Question:
I have experienced anxiety and depression in the past, typically related to
something going on in my life at the time. However, what I'm going through now is completely
new to me. I've been having overwhelming fatigue for the past 6 weeks and am
barely able to make it through the day. I take a shower and have to rest, can
barely make it up and down steps, etc. I'm also have significant shortness of
breath, especially with any exertion. I just feel like I can't "catch" my
breath. I had an appointment with an internist last week and my EKG, pulse-ox,
and pulmonary function tests were fine. Physical exam was also normal. I'm
waiting for blood test results, including thryoid function, and will go for a
chest x-ray as soon as I'm up to it. I'm just wondering if depression and
anxiety have ever caused this extreme set of symptoms in anyone else in the
group. I don't *feel* depressed, except for the fact that I'm not getting
better. Nothing is going on to make me unusually anxious, although I know that
anxiety can occur for no apparent reason. I will pursue testing but while I
wait just would love to know if this has happened to anyone else and what the
final result was. I did start Prozac a week ago on the guess that my illness
may be depression based.
Answer:
your symptoms can be caused by either anxiety or depression or a combination of
both-please due persue some additional medical tests including an endocrine
scan a comprehensive blood work up a neuro exam and a titer for epstein barr as
well as lymes disease That sounds like a physical problem, either lung or heart. Wouldn't it also be prudent to have a glucose tolerance test for Type
II? The lack of energy could be due to this. Please note that I am not an MD as Margrove2 is, so please feel free
to blast me out of the water if I'm way off the mark. Welcome to ASAP!! Depression and anxiety can cause the symptoms you
describe but so can alot of physical disorders. It is very wise that you
are having a bunch of tests done.
When I was having problems with my thyroid, the fatigue I experienced
was awful. I went to the doctor thinking it was just anxiety, thank god
he ran a bunch of tests and found it was my thyroid that was making me
feel so bad. My Mother has experienced severe fatigue, she has Epstein
Barr. Were you sick with a cold or the flu before this fatigue started?
Take care, I hope you feel better soon! I don't hear the word *anxiety* among your present symptoms, just
*fatigue*. If other causes are indeed ruled out you may have CFS
(Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) or ME as it's sometimes called. This is
difficult to diagnose and more difficult to treat as there is no known
cure yet. It is recommended to live healthily (regular scheme, good
nutrition etc.).
Of course fatigue can be and indeed often is part of an anxiety disorder
but when it's the *only* symptom it wouldn't be very logical to think of
that IMHO. What you described happened to me. I would feel tired all the time and my
wife would complain that I sat around the house all day watching TV so why
was I tired. I too barely made it up a flight of stairs. I too went through
all of these test with nothing found. It was then that I did some research
on the net looking for symptoms like mine as I firmly believe that I should
take a very active role in my health and well being. Have you ever gone to
the same doctor three times in three months and have him/her ask you to
remind him/her again why you are there? Anyway my search engine search
brought me to many sites dealing with many diseases that can cause these
symptoms.
