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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by L.C. on October 6, 1999, at 8:42:45
This is going to sound very odd, but have any of you ever experienced sort of "tickling" or itching sensations on your skin, on different parts of your body. Not a tingling or numbness, but more like a tickling sensation of sorts. I suffer from anxiety/depression, and get psychosomatic symptoms during depressive episodes. Could this be anxiety-related?
Posted by Susan on October 6, 1999, at 10:30:39
In reply to STRANGE QUESTION -- Please don't laugh, posted by L.C. on October 6, 1999, at 8:42:45
> This is going to sound very odd, but have any of you ever experienced sort of "tickling" or itching sensations on your skin, on different parts of your body.
Yes, so you are not alone. I especially had this sensation at odd times during peri-menopause before I realized I was entering menopause. My head or feet would tingle all over for no reason.
> I suffer from anxiety/depression, and get psychosomatic symptoms during depressive episodes. Could this be anxiety-related?
Yes, my anxiety/depression psychosomatic symptoms vary from time to time depending on which part of my body is vulnerable at the time.
No question here seems to be too strange and you could learn a lot and receive much encouragement. The tingling could be anxiety, hormonal, medicine reaction or whatever. How old and what sex are you? My anxiety/depression psychosomatic symptoms vary from time to time depending on which part of my body is vulnerable at the time.
Posted by LC on October 6, 1999, at 11:35:27
In reply to Re: NOT SO STRANGE QUESTION , posted by Susan on October 6, 1999, at 10:30:39
Thank you so much for responding...to answer your question, I am female, in my late 20s. I am in an acute depressive episode right now. My father is terminally ill, among other things, and I think I am feeling incredibly vulnerable these days. I have always been a bit of a hypochondriac; at times, when very depressed, I feel certain that I am dying of some sort of cancer. Sometimes it is MS I worry about (I work in the medical field, which exacerbates these fears). I am completely ashamed of these kinds of worries and feel like they are a form of self-torture. At times, they have an almost OCD quality to them. I was off meds for awhile and recently started Prozac again. These sensations I described started before I went back on medication, and they still come and go, but they seem to coincide with really bad anxiety (virtually every day) or anguish. I feel shredded with grief about my father. His is the only love I have never had to doubt.
Posted by Racer on October 6, 1999, at 11:37:33
In reply to Re: NOT SO STRANGE QUESTION , posted by Susan on October 6, 1999, at 10:30:39
I used to get something like this when I was still taking speed. Also, I got it when I was on Serzone last year. The Serzone lowered my blood pressure, and I think that had something to do with it.
BTW, it's not a strange question at all. I was too miserable on Serzone to worry about it, but I would sometimes shudder all over because I'm so ticklish that it would set me off...
Posted by Doug on October 6, 1999, at 12:53:18
In reply to Re: NOT SO STRANGE QUESTION , posted by Racer on October 6, 1999, at 11:37:33
> I used to get something like this when I was still taking speed. Also, I got it when I was on Serzone last year. The Serzone lowered my blood pressure, and I think that had something to do with it.
>
> BTW, it's not a strange question at all. I was too miserable on Serzone to worry about it, but I would sometimes shudder all over because I'm so ticklish that it would set me off...
>
> Hi Racer,
I am on just my 3rd day of Serzone (at low dosage now ). Did you experience the misery from Serzone immediately or after you had built up to a high dosage ?
Posted by Racer on October 6, 1999, at 17:07:27
In reply to Re: NOT SO STRANGE QUESTION , posted by Doug on October 6, 1999, at 12:53:18
It's been a full year now, but I seem to remember becoming a little miserable right from the start, and getting worse and worse as I built up to a big dose.
The symptoms I had ranged from headaches to staggering when I walked and falling down a lot, and finally got to the point I couldn't keep any food down at all. Really, not a nice thing. The other symptom I remember was tension in all my muscles, especially the jaw and the large muscles in my legs. I was tense and shaking all the time. Yuck. It was lousy.
The first few days were not as awful as they got, but it wasn't great, either. The Effexor, on the other hand, was dreamy from the start: while I didn't sleep at all the first night or three, I was still rested for the first time in weeks.
Good luck to you, and if you feel all right now, you'll probably be fine.
Posted by Sean on October 6, 1999, at 18:05:34
In reply to STRANGE QUESTION -- Please don't laugh, posted by L.C. on October 6, 1999, at 8:42:45
> This is going to sound very odd, but have any of you ever experienced sort of "tickling" or itching sensations on your skin, on different parts of your body. Not a tingling or numbness, but more like a tickling sensation of sorts. I suffer from anxiety/depression, and get psychosomatic symptoms during depressive episodes. Could this be anxiety-related?
This may be odd, but you've come to the right
place to share this sort of thing.I've not had this particular symptoms, but I've
lot's of other weird things like smell hallucinations,
tics, and "exploding head syndrome" which is not
as bad as it sounds. Sometimes, just as I fall
asleep I hear this loud crashing sound inside my
head and I wake up with a startle. My mom has it
too, so it must be familial. It was funny the day
we both "came out" with our private exploding
heads!Are your symptoms bothersome or tolerable?
Sean.
Posted by Susan on October 6, 1999, at 21:58:29
In reply to Re: STRANGE QUESTION -- Please don't laugh, posted by Sean on October 6, 1999, at 18:05:34
What I have noticed is that these strange and crazy symptoms come and go for no apparent reason (like the exploding head, nightmares that leave me feeling paralyzed, tingling, feeling like I can't breathe when I eat, etc.) but I tend to try to blame them on medication reactions and situational reactions but now I just don't know. I am still trying to figure it all out but seem to be wasting a lot of time trying to figure it all out and the everyday details get pushed under the desk and then I get down on myself and then I wonder what is wrong with me, read these posts, change my thinking and the cycle starts again. I'm babbling. Sorry--but not sorry enough to delete. Oh well. Can't tell anyone else so thanks for listening. It is nice to know I'm not alone. Maybe answers will come one of these days.
Posted by dj on October 6, 1999, at 23:21:10
In reply to Wow Sean/Me too , posted by Susan on October 6, 1999, at 21:58:29
The problem breathing may be a result of unconsciously holding your breath and probably breathing shallowly most if not all of the time. The shallow breathing can contribute to these type of sensations which can also be excaserbated by tension and tight holding patterns, all of which can lead to your para-sympathetic system (adrenaline -- fight or flight) being overstimulated which can also contribute to wierd, wacky and distubing sensations and troubled sleep. That is my interpertation at least, based on my experience, observation of my own reactions and readings and discussions...
> What I have noticed is that these strange and crazy symptoms come and go for no apparent reason (like the exploding head, nightmares that leave me feeling paralyzed, tingling, feeling like I can't breathe when I eat, etc.)
Posted by janey girl on October 10, 1999, at 17:54:57
In reply to Re: NOT SO STRANGE QUESTION , posted by LC on October 6, 1999, at 11:35:27
LC,
My heart goes out to you right now regarding your
father's terminal illness. I lost my mother four
years ago at a young age (55) to colon cancer,
and she was the parent to whom I "Belonged." Yes,
she drove me nuts a good deal of the time, but I
knew her love for me was great and everlasting.When I lost her, I felt (and still do) that I didn't
belong to anyone anymore. Not my father, or my
siblings.Right now, just love him and ask the questions you've
always wondered about. Ask him to tell you stories
about when you were a baby, a child -- his proudest
moments. Visit those memories with him. If you
have any questions or "issues," clear those up with
him.Ask him about his memories of his childhood. Laugh
with him. If he calls you and ends up talking to
your answering machine, save those tapes. My mother
called and sang Happy Birthday to my machine. I
knew at the time how close her time was, and I
saved that tape; I lost her 5 weeks later. I
treasure that tape now.If you need to cry, just cry and cry and cry.
Embrace your friends and let them take you out and
try to get your mind off of things. Hold them
close and talk it out with them. They may not
fully understand what you're going through, but
they know how much pain you're in. Let them be
there for you.And don't forget about us here on the board. If
you need to talk and no one is around or seems to
understand, e-mail me offline and I'll share my
telephone number with you.Be kind to yourself, and know that your father will
always be with you. You and he are in my prayers.Much love,
janey girl
Posted by lynn (LC) on October 20, 1999, at 9:04:15
In reply to LC -- support, posted by janey girl on October 10, 1999, at 17:54:57
Janey girl,
Thank you so much for your support about my father. It has taken me a long time to respond, in part because I almost can't find the words to reply to such kindness and love. I feel like my world allows me no place for this grief, like I am supposed to keep going at 100% all the time or even 80% when I am smouldering inside with sadness, rage, and anticipation of loss. I visited my father recently and took your advice -- reminisced about childhood memories, discussed openly his illness -- and, you know, I really did feel better afterward. But from the moment I came home, there was that hunger to be back with him again. I tend to pathologize myself. I guess that I am always taking my emotional temperature, given my long history of depression, anxiety, OCD, etc. I tend to be unforgiving of myself about my grief. I feel like I can't enjoy ANYTHING while my dad is ill. When I see a film or hear music or read something that would normally move me, it is as if only the surface of me is moved, and the rest of me, the real part of me underneath, is not moved at all and has not even seen the film or heard the music or read the literature because that very real part is full of grief and pain...as if to say "how can there be beauty while he suffers?" And then I chastize myself for being melodramatic or for not being able to compartmentalize myself and close myself off from the sadness, even for an hour or two. Some days are better than others. I'll write more later (I'm at work now), but I wanted to thank you so much and tell you that your post really touched me and could not have come at a better time. Lynn
Posted by Jane (janey girl) on October 20, 1999, at 19:36:02
In reply to Re: Janey girl -- thank you, posted by lynn (LC) on October 20, 1999, at 9:04:15
Lynn,
I know about that not feeling like you can give yourself
permission to feel those other things while your
father is so ill. Also, about wanting to be back
with him, to spend as much time as you can.I don't know how far away you are from him or what
your other responsibilities are, but I found that
1) I did need to spend time with friends and doing
other things (having a drink, seeing a movie, etc.),
and, 2) I had to spend as much time with my mother as
possible.I auditioned for a play three weeks before my mom
died, and against all odds, I actually got a lead,
a WONDERFUL part. My first lead! And I enjoyed
it, and I let myself enjoy it. The show was by
Anton Chekhov called "The Good Doctor"I got to play this role of an older Russian peasant
woman who went to the bank and drove the banker
crazy with demands, fainting and more. I got to
yell, scream, bitch outloud, and just act completely
nuts and bizarre. I got to do all of the things
on stage that I wanted to do all day long, no
matter where.Not only is enjoying things hard to do right now,
but a lot of people and their grievances seem real
"petty" right now, don't they? You just want to
yell and scream at them and say, "Big, FU**ING DEAL!
MY FATHER IS DYING RIGHT NOW. GET OVER IT."Instead, you probably keep it deep inside, maybe
tears come to your eyes, you go into the ladies'
room and cry... that's what I did anyway. You
keep your grief inside.When my mom was dying, Seal put out the song,
"Rose" (probably not the title, but y'all know the
song. Everytime that song plays, I remember that
time, and mostly I smile. Because I remember that
close time I spent with Mom, and buying her that
CD, and her liking it. And Mom always loved
roses....Honestly, I don't remember much more about that
time -- the movies I saw, the friends I spent time
with. For some reason, that part of my memory is
gone, but I do know that the time I spent with
my friends was good for me.No, honey, you're not going to feel happy or joyous
about much for a while. You are going to be numb.
But try not to force yourself to be numb. Even if
you feel something on the surface, you're feeling
something.Let yourself grieve, let yourself be selfish right
now, let yourself visit with your dad as much as
you can (emotionally or physically). Try not to
feel that you "have" to visit him. More than anything,
as I mentioned before, let those visits with him
be visits filled with love, and memories, and
closure. If he's okay with it, go ahead and cry
while you're with him.Again, feel free to contact via e-mail if you need
to talk.Love and prayers to you and your dad,
Jane
Posted by katie on October 20, 1999, at 21:47:45
In reply to Re: STRANGE QUESTION -- Please don't laugh, posted by Sean on October 6, 1999, at 18:05:34
> > This is going to sound very odd, but have any of you ever experienced sort of "tickling" or itching sensations on your skin, on different parts of your body. Not a tingling or numbness, but more like a tickling sensation of sorts. I suffer from anxiety/depression, and get psychosomatic symptoms during depressive episodes. Could this be anxiety-related?
>
> This may be odd, but you've come to the right
> place to share this sort of thing.
>
> I've not had this particular symptoms, but I've
> lot's of other weird things like smell hallucinations,
> tics, and "exploding head syndrome" which is not
> as bad as it sounds. Sometimes, just as I fall
> asleep I hear this loud crashing sound inside my
> head and I wake up with a startle. My mom has it
> too, so it must be familial. It was funny the day
> we both "came out" with our private exploding
> heads!
>
> Are your symptoms bothersome or tolerable?
>
> Sean.**********Sean, I have the same smell and "exploding head" experience as well. I thought I was the only one in this world that experienced stuff like that. Also I sometimes see images within common place things, like carpet or trees. It can be scary at dusk when I'm outside and see freaky images. Maybe my mind playing tricks on me?************katie
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