar to Lupus. I take Cymbalta for body aches and fatigue and I take Lunesta for insomnia. Lately I have noticed I am clinching my jaw a lot and experiencing a lot of tension in my lower neck. I'm not sure if its a side effect of Cymbalta, which seems to "rev" me up or if its anxiety. I don't feel unhappy or stressed out emotionally. During the last few weeks I have been having attacks that I thought might be allergic reactions to something. Now I am starting to wonder if it is a panic attack because I noticed a glass of wine made it go away. Obviously wine is not a viable option for treatment because they are happening so frequently. I don't know what panic attacks feel like. It get a feeling of a lump in my throat and shortness of breath and I feel like I am suffocating. I sweat and my pulse jumps up to 110 beats per minute when I am at rest. My mouth goes dry and when I breath or cough, it feels like my bronchial tubes are closing up. I get secretions of phlegm. I try to remain calm so as not to make it worse, but it is hard to do. Any ideas if this is a panic attack, allergic reaction, medication side effect or none of the above? If is it a panic attack, what is the treatment and how do I go about getting started?.
deleted_user
It sounds a lot like my panic attacks feel, especially the tight throat and suffocating feeling. It's always best to report all this to your doc if you haven't already since you have an underlying condition and even if you didn't-better safe than sorry. If it happens frequently and you become overcome with worry about the next attack so much that it disrupts your life, then it might be time to ask your doctor to refer you to a counselor/therapy. Hope this helps a little, hugs!
deleted_user
It sounds like a lot of the symptoms but panic attacks usually involve intense fear. I think thats the main ingredient that starts the reaction of all those symptoms. You can check out symptoms on ds or ask.com. good luck! Sounds more like anxiety ttacks to me. To be sure ,Id just check it out.O
tammib
Is there anything over the counter that helps with anxiety?
deleted_user
You can try Bach's Rescue Remedy. It's over the counter and helps somewhat during an anxiety attack. It does sound like you are having them. If you just recently started or changed doses of your Cymbalta it could have something to do with that and talk to your doctor. Otherwise, you could have anxiety/worries that you many not realize is effecting you. Talking to a counselor is a great place to start. I experience A LOT of tension in my lower neck when my anxiety is high. Hope you find this helpful and good luck to you.
George70101
The Cymbalta should be helping you with the anxiety, that's what its designed for..It may not be right for you. Or the dosage may be too high..please talk to your doctor about this.
tammib
Thank you all for sharing your wisdom with me! I went to my PCP and he listened to my lungs and advised that I am having asthma attacks that are most likely brought on by an unknown allergen. I have never had asthma or allergies before so I have no clue what it could be. He said the improvement in symptoms after the glass of wine was just a coincidence. I do hate the jitters I get from Cymbalta, but it beats the fatigue I had before I started it, so I guess I will just deal with it. Thanks again. I just love the support available in this forum.
Join the Conversation