Does anyone just feel different aches and pains all day long?

[Ditapage]

I have health anxiety as most of us do, and it began with panic attacks that soon became panic disorder. I was wondering how many people have gone beyond those 10-30 minute panic attacks and just have aches, pains, pressures, dizziness, fatigue, just disconcerting symptoms all day long?

It's hard to tell if symptoms start panic or panic starts the symptoms. But even when I am not having a panic attack, I feel sick and terrible. I feel unable to function. Every day it's something. Some symptom that will pop up and plague me for half the day and make me too anxious to go out because as soon as I start thinking about being out and about with this horrible feeling (and can be anything- tight throat, tight neck, head, weak legs, faint feeling, sheer exhaustion, sore eyes- the list goes on and on!) I feel like I will collapse. Going into stores is especially difficult, almost impossible.

I tried to go to the store just to get some mints this morning and I had a tight throat the whole way and pushed myself to get out of the car and go into the store and halfway there the throat tightness was so intense I feared passing out and ran back to the car.

How much can a person take of this. Now I'm home the tight throat has been replaced with pain in the back of my head so I still don't want to go out. And nobody understands. Everyone thinks my anxiety is like in the movies: someone has a few seconds of rapid breathing and a paper bag makes it OK.

I don't know if anxiety can do all this especially when it's not a panic attack. My heart rate doesn't change. I've had panic attacks and I know the difference between them and this rotating circle of odd symptoms all day long. Because one stops and another starts and keeps me trapped in this "what if it's NOT anxiety!" loop. I feel like every single thing is a medical emergency.

Is this anyone's experience? I honestly have something every day that makes leaving the house difficult or I just won't go out at all. Thanks for reading, as well as hoping for reassurance it feels good to vent because all I ever get told is I'm a hypochondriac because "you don't look sick."

[Pansy]

I feel for you, I really do. I have learnt over time to manage my anxiety and panic, but like you my heart rate does not really alter even though I know it's anxiety. Aches and pains must be common with this.................my shoulders,neck and throat are worse, and sometimes my arms ache. How do you know what is anxiety and what is not.
I'm sick of it now - I went into anxiety overdrive last night so no sleep at all. Now I feel rubbish and I'm wondering if there is something else going on.
I hope you feel better soon.

[Buster70]

Hi there , all the live long day , from one ache to another mainly from tensing up all the time even while I'm writing this I'm aware my shoulders and neck are tensed up , basically it's a pain in the arse , I'm 46 feeling like 106 , if you find a cure let me know , take care .

[GadGirl]

My body is in constant pain my upper back shoulders neck and head it's all cause anxiety (constant anxiety) has made me tense my body so much that I don't know how to relax so it just gets worst.

[Fishmanpa]

Due to my real physical issues, I live with pain 24/7. Typically it will range from a 2 to a 5 depending on the day/time etc. I've taken some form of prescription pain medication since my cancer ordeal and treatment started in late 2012.

I know what it's from so while it's frustrating and exhausting at times, I don't have any anxiety over it. I'd venture to say that if a young and healthy anxiety sufferer switched bodies with me for a day, they'd be convinced they were dying ~lol~

Positive thoughts

[Ditapage]

I feel for you, I really do. I have learnt over time to manage my anxiety and panic, but like you my heart rate does not really alter even though I know it's anxiety. Aches and pains must be common with this.................my shoulders,neck and throat are worse, and sometimes my arms ache. How do you know what is anxiety and what is not.
I'm sick of it now - I went into anxiety overdrive last night so no sleep at all. Now I feel rubbish and I'm wondering if there is something else going on.
I hope you feel better soon.

Thank you. I hope you do feel better soon, too. This all sounds familiar. I get the aching arms as well. When I think about it it's not even a symptom. Like, it's indescribable. It's not pain. It's just annoying. It gives me that how will I even get through the day feeling. Which makes me think it can be psychogical in nature. I do know the effects of lack of sleep - for anyone- but us with anxiety it can is feel even more horrible. I wake up many times in the night, and wake up in the morning feeling like I haven't slept. I feel your pain :(

Hi there , all the live long day , from one ache to another mainly from tensing up all the time even while I'm writing this I'm aware my shoulders and neck are tensed up , basically it's a pain in the arse , I'm 46 feeling like 106 , if you find a cure let me know , take care .

Yep!!! I'm sorry you suffer but I'm relieved this tension can cause problems all day because I'm tired of seeking doctors out for a different diagnosis. It's unbelievable how many problems tension in the body/muscles can cause and that's why I can't believe it! I'm only 29 and I feel old so I know what you mean. The thing that helped me with tension was exercise even if you don't feel like doing it, because tension fatigues as well as causes aches and pains and exercise burns up all our excess tension. That's the only 'cure' I've found but like I said its with me every day.

My body is in constant pain my upper back shoulders neck and head it's all cause anxiety (constant anxiety) has made me tense my body so much that I don't know how to relax so it just gets worst.

I hear ya. It sucks. Sometimes I think we are just used to tense that it's our normal and I KNOW a tense body tires very easily. Sometimes I think my poor body! Never in a state of relaxation. Just the thought of going out brings it all on. Think about how much energy we must use up anticipating the worst?! And the general population says neck, shoulder headaches don't stop you in your tracks but I can't agree with that. A tension headache is hardly bearable for me but I suspect our anxiety and worst case scenario "what if" thinking makes it all worse.

Due to my real physical issues, I live with pain 24/7. Typically it will range from a 2 to a 5 depending on the day/time etc. I've taken some form of prescription pain medication since my cancer ordeal and treatment started in late 2012.

I know what it's from so while it's frustrating and exhausting at times, I don't have any anxiety over it. I'd venture to say that if a young and healthy anxiety sufferer switched bodies with me for a day, they'd be convinced they were dying ~lol~

Positive thoughts

Sorry to hear that, I know it's not easy but you are always a positive uplifting voice on this forum. I have fairly chronic pain from TMJ and when I got anxious over it, it would just be more intense. It's tiring but the panic aspect being taken out of it is a small blessing.

Thanks everyone

[crystal17]

Yep - new symptom, different day *sigh*

[Citydeer]

In regards to back and neck pain due to anxiety from holding yourself to tense, I have had this issue for years now and only last year saw a physio and osteopath for it. Despite it being anxiety related they can give you a lot of tips. Try to become more mindful of how you're holding yourself. I began to notice that I would always sit forward on chairs - now I have started to lean back into the chair instead which allows the muscles to relax rather than hold me up! Also whenever you're having anxious thoughts try to pay attention to how you're holding your body, and make yourself more comfortable. Doing some light stretching or basic yoga moves at home daily can help with this too, and regular massages or hot baths with Epsom or magnesium salts which are muscle relaxants. Any kind of regular cardio helps relax muscles too. Sore neck back and shoulders also comes from shallow breathing so doing deep breathing exercises also helps. X

[Ditapage]

Very helpful, thank you Citydeer. I do have rubbish posture. I think I sit all hunched and curled up as a protective mechanism sometimes. People have always asked me "how do you sit like that?" so that should tell me something. It's completely normal for me when I'm anxious to hold myself tense.

just the past few days when I feel a symptom I just say out loud (when I'm on my own, that is) "I've had you before! Piss off." It helps a bit. I think any reaction to a symptom besides fear is helpful.

[Buster70]

Due to my real physical issues, I live with pain 24/7. Typically it will range from a 2 to a 5 depending on the day/time etc. I've taken some form of prescription pain medication since my cancer ordeal and treatment started in late 2012.

I know what it's from so while it's frustrating and exhausting at times, I don't have any anxiety over it. I'd venture to say that if a young and healthy anxiety sufferer switched bodies with me for a day, they'd be convinced they were dying ~lol~

Positive thoughts

So just to turn it around a little on what fishman said and I do appreciate that he gives a lot of his time to this forum when I'm sure he has better things to do with his time , you say if an anxiety sufferer was in your body for a day they'd think they were dying but a lot of us on here do think that on a daily basis and no amount of tests will convince us other wise , if you imagine a gun being pointed at your head and someone saying you are going to die the fear is the same regardless of wether there is a bullet in the gun , and the pain side I have both worn discs in my back which is excruciating when bad but the chest pain I get from anxiety is just as bad and twice as scary , the other point is when anxious I personally am on full alert things appear brighter , louder and more intense so pain which is in our head can feel ten times worse as we focus on it and no amount of pain killers take it off , it's just my perspective on pain and anxiety I wasn't always this way so I can remember what it was like before hand ,other sufferers may disagree but I just thought I'd put my side across , ps hope your wife is doing better fishman I don't trawl through the forum anymore found it a bit counter productive, take care .