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Is it really just anxiety?

This is my first time posting something online about what's going on with me.  I'm really desperate for help.  I have seen multiple doctors and most recently an endocrinologist who all seem to think what's going on is all in my head.  It's very frustrating since I have been dealing with this for 6-7 years suffering every single day.

My symptoms include:
Fatigue
Dry mouth and eyes
headache
Sweating profusely under armpits
Brain fog
Erectile Dysfunction
Hot flashes / Heat intolerance
Depression / Anxiety
Pressure behind eyes
Insomnia (occasional)

I'm a 28 year old male, 5'8 175 lbs.  I walk every day and eat right most of the time.  I have been tested for diabetes, pheochromocytoma, thyroid disorders.  Everything has come back normal.  Every time I mention that I have anxiety, the doctors always seem to chalk all of my other symptoms up to just that.  However, I feel all of these physical symptoms every day and think maybe I have a condition that causes anxiety?  I don't know what else to try anymore.  I am miserable every day, some days are better than others.  I am ready to get on with my life.  Most recently, my endocrinologist prescribed Propanalol since he thinks it's all due to anxiety.  However, every time I am having symptoms, my heart rate is usually 70 or below, so I can't take that medicine.  These symptoms usually come on early in the day all at once and then I feel some relief close to bedtime when I am resting.  I also have RLS, which I manage pretty well.  The only prescription medication I am taking is Acyclovir.

Someone please help.  I want to figure out what is going on with me.  I can't afford to take more time off of work to keep getting the same answers from doctors.  I want to feel like a normal person again.  

Thank you.
3 Responses
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Avatar universal
If you believe medication is the way to go, your endocrinologist isn't the person to be giving them to you.  Psychiatrists are the most knowledgeable for this.  One thing all these symptoms could indicate is a testosterone problem -- did your endocrinologist test for sexual hormones?  Testosterone in males tends to be highest in males in the morning, which is when you say it's the worst.  Just a thought.  If you really want to figure this out, try to find a psychiatrist who practices a form of integrated medicine who call themselves functional physicians, which are psychiatrists who remembered they went to medical school and try to rule out all possible physiological causes before attributing a problem to mental illness.  And if they do, they're trained in treating mental illness.  For therapy, you want a psychologist -- they don't prescribe drugs, they study more psychology than any other practitioner, and can refer you for medication if they think it's necessary, and are best for diagnostic purposes if it's not physiological.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sounds like anxiety. For years I'd have physical symptoms everyday and I would go to the doctor for answers and I found none. Try going to your general doctor and ask about an antidepressant. I take zoloft everyday and it has helped me a lot and reduced my physical symptoms. anxiety and depression can cause lack of sex drive and insomnia.
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Avatar universal
Why did " my endocrinologist prescribed Propanalol since he thinks it's all due to anxiety" ?
This med is for heart issues so I don't get what you meant.

Acyclovir is for herpes and related issues so that is irrelevant to your problem.

Your symptoms seem like they could be markers of classic anxiety, since they seem unrelated to each other and therefore are likely all in your head from fear.  Fear makes you sweat and tense up and over-analyze your body in a vicious circle where the worse things seem, the more you analyze which makes you more fearful.

Try a therapist to see if they can help you relax by finding ways to deal with all these worries. If the "symptoms" are just anxiety driven, then the key will be to find a way for you to accept that there is nothing wrong and they will disappear. No one can diagnose you from here, and you have seen doctors who feel it is just anxiety, so therapy to deal with anxiety is the best next step you can take.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Anxious, beta blockers are used for anxiety.  I think the only symptom they're proven work for is social anxiety, but they are used for anxiety especially if heart symptoms are there.  In this case, it seems like the wrong med, but it is commonly used for anxiety whether effectively or not I don't know.  
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