Anxiety : A Pain In The Neck!

[Sheik N Shimmy]

This anxiety thing is amazing. I aim to be able to laugh about it soon. But the doubts linger. One symptom eases considerably and another one gets worse. I got great relief last night by using 'Deep Heat' all around my neck and throat. Sounds daft but I'd had a creak in my neck for a week and of course I was naturally assuming it was the spreading C. Thismorning the creak is all but gone and the lump in the throat thingy has greatly eased.

My initial anxiety arose from a concern about throat cancer. Since September my throat has been examined by four Doctors (long story!) and my dentist has examined my mouth twice. X-rays of my lungs have come back 'for filing'. Nobody has shown any concern. My GP told me that I am 'inherently healthy' and that I suffer from 'Neurotic Anxiety.... a very common condition'! He laughed off the weight loss and the throat thing and any of the other symptoms. Most people would relax and take their word that nothing is wrong.... not me though.

I have an ENT appointment next Thursday and can't think about much else to be honest (apart from a gig I'm going to in Cambridge tomorrow!). I don't know what to expect from the ENT appointment. It could be devastating or it could speed up recovery from anxiety.

Today's troublesome symptom is that when I turn my head to the left it feels as if somebody has grabbed the right side of my neck really tightly. It seems to be worse at certain times. It doesn't happen when I turn my head the the right. I haven't seen too much written here about neck stiffness. Could this be another tension/anxiety/stress thingy or something darker and more sinister.......?
Any advice much appreciated.

E

Keep On Keepin On

[seh1980]

hello there,

I understand what you are going through. I too have a problem with all these sysmptoms that I naturally assume are life-threatening. The feelings you are currently experiencing in your neck are very common. You are anxious and therefore yourmuscles have tightened up causing you to feel the pain you're feeling. Very common amongst anxiety sufferers..

Sarah

"If life were simple, word would have got around"

[Meg]

Yes E.

Sounds like you have just relaxed the muscles on one side of your neck more than the other..

*Thismorning the creak is all but gone and the lump in the throat thingy has greatly eased.*

I am very confident the ENT appt will go well and you are all clear or it wouldn't ease after some easy self help

Will you accept that once you've done the ENT that you will then accept the specialists desicion and not go looking for any more doctors and set about trying to help yourself for anxiety ?








Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[Sheik N Shimmy]

Hi Sarah/Meg,

Thank you very much for the uplifting responses.

Regarding accepting the outcome of the ENT specialist examination:
If they say they can't find anything I sincerely hope I will not spend any more time worrying and that I will accept the professional opinion of the experts. I'll have done all I can to establish if there is a problem to be faced up to and if I'm allright in their opinion then I must accept it and deal with the issues of anxiety and stress mangement (which is probably tricky enough but a whole lot easier than what I've been fearing for the last while). It's hard to accept that you have a mental illness (of sorts... well it is isn't it?).

It's funny though - apparently I wouldn't be the first person to demand a second or third opinion when told that there is no evidence of pathology! I woke up thismorning feeling fine and I said to myself "hold on - this isn't right - I've been feeling s#it for ages, what has changed!?!?!?" ..... and so the worrying started again.......

I have never experienced such terror as I have in the last few months. I've experienced just about all of the symptoms listed in 'no more panick'. It has been a lot worse than when I flew to Thailand when I had a terrible fear of flying (cured my fear funnily enough!).

I know I'll leave the building at some stage but I'd like to see the kids well established and maybe even get to know the grandchildren. I just want to have my fill before the landlord calls time. In the meantime there's drinking to be done, laughs to be had, careers to be pursued and children to be provided for and taken care of. There'll be anxious times ahead too, parents and family to be buried, close friends who might leave before you and even further pointless and ridiculous spells of anxiety.

E

(I'm normal, honest! Like the rest of you, you'd never ever suspect that I've been here if you knew me!)

Keep On Keepin On

[Meg]

*It's funny though - apparently I wouldn't be the first person to demand a second or third opinion when told that there is no evidence of pathology!*

Definately not the only one. I'm not critcising you for doing this as lots of us would if we had the resources but it doesn't often offer a return on investment.

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[polly a]

hi there sheik ,i have just come to look to see if anyone is having the same probs as me with neck and throat,and you obniously are three week ive had it,some days are worse than others,ive tried heat massage exercise there just seems no let up to it,but it looks like it is just part and parcel of stress and anxiety,so i will learn to live with it i suppose,take care hope it eases off soon for both of us

p appleyard

[Trev]

Just to let you know that I had the tension / constricting feeling and pains in the neck. Mine was mostly left sided though.

It will ease as you relax over time. You could try some stretching exercises on a regular basis even if you don't have the pain. I've found yoga very useful personally. It's good for everything really. Strength, stretching and relaxation. Can be harder than alot of people think as well!

Cheers,
Trev

[jill]

Hi

I have had the neck symptom too. What helped me was,

If turn your head very slowly to the side that does not hurt, take it as far as it will go then stop, then turn your head very slowly to the other side till it hurts just a little then STOP don't force it to go any further, Repeat this about 4 time's and do this about 5 time's a day.

This worked for me. Hope it helps

TAKE CARE

LOVE JILLXX

[feege]

Hi!

I'm new here - just joined yesterday and working my way through the posts.... reading this one I had to say how badly I suffered with this 20 years ago - for about 3 years on and off. It turned out I had (mildly) damaged vocal chords and the anxiety about straining all the time made me tense in that area. But it did pass when I finally accepted there was nothing scary going on (my dad had cancer of the throat).

This often seems to be my pattern - I get a physical problem first (usually very very minor, but not always!) and the anxiety kicks in - I panic, sweat shake, mind races and then the tension sets into the area making it feel much much worse and compounding the fear....

Nowadays one thing that makes it easier is that if an old symptom recurs (like the 'thumb on throat' feeling) at least I can say - well if it hasn't turned into anything serious yet it can't be much!

I hope it passes soon and ENT give you that lovely 'all clear'!

Fee
x

fee

[rusky736]

hi...
i too have these pain and the only way i can describe it is like whiplash from a car crash....i hate it...ive had it for nearly a month now and the more i think about it the more anxious i get and the more pain i get. i get pain in both sides but more to the left and even as high as ear ache...
i hate this anxiety thing...its like a vicous circle...the more i worry the more pain i get the more pain i get the more i worry...those pesky heart flutters (ectopics??) have come back too....they scare me although im sure they are what they are...my ecg came back perfect...
put my mind at rest please guys:(
russ