Panic attacks and Fibromyalgia?
Hi,
About 5 months ago I started getting pains in my joints and muscles. I went to the doctor and had blood tests which came back normal. She believed I have Fibromyalgia and prescribed antidepressants to help me sleep better at night. The medication gave me nightmares so I stopped taking it and just lived with the pain.
Just the past 2 months however I have started getting panic attacks and just the past couple of weeks it has been very severe. I couldn't even get into work because I'm just so anxious and get a panic attack and have to come home. I went to the doctor this afternoon as this is getting rediculous and he thinks I have depression and not fibromyalgia and has put me on another kind of antidepressant.
Do you think this could be the case and that I have had depression all along or does anyone know if panic attacks could be a symptom of fibromyalgia?
Public Comments
1. No two separate issues here, panic attacks can caused by deep rooted worries, and result in shortness of breath, feeling of impending doom, and often without no underyling reason, and fibromyalgia symptoms can be muscular pain, feelings of constant tiredness, and the depression can occur because of the pain as it can go on so long. Having suffered from both, i would say go back to doctors and explain about the medication you are receiving and see if you can get a better balance.sorry don't use wiki or any web site for help on this, see a doctor, i can only advise going on my own experiences.
2. See panic attacks, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris on page 8. I have heard that scalding hot showers help fibromyalgia. Use the Wikipedia and Google websites, the WebFerret search engine, or your own, and try Groups, at Myspace, Yahoo, and Google, and www.careplace.com I believe there is a medication which is sometimes prescribed for it. Get a second opinion. Check out all medications first, at www.drugs.com Ensure you are getting enough Magnesium, Calcium, and Potassium in your diet: are you getting your 5 serves of vegetables, and 3 of fruit, with some dairy, or tinned sardines, daily? Avoid Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, and flavors. Reduce sugar and grain products to a minimum. Eat in accordance with your nutritional type, at www.mercola.com (TASKBAR). Take 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily, and see if Glucosamine & Chondroitin help.
3. Panic attacks are definitely not a symptom of fibromyalgia. However, as another user pointed out, both can cause depression. From what you've said, my guess is that your anxiety about your fibromyalgia symptoms has triggered some form of depression, which in turn has lead to increased anxiety levels, hence the panic attacks. It sounds like you've got into a vicious circle of anxiety and frustration with the first antidepressant which gave you nightmares. My advice would be to try out the new medication. Give it at least a couple of weeks to see how it's really affecting you. The one thing about fibromyalgia though, is that it's essentially a diagnosis of exclusion. No-one knows what causes it, and many doctors insist that it doesn't exist. If I can give you one further bit of advice, please don't try in vain to search for a cure for your fibromyalgia symptoms..The chances are that you'll become even more frustrated and depressed, as there's a lot of misinformation about this condition, especially on the Internet. If you can find a medication that promotes deep sleep ( usually an antidepressant ) then that should take the edge off your symptoms. SSRIs can help to a certain degree, as can very low doses of amitriptyline, an older antidepressant.
4. You could get a second opinion from the private hospital below.In particular ,if you also have fatigue,you may get a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.This is often infection based and often patients get a false diagnosis of fibromyalgia to start with,from their GP.
If you have the infection I suspect,fibro & panic symptoms would go together,with it.
