Suffering From Dizziness, Anxiety, Slight Confusion And Stomach Ache. Cause And Cure?

Posted on Mon, 25 Feb 2013

Question: i am suffering with a lot od dizziness and anxiety.
i do not sleep well but felt calm when i went to bed. it woke me with dizziness and slight confusion. still don't feel right now, lethargic, dizzy and confused/foggy. what could it be?
also getting pains in stomach and in back, under shoulder blades.

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (19 minutes later)

Hello.......
Thanks for your query. On going through your symptoms the initial diagnosis to rule out would be whether your blood pressure is under control by three consecutive day readings; blood sugar levels by ascertaining fasting and post-prandial (after food). If the above two causes are ruled out, you would require a thorough psychiatric evaluation for anxiety disorders which might manifest with the above symptoms. Anxiety disorders can also present with bodily/somatic symptoms as you mentioned like shoulder/back pain. If it turns out to be anxiety disorder, we have effective anti-anxiety medication like SSRI's available in addition to psychotherapy techniques (eg cognitive behavioural therapy). Hope you found the information useful.
Regards
Dr Sundar
Neuro-Psychiatrist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (1 hour later)

Blood pressure is under control.
Worried that being put down to anxiety and a real cause maybe being overlooked?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (9 minutes later)

Hello.........
The cluster of symptoms you mentioned does not fit into any serious disease/disorder. Hence, it is better not to worry. Considering blood pressure is under control, consider blood sugar testing. If it turns out to be normal, there is no possibility other an anxiety disorder that comes to my mind.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (25 minutes later)

Feel so drained and fed up with it all as it started 5 months ago and the symptoms just seem to keep increasing. What a vicious cycle!

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (5 minutes later)

Hello.....
There is nothing to worry. The vicious cycle can be broken once the final diagnosis is clinched. Hope my suggestions help you in clinching the diagnosis. You need to remember preoccupation with theses symptoms by itself can lead to reactive depression. Wish you good health.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (15 minutes later)

Thankyou. I have become very preoccupied with the symptoms and think of little else. I cannot drive, work or be alone at the moment as I am dizzy and scared. Not a nice place to be, and I just want to be better.

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 minutes later)

Ya you will surely be better. You do not in my assessment suffer from a disease that would handicap your activities over the long run. Wish you speedy recovery.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (9 minutes later)

Thankyou, I hope so! Want to do it without anti-depressants though

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (1 hour later)

Do not have to fear psychotropic drugs. You should be fine soon.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (25 minutes later)

i want to do it without though.

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (9 hours later)

Ya that would be preferable.
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (7 hours later)

can anxiety alone really cause so many physical symptoms?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (6 minutes later)

Yes, it can explain most of your symptoms including pain symptoms, dizziness, clouding of mind, confusion and lethargy.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (24 minutes later)

ok, thankyou.
feel like i need to retrain my brain but it's hard to stop worrying

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (3 minutes later)

Do not worry. You should be fine.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (55 minutes later)

i am such a detemined person and very active in my mind, therefore it is workign against me at the moment and i am so preoccupied that i can't relax or distract myself

wonder when or if i will ever get better

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (5 hours later)

Hello........
I suggest you avoid being preoccupied with the symptoms and try to distract yourself with games/music.
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (9 minutes later)

Hard as I am getting what seems to be acid reflux? pain in centre of chest, radiates to throat and across top of chest to left shoulder. pains in back too.
rushes up back of head are most frightening. have you heard of them before. makes me dizzy and disorientated

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (17 hours later)

Hello......
Ya i agree with you it could be acid reflux called GERD disease. It is a disease well documented to be associate with stress and anxiety. Drugs like ranitidine/omeprazole are very effective in the condition. However, the dizziness and disorientation have got nothing to do with acid reflex and are classical of episodic anxiety attacks.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (3 hours later)

omeprazole and gaviscon not working.
no-one seems to have heard of these sensations up back of head, like a rush of blood/lack of blood when it makes me really dizzy and faint feeling. also get headache after. have you come across them before?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 minutes later)

To be on safer side, an endoscopy can be done for complaints suggestive of GERD. The strange symptom you report of is quite rare and i have across the same only in one patient till now. He responded to anti-anxiety drugs and we hypothesised it was an anxiety symptom.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (13 minutes later)

a little worrying that you have only ever come across one other person with this.
can the blood flow be affected and could it be dangerous?

these chest pains - if it is stomach, can they go across left side of chest and into shoulder/clavicle area?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 minutes later)

I agree this symptom is odd. However, we do come across other types of such strange symptoms on a regular basis as well. Yes, the pain can radiate in this manner since we hypothesise the pain is psychogenic origin, it does not have to follow a regular/usual pattern.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (21 minutes later)

could it be anything more serious seing as it is 'odd'?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (5 minutes later)

No, it is not likely to be serious since the symptoms of psychogenic origin can present in many strange ways and it is impossible to compare different patients unlike in medical diseases.
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (1 minute later)

it worries me that i might have a stroke

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 hours later)

No, this is not the way any of the variants of stroke present with. It would not even fit with TIA/Transient ischaemic attacks, the mildest form of stroke. Hence, you need not worry in that aspect.
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (56 minutes later)

thanks for help
feel so down
stomach pains and in back not going.
doctor now says might be tension but not explain acid etc

feel so fed up with it all

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (12 hours later)

You have to understand the fact that our mind and body are interlinked through multiple mechanisms. hence, you would have to wait for the anxiety symptoms to abate so that the bodily symptoms are relieved.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 hours later)

I UNDERSTAND HOW COMPLICATED IT IS AND HAVE DONE LOTS OF READING ON IT. JUST FEEL A NUISANCE AND THAT DOCTOR IS FED UP WITH SEEING ME NOW. NEED SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT NOT TO FEEL A PEST. FEEL VERY ALONE NOW AND LIKE NO-OBE UNDERSTANDS OR CARES.

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (5 hours later)

Nothing to worry so much about. I can assure you these symptoms are not life threatening. Hence, you can concentrate on your work now.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (1 hour later)

thankyou for that.
i do worry a lot and just want support and understanding to keep me going, not to feel alone and dismissed.

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (56 minutes later)

Ya, i agree with your concern.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (32 minutes later)

i have thought of trying 5htp sertone.
have you heard of it and if it is affective for anxiety by boosting serotonin?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (9 hours later)

Yes i have heard of the drug. It is a combination of 5-hydroxy tryptophan and a number of vitamins. It should be atleast theoretically effective for anxiety symptoms. However, what is to be remembered is when you are prescribed SSRI along with it, it may interact and hence dosage needs to be adjusted.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (6 hours later)

not on any ssri

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (1 hour later)

In that case, you can try the drug. In case you do not experience any relief even after 2 months, you can discontinue the same gradually.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (8 minutes later)

now on spasmonal for stomach as omeprazole and gaviscon have not worked. why is nothing working and could it be my gallstones? should i have an endoscopy or ultrasound because doctor not very interested?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 hours later)

Spasmonal contains alverine, a smooth muscle relaxant. However, i would not be in a position to comment on whether and which investigations to recommend . It is for your gastroenterologist to comment upon.
Regards
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 hours later)

DO THE SPASMONAL HAVE SIDE EFFECTS? IF SO, WOULD I BE BETTER ON MEBEVERINE?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (11 hours later)

Mebeverine has minimal side effects as compared to spasmonal forte. Hence, you can prefer mebeverine to spasmonal.
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (2 days later)

had this acid reflux for 4 weeks but got a pain under right rib and thought to back.
what could this be?
gallstones found on scan 12 months ago.
little worried

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (12 hours later)

As you mentioned gall stones can result in above symptoms. A repeat ultrasound scan to identify the status of gall stones would be useful in this regard.
Dr XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (7 hours later)

would it make the ribs too tender to touch? very sore, and sore patch on back also.
stomach acid still bad and on ranitidine. should this all be settling down now.
had omeprazole for 2 weeks, gaviscon and now ranitidine?
worried about liver or pancreas or gallbladder

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (6 hours later)

Tender ribs can be a result of costochondritis I.e inflammation of cartilage between ribs. It requires antiinflammatory drugs like nsaids. It is characterised by more pain during XXXXXXX inhalation. It is unlikely to be related to liver or pancreas or gall bladder.
Regards
Dr XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (44 minutes later)

not in centre of chest though, on outer ribs, in line with arm but around 11th rib

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (3 minutes later)

What you are desribing is quite typical of costochondritis I.e localised pain along outer ribs. You would require an ortho evaluation.
Dr XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (1 hour later)

i thought it was in centre.
bit worried about liver and gallbladder due to pains in shoulders, ribs and under right rib

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (11 hours later)

Anyway as I had suggested earlier you would have to undergo an ultrasound abdomen. That would rule out liver gall bladder pathology. Hence there is nothing to fear.
Regards
Dr XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (7 minutes later)

had blood tests yesterday but it is now a constant ache with sharp pains all around right ribs, into back and lower back. Getting worse and I am worried at waiting time.

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (3 minutes later)

Usually gall bladder pathology can present this way. However it is not that XXXXXXX that you need to be worried about. Hence you would have to wait for ultrasound to be performed. No intervention would be recommended till then.
Regards
Dr XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (4 hours later)

MY MOTHER HAD SIMILAR TROUBLE AND ENDED UP RUSHED INTO HOSPITAL WITH PANCREATITIS SO OBVIOUSLY I AM WORRIED THAT THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TO ME?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (6 minutes later)

I agree pancreatitis is quite a serious condition. The causes are usually alcohol or viral infection. However the diagnosis can be made only after an ultrasound. You can consider doing serum amylase test which will be elevated in pancreatitis. You can comsider this a stop gap arrangement before ultrasound. Cholecystitis or gall bladder inflammation is not that serious a condition.
Dr Sundar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (32 minutes later)

is it normal to ahve all these pains and twinges constantly?

Answered by Dr. Sundar Gnanavel (1 hour later)

No of course it is not normal. However what is required is both a thorough physical as well as psychiatric evaluation to decipher the cause of the above symptoms.
Dr XXXXXXX

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar