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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Colleen D. on December 28, 2005, at 13:42:08
is this an outstanding feature of any conditions other than OCD and GAD, and how is it treated with meds and other therapies? My particularity regarding symmetry is overwhelming at times too, even with meds. I was just lying on my son's bed and when the children ran into the bedroom to "jump" in bed with me, I felt my muscles tighten (and rear back so to speak) in anticipation of the physical contact. What is wrong with me?
Posted by SpacedOutKid on December 28, 2005, at 14:49:37
In reply to Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste..., posted by Colleen D. on December 28, 2005, at 13:42:08
I dont like being touched either and i have OCD. I have read that it can be a part of severe OCD or part of the OCD spectrum. Its funny because i was just looking this stuff up recently.
My pdoc said it was because i was sexually abused as a child though so i dont know.
Take care,
Chris
Posted by spriggy on December 28, 2005, at 17:10:44
In reply to Re: Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste..., posted by SpacedOutKid on December 28, 2005, at 14:49:37
Are you coming off of any meds or starting any new ones?
I was this way on Lexapro- I felt like my senses were 1000% heightened. I also felt this way while withdrawing from Lexapro- almost felt worse during the withdrawal.
I went to Disneyland while feeling this intenseness. Don't ever do that- when you are already on "high alert".. it's not a good idea to be around large crowds of people to which some are dressed like animals.
It was horrible. I felt like I was on a bad acid trip!
I spent 80% of the time on our vacation hiding in our hotel room under the cover's.
That is SO not like me; I love socializing and interacting with people & vacations/parks, etc.. BUT I just could not handle it..
My son is autistic and I kind of wonder if that's what his world is like all the time; it breaks my heart to imagine he feels that way.
Posted by Colleen D. on December 28, 2005, at 17:51:19
In reply to Re: Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste..., posted by spriggy on December 28, 2005, at 17:10:44
>Are you coming off of any meds or starting any new ones?
Yes; beginning Lexapro. This is week 3. Coming off Effexor. I was on it for 1.5 years. Before that it was Zoloft. No problems going on or coming off. I have always been this way to some extent. The most relief I have gotten during my lifetime has been from the Effexor.
My son is also autistic and legally blind. He's 6 years old now. We have discussed his sensory "problems" with many specialists and I also often wonder if I'm feeling the way he feels most of the time and if he inherited it from me.
Hugs to you Spriggy,
Colleen
Posted by Colleen D. on December 28, 2005, at 17:54:18
In reply to Re: Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste..., posted by SpacedOutKid on December 28, 2005, at 14:49:37
> I dont like being touched either and i have OCD. I have read that it can be a part of severe OCD or part of the OCD spectrum. Its funny because i was just looking this stuff up recently.
>
> My pdoc said it was because i was sexually abused as a child though so i dont know.Well, I was not sexually abused during childhood, but I was raped when I was a teenager, so that could be part of it. Hmmmmmmm.
Thanks,
Colleen
Posted by spriggy on December 28, 2005, at 18:43:40
In reply to Re: Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste... » SpacedOutKid, posted by Colleen D. on December 28, 2005, at 17:54:18
My son is 10- maybe we could email or something to talk about our children and their disability.
It's a tough thing to deal with- especially when you are also suffering..
I know..
(((hugs)))
PS. Maybe the start up of LExapro is intensifying this feeling you have.
Posted by Phillipa on December 28, 2005, at 21:10:15
In reply to Re: Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste... » Colleen D., posted by spriggy on December 28, 2005, at 18:43:40
Small world my Son is legally Blind from Desert Storm and I have trouble touching now. And he has developed his sences. He can smell and feel things others can't. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on December 29, 2005, at 1:03:19
In reply to Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste..., posted by Colleen D. on December 28, 2005, at 13:42:08
> is this an outstanding feature of any conditions other than OCD and GAD, and how is it treated with meds and other therapies? My particularity regarding symmetry is overwhelming at times too, even with meds. I was just lying on my son's bed and when the children ran into the bedroom to "jump" in bed with me, I felt my muscles tighten (and rear back so to speak) in anticipation of the physical contact. What is wrong with me?
Well another view from someone (myself) who is suffering from a severe visual somatiform disorder, I could add that you may be experiencing some somatization. Somatiform disorders are not "malingering" as traditionally thought; the most common form is pseudoseizures -- a person who doesn't have epilepsy but has seizures due to some form of internal psychological conflict. While what you describe sounds -- at least the muscle tensing part, just a natural reaction perhaps amplified by medication or OCD maybe, the mention of several senses being heightened does ring more in the somatiform spectrum.
In either case, psychotherapy and medication does help to resolve the conflict, although in my case unfortunately it has gone on for years. But yours sounds more simple to me.
just my 2c
-j
Posted by Racer on December 29, 2005, at 4:49:42
In reply to Re: Hypersensitivity to touch, smell, taste..., posted by yxibow on December 29, 2005, at 1:03:19
First, the hypersensitivity may be related to the Lexapro. Many of the SRIs have caused me hypersensitivity in touch and smell -- gets to where I can't be around food, because of the smell, or have trouble staying out of the shower because my own skin smells weird to me. Or I'll get a very strange touch thing going on, that I can't describe but when it happens I want to twitch out of my skin with it. Taste isn't so bad for me, but we're all different, eh?
As for autism, have you read Temple Grandin's books about her experiences? They're fascinating, and do describe jumbled sensations and hypersensitivity, which she thinks are the basis for much of autism. (Her books include "Emergence: Labelled Autistic," "Thinking in Pictures," and I forget the others.)
But I just read something -- forget where -- which strongly suggested that the autistic spectrum disorders are manifested differently in men and women. It theorized that the milder autistic disorders are much more commonly diagnosed in men, because doctors don't recognize the way they're expressed in women. I thought when I read it that some mild area of the spectrum might be part of my problem, because of things like not being comfortable with touch, and being awfully geeky when I'm not careful about it. Wish I could remember where I read it, but it should be findable -- maybe google something like "autism +mild +female +atypical?"
And I was both sexually abused in childhood and raped in adulthood -- and have trouble with being touched when I don't initiate it. And there are times I'm just plain too prickly to be touched. Unless you want to be pulling barbs out of your muzzle for the rest of the day...
Posted by summerflowers on December 29, 2005, at 17:00:08
In reply to Re: Hypersensitivity and autism, posted by Racer on December 29, 2005, at 4:49:42
my brother was autistic.I myself have this wierd thing with my kids where I just love the feel of babies and can cuddle them nonstop,but when they get to about 3 I feel like pushing them away.One of my boys was very cuddly but very quit and content.(sucked his thumb,curled my hair,stuck to me like glue but in a quiet way) hes still the same at 13 and I never ever minded him.My husband is also quiet and snuggly and I dont mind him.Our mother was very cold and my fathers cuddles were uncomfortable and felt wrong.I think theres something to do with a combination of :fear of rejection and also ;fear of over....i cant think of the word(like a 3 year old being noisy and over intrusive in character plus clingy compared to a quiet non intrusive but cuddly like a baby character)and maybe a link to abuse,as well. (did that make sense?)...(arina.
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