Hey everyone,
I havent been on here in awhile, so here is an update i guess.
My last and only post was basically an over view of my life with a past of anxiety and depression and my life at the moment, and i was very lost as to what was going on with me. After tons of doctors appointment, med changes, and new psychologist and psychiatrist, i have gotten few answers to my questions. So i guess i am looking for someone that has experienced anything similar to this and ways to cope. So lets start from the beginning...
Right around thanksgiving this past year, I had just laid down in bed and both of my shoulders began to jerk forward about 20 seconds before they would jerk again and they stopped when i sat up and got out of bed. Since I had never had anything happen like this before, I called my mom and she insisted we call the 24 hour healthline through our insurance. They specialist recommended i go to the hospital to get checked out just incase it was some sort of siezure. At the hospital the jerking continued only when i was completely relaxed, they got us back quickly and we thought the doctor was great because she gave us an answer right away. It was a reaction between my current SSRI (Sertraline) and the mucinex D i had taken for a reacurring sinus issue. So we left and thought great, it should be gone tomorrow since the mucinex D will be out of my system! NOT...fast forward to the next night, laying on the couch and the shoulder jerking is getting stronger and about a second or two between each jerk. So we decide to go back to the hospital, a different hospital this time. So new doctor tells us that he had never heard of the reaction between SSRI and Mucinex D, so now we are told that basically I was experiencing a seritonin overdose due to a dramatic increase in drugs perscribed my my psychiatrist, and it would take a couple days to get out of my system. within the next couple days i call my psychiatrist and explain what is going on and she orders me to stop taking my sertraline immediately. So on top of the increasing anxiety about the jerking I am now experiencing withdrawl and sudden increase of depression symptoms. I fall into the worst spiral of anxiety and depression I had ever experienced. The jerking does not stop, it actually worsens with a new jerk in my lower back. We go see two different neurologist, one being a top of the line movement disorder specialist at the mayo clinic. After MRIs of my brain and spine, ten vials worth of blood drawn, a brain wave scan, and a muscle movement scan to test for every possible rare malfuction or disease, the results come back negative. which dont get me wrong thats great news, but it was also in a way frustrating because I had just spent nearly 2 months pouring all of my energy into worrying about having a brain tumor or something terrible, because thats how my anxiety works. I was told to look into CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) which I had heard of before, but never done. So the search for a neew therapist begins, and the anxiety worsens along the road. after the worst panic attack I have ever had I decided i needed to go back to the hospital, because I new i had hit rock bottom. They basically asked me questions and a case worker came in. I believe that this case worker was my light at the end of the tunnel. She gave me some amazing tools to get through this and to help find me a new psychologist and psychiatrist. I begin CBT with an amazing woman and I get on new meds, prozac. fast forward to today. The CBT has helped so much with emotional regualtion and coping skills, and i am still continuing to work up. The Prozac was working great at first but my depression worsened rapidly after a month or so on it, so we dicided to go up a dose and it helped for a short period and now my anxiety has worsened tremendously, so im feeling very stuck in a dark place yet again. The jerking has progressively gotten worse as well. it began in my shoulders, then my back, then my neck and face, and now in my legs, so at this point my my whole body jerks at any given time, when i am stressed or anxious more so. This has been a battle for me to accept because i am worried that people will look and judge me. This has added to my anxiety and depression and fear of acceptance. Most days i feel like giving up and thats a scary thought. I am now looking to change medications and searching for some answers. I want to know if anyone out there has experienced this and what they did to make them stop or even if they will ever stop. I just want some answers to ease some of my anxiety...sorry for the long post, i am just desperate at this point
lex