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Suggest Treatment For Severe Upper Abdominal Pain And Gastritis
Question: Dear Doctor
I have been suffering from gastritis and panic disorder for over one year (approximately 1 yr 6 months - 2 years. I believe these conditions are both related to each other because when i was diagnosed with gastritis and severe pain in the upper abdominal i started feeling dizzy and having panic attacks at the same time. i then went onto see a psychiatrist after my consultation with the gastro entomologist who confirmed i have a panic disorder. the doctor initially gave me omeprazole i cannot remember the dosage now but i was taking for one year and then i stopped taking this medicine under the supervision and guidance of the psychiatrist I am seeing. the psychiatrist then prescribed me Escitalopram the branded model called cipralex (SSRI). I have been feeling better since taking this medicine as it has incredibly reduced the anxiety symptoms I used to feel and stopped my panic attacks.
My Psychiatrist doctor could see that I was improving so he decided to take me off the medicine slowly. i reduced my dosage from 25mg daily to 10mg to 5 mg over one month and then eventually stopped the medicine. when i stopped the escitalopram after 1 or 2 weeks I was starting to get severe pain again in my upper abdominal which feels like tightness in the chest as well as feeling severely ill my symptoms included sweaty hands dizziness panic attacks and general feeling of being unwell. I then went back to my psychiatrist doctor who put me back on the medicine and realised it was not yet time to stop the medicine. This incident happened maybe 6/7 months ago. since then I have been taking the escitalopram again 25mg daily.
This experience has left me slightly traumatised and worried if I will be able to stop this medicine soon as my doctor would like to try again for me to stop the medicine in maybe 3/4 months time depending on my condition.
also I have had a fungal nail infection for the past year so my doctor referred me to a dermatologist who prescribed me a medicine called terbinafine 250mg daily to cure the fungal toe nail infection. i have blackheads on my nose so the doctor also prescribed me 1% acid sal 1% resorcinol in spirit to apply to face with cotton pads. also could you tell me if you happen to know if this is good way to cure blackheads?
After three days of taking the terbinafine I started to have tightness in my chest/ upper abdominal pain, anxiety was coming back sweaty palms feeling light headed. I am not sure why this happened maybe you would be able to explain this? I would like to mention that at the same time that I started taking the terbinafine I started taking a multivitamin which had vegetable blend and some ginseng inside it. I do not know which of the two caused the problem I stopped taking both of them In my opinion it was the terbinafine as it was very strong medicine but I am no longer taking the multivitamin also to be on the safe side. I am now only consuming 25mg cipralex and 1 tablet of cod liver oil daily. Since i stopped taking these medicines I have recovered and started to feel better again.
I personally feel that when my stomach lining heals completely My stress levels should go down and this should help reduce anxiety. I am going to try and cut down the sugar I eat and eat more healthy . I had spoken to someone who had gone through similar problem like me and decided to get off the anti depressant medicine they explained to me that for them they were taking ginseng tea, chinese herbal teas, iron tablets and cod liver oil. I went to a chinese herbal store and asked them about ginseng they said this will make my anxiety worser is this true? so i bought papaya herbal tea instead which the chinese doctors were suggesting i should drink twice a day and is good for stomach lining. Since i am sensitive to products I tried once while i was ill from the terbinafine i was taking. I have now recovered and would like to ask if you think it is safe and beneficial for me to drink papaya herbal tea. I would also like to ask based on my condition what I should be eating food wise and if there are any natural supplements that can help my condition?
I have also been told that when i stop taking the anti depressant medicines my hormones become unbalanced and my serotonin levels will decrease.. What can i do as an alternative to keep my hormone balances normal and serotonin levels high so that I do not feel the side effects when I stop this medicine?
could you explain to me what is happening inside my body when i stop the SSRI that is causing me to feel severely ill also so I can understand my situation better.
i do not want to stay on SSRI forever as you know it has its side effects I do not feel as energetic as I used to and my mood is very neutral and emotionless. I want to be medicine free again and healthy. I like going to the gym regularly also and doing weightlifting and cardiovascular exercises like jogging, since my energy levels have been reduced from these medicines I have not been able to go as much as I used to. Would appreciate your help. I am seeing specialist doctors in london but they are also very limited in time when we speak and I am unable to get answers to all my questions sometimes which is why I have come to this website seeking for some information, help and guidance.
any other advice of anything I should be doing will be really helpful whether its lifestyle sleeping pattern, diet, medication etc.
regards
XXXX
I have been suffering from gastritis and panic disorder for over one year (approximately 1 yr 6 months - 2 years. I believe these conditions are both related to each other because when i was diagnosed with gastritis and severe pain in the upper abdominal i started feeling dizzy and having panic attacks at the same time. i then went onto see a psychiatrist after my consultation with the gastro entomologist who confirmed i have a panic disorder. the doctor initially gave me omeprazole i cannot remember the dosage now but i was taking for one year and then i stopped taking this medicine under the supervision and guidance of the psychiatrist I am seeing. the psychiatrist then prescribed me Escitalopram the branded model called cipralex (SSRI). I have been feeling better since taking this medicine as it has incredibly reduced the anxiety symptoms I used to feel and stopped my panic attacks.
My Psychiatrist doctor could see that I was improving so he decided to take me off the medicine slowly. i reduced my dosage from 25mg daily to 10mg to 5 mg over one month and then eventually stopped the medicine. when i stopped the escitalopram after 1 or 2 weeks I was starting to get severe pain again in my upper abdominal which feels like tightness in the chest as well as feeling severely ill my symptoms included sweaty hands dizziness panic attacks and general feeling of being unwell. I then went back to my psychiatrist doctor who put me back on the medicine and realised it was not yet time to stop the medicine. This incident happened maybe 6/7 months ago. since then I have been taking the escitalopram again 25mg daily.
This experience has left me slightly traumatised and worried if I will be able to stop this medicine soon as my doctor would like to try again for me to stop the medicine in maybe 3/4 months time depending on my condition.
also I have had a fungal nail infection for the past year so my doctor referred me to a dermatologist who prescribed me a medicine called terbinafine 250mg daily to cure the fungal toe nail infection. i have blackheads on my nose so the doctor also prescribed me 1% acid sal 1% resorcinol in spirit to apply to face with cotton pads. also could you tell me if you happen to know if this is good way to cure blackheads?
After three days of taking the terbinafine I started to have tightness in my chest/ upper abdominal pain, anxiety was coming back sweaty palms feeling light headed. I am not sure why this happened maybe you would be able to explain this? I would like to mention that at the same time that I started taking the terbinafine I started taking a multivitamin which had vegetable blend and some ginseng inside it. I do not know which of the two caused the problem I stopped taking both of them In my opinion it was the terbinafine as it was very strong medicine but I am no longer taking the multivitamin also to be on the safe side. I am now only consuming 25mg cipralex and 1 tablet of cod liver oil daily. Since i stopped taking these medicines I have recovered and started to feel better again.
I personally feel that when my stomach lining heals completely My stress levels should go down and this should help reduce anxiety. I am going to try and cut down the sugar I eat and eat more healthy . I had spoken to someone who had gone through similar problem like me and decided to get off the anti depressant medicine they explained to me that for them they were taking ginseng tea, chinese herbal teas, iron tablets and cod liver oil. I went to a chinese herbal store and asked them about ginseng they said this will make my anxiety worser is this true? so i bought papaya herbal tea instead which the chinese doctors were suggesting i should drink twice a day and is good for stomach lining. Since i am sensitive to products I tried once while i was ill from the terbinafine i was taking. I have now recovered and would like to ask if you think it is safe and beneficial for me to drink papaya herbal tea. I would also like to ask based on my condition what I should be eating food wise and if there are any natural supplements that can help my condition?
I have also been told that when i stop taking the anti depressant medicines my hormones become unbalanced and my serotonin levels will decrease.. What can i do as an alternative to keep my hormone balances normal and serotonin levels high so that I do not feel the side effects when I stop this medicine?
could you explain to me what is happening inside my body when i stop the SSRI that is causing me to feel severely ill also so I can understand my situation better.
i do not want to stay on SSRI forever as you know it has its side effects I do not feel as energetic as I used to and my mood is very neutral and emotionless. I want to be medicine free again and healthy. I like going to the gym regularly also and doing weightlifting and cardiovascular exercises like jogging, since my energy levels have been reduced from these medicines I have not been able to go as much as I used to. Would appreciate your help. I am seeing specialist doctors in london but they are also very limited in time when we speak and I am unable to get answers to all my questions sometimes which is why I have come to this website seeking for some information, help and guidance.
any other advice of anything I should be doing will be really helpful whether its lifestyle sleeping pattern, diet, medication etc.
regards
XXXX
Brief Answer:
5 HTPn could be a option
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for using Healthcaremagic.
I read your query with keen interest and understand your concerns.
First of all I like to inform you that worsening of anxiety in between was result of multivitamin rather than the terbinafine. It is true that terbinafine can cause anxiety symptoms but the same is more true with multivitamins which contain Ginseng.
Now regarding the medication I am of the opinion that you should continue for nine to 12 months before attempting withdrawal of cipralex. In addition it will be right to take atleast 4-6 months to take off cipralex from current 25 mg per day.
Although it is not possible for me to state whether you will be off the medications but I like to share my own experience. Around 60% of my patients with anxiety and panic attacks get rid of medications after a prescribed length and same can be expected in your case.
Regarding the natural supplements in my opinion you can ask for 5HTPn to maintain the serotonin level if you stop the cipralex. The supplements acts as natural precursor for serotonin and maintains the required level in absence of medications. Even cipralex does the same thing but with different mechanism and so some more side effects.
Regarding your symptoms on stopping medication the serotonin is responsible. When we stop medication prematurely there is imbalance of serotonin concentration in required areas which leads to development of symptoms.
I hope this assists you.
If you have more questions I will be glad to assist you further.
If you do not have more questions, please close the discussion and if possible rate the answer for my future patients.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-ashok-kumar/67386
Thanks and regards.
5 HTPn could be a option
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for using Healthcaremagic.
I read your query with keen interest and understand your concerns.
First of all I like to inform you that worsening of anxiety in between was result of multivitamin rather than the terbinafine. It is true that terbinafine can cause anxiety symptoms but the same is more true with multivitamins which contain Ginseng.
Now regarding the medication I am of the opinion that you should continue for nine to 12 months before attempting withdrawal of cipralex. In addition it will be right to take atleast 4-6 months to take off cipralex from current 25 mg per day.
Although it is not possible for me to state whether you will be off the medications but I like to share my own experience. Around 60% of my patients with anxiety and panic attacks get rid of medications after a prescribed length and same can be expected in your case.
Regarding the natural supplements in my opinion you can ask for 5HTPn to maintain the serotonin level if you stop the cipralex. The supplements acts as natural precursor for serotonin and maintains the required level in absence of medications. Even cipralex does the same thing but with different mechanism and so some more side effects.
Regarding your symptoms on stopping medication the serotonin is responsible. When we stop medication prematurely there is imbalance of serotonin concentration in required areas which leads to development of symptoms.
I hope this assists you.
If you have more questions I will be glad to assist you further.
If you do not have more questions, please close the discussion and if possible rate the answer for my future patients.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-ashok-kumar/67386
Thanks and regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
Dear Dr XXXXXXX thank you for your response
would be grateful if you could answer the following questions
1) i purchased papaya tea from herbal store would this be safe and beneficial to take with my conditions and I have also heard Iron supplement is good to take what is your opinion on this.
2) If i was to take 5htp- how long would i need to take it for ? I was told by a friend I should bring my balances normal atlas 1 month before i decide to get off medicine.
3) is there any other natural substances I could take to enhance my physical condition before trying to stop the medicine
4) how would you recommend I should stop taking the medicine? i know that i can gradually decrease the dosage but should this be done over a month or a longer period? also what is your opinion of taking the medicine one day and then not taking second day and repeating.
5) what is your views of the gastritis playing a role in this anxiety and will curing my stomach further help in reducing the anxiety so that when i stop the medicine i do not feel the side effects?
6) will heavy weight lifting affect my anxiety or gastritis in anyway?
5) ramadan is coming in 2 months the fasting period, would you recommend that I fast being on the medications that I'm taking or it is better not to fast?
6) does unhealthy eating affect my anxiety?
7) is it ok for me to take the cod liver oil?
8) should I avoid drinking normal tea as it makes me slightly dehydrated and it has some caffeine in it.
9) If I am getting severe side effects when I stop the medicine what am i supposed to do should i fight it and see if the time will pass or would i need to take the medicine again immediately.
10) would I have any side effects when I stop taking the 5-htp if i start to take it?
11) should I avoid spicy food and caffeine in general
12) are multi vitamins without ginseng bad for me?
would be grateful if you could answer the following questions
1) i purchased papaya tea from herbal store would this be safe and beneficial to take with my conditions and I have also heard Iron supplement is good to take what is your opinion on this.
2) If i was to take 5htp- how long would i need to take it for ? I was told by a friend I should bring my balances normal atlas 1 month before i decide to get off medicine.
3) is there any other natural substances I could take to enhance my physical condition before trying to stop the medicine
4) how would you recommend I should stop taking the medicine? i know that i can gradually decrease the dosage but should this be done over a month or a longer period? also what is your opinion of taking the medicine one day and then not taking second day and repeating.
5) what is your views of the gastritis playing a role in this anxiety and will curing my stomach further help in reducing the anxiety so that when i stop the medicine i do not feel the side effects?
6) will heavy weight lifting affect my anxiety or gastritis in anyway?
5) ramadan is coming in 2 months the fasting period, would you recommend that I fast being on the medications that I'm taking or it is better not to fast?
6) does unhealthy eating affect my anxiety?
7) is it ok for me to take the cod liver oil?
8) should I avoid drinking normal tea as it makes me slightly dehydrated and it has some caffeine in it.
9) If I am getting severe side effects when I stop the medicine what am i supposed to do should i fight it and see if the time will pass or would i need to take the medicine again immediately.
10) would I have any side effects when I stop taking the 5-htp if i start to take it?
11) should I avoid spicy food and caffeine in general
12) are multi vitamins without ginseng bad for me?
Brief Answer:
Follow up
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for follow up
Please find the answers for your question.
1. Yes papaya and iron are safe for both of your conditions although take care of not taking them in excess.
2. Generally six months. I will prefer not to comment on your friend advice as no such data exists.
3. There are many like S adenosylmethionine, omega fatty acids and lot others. I do not think you can try all of them.
4. As advised above take at least three to four months. Alternative day dosing can be considered at the time of stopping
5. I think it is other way around. Anxiety causing gastritis.
6. No
5(b) Lets wait for the time. Two months are enough to decide against sort in favour.
6 (b) Definitely yes
7. It is helpful. Contains unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D
8. Yes. Eating pattern is very important. Avoid even spicy and high calorie foods along with alcohol, if any.
9. I think you should see a doctor in that case.
10. Generally no
11. I answered at point no 8
12. I think you should avoid them provided there is no deficiency. I do not find any definite role with them.
I hope this answers you further.
Thanks and regards.
Follow up
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for follow up
Please find the answers for your question.
1. Yes papaya and iron are safe for both of your conditions although take care of not taking them in excess.
2. Generally six months. I will prefer not to comment on your friend advice as no such data exists.
3. There are many like S adenosylmethionine, omega fatty acids and lot others. I do not think you can try all of them.
4. As advised above take at least three to four months. Alternative day dosing can be considered at the time of stopping
5. I think it is other way around. Anxiety causing gastritis.
6. No
5(b) Lets wait for the time. Two months are enough to decide against sort in favour.
6 (b) Definitely yes
7. It is helpful. Contains unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D
8. Yes. Eating pattern is very important. Avoid even spicy and high calorie foods along with alcohol, if any.
9. I think you should see a doctor in that case.
10. Generally no
11. I answered at point no 8
12. I think you should avoid them provided there is no deficiency. I do not find any definite role with them.
I hope this answers you further.
Thanks and regards.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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