Panic Attacks – are they normal with Seronegative?

[SPDF]

Hi,

Newbie here. Just recently been diagnosed with Seronegative RA. Symptoms are painful inflammation where the archilles tendons join the heel. Also getting swelling mid foot and in toes area (plantar fasciitis), all of which are causing me to limp and walk with real difficulty. Onset of symptoms has been over the past 6 months. Am waiting to get an appointment with a rheumy who I am hoping is sympathetic to AP, but that is not for a couple of months! In the meantime I am starting to get anxiety attacks, and today had a full blown panic attack where I was shaking uncontrollably and had to take the day off from work. As I have a really demanding and stressful job and often work 50-60hrs/wk, I am now starting to find this type of workload where I am used to pushing myself to get through the huge workload, is now starting to look more of an impossibility, especially if I am going to experience these panic attacks (which I have never in my life experienced).

Would be interested in feedback from others who may be in a similar boat.

[hmom]

Hi SDPDF,

I’m not sure where you live, but you may want to get tested for Lyme and its coinfections, especially bartonella…the symptoms you describe sound fairly common for such infection(s). Lyme in particular is known for causing neuropscyhological effects such as anxiety. Also, I understand that dealing with a chronic infection eventually depletes cortisol, which the body uses to balance adrenal effects. If you look around this board, you’ll see that Lyme has been the underlying culprit for many of us, and antibiotic treatment is effective but somewhat more extensive than typical AP. If you feel this is worth exploring, this site has some good info on testing – you do have to be careful to get it done properly, as standard Elisa tests are extremely unreliable. Also, it is essential to connect with a good Lyme-literate doctor (LLMD). One of the board members can send you a list by location. Hope this may be of some help – for what it’s worth, off-the-charts anxiety was one of my own early symptoms!

[SPDF]

Thank you for that. I live in Tasmania, Australia, and there is a real lack of doctors/rheumys okay with AP, however I do have an appointment with a rheumy that is at least open to it, so here’s hoping!

Re Lyme Disease, it appears to be tick related. I definitely don’t think I have been bitten by a tick, however it can’t 100% discount this. It is certainly worth being tested for it though. I will make some investigations into Lyme Disease to get more of an understanding of it.

Thanks for your input.

Sean

[crowchez]

Hi Sean,

Your symptoms sound like how mine started as well: achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciaitis & for me nasty carpal tunnel. My GP thought I might have Lyme so he put me on 200 mg of doxycycline/day. Within a few months, I had swollen finger joints to add to the fun. 🙄 That dose was way too high & as soon as I found this forum, I lowered it. I’m also seronegative & my diagnosis is psoriatic arthritis & ankylosing spondylitis. I don’t appear to have any Lyme at the moment.

Anyway, I’m doing much, much better but when things were not good, I would get terrible anxiety. Whenever the pain increases for me (which is rare now), those feelings will return. They haven’t been as bad as yours, but I do believe they are part of the disease process. As is depression, which I experienced a teeny bit of as well (very scary). So I don’t know if that gives you any comfort, but you’re not alone. I have found that I can’t work like I used to: pushing through used to work well for me, now I will pay for it in the following days, so I have to pace myself. Not sure if it’s PsA/AS or just age (I’m 51). Not happy about it either way, but there ya go. 😆

Do you have a GP that might be able to get you started on AP while waiting for the rheumy? And have you read “The New Arthritis Breakthrough” by Henry Scammell? It’s a very reassuring book.

Best wishes & take it easy!

Deirdre

[SPDF]

@crowchez wrote:

Hi Sean,

Your symptoms sound like how mine started as well: achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciaitis & for me nasty carpal tunnel. My GP thought I might have Lyme so he put me on 200 mg of doxycycline/day. Within a few months, I had swollen finger joints to add to the fun. 🙄 That dose was way too high & as soon as I found this forum, I lowered it. I’m also seronegative & my diagnosis is psoriatic arthritis & ankylosing spondylitis. I don’t appear to have any Lyme at the moment.

Anyway, I’m doing much, much better but when things were not good, I would get terrible anxiety. Whenever the pain increases for me (which is rare now), those feelings will return. They haven’t been as bad as yours, but I do believe they are part of the disease process. As is depression, which I experienced a teeny bit of as well (very scary). So I don’t know if that gives you any comfort, but you’re not alone. I have found that I can’t work like I used to: pushing through used to work well for me, now I will pay for it in the following days, so I have to pace myself. Not sure if it’s PsA/AS or just age (I’m 51). Not happy about it either way, but there ya go. 😆

Do you have a GP that might be able to get you started on AP while waiting for the rheumy? And have you read “The New Arthritis Breakthrough” by Henry Scammell? It’s a very reassuring book.

Best wishes & take it easy!

Deirdre

Thanks for your helpful advice Deidre. I certainly have read the book and really keen to get someone to prescribe AP. I am going to make some enquiries as there are two GPs in our state (Tasmania/Australia) who are on the list. I am hoping the rheumy I am booked with will also be sympathetic (there is some indication he may be).

Interested to know you have psoriatic arthritis & ankylosing spondylitis. Is the psoriatic causing any skin condition (I certainly don’t have that), and is the ankylosing spondylitis causing any back issues (my problems are only affecting both feet – archilles/plantar faciitis)?

I might just post another question on the forum to try and get an ‘online’ diagnosis of exactly what I may have, as I am positive to the HLA-B27 gene.

[crowchez]

I had a minor episode of psoriasis on my elbows 20 years ago. Nothing since. The only back pain I had I realized in hindsight is classic early AS: morning lower back pain. I had to slide out of bed & my back would kill me for 10 minutes or so every morning. It got so I had to sleep on the couch. When I was away from my couch (like on vacation), I had to spend painful nights with not only lower back pain, but shoulder & hip as well. That’s no longer a problem. 😀

For all things AS (& really all seronegativity), John (dragonslayer) is our guru. It appears diet is crucially important, especially reducing starches.

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