Bastard anxiety

[everythingbackbutyou]

I've suffered from anxiety my whole life. Started on Paxil in my 20s and stayed with it for 25 years. It really did the trick in getting the anxiety under control. 3 months ago I switched to escitalopram as I was feeling so low and unmotivated - it felt like the Paxil had stopped working and I wanted to try something else. I feel like my anxiety has taken a real nosedive as a consequence, haven't felt this bad for several years. My right eye has been twitching for 2 months straight and I made the mistake of consulting Dr Google. I'm now freaking out that I have a brain tumour and am imagining the worst. Has anyone else had long term twitching like this? I'm 70 percent sure it is anxiety and 30 percent sure I am going to drop dead and leave 3 children.

I'm sorry you're having a hard time.

So much easier said than done, I know, but try not to worry.

Get to an optician so that they can check your eyes.

It sounds like it could be a side effect of the new medication? It started not long after you changed. Perhaps it's as simple as looking at alternative options.

But - I think you're in your mid 40s? My first thought was perimenopause/menopause symptoms. It's quite common to experience dry eye and/or twitching. Also anxiety can really ramp up during menopause (and anxiety can cause twitching).

Book an appointment with your GP to discuss things.

I hope you manage to find a medication that helps (maybe HRT?) and you start to feel better soon

Thanks, I am certainly in perimenopause, so that may be something to do with it. I have an eye appointment on Tuesday, so I will be asking about it then. Another possible explanation is that my 6 year old whacked me in the eye in his sleep a couple of months ago - enough to give me a black eye - so that may have done something. But you know anxiety - it loves to go to the scariest explanation and refuse to consider anything else.