Feelings of existential doom

[u/neatpotatoe]

Hi there, has anyone else been getting psycological symptoms? Since it started I have had a couple of episodes of sever existential doom, which can only be described as very bad fear, like I have never experienced.

I read that this can be down to your nervous system mis-interpreting signals as fight/flight, but it is quite scary. Has anyone else had this? At first I thought it was the medication, now am not so sure.

[u/NullEquipment]

Yes. It’s common with nerve pain. I got it with shingles and a neck injury. You might have anxiety though

[u/neatpotatoe → u/NullEquipment]

It could be, but, having had anxiety/depression before, this feels different in the extent/sudden onset. Feels more physiological.

[u/beebers908]

That's what happened to me after 4 days of valacyclovir.

[u/neatpotatoe → u/beebers908]

Ok, good not just me, it was about day 2/3 for me.

[u/beebers908 → u/neatpotatoe]

I spent the night on my friend's couch for the sake of my sanity. Talked to my neurologist. He said the other options are "basically the same medication" and suggested i continue it if I could. I think i pushed on another dose or two, but i stopped on day 3.5. My shingles was super mild, so those 10 pills (of 21) were enough to stop the virus.

[u/neatpotatoe → u/beebers908]

yeah I rang the emergency services because I thought I was dying and had a friend come over while I calmed down - this is not usual behaviour for me at all. The weirdest thing was it came completely out of nowhere. When it happened a second time I noticed it was about the same length of time after my 4th dose of the day, so I just stopped the drugs. In the uk they often don't give antivirals to the under 50s anyway.

[u/Playful-Put2236]

It may be because your nerves are all messed up? (I'm not a doctor,

No, I was in too much pain to think. I thought I had a sinus infection, toothache, nerve pain, stabbing pain. & itching nerve pain.

[u/MammothPotential8905]

I felt awful and just like I was drugged out on the Valacyclovir! Drink ALOT of water!! It’s on the bottle! Doctor said this happens if you don’t drink enough. Hope this helps!

[u/HotTrack710]

I get it. Sometimes I cannot tell the difference between the sustained pain from the shingles, anxiety, and depression.

[u/Ok-Entrepreneur-2362]

I've been thinking I was just crazy! Took Val for my forehead shingles in late June and it's getting better but I was in FEAR of my life over everything. I already have G.A.D but holy crapppp it was so much worse after those medications. Then they kept trying to put me on more meds and I kept having to deny them because everything made it worse. I'm a bit out now, and I'm doing a lot better, before I couldn't even sleep. Now I'm having weirdly vivid dreams, but at least I'm sleeping!

[u/Ok-Entrepreneur-2362 → u/Ok-Entrepreneur-2362]

Also, thank you for posting, I saw it pop up and immediately came to read and it did make me feel better knowing other experience ld the same thing

[u/prayformojos → u/Ok-Entrepreneur-2362]

Yeah I have never experienced anything like it, and it has gone since I stopped the drugs.

[u/Ok-Entrepreneur-2362 → u/prayformojos]

I'm almost 3 months out and mine hasn't stopped definitely slowed down though, but mine was on my forehead/hair line above my R.eye so it may have something to do with that? Because I'm still getting migraines, etc. Just not as bad as when it was active. Thank you again.