Health anxiety misery...

[LOUBELLABEE]

Suffering from health anxiety for many years, I have often resulted to reviewing these forums, to try and gain some comfort and help me to rationalise. This however, is the first time I have posted on here. Aged 30, I thought I'd try and offer comfort to some others who may be going through the same thing. Obviously I am not a doctor, as if I was Im sure I would never have got into some of the deperate situations I have but if you have been diagnosed with Health anxiety, I can only sympathise with you.
For the last 3 months, I have suffered so badly and convinced myself that I have something wrong with my heart and that I am suffering or had suffered a heart attack. Statistically, as a non smoker, aged 30, no family history etc its unlikely to be my heart but until the last few days I have not been able to ratrionalise and it has taken over my life.
It started with slight discomfort in my chest, to severe chest pain, pain in my neck, jaw, down my arm, sweating, severe inner trembling/vibrating and not being able to get a full breath. Ive literally lived the last 3 months being aware of every breath, constantly trying to get a full deep breath and feeling like Im suffocating. I visited A&E and after an ECG I was told it must be anxiety, depsite this I have visited my GP constantly, trying to convince them I have a heart problem. You would think after having these symptoms in 2008, that i would have recognised this was all anxiety...especially as these are not the only symptoms I have experienced and every test, xray, mri etc has always been clear.
No matter how much reassurance I have, I always convince myself I am dying and the doctor has missed something. I even start convincing myself that the blood tests, xrays and scans are not correct.
For the past 3 months, from the moment I woke to the moment I fell asleep, my life was a misery. I managed to still go to work but i watched the clock, longing to be able to get home and get into bed, that way I could just not feel the pain, discomfort and fear.
I have never found what the trigger of my anxiety attacks are but as I am coming out of a bad period, i thought now was the time to share my experiences and hopefully help others.
Here are a list of all of the symptoms I have experienced:
Constant head pressure, pain, dizzyness, pressure in my face, Jaw pain, tingling hands, floaters in eyes, blurred vision. Visits to A&E and doctors. It went on for 3 months, I was Convinced i had a brain tumour. Only after a MRI scan that came back all clear did i start to realise it was all anxiety. I still dont quite understand how anxiety/fear/constant worry can create such horrendous and REAL symptoms.
Tingling, buzzing, zaps to the head. Head bolts when sleeping that woke me up. A feeling of spinning, falling and nausea when I tried to sleep.
Leg pain and heaviness. Shaking hands and legs. confusion/ unable to concentrate.
Strange feeling below the breastbone, like a gnawing, nauseous, drawing feeling..one of the worst symptoms I have ever had.
Once it got so bad a few years back, that I convinced myself I had died and everything around me was a dream/ not real/make believe. I now know that derealisation is a very common symptom of anxiety.
At really bad times, I have found comfort in Claire Weekes, self help for your nerves, I would really recommed it to anyone with health anxiety or just horrible anxiety symptoms caused by fear and worry.:unsure:

[Davinci817]

I think I have had every single one of your symptoms at sometime in the last five years. Some of my stuff was alleviated with hormone replacement, some more of it after GI issues were discovered but many are just plain old stinking anxiety. Have heard good things about the book you are reading. Hope you are coming out of this slump. :hugs:

[0121niamh]

Hi guys this is my first post I've looked at a lot of the articles on here but found the courage to join and post. My anxiety first started 3 years ago when my 7 week old baby was admitted to hospital at this time I also found a lump on my breast and my husband had 2 planned non serious operations - I found 2 lumps in the space of six months and this kicked off the need to constantly check myself sometimes up to 10 times a day leaving myself sore and bruised under the skin, numerous visits to the Dr and she picked up something wasn't quite right and asked me what I'm afraid of and the answers simple my mom died suddenly at 50 ny fear is I will die young and my 3 children will be left without a mom - my current anxiety attack started in October no real reason I just felt myself feeling a bit edgy and it spiraled was sick every morning churning upset tummy felt shaking and on edge stomach pains all over all id had previous was a cold which had caused some breast pain - anyway Dr was pretty sure it was all anxiety related but reffered me for bloods and an ultra sound - panic ensured as I was convinced something was wrong scan day came and I was told everything was fine althou I have polysystic overies (I new this thou) however my bloods came back with stars against them my liver function was raised and was my sedimentaion rate so repeat bloods were necessary - also a stool sample too - all this is happening at beginibg of December my fear I wud get bad news at Xmas as that wen we always have a tough time, my stool sample came back positive for blood so had to repeat it and of course google just tells u its one cancer or another anyway second sample cane back fine and so did bloods however I'm still getting pressure headache initally they were at the back of my head base of neck and felt like someone was pushing my head down had them most days but didn take any medication, the pain would move around my head be at the top or on the one side, a good friend of mine said she experienced the same when her anxiety flaires up, I'm still having these pressure pains now on top of head maybe only 3 finger tips in size but occasional shooting pains and pain over one eye I've now convinced myself I mist have a brain tumor my hands feel wobbly at tomes althou if u hold my hands out they don't move I feel shakey light headed some times too - I have a busy life work part time and have three children aged 9 7 3 the older 2 argue constantly and spend my life playing referee so stress is present in my life, I've just started seeing a counsiller who has asked me to keep a diary but its these pressure headache that are concerning me is it just anxiety? Any comments welcome xx