Hi, I am sorry you are going through this. Your symptoms sound eerily similar to the ones I am currently experiencing, which began with a similar feeling of doom shortly after a routine arm surgery 3.5 months ago. I’ve had many of the same tests which have also come back normal, with a couple irregularities (low b12, mild anemia, etc) but nothing definite. As such, I am still working through the process so I can completely understand your frustration. I can also relate to how life altering this experience is as I have been unable to return to work except for a few hours here and there. Interestingly, I was also prescribed on adderall for concentration/energy issues several years ago, though I have been off of the medication for approximately a year. It sounds to me like your nervous system is severely out of whack, which is what is the doctors believe is happening with me. Some of your symptoms point to parasympathetic overload, and some to sympathetic overload. I have had events that feel very much like terrible panic attacks (these were 24/7 for the first few weeks post surgery- I literally figured I was going to die) but my heart rate actually went down during the events instead of increasing. I also have extreme muscle twitching and terrible jitters/nervousness with a really horrible sense of unease for much of the day. I am 48 years old and have no prior history of anxiety/depression/panic so it has the doctors perplexed. Have you been to a psychiatrist for evaluation? I have and was told my issues were medical and not to take any antidepressants. However, I am interested as to whether you have tried any SSRIs? The reason I ask is that I have read SSRIs help to modulate the vagus nerve, which is a main transporter of serotonin. May be with a shot. I can n tell you what I am trying, I have been getting acupuncture which has helped somewhat though is certainly not a miracle cure. I also visited an integrative health specialist who put me on meds and supplements to get my hormones and vitamins into the optimal range. Just because a lab value is “normal” doesn’t mean it is optimal. Each value is highly dependent upon what is really normal for the individual, so an integrative health specialist can help you get things back in balance. As for me, I’m taking the long approach of getting my body in balance, trying to decrease stress as much as possible, and setting my body up to heal on its own. The thing to remember is the nervous system takes a very long time to repair itself so we have to be patient. One final question, have you had an ultrasound of your gallbladder or a HIDA scan? I ask because you mentioned some jaundice. My endoscopy was mostly normal as was yours, but an ultrasound showed a sludgy gallbladder and a HIDA scan showed a very low (16%) ejection rate. I’m nervous to schedule the surgery as my last surgery is what kickstarted all of this for me, but the surgeon I met feels like the gallbladder could be causing a lot of these issues. However, the other docs I have talked to have laughed this off. One thing I’ve learned researching it is that a low ejection rate can make food sit in the stomach longer, which can cause gas build up in the stomach. If the gas gets to be significant, and if it gets trapped in the upper gi tract, it may be possible it is causing some of our symptoms. It sounds crazy I know, but there may be several factors at play causing an out of control nervous system response where every sensation is causing an overreaction in your brain. Good luck and please keep us posted!

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