Reply
Thu 12 Sep, 2013 08:13 am
I'm a 16 year-old male, and all my life up until about 3 months ago I've never had any kind of mental issues. Now I'm having bad anxiety issues and I don't know why. However, I'm somewhat suspicious about it as it began around the same time as I got a strange "insect bite" on my upper left buttock. It was probably about the size of a nickel, and it was red and itched very badly. Probably a few days to a week after first noticing the bite, a lymph node in my left groin area swelled up. It was pretty large, about the same size as the bite, and the skin over it was red and it was quite painful. At first I didn't know what the lymph node was, and I assumed it was a hernia (as I've had hernias in the past) and I started worrying about it quite a lot. And that's when the anxiety started. It is quite bad; I have trouble sleeping, eating, nauseous quite often, dry mouth, etc. However, this anxiety is not constant; in the short term of it, there are periods where I feel fine anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. In the long-term, this anxiety only lasts for about 1-2 weeks and resurfaces about a week or two later. I've been through 3 of these bouts of anxiety so far, and I feel a fourth coming on now.
Anyway, near the close of the second bout of anxiety (about a month after I noticed the bite), I went to see a doctor and showed him the bite (which at that point was no longer red and swollen, but had left behind a brown patch of skin and still itched somewhat) and also showed him the lymph node (which no longer hurt and had gone down, but it was still larger than normal). He kinda blew it off and sent me on my way. A few days later, another lymph node in my right armpit swelled up in the exact same manner as the other one. After a week or so the one in my armpit went down but not to normal size, just like the other one. To this day (about 3 months after noticing the bite), the lymph nodes are still not back to normal size and the bite is still a brown patch of skin but no longer itches.
Well, that's basically the story. I've been having bad anxiety problems since this started, and I don't know how much more I can take. Are these two issues related, or is it just coincidence?
@bman1997,
What does your doctor say? If you have been seen for those hernia issues. why not this one? Of course your parents and you must be talking about this, too. Why not schedule an appointment with a physician?
@Ragman,
Sorry if it wasn't clear, but it wasn't a hernia; it was a swollen lymph node. I thought it was a hernia because that was the only thing I thought it could have been at the time.
@bman1997,
Regardless, make an appointment with a doctor ASAP.
Anxiety can happen at any point in your life. Trying to attach the event to the onset of your anxiety is impossible to know. However, you have some physical symptoms that should be seen by a doctor.
@Ragman,
Ok. Also, during the 3rd bout of anxiety (about 2 weeks ago) my mom called the doctor and he told me to take Zantac twice a day to help with the nausea. He also said that if it didn't get better in about a week, he would send me to a GI specialist. I started feeling better but I think that was just because the anxiety period was ending. I also asked my mom about going to a dermatologist to get the bite checked out.
@bman1997,
IMHO, (though I'm no medical expert) some medical followup should be done.
@bman1997,
Where do you live? could this be a tick bite?
Your anxiety may be coming from the fact that you don't feel good.
You need a good physical - perhaps a different doctor, too.
@PUNKEY,
I live in Florida, but I went on a trip up along the east coast over the summer. I think I was either in North Carolina or Virginia when I noticed the bite. Also, I only feel the nausea when I'm going through anxiety.
@bman1997,
This is not the best place to get a diagnosis for any illness. The best advice we can give is to see a physician. You may have to get second or third opinions. I wish you the best.
@bman1997,
Quote:...or is it just coincidence?
Insect bites notwithstanding, anxiety or depression of course can arise from many causes. One not well appreciated is the presence or absence of some trace compound in the bloodstream and its effect on the brain, esp reduction of serotonin
You might consider giving up serially one habit or substance at a time, very tedious and time consuming. Or simply take something that boosts serotonin
A victim of hypertension meds and even small doses of alky I use simultaneous 5-htp, kava kava, St John's wort, and ginseng. But caution: A couple of these substances have rare side effects
@bman1997,
Hey bman.....Firstly I think you should see a skin specialist and a physician specialising in allergies. Then I believe you should have extensive blood tests which may well show up something in your system related to the bite you received. You have no idea what sort of insect bit you? That would help the doctors I think. Obviously if you relate the two together, they could be connected, considering the time frame. Some sort of toxin could have travelled in your blood stream by the sound of it.
@WendyLou,
I really have no idea what bit me, if anything. All I know is that it couldn't have been a mosquito or related insect; whatever it was, it had to have been very determined to crawl into my underwear and bite.
Please double check with your doctor or another doctor. Swollen lymph nodes can be indicators of something going on and can be serious.
@ossobuco,
Oss is right of course and except for the cost I'd seriously with no intention of derision, suggest accessing a psychiatrist
@dalehileman,
Contrary to Dale, I take your anxiety as related to your lymph node stuff - at least at this point. That could have a lot of different causes. The nausea may be an offshoot of all that. Forget a psychiatrist until you find out what is happening with the nodes and that bite as possible cause.
Also, of course, talk with your parents about chasing this down. MD's vary. Lymph nodes have certain behaviors.
@ossobuco,
I also forgot to mention that my digestion has been pretty irregular as well. During the anxiety fits I sometimes vomit in the morning even if there's nothing in my stomach. I also get heartburn occasionally as well. Also, not necessarily only during the anxiety fits, my bowel movements can vary from short constipation periods (like 3-4 days) to bad gas pains and diarrhea.
@bman1997,
See a doctor. There's not much else to say. Are you avoiding it? If it were me, I'd be there in a doc's office
yesterday.
Anxiety is very powerful and it can produce a lot of those symptoms and possibly along with some immune/allergic issues. A doctor could clear this up and the sooner you see one, the quicker you'll get better.
@Ragman,
I can't do anything about it right now, as my mom is gone for the weekend. She's also not going to be here the week after the next, so I basically have this Sunday through next Sunday to go see a doctor in a reasonable amount of time.
@Ragman,
He's already seen some kind of doctor, first post.
He needs a follow up (in my opinion).
@ossobuco,
I know. Check out my earlier posts.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace