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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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On Zantac For Acid Reflux. Started Smoking. Have ADHD. What Can Help Stress?

I am 35, work full time, father of 2 and extremely busy/stressed all the time. Wife is a self-employed workaholic perfectionist that places unrealistically high expectations on everything and our schedule is creating a lot of tension on our relationship as we simply do not have time for anything nor does she see the need for us to spend time together as a couple. I work days and she works nights/weekends leaving me to do the majority of the house stuff, yard work, cooking, cleaning, fixing, etc. I eat relatively healthy (providing I don t skip meals - rarely eat breakfast and sometimes skip supper and snack later at night), however I don t exercise aside from running around after the kids and cleaning the house and whatnot. My concentration has gotten progressively worse over the past few years and have determined I have ADHD and have been taking dexedrine for about 10 months. It helps immensely with focus and energy levels however I have started smoking again and have been drinking 2-8 beers a day in the evenings to relax for the past 9 months or so. I don t really get drunk or hungover and it never affects job performance, home responsibilities, etc. (although it is a complete waste of money) However, recently I am just feeling blah. I have had a problem with acid reflux for years and take Zantac almost every day. I m usually tired (I get about 6 hours sleep a night) and drink more coffee than I should, I m on edge and constantly walking on eggshells with my wife (mainly from marital problems and her being very critical, demanding and overbearing), anxious and our conversations usually turn into arguments. Now I m having a bit of a stomach ache, dark stools, and just a feeling of being stuck/trapped and unmotivated. The stress has been compounding yearly since the birth of our first child 6 1/2 years ago and shows no signs of slowing down so I need to find a better way to deal with it or eliminate the cause of the stress. My wife handles (aka: thrives on stress) much better than I do and has no need for down time, hobbies or anything of the sort. I m the opposite and need that to unwind and feel rejuvenated. We never hang out with friends or family and my only social life exists via keeping in touch with friends via email/texts or the couple times a year I go on a fishing trip or out to a concert with friends. It s the classic all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy scenario. However, any attempts at doing things for me (painting, outings, etc) start another fight in my wife accuses me of being selfish. I m sure the physical symptoms I am experiencing are a combination of many of these factors however I am wondering if there is a cause for concern to seek medical or psychological help. I am taking L-theanine to help mellow me out a bit and that works well. I ve tried not taking the dexedrine (10mg spansule twice a day) but if I don t I m bagged and my concentration is horrible. Any suggestions would be great as I am in a small town and the doctors here are not very helpful/resourceful and there are no mental health providers in the area and I m too busy to drive to go see one. I feel like I m going crazy some days and have researched things to the max online. Thanks in advance, Al
Mon, 24 Sep 2012
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Psychiatrist 's  Response
Hi,

Welcome to HealthcareMagic Public Forum

You can continue treatment for ADHD. Your other several symptoms appear to related to stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety can also present with several physical symptoms.

Many time it become difficult for general physician to understand psychological problems. For stress and anxiety assessment and treatment, you can visit psychiatrist in nearby city. Apart from that take healthy diet and do aerobic exercise regularly.

I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you.
Wish you Good Health.

Regards,
Dr. Ashish Mittal
www.99doctor.com
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On Zantac For Acid Reflux. Started Smoking. Have ADHD. What Can Help Stress?

Hi, Welcome to HealthcareMagic Public Forum You can continue treatment for ADHD. Your other several symptoms appear to related to stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety can also present with several physical symptoms. Many time it become difficult for general physician to understand psychological problems. For stress and anxiety assessment and treatment, you can visit psychiatrist in nearby city. Apart from that take healthy diet and do aerobic exercise regularly. I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. Wish you Good Health. Regards, Dr. Ashish Mittal www.99doctor.com