panic and flu

[henri]

hi everyone,

i just got back from a couple of days away with a friend (an achievement in itself) and i was so happy that i was doing it that i totally overdid everything - really long walks, went surfing yesterday (why? why? i'm SO not the surfing type), got sunburnt.
anyway, got back yesterday, thought i was fine, then this morning woke up at about nine, threw up twice and then started getting a fever. meantime, my muscles ache so much from the surfing thing that actually lifting my arm to pick up a mug really hurts.

i'm such an idiot! i hate taking medication, partly because i have a phobia of choking on it, so i've been on lemsip sachets all day. i don't feel any better, in fact i feel worse, and now i've started getting the breathing thing a bit. i'm worried that i'm going to totally freak out any second. i usually have diazepam as a back up for panic situations, but i don't know if i can take it together with the lemsip.

i suffer really badly from health anxiety, so obviously now i'm freaking out that it's not just flu, in fact i can feel it's a chest infection or possibly some form of cancer...
any reassurance would be hugely appreciated. i just don't know what to do with myself.

thanks

henri x

[clickaway]

Hi Henri,

I do not have the flu but I certainly have the 'breathing thing', which started as a tight throat following a specific frustration. Even though I thought it was anxiety because of that link, I went to the doc for reassurance. She said I didn't have a throat or chest infection. But of course I still do not feel 100% assured - you know how it is...

I got a right pickle with my breathing yesterday - too much in a state to do the breathing exercises. So please get in the habit of doing the deep breathing exercises 2 or 3 times a day whether you feel good or bad, so your body will not react in this horrendous way come the next crisis.

Take care mate,


Ray
http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[giddy]

Hi Henri
It sounds like you've had a great couple of days:D
Sorry you're feeling poorly now, but it sounds like the flu. If you are tired from your time away and your muscles are sore, everything will feel lots worse than it is. Keep taking the lemsip and try to relax and not worry too much and I'm sure you'll feel better soon.
Take Care
Love Helen

[panicannie]

hello! isn't it just great that when you think you've finally turned a corner.... bang.....! it hits you right in the face again!I know what you mean, I recently got back from newquay with friends which was an acheivement but I was so ate up the whole wkend all I could think about was being curled up in a ball home in bed! It deffo soundls like flu but the problem is as you know when your ill the anxiety sets right in there and perpetuates itself in you thinking your seriously ill and the tightness in the chest starts and you think its much more serious than it really is! you think your going to stop breathing ect... try to stay calm and focused easier said than done unfortunatley. ps I dont think lemsip do that much really plain old paracetamol hot soup and plenty fluids is the way to go. hope you start to feel better really soon tc xxx

joanne

[Daisybun]

If you got sunburnt and did all that exercise it is probably a combination of heat stroke, muscle strain and maybe a cold on top of it all. Add to that the fact that you have now started worrying about it all and hey presto. Just try and relax, you've overdone it a bit but hey what fun you had, hold on to that!

Take care
Daisybun

'This too will pass'

[henri]

Thanks Ray, Helen, Joanne and Daisybun,

I feel much better today, the fever has gone and i'm just feeling a bit tired and weak. Luckily i fell asleep last night before the panic set in properly!
Thanks for your replies, I found them really reassuring xxx