Have never felt so shite. Unable to sleep properly since December.

[George White]

I've never felt so shit. Leg pains, arm pains, foot pains, handcramps, headaches, watery eyes, inability to sleep, tight fingers, tiredness. Tingles. Pins and needles. Back pain. I really am convinced I have a tumour.
I haven't been able to sleep since December.
Had a CAT scan in November, and the eye tests apparently would have showed things. I was diagnosed with anxiety, but the 5mg a day of lexapro since November hasn't helped, and I'm getting worried again.
 The doctor doesn't believe me, I fear, and my March appointment was delayed to April 3.

[Buelligan]

Don't have any answers for you I'm afraid but I'm really sorry you feel so bad.  Very much hope things feel more postive for you soon.  Hug.

[Dr Rock]

If your doctor is crap get another one. Doing this has led me to some really great GPs. Maybe you could try some antidepressants? Duloxetine and Miturzipan have stoped me wishing I was dead.

[George White]

The problem is I have two GPS. My longstanding Gp is only part-time (who my father is very loyal to, because he diagnosed my mother's cancer), and the new lad barely knows me.

[Underturd]

Sounds neurological, push for an appointment with the good GP.

[Glebe]

Sorry to hear it George, hope things get sorted.

[George White]

Sounds neurological, push for an appointment with the good GP.

As I said, I've been worried it's a tumour.
I was told it's probably anxiety after my mam died, and indeed I had anxiety symptoms before the headaches etc.

[Underturd]

Anxiety can be a symptom of some neurological diseases though, worth looking into.

[George White]

That is why I am worried.

[Jasha]

Has no one recommended having a wank yet?

[Barry Admin]

The doctor doesn't believe me, I fear, and my March appointment was delayed to April 3.

The bigger problem seems to be that you don't believe the doctor.  The scan would have picked it up.

Go and get a full round of bloods done again and see if there's any problems.  Good luck George.

[George White]

I had a blood test, I don't know if they checked tumour markers, but they checked my blood pressure, thyroid, blood sugars, etc, all fine.
I also had a neurological test yesterday that was fine, but again my GP has to decide on the more conclusive tests.

[Glebe]

Does sound like anxiety's having you imaging all sorts George. Give yourself a break and relax a bit mate, I know it's not easy but if the tests are fine that's certainly reassuring.

[Underturd]

Yeah, if your tests are coming back fine that's good news. Try and chill a bit, yeah?

[bgmnts]

Chill out, dickwad.

Seriously though yeah sort the anxiety out best you can.

[Cloud]

I prescribe marzipan


Hope you get to the bottom of it all and find that it's some anxiety that dies down

[thr0b]

I Had all this years ago, George. Full blood work, MRI, the lot. Been on Citalopram since and things got a lot better after a month or so.

Not perfect by any means, but vastly improved.

See a different GP and see what they say.

[Glebe]

Reckon you should have a good chat with your GP about your anxiety medication George. Dose might need to be changed or maybe a different medication could be required? In any case best of luck.

[George White]

I Had all this years ago, George. Full blood work, MRI, the lot. Been on Citalopram since and things got a lot better after a month or so.

Not perfect by any means, but vastly improved.

See a different GP and see what they say.

I've been on 5mg of Escitalopram every day since November, and it really hasn't done much. Hence the worry.

[canadagoose]

I've been on 5mg of Escitalopram every day since November, and it really hasn't done much. Hence the worry.

I'm not a GP, but I have been on quite a few antidepressants and 5mg of escitalopram isn't very much. I'd have thought they'd try increasing the dose?

[George White]

I told them to. But they are waiting till my next appointment.

[Glebe]

Definitely sounds like a change of dose or meds might be due George. Have you done any counselling? That's something I really need to go back to myself.

I was on Seroxat (paroxetine) for a long time before being switched to Faverin (fluvoxamine), which also helps with my OCD tendencies. That's just my prescription of course, different things work for different people.

[George White]

I forgot to mention the back pain. But then I don't have a proper chair. But the back pain is pretty severe.
I woke up with cold hands, which worried me. But they're warm now.

I also keep dreaming of Mother. Often weird situations like we'll be watching old movies together, and she'll be asking me who such an actor (e.g. Stuart Whitman) is.

[Glebe]

I dream about my lovely Mother a lot too. Loss is a strange thing.

[thr0b]

I've been on 5mg of Escitalopram every day since November, and it really hasn't done much. Hence the worry.

That's basically a maintenance dose.

I've been on 20mg of Citalopram for ages. Did up it to 40mg for a while, but it basically switched all moods off, so that was too much.

[DrumsAndWires]

take lsd + meditate

[Mr_Rich]

I'm not a GP, but I have been on quite a few antidepressants and 5mg of escitalopram isn't very much. I'd have thought they'd try increasing the dose?

Yeah I agree, from memory I think 5mg is a  a low dose and 10mg is the usual starting therapeutically effective dose. Been a while though since I had escitalopram. I think they started me in 10mg and pushed it up to 20mg. Didn't have much impact tbh, mirtazapine is the only thing that's ever really helped my mental state.

[canadagoose]

Yeah I agree, from memory I think 5mg is a  a low dose and 10mg is the usual starting therapeutically effective dose. Been a while though since I had escitalopram. I think they started me in 10mg and pushed it up to 20mg. Didn't have much impact tbh, mirtazapine is the only thing that's ever really helped my mental state.

I don't think mirtazapine helped me much (is that one of the sleepy ones?), but it's good it helped you. Maybe it would have helped me if I'd waited a bit longer but the psychiatrist just thought "nah, try something else", if I remember rightly. Sertraline plus lithium has sorted me out, finally, but it took a while.

George, to go back to your topic, good luck with the doctor, and I hope you can find some relief soon. Your whole situation sounds not very fun, and hopefully they can sort you out, though you might need to push them.

[Memorex MP3]

When I was 19 I was put onto 20mg of escitalopram straight away* so 5mg sounds pretty low to me. Reading online it sounds like it's a very common starter dose now and works for some people.

*_{They prescribed Lexapro and it was Ireland so I was paying full price for the branded one, whatever gain I could've gotten from it was offset by the €80 I was losing each month.}

[Glebe]

take lsd + meditate

😶