Depression And Anxiety

[rpowell01]

Went to see my Doctor today. I told him I refuse to believe I have Anxiety. He looked at me and said "Listen you have Anxiety and that is what is causing your heart palpitations and blood pressure to rise and giving the tingling in your feet and hands". I guess I have to accept I have anxiety because 3 Doctors told me I have it now.

My question for filing a secondary claim are depression and anxiety the same? I know I have been depressed for the last 14 years because of the chronic pain in my neck and back but do they classify them the same or different. I want to file for both but don't know the diagnostics the way the VA uses.

[john999]

They are not the same but most depressed people are anxious and anxious people get depressed. As long as he says it is service connected that is what you want to hear. You can file for both but will only be rated for the worst one.

The idea that anxiety is giving you tingling in your hands and feet is odd. I know anxiety can mimic a heart attack.

[rpowell01]

Well the day I ended up in the ER thinking it was a heart attack, they put me on a EKG for a while and blood work was conducted but the results came back as Anxiety. Funny thing was every time I turned my head to the right and looked up at the monitor my pulse and blood pressure would shoot up. It ended up at 193/97 one time. I thought for sure they would send me over to the heart hospital that night but they said it was Anxiety. Then about a week later it happened again at work. Blood pressure went up to 177/93. I went directly to my personal doctor's office who conducted a EKG in the office, everything came back normal. A heart attack will always show up on a EKG from my understanding. All my blood work is normal even my cholesterol levels are normal. Then I go to my VA Doctor who says it was Anxiety and prescribed me Xanax which I took myself off after 2 prescriptions because they didn't seem to help.

Now about a month ago my personal Doctor prescribed me Valium 10mg. It actually helped a lot with the trigger points/spasms and the Anxiety. It actually has taken most of it away whenever I do take the medication. I don't think it is anything with my heart because the Anxiety comes on whenever my muscle spasms tighten up on me, mainly on my left rhomboidal muscle next to my shoulder blade which is right behind my heart. Yes I get chest pains resembling a heart attack but it is the left rhomboidal muscle causing this. How do I know this? Because whenever it tightens up I have my wife rub it with her knuckles which then I have tears in my eyes but everything goes away and gives me relief. BUT and a big BUT is that I still have shortness of breath. It mainly happens when that muscle tightens up on me. I get it bad then. Lately my b/p and h/r has been fine so this is what is weird.

Today the VA Doctor ordered a stress test and echocardiograhm to rule out anything with my heart. I never had heart problems and nobody in my family has ever had heart problems. Not one person in my family I can think of has heart problems.

I know this seems weird but why of a sudden on a one day notice does everything happen to me at the same time:

1. Trigger point on my left rhomboidal muscle followed by

2. Chest pains

3. Shortness of breath followed by

4. Heart palpitations followed

5 Light headed

How to connect the dots is what I am researching.

I am also going to see a personal Neurologist to see what he thinks about all of this and see if any tests can be performed. Could be nerve issues which also gives false positives on diagnoses also.

Thanks for the information. No I don't have a Nexus for the Anxiety but what else would cause it if the only thing I have is chronic pain for 15 years now?

[rpowell01]

Also Anxiety symptoms:

http://www.npadnews.com/anxiety-symptoms.asp

Tingling in hands and feet is one of them and I have had a lot of those symptoms whenever I do have a panic attack.

[john999]

Well, you could have the tingling in feet and hands because of pinched nerve in the neck I think. You can have anxiety for all sorts of reasons. You can have chronic pain syndrome which is akin to depression. If you have a SC condition the trick is to get doctors who are willing to provide evidence and statements that there is a link between your anxiety and the SC condition. The VA will not connect the dots. You must serve it up to them completely digested.

Ask yourself how has your chronic neck pain changed your life? This could be the key to the anxiety attacks.

[rpowell01]

Well john in the past 8 months I can say the chronic back and neck pain as went from a normal everyday 5 out of 10 to a now 9 out of 10. That might not mean much but the pain level pretty much double and yes I think the chronic pain for over 15 years now is causing the Anxiety. Also, the Anxiety symptoms could be giving a false positive and I could be pinch a nerve that is affecting areas in my body.

What I am more concerned about at this moment and time is the shortness of breath I get. It comes and goes. I mainly happens when the trigger points tighten up mainly on the left side. My wife pointed out just about an hour ago that she knew where my lower back pain was and I asked how did she know. She put on finger right on the area on my lower lumbar spine and said there. She told me there is a bruise about the size of a dime there. This has been my life for 14 years, the bruises would show up whenever I have flare ups. This how I can tell it is flared up. The C & P Examiner stated I don't get flare ups and bulging. One of many reasons I am sending a NOD for DRO review on Monday.

Believe it or not everything started on the same day at the same time. Tingling in hands, heart palpitations, elevated blood pressure and the trigger point on my left rhomboidal muscle next to my shoulder blade right behind my heart. Could be a pinch nerve because I know a nerve runs in that area down your arm...

Now the good thing is I have an appointment to see an Neurologist on Monday which is a personal Doctor. The Army they never sent me to one nor has the VA. I am doing this on my own. If need be, he will refer me to a Neurosurgeon. I have been told that he has done "letters" for veterans in the past.

[verk]

I just wanted to add a note or two about anxiety/depression/ etc... I've experienced anxiety for 11 years, you name it, I've had the symptoms. Tingling, heart palps and even flip flops, muscle twitching (every muscle in my body is subject to it), profuse sweating hands, continuous hot flashes, shortness of breathe, headaches for weeks and the list goes on. I have been to 4 or 5 doctors, neurologist, psych and so on. It becomes depressing because of the constant feeling of fighting an unknown entity and your body seems to be against you. Anxiety is creepy because it manifests as so many other conditions, however many symptoms are a sign of a serious problem. Even more unsettling is one does it to themselves. A "thought" triggers symptoms and even Morning body scannings to determine what I feel or if something has changed. I'm left always being or feeling 'watchful'. Nevertheless, it can all be settled down somewhat. Exercise is my personal mantra, I got to the point where I said "so what if I die and my heart bursts, I'm doing a run" , progressive muscle relaxation also helps. I've tried meds and not been happy with side effects, except buspar. I take it although not sure if it does it's job. I also take herbals St Johns Wort and Rhodiola rosea. Plus do massage therapy when I have extra cash.

I hope you find relief, I hope it's something medical so that you fix it and never think about it again. Maybe it is a pinched nerve or muscles spasming to cause the symptoms. Good luck.