Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 1000878

Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 15:22:35

Hello, all! I posted here a few years back, but I'm still battling anxiety and was hoping that someone may have other suggestions in terms of medications to try. Here is a case that I have put together that I hope provides a decent amount of information:

24, Male

1-Describe your main suffering?
main suffering is the flushing of the face when in social situations.

2-What other physical sufferings do (did) you have in your body?

Stomach Knotting at 5 years old (Colon and Intestine were tangled and 3 or so feet of Intestine had to be removed)

3-What mental sufferings / feelings do you have associated with your physical sufferings?

Fear of facial blushing I blush easily and fear blushing all the time. I fear meeting with people, being in public places and around people where social interaction might cause me to flush. I am always worrying if people are noticing my face get red, which in tern makes the flushing worse from this negative thought pattern. If I'm out to dinner or something and can't easily excuse myself, I might start sweating and as no one else is sweating, I become more anxious. I'll generally order spicy food so if I start sweating from anxiety, I'll blame it on the food.

4-What exactly do you feel when you are at your worst?

I feel hopeless and lack confidence when at my worst

5-When did it all start? Can you connect it to any past event or disease?

It started (about) 5 years ago, during my senior year of high school. I cannot remember any traumatic event or the like that would cause anxiety around this time. I remember having to 'excuse' myself almost every day when in class, because my face wouldn't stop being red from the anxiety of sitting around peers who I felt were judging me. At this time I wasn't very social, and I spent most of my time down in the computer lab as a student tech...Working down there gave me the foundation for where I am right now as a computer science student, but I isolated myself greatly while being down there.

6-Which time of the day you are worst?
I appear to be worse as the day goes on or in periods with interaction of people as i blush/flush easily. Much worse later in the day. Warm rooms make it worse. Very minimal flushing while outside on a chill day. I goto the gym everyday, and while I am lifting weights and a couple of hours afterwards, I have almost 0 anxiety...there could be a bunch of people in the room with me right now and I wouldn't be worrying about my face flushing.... this euphoric feeling after lifting weights subsides and I'll become very anxious again.

7. What are the things which aggravate your suffering and which are those which ameliorate the same?
Aggravations include exposure to warm temperature. I cant tolerate a warm room if I am in the company of others. Cold air is welcomed after periods of being in a warm room. Even a small change in temperature can provoke my symptoms. Also if I am not expecting to see someone, and they knock on my door, or I am surprised to see someone I know in the supermarket, the flushing is worse.

8. Do your think your sufferings have relation to any external stimuli (like, change of place) or any internal biological changes in the body, like, menses (in females)?
Not sure

9. When do you feel better, during hot weather or cold weather, humid or dry weather?
Feel better during cold, dry weather. If I'm in a warm room the flushing is worse and it also may cause me to sweat and increase paranoia that people are judging me for sweating.


10. Describe your general mental set up? Are you Moody, Arrogant, Mild, Agreeable Changeable, Nervous, Suspicious, Easily offended, Quiet, Nervous, Easily offended, annoyed

I am a shy person who fears daily chores,nervous and anxious. I am extremely shy and blush easily while in the company of others and am always conscious of what other people are thinking of me.when around other people on a bus or train i cannot think and i continuously blush as i am always conscious of what everybody around is thinking of me and this makes me blush/flush.

18. How well do you sleep? Do you have a particular posture of sleeping?
I sleep decently, but I can't fall asleep at a decent hour without a sleeping aid. I take 0.4mg of clonodine each night...slowly trying to work off of this and onto melatonin

19. Do you think you are able to satisfy your sexual desires in general?
No. I haven't had a girlfriend in a long time and it's hard to find one when I am anxious while being social.

20. How do you think you are different from others, if at all?
I often feel that most other guys are better looking than me

21. What medications have been taken earlier by you to treat the diseases and do you have any particular symptom surfacing after the medication?

I have been on a list of SSRIs, SNRIs and an MAOI, along with trying mood stabilizers:

Effexor, zoloft, gabapentin, abilify, Nardil, Risperdal, and a list of others of which I cannot remember, and none of which helped.

I am currently on Effexor, less for anxiety and more for mild depression...when I was off an SSRI I cried very easily. I also take clonodine at night for sleep.


Please advise

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by gadchik on October 26, 2011, at 16:06:37

In reply to Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 15:22:35

Hi, i hope you find an answer.I will say Klonopin brand has helped me with social anxiety.Have you tried it? This medicine has allowed me to have friendships,and be more in the moment.I dont hover and observe myself.I dont have panic or racing thoughts.And I only have to take .5mg at night,no side effects.Do you have a good pdoc that can guide you? I finally found one and that is important.Good luck.

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 16:12:15

In reply to Re: Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by gadchik on October 26, 2011, at 16:06:37

Usually Benzos leave me feeling like a zombie. You said you take it at night? It's effects carry over the next day? I didn't think it had 'that' long of a half life?

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by gadchik on October 26, 2011, at 17:15:31

In reply to Re: Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 16:12:15

Yes, I only take it at night. I have taken a small piece of it before a flight or dental appt.I dont feel like a zombie if i take very small amts.plus, if you take it daily,the sedative affects go away for most people.It's surprising that such a small dose can reroute things in my brain and help me feel less self conscious.This may not be your experience tho.It can also be very difficult for some to taper off,if needed. I know Ive felt like im being jackhammered into the ground when Ive tried to stop. I no longer want to go off tho because its the thing that helps w/the least side effects,as in none! However, I do worry about the day when I will have to taper,hope that day never comes.

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by gadchik on October 26, 2011, at 17:18:27

In reply to Re: Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by gadchik on October 26, 2011, at 17:15:31

Im sure you'll get more suggestions.I find the people here to be very knowledgeable.

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by jono_in_adelaide on October 26, 2011, at 17:30:10

In reply to Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 15:22:35

Try propanolol (Inderal) 40-80mg twice a day for the facial flushing

A benzodiazepine such as Ativan or Xanax, 1mg an hour before any social situation would greatly reduce yur anxiety - ask your doctor about having one on hand for occasional use

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 17:35:26

In reply to Re: Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by jono_in_adelaide on October 26, 2011, at 17:30:10

Good suggestion. I've tried beta blockers before and they did not seem to help. Also, one of the things that helps my anxiety greatly is working out at the gym, and doing karate. Propranolol limited my heart rate too much to do either.

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing » jwpaine

Posted by Phillipa on October 26, 2011, at 19:16:24

In reply to Re: Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 17:35:26

True about the beta blockers at one time took similar med and nothing could raise my pulse. What other benzos you taken? Some find klonopin depressing me and klonpin were that way? Phillipa

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing

Posted by sigismund on October 27, 2011, at 2:37:40

In reply to Re: Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by jwpaine on October 26, 2011, at 17:35:26

Your story brought to mind the actor Derek Jacobi. He was acting one time and became so intensely self conscious that he simply could not go on. And suffered a breakdown and did not act for quite a while. The interviewer made the sensible point that this could happen with anyone in any situation, conceivably.

I do feel that the therapeutic intervention might be to demand that you blush, I mean by pursuing the lines of thought/feeling preceding the blush and in the present moment demand its presence rather than (as you do) fear its emergence.

I'm with you on the climate/weather thing. Humidity is really bad for me, especially hot humidity.

You are on the right course with the Karate. Why don't you follow that line of enquiry and activity up. Martial arts would have stuff to offer you beyond the physical.

 

Re: Anxiety and facial blushing » sigismund

Posted by Phillipa on October 27, 2011, at 19:03:27

In reply to Re: Anxiety and facial blushing, posted by sigismund on October 27, 2011, at 2:37:40

Sigi sounds a bit like "flooding". Any similarity? PJx


This is the end of the thread.


Show another thread

URL of post in thread:


Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ


[dr. bob] Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org

Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.