Posts by frozenorca63

Has anyone else tried Elice? I took 2 tablets today (well, half of each), and man, my anxiety just tripled out of nowhere. My head is spinning and I honestly feel pretty terrible right now. Is this just part of the side effects? How long does this stuff usually last before it settles down? I’m seriously thinking about ditching it entirely and just sticking to chamomile tea instead. This is just way too much for me...

Jason Vaughn482 said:I struggle with the same core issue—this relentless hypochondria where I’m constantly terrified of illness and death—but I highly doubt chamomile would do much for me. Even then, I don't take any antidepressants; I've been stuck on three grams of Xanax instead.

I remember reading somewhere that valerian root can help with health anxiety... Honestly, thank God I'm past that stage, but man, there were nights where I was absolutely convinced my time was up... it's such a heavy, awful feeling to carry around...

Paul Newman5 said:How long have you been on 3x0.5 xanax? I've been taking Lexapro at that same dose for about three months now, and honestly, the duration is starting to scare me. Also, a question for the group... I was on antidepressants, but we couldn't find the right fit even after three tries. I gave up, and now I'm debating whether to bother seeing a psychiatrist again. Why do people take antidepressants if they're just anxious and high-strung? Do meds for anxiety even exist? I'm not depressed, and everything I've tried so far just sent my tension through the roof. Has anyone else dealt with this? I could use some encouragement because the fear of going to work—or even just leaving the house—is becoming unbearable.

My doctor prescribed Lexapro for my anxiety, but I never actually took it. Back then, I was constantly terrified I was going to die—my anxiety was basically bordering on hypochondria. I had dizzy spells all the time, barely left the house unless it was a super quick trip, and dealt with panic attacks every now and then. Instead of the pills, I started drinking three cups of chamomile tea a day along with two cups of lemon balm. If things got really bad, I'd just take a little bit of Normabale. That was pretty much my whole routine. Personally, I think doctors hand out antidepressants way too easily. Looking back now, after five months of dealing with all that, I feel like I'm almost totally cured. Honestly, I can drive into New York City without a second thought now, and I even sat through a whole USA-Mexico game without feeling dizzy or hitting a panic attack once... it was nothing.

wiredraven82 said:Look, I know exactly what you're going through...

I’m telling you, this sounds just like pure stress or anxiety to me. Personally, I didn't get those popping sensations, but my blood pressure absolutely spiked because of the anxiety! You wouldn't believe it—I've had low blood pressure my entire life, but last year everything hit the fan; I lost my job and lost three people who were incredibly close to me. After all that chaos, my blood pressure just went haywire. I actually ended up in therapy, and honestly, once I got myself sorted out, my numbers went right back to being perfectly normal without any meds. When that tightness or whatever hits me, I get these dizzy spells, and my heart rate jumps from a steady 65 up to 100 during a panic attack. At first, my hands and feet would go numb, and one time I even started stumbling a bit, which really freaked me out that something was wrong with my brain. Like I mentioned before, I've dealt with a brain tumor and an aneurysm in the past. But here's the thing: up until a year ago, I NEVER even bothered with a routine physical at the doctor, even when I was dealing with serious illnesses. I just didn't care about that stuff, but once the anxiety kicked in, I turned into a total hypochondriac and started overthinking every little sensation.
Hang in there, maybe try some St. John's Wort; it's a pretty gentle natural antidepressant. For me, taking a B complex really helped, specifically this one: http://www.twinlab.com/product/stress-b-complex-caps.

Angela Wright said:Just because you went through that doesn't mean he will, Dragon. There’s a whole list of symptoms here that really need to be taken seriously and checked out thoroughly. Something like Normabel might help manage things like tachycardia or heart palpitations since it helps relax the muscles, but that doesn't necessarily fix the root cause—which, by the way, could easily be the Shield, and that hits men and women just the same, Dragon. Regardless, it’s definitely for the best that they talked to a doctor and are getting all the necessary tests done.
Personally, I think anxiety is a much tougher diagnosis to deal with than thyroid issues; it's way harder to treat.

I totally agree. I personally struggle with both anxiety and hypothyroidism 😢. Honestly, dealing with the hypo is easier for me. But lately, I've noticed so many people coming up with these exact same symptoms that are actually just the fallout from stress, anxiety, and panic disorders. Like I mentioned before, when you're facing a serious underlying illness, those symptoms are constant, not just popping up every now and then. Panic attacks only happen occasionally. Yeah, anxiety is a whole different beast... but back when I was dealing with a brain tumor, my head didn't just ache four times a month; it hurt every single damn day. My entire personality shifted 24/7, not just every once in a while. So, when symptoms are sporadic like this, I lean toward thinking it's stress rather than something more severe. It looks like his doctor is leaning toward the stress theory too.

wiredraven82 said:Man, I swung by my doctor's office today and she basically told me to just take some Xanax when things get hairy, then she's gonna pull some blood work, run an EKG, and check out my Shield to make sure everything is running smooth, but honestly, the real fix is just cutting out the stress entirely, you know?

I’ve got a good feeling those tests are going to come back totally clear for you. I went through the exact same thing myself. If something like Xanax or any other meds can chill you out, then you're definitely dealing with panic attacks or just straight-up anxiety... I'm pretty much almost through the worst of it, though I'm still fighting the battle every day, and let me tell you, it's no joke, but you just have to push through it.

wiredraven82 said:So, what did you end up doing about it? Is there some kind of standard protocol you followed, like did you go see a doctor or anything? 🙂

Yeah, I went, and they diagnosed me with some mild neurological anxiety and prescribed a bunch of stuff—antidepressants, sleeping pills, the whole works, like Lexapro and Ambien. But honestly, I decided to skip the heavy meds since I wasn't feeling *that* bad, so I just started drinking St. John's Wort tea, maybe two cups a day. Whenever a panic attack would hit me out of nowhere, I’d just try to breathe through it and wait for it to pass; sometimes I’d take some Lexapro, but by the time it actually kicked in, the episode was usually over anyway 🙂. Personally, I really think what you're dealing with sounds more like panic attacks, because if it were something seriously medical, those symptoms wouldn't just show up randomly—they'd be constant. I remember back when I was dealing with a brain tumor a long time ago, my headaches never left me, and my behavior changes were always there, not just happening every once in a while
. Now that I know my own body better, whenever I start feeling that tightness in my chest or get dizzy, I'll either take some Lexapro or just go hit a kickboxing class to burn off the energy... Anyway, just try to cut out whatever is stressing you out and deal with the root cause. Good luck!

wiredraven82 said:Hey everyone, honestly, I have no idea what’s going on with me lately... Usually, I'm a pretty positive guy, always cracking jokes, an optimist and all that, but for about a month now, I’ve been dealing with this weird sensation—this is probably the fourth time it's hit me, and actually the second day in a row for this specific stretch. I get this heavy pressure in my chest, my heart starts racing, and my head just feels light and fuzzy, almost like everything goes dark when the lights are bright—not like I'm actually blind, but just this overwhelming sense of heaviness... then my hands start sweating and I get this tingling, like tiny needles in my palms, and the whole thing just builds up until you feel like you're about to explode...

I try my best to stay chill and keep my cool, but man, it really scares the life out of me sometimes, and I think it's totally normal to be worried... For instance, it happened yesterday right after a blowout argument with my parents, so that’s four times in the last month; three of those were triggered by being worked up, but today, this fourth one, just came out of nowhere...

On top of that, I've been getting this intense pressure in my ears, almost like I've suddenly climbed to the peak of Mount Everest, and that's also happened within this past month... It's not like there's ringing or anything, but there's this weird "clogged" feeling in my left ear sometimes, and the sound waves seem to change volume or get this "rough" quality—I can't quite put my finger on how to describe it...

Every time this happens, it's accompanied by this low-level anxiety, and honestly, it just makes you jumpy, you know?...

Do you think all of this could be caused by a specific kind of stress? I've had some big life changes recently; I started living with someone I care about deeply, and she feels the same about me, but there's still that occasional friction with the parents, if you know what I mean... And now, I'm genuinely a bit terrified that something's wrong with my health... By the way, I'm 28. I don't drink alcohol or anything like that, though I do smoke about a pack and a half, sometimes even two a day, and I used to drink a ton of coffee, but I've cut back on both significantly and I'm trying to quit...

Back when I was younger, I was always on the move, constantly outdoors and playing sports like basketball, but for the last year or so, I've been spending a lot more time glued to my computer...

I'm posting this because I'm really curious to hear what you guys think—if you think all of this is somehow connected...

Thanks so much

I'd say you're having panic attacks. Speaking from personal experience 😢. I'm a cheerful, optimistic person too, but I went through some major life shifts (like losing my job) and I deal with panic attacks quite often. Unfortunately. It's not even like I'm consciously getting worked up; it's likely just my subconscious doing its own thing. I really think it's the same situation for you.

George Hall said:Thanks so much, hun.
Well, it’s not even like I’m making this up... I was dealing with low iron, eye strain, hypothyroidism—all sorts of stuff showing up on my labs right before I gave birth. I didn't end up seeing an endocrinologist because the numbers didn't look too crazy to me, even though everyone from my primary care doc to my internist kept insisting I go... But now I'm reading that high blood pressure could be causing some of these symptoms too. Believe it or not, that actually makes me feel a bit better... I just hope it isn't anything serious. My head is really bothering me, but hopefully everything is fine there. I used to have sinus issues as a kid, and now my neck is killing me, so maybe the headaches are just coming from that or maybe even the eye strain...

Look, you aren't just making things up, but honestly, the stuff you mentioned isn't life-threatening. I actually live with hypothyroidism myself, but as long as I take my medication, I keep everything totally under control. Yeah, you have to take a pill every single day for the rest of your life, but I'd much rather do that than suffer through the symptoms. Hypothyroidism can really mess with you, but it's manageable if you're treating it, so please, just go see an endocrinologist. As for the headaches, I had brain tumor surgery twice back when I was your age, and trust me, what you're describing doesn't sound like anything serious because the symptoms are way different. Plus, I dealt with nasty sinus infections myself and finally cleared them up a couple of years ago using some medical inhalers and sprays. I really want to tell you: don't worry, you aren't dying. That's the most important thing. Just enjoy your life, don't stress yourself out too much, and stop Googling symptoms! Back when I had my surgeries, the internet wasn't even a thing yet, and because I didn't spend my time spiraling online, I cruised through it like it was just a bad flu. And thank God, fifteen years later, I'm still here, healthy and happy 🙂 🙂 🙂. So seriously, don't sweat it....

George Hall said:I'm trying, believe me, but it's just hitting me harder now because I was always such a chill person before. I never even bothered with doctors or worried about my health, but this pregnancy has totally wiped me out... And honestly, reading stuff online just makes it worse. Like yesterday, I stumbled upon info about derealization and started spiraling, worrying if that weird half-dream state I had earlier—when I felt super faint after not eating anything—was actually that. But I didn't feel panicked or anxious back then, just weak... Now, the only thing is when I get hit with actual panic, it feels like my ears are plugged and my own voice sounds distant, like I'm hearing myself from far away. But everything else feels normal; I don't feel like my surroundings or myself are distorted at all. That's not what it is, right?
Thanks so much, you're an angel 🙂

Rule number one of anxiety: DO NOT GOOGLE IT 🙂 🙂 🙂!!!
Seriously, girl, stop surfing the web because you're only going to find horror stories that make you feel ten times worse.
I get that muffled ear sensation too sometimes, so trust me, it's nothing to worry about. It's definitely not that scary thing you read about... I'm pretty sure you're perfectly healthy, so please, just stop reading about illnesses and stop checking your blood pressure constantly. I used to be super laid back too, but everyone hits a wall at some point in their lives. Honey, you just had a baby—that's a massive shift for your whole body, and if you aren't getting decent sleep, you can end up with a mountain of random symptoms... Look, if there were actually something wrong, you'd only be dealing with that one specific thing, not every possible ailment under the sun. Believe me, I've been through all of this myself and I still get random symptoms hitting me now and then (like today, I have this tightness in my chest, which I've had a hundred times when I've been anxious, but it's no big deal), and here I am, totally fine. Hang in there, sweetie 🙂 🙂 🙂

George Hall said:And honestly, I’m naturally thin and struggle to put on weight, even though I work out regularly with them both and I'm barely 23... but my mind is just racing lately 🙂
Is it okay to drink these teas while breastfeeding? My OB-GYN and primary doctor told me to take Xanax for my blood pressure, and I've taken it a few times, but I really don't love it. It calms me down, but it also just leaves me feeling totally wiped out, and I'm worried about getting hooked on it...

I wouldn't touch that herbal tea if I were you while you're nursing. It's better to play it safe. Honestly, you're so young, don't let yourself get stuck in a loop of feeling depressed and stressed out; life is going to fly by if you spend all your time worrying about health stuff. Try picking up some good books, watch a few comedies, grab coffee with your girlfriends, and just soak up those moments with your little one. Seriously, try to focus on the positive vibes to help pull you away from the struggles. I've been feeling a bit under the weather myself lately too (probably just the humidity and all this heat), but honey, we can't let it get to us... Life is way too short and beautiful to be miserable. I'm sure you're going to be fine; your blood pressure will stabilize, especially since you've just given birth and are breastfeeding—your body is going through huge shifts right now. Don't overthink everything, just relax and enjoy it.🙂

George Hall said:I’ve always been super chill, honestly... I barely ever saw doctors unless it was my OBGYN or a dentist when things got serious 🙂
But this pregnancy has just completely drained me, and everything seems to be hitting at once..
And yeah, I’m dealing with stress and stuff, but even back when I lost my twins at six months—which was easily the most stressful thing ever—my blood pressure was actually low. I always struggled with low BP, but now all of a sudden...
Thanks so much, you really helped ease my mind about the blood pressure thing.. I immediately thought it was just juice for me since I'm usually a low BP person, so I totally freaked out thinking it might be a stroke or heart issue 🤦

Look, there's really no need to stress about it too much because blood pressure isn't some fixed number that stays the same forever; it fluctuates throughout your life. Just try to cut back on the salty snacks, keep an eye on your weight, and get moving whenever you can—even if it's just a quick walk around the block while you're chasing after your kid. 🙂 And hey, don't even sweat it. Your blood pressure isn't high enough to be worrying about a stroke or a heart attack anytime soon. 🙂 🙂 Honestly, just try sipping some chamomile tea mixed with lemon balm and maybe grab some B-complex vitamins; it really helps take the edge off, and you'll start to see that everything is going to be just fine. We all have those moments where we just completely lose it sometimes, but I truly believe you're a healthy person at heart, you're just going through a really rough patch right now.

George Hall said:I honestly don't know... I deal with panic attacks, for sure. They started toward the end of my pregnancy when I began feeling this weakness, and I eventually learned how to just ignore them until they stopped. But that tightness and the fear of feeling weak or having vision issues and dizziness... it stuck with me. Now that my blood pressure has been acting up, I've already had a few attacks again...
Panic aside, the headaches and eye issues are actually terrible. There's this constant pressure in my ears and head, plus awful pain in my neck—it feels like the pressure starts right at the base of my neck, if that makes sense... And this whole thing with my chest and blood pressure is new; it all started after I gave birth, which is why the doctors were so worried about pulmonary embolisms. I'm really hoping a good D-dimer test rules that out at least..?

Just to clear up what I mentioned first, what else could those symptoms be? Back then, I wasn't even panicking or feeling stressed, and I've never dealt with any mental health stuff before this...

Those headaches and that pressure might actually be coming from your cervical spine, so you should probably see a physical therapist. Also, blood pressure can definitely spike because of psychological stuff like anxiety. I was low blood pressure my whole life, but during those last few weeks of pregnancy, my numbers went totally haywire and I ended up having a premature birth with my BP hitting 120/200!!!! After that, things went back to normal, but then years later it shot up again and I was even on medication, which stressed me out big time. It's okay now, though, mostly because my headspace is better too. You know, for the longest time, I didn't even realize I was under stress because I'm naturally such a chill, easygoing person and all that... but still, if there's any kind of stress happening, your body reacts even if you aren't consciously aware of it.
As for that chest pressure, that's often just stress playing tricks on you. I'm not sure why they suspected an embolism, but honestly, try not to let it eat at you. Look, I've had brain tumor surgery twice—that was over 15 years ago, and I was sooo young—so I don't really freak out over headaches anymore. Doctors over here tend to jump straight to conclusions and send me off for MRIs and stuff, and I'm always terrified I'll end up with a new tumor from all the heavy radiation 🙂, so nowadays I don't even bother going to the doctor unless I'm feeling absolutely miserable.

George Hall said:Hey everyone, hi!
I’ve been Googling my symptoms like crazy and this forum always pops up. You guys seem like such a great community with awesome advice, so I figured I'd reach out...

Let me start from the beginning. I’ve always had low blood pressure. One time, I skipped breakfast, had two coffees on an empty stomach, and suddenly felt incredibly weak with this massive headache. I figured my pressure dropped since that’s my norm. I ate a banana, took some Tylenol (I was six months pregnant at the time and dealing with constant morning sickness), and headed out into town. Suddenly, for just a few seconds, it was like I was dreaming or reliving random memories while still being totally conscious. I could talk normally and stick to my diet, but it felt like I was in a half-dream state... It wasn't scary or weird, just surreal. I rushed straight to the ER, but by the time I got there, my blood pressure and sugar levels were totally fine. They gave me some Xanax because I was freaking out about what was happening to me. The next day, I had an exam, and I completely blanked on everything I studied—I couldn't even remember my Facebook password. Even though they questioned me, I was totally aware and communicating normally; everything seemed fine by the morning.
It hasn't happened again, but I’m still low-key terrified about what that actually was. My GP said it might have just been a sudden blood sugar crash causing that confusion. Has anyone else dealt with something like this or have any idea what it could be? I've never experienced anything like it before.

Things were fine for a few months after that, until right before I gave birth. Then the brutal headaches started—this stabbing pain behind my eyes. Tylenol helps, but only for a bit. Also, whenever I look sharply to the side and then back, I see these little flashes of light for a few seconds.
Then, one time I was lying down watching a movie and my vision just went totally blurry and distorted. I panicked, felt lightheaded, and had to get some air.
My vision gets fuzzy sometimes too, though I am nearsighted (0.5 in one eye, 0.75 in the other). I saw an ophthalmologist, and she said my eye pressure is fine, just that my eyes are extremely strained, but she couldn't give me drops because I was pregnant.
I also get this intense pressure in my head and ears...
I saw a neurologist too, but since I was pregnant, they didn't order any major scans. The physical exam was fine, except for feeling a bit dizzy when I close my eyes.
Everything seems to be blamed on my low iron (7.2).
I gave birth a month ago. Back on February 14th, I had to see a pulmonologist because of sharp chest pains shooting into my back. Lung imaging was clear, and they sent me to an internist. EKG and cardiac enzymes were all fine, but my TSH was slightly high and my Free T3 was low. I haven't seen an endocrinologist yet, but I can't imagine those would cause *this* much trouble, right?
And about my blood sugar—I've always been on the low side despite stress, but one night I ended up in the ER because my pressure spiked to 160/100.
Now it’s all over the place, swinging from low to high. My heart rate rarely dips below 90. This morning it was 105/85... that's way too close, isn't it?
I also had a D-dimer test this morning because they were worried about a pulmonary embolism due to the chest pain, but that came back normal. No tachycardia on my last EKG, but my heart does race occasionally, which triggers full-on panic attacks because I'm so scared of what's going on.
Should I go back to the neurologist and ask for a CT or MRI?
I also got a referral for an ENT to check my sinuses, because sometimes my left ear feels like there's water trapped in it.
I asked my GP for another referral to an internist regarding my blood pressure, but she said I don't need one and should just monitor it.
Please help me out if you have any advice or similar experiences... I'm losing my mind trying to figure out which doctor to see next...

Have you thought about whether this might be anxiety or maybe panic attacks? I ask because I used to deal with so many similar symptoms when my anxiety was flaring up, and things got especially bad during a panic attack. Your blood pressure can definitely spike just from psychological stress. Don't take this the wrong way, but you've got such a wide range of symptoms—from heart stuff to neurological issues... When I was going through my worst bouts of anxiety, I ended up dealing with a heart attack, a stroke, and even cancer in my esophagus, lungs, chest, and stomach, if you know what I mean. But thank God, I'm healthy now... So, yeah, maybe it's worth sitting down with a psychologist or psychiatrist first to see if it's just extreme stress or something else before you head off to a mountain of tests and end up getting unnecessary radiation exposure from all the imaging?

I dealt with all those exact same symptoms back when my thyroid was acting up. Honestly, I have no clue why doctors drag their feet for so long, because once I started on Synthroid, I felt like a whole new person and everything just cleared right up. If I were in your shoes, I’d definitely go out and grab a second opinion from another specialist before things get messy...

Has anyone here actually dealt with anxiety and those random panic attacks using Elicea? My neurologist put me on it, claiming I’m not really "psychiatric material" and just need a little boost to get going. Honestly, I’m still just sitting here on my porch wondering if I should even be messing with antidepressants at all, especially since nothing seems to be changing. I don't feel great, but I don't feel terrible either... it's just this constant, nagging sense of worry and dread hanging over me, and those sudden panic attacks are honestly the absolute worst.

Honestly, my primary care doctor is such a gem because she’s an incredible diagnostician who actually takes the time to look you in the eye and truly cares about how you're doing. Back in the day, I dealt with a stroke and a brain tumor, and I'm only still here because she caught the symptoms immediately—unlike some of those rushed doctors you see in the ER. Lately, I've been struggling with depression and anxiety along with all these weird physical symptoms, and whenever I go to see her, she can tell I'm struggling mentally, yet she still insists on sending me to a neurologist and a physical therapist for my neck, plus running blood work just to rule out anything scary. A lot of doctors would have just brushed me off and said, "Oh, it's just depression, go home," but luckily it actually was depression, though I feel much more at peace now.
And man, I really have to give a huge shoutout to Professor Knight. He performed my surgery, and his department is run with such incredible order and discipline! He's one of those rare people who genuinely dedicates himself to every single patient without cutting corners; he's honestly the gold standard for what a great doctor and department head should be.

urbandrifter8 said:Maybe 7 small pupae and some big brown ones I couldn't quite identify. I tossed them straight in the trash the second I saw them, so I didn't get a chance to figure out what they were—but based on what he's saying, he probably ate those too. Honestly, the pupae part freaked me out. He ate less than 10 grams total, so I guess he's probably not in any immediate danger.

Forget the grams, man. Just get to the ER right now!!!! You guys can't be sitting there trying to play doctor and guessing if it was too much or not... If he swallowed even one single cocoon, he could be in serious trouble!!!!

John Hill6 said:Stop trolling. There's a species of psilocybe native to this part of the country that looks almost identical to them—when they're young, the resemblance is striking. Why would anyone just make that up? I was out foraging in the woods near St. Louis recently and ended up eating about ten small dandelions because I was convinced they were the real deal. Then, just yesterday and the day before, I spotted some that look suspiciously like *cyanescens*. If I start feeling symptoms, don't even think about labeling me an addict or having some doctor talk down to me.

Man, if you actually swallowed those, stop worrying about people being rude and get to an urgent care right now... grab some samples of what you ate and bring them with you, because by the time you start feeling sick, it might be too late. Seriously, don't mess around, that mushroom is LETHAL!!!!!

Alexander Thompson said:It’s kind of hard to wrap my head around someone mistaking his magic psilocybin for actual caterpillars, but honestly, man, what kind of world are we living in now 🤷...

They don't even look remotely similar, though who knows, maybe he was tripping on those first ones when he went out picking the dandelions???!!!