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What Causes Burning Sensation From Head To Toe?
Question: My mother is 89 years old has been suffering with severe anxiety for 6 months now, her family Dr has changed medications several times. She also has stomach ulcers which get really agravatted when she has a panick/anxiety attack, her Grastroenterologist suggested that I take her to a Psychquiatrist to regulate her anxiety.
The Pschyiatrist just prescribed the following: Seroquel x-R 25 mg 1 pill at night, Oxcarbamezpine
15 mg 1 pill at night, Citalopram 20 MG 1/2 pill in the am and 1/2 at 6 pm. She is also taking pentroprazole 40 mg 1 at nigt . The first day she was fine and felt anxiety attacks but they went away she was also able to sleep at night. Yesterday was her second day on these medications and she only slept 2 hrs the rest of the night whe was unable to sleep due to a burning sensation from head to toe. is this a common side effect? should she stop the medication? what can she do to help this burning sensation?
I forgot to Mention that due to her anxiety she is unable to sleep.
The Pschyiatrist just prescribed the following: Seroquel x-R 25 mg 1 pill at night, Oxcarbamezpine
15 mg 1 pill at night, Citalopram 20 MG 1/2 pill in the am and 1/2 at 6 pm. She is also taking pentroprazole 40 mg 1 at nigt . The first day she was fine and felt anxiety attacks but they went away she was also able to sleep at night. Yesterday was her second day on these medications and she only slept 2 hrs the rest of the night whe was unable to sleep due to a burning sensation from head to toe. is this a common side effect? should she stop the medication? what can she do to help this burning sensation?
I forgot to Mention that due to her anxiety she is unable to sleep.
Brief Answer:
Medicines should be changed. Vit. B12 needed.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXX,
Thanks for using healthcaremagic. This is Dr. Chintan Solanki here.
As she is suffering from anxiety and panic attacks and she was given paroxetine and alprazolam in past, it seems that diagnosis is right.
But after changing medicines she was given Seroquel (Quetiepine), Oxcarbamezapine and citalopram. I don't think that except citalopram other two drugs are indicted in her anxiety disorder. Seroquel may be given for sleep.
Seroquel cause itching and burning sensation in some patients and she might have sensation due to that.
Oxcarbazepin is also not of use in her disorder as per diagnosis.
If I would be treating doctor, I would like to stop seroquel and oxcarbazepine and also change citalopram to escitalopram.
For good control of anxiety she must be given benzodizepine group of drugs like Clonazepam or Etizoam to start with 0.25 mg three times a day. Clonazepam may cause sedation but etizolam would not. And clonzepam can be increased up to 1 mg at night for good sleep.
As she has ulcer, she might have Vitamin B12 deficiency and which is responsible for burning sensation all over the body. Injection of Vitamin B12 will help in this burning sensation as well as in anxiety symptoms also.
Her burning sensation might be part of her anxiety disorder also and to treat that we must treat anxiety disorder through SSRI medicines. I would like to use sertraline instead of escitalopram when ulcer is there and considering her age as it is safe in cardiac disturbance.
As she is 89 years old she should be given minimum medicines with optimum dose and with least side effects which she can tolerate.
And her emotional and social evaluation should be done from psychodynamic point of view
It can help in reducing anxiety and overall physical symptoms through counselling.
So before consulting her treating psychiatrist or changing psychiatrist you can keep note of above points I just narrated and discuss with treating doctor to treat her in better way.Above medicines must be start after doctor's examination and written prescription only.
I hope I have answered your query,
If still any confusion, let me know.
Thanks & Regards.
Medicines should be changed. Vit. B12 needed.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXX,
Thanks for using healthcaremagic. This is Dr. Chintan Solanki here.
As she is suffering from anxiety and panic attacks and she was given paroxetine and alprazolam in past, it seems that diagnosis is right.
But after changing medicines she was given Seroquel (Quetiepine), Oxcarbamezapine and citalopram. I don't think that except citalopram other two drugs are indicted in her anxiety disorder. Seroquel may be given for sleep.
Seroquel cause itching and burning sensation in some patients and she might have sensation due to that.
Oxcarbazepin is also not of use in her disorder as per diagnosis.
If I would be treating doctor, I would like to stop seroquel and oxcarbazepine and also change citalopram to escitalopram.
For good control of anxiety she must be given benzodizepine group of drugs like Clonazepam or Etizoam to start with 0.25 mg three times a day. Clonazepam may cause sedation but etizolam would not. And clonzepam can be increased up to 1 mg at night for good sleep.
As she has ulcer, she might have Vitamin B12 deficiency and which is responsible for burning sensation all over the body. Injection of Vitamin B12 will help in this burning sensation as well as in anxiety symptoms also.
Her burning sensation might be part of her anxiety disorder also and to treat that we must treat anxiety disorder through SSRI medicines. I would like to use sertraline instead of escitalopram when ulcer is there and considering her age as it is safe in cardiac disturbance.
As she is 89 years old she should be given minimum medicines with optimum dose and with least side effects which she can tolerate.
And her emotional and social evaluation should be done from psychodynamic point of view
It can help in reducing anxiety and overall physical symptoms through counselling.
So before consulting her treating psychiatrist or changing psychiatrist you can keep note of above points I just narrated and discuss with treating doctor to treat her in better way.Above medicines must be start after doctor's examination and written prescription only.
I hope I have answered your query,
If still any confusion, let me know.
Thanks & Regards.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Answered by
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