Resolved question:
I'm 18 years old and male. I have had a dull pain in my neck for a month, sort of like a crick in my neck. It feels like I'm not getting good blood flow to my brain. I have had difficulty concentrating in the past, but it has gotten worse recently. I have fogginess in my head and have trouble remembering things. I also have trouble sleeping at night and waking up in the morning. I fear that I'm going to die in my sleep and it troubles me. What's wrong with me and what do I do? It may be of note that I've struggled with depression as well.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello,
Thank you for choosing DoctorSpring.
I would like to know some additional information from you so that I can provide my best and learned opinion.
1. Is the pain on the neck radiating to arms / neck ?
2. Are you actively worried /concerned about anything in work or personal life ?
3. Do you have any blackouts / unsteadiness / weakness of arms or legs ?
4. Are you on any medications ?
5. Do you find it is difficult to make decisions ?
6. Do you find it hard to have pleasure out of life in general ?
7. Do you feel tired always ?
You can reply as a followup
Thank you
1. The pain is on the left side of my neck and in my left shoulder blade. It is not radiating elsewhere.
2. I am actively worried about my grades, as I am a first year student at Texas A&M
3. I do not have blackouts
4. I have been prescribed Prozac, Paxil, and Adderall in the past. I'm not currently taking anything.
5. Yes, sometimes it is very difficult for me to make decisions.
6. Yes, I can only find pleasure from playing/watching sports
7. Yes, I am always fatigued. My sleep schedule is off track and I am unable to work out as usual due to my fatigue.
It may also be of note that I recently quit using smokeless tobacco after using for 5 years
Hello,
Thank you. The pain over the neck - shoulder blade is a non specific musculoskeletal pain which can be managed by OTC pain medications like Ibuprofen . I would recommend you to just ignore it if is not very troubling. This will not cause any decrease blood flow to brain.
The foginess in head, trouble in remembering things , sleep torubles are most likely from a mild Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) with possible depression. I would strongly recommend you two things :
1. Restart the medications in a lower dose . SSRIs are preferred. You should get in touch with your Doctor as all these are prescription medication
2. Take up measures to beat the anxeity. Yoga, Meditation, Exercise - whatever works for you.
With medication and some general measure I am sure your symptoms will disappear i few weeks time. Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followups
Thank you
I have been diagnosed with depression and ADD, do these go along with GAD? Is it possible to treat all three with one medication? The adderall worked, but it caused me to suffer an anxiety attack for the first thirty minutes after taking as well as the following night. I also play my Xbox 360 a lot, could taking a break from it for a few days help me? I also get a lot of tension headaches (possibly migraines). What can I do to relieve those? I want my brain to function to its highest potential this semester as I am trying to one day attend med school. Would Prozac or Paxil be the best bet?
Thanks
hello,
Yes, all three are inter- related and prescribed medication will generally work for the three conditions. Rather than Adderall, Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which works well. I suggest you to get in touch with your doctor who prescribed the medication for the right dosage that is appropriate for you. Your migraine is mainly due to GAD, which will resolve once you take the medication. Till then for pain relief you can take OTC medications like Tylenol. I advice you to take a break from playing xbox for few weeks until your symptoms disappear because playing it will aggravate your neck pain and migraine. With the medication and meditation I am sure you will get well soon.
hope this helps you. thank you.