share anxiety symptoms/ stories

[phil0910]

hi there posting this thread as having so many symptons and driving me insane thought maybe if we shared symptons may help think it is anxiety not something else.
im 24 yr old female dont smoke or drink or caffeine mine started 4/5 months ago chest and back pain, ecgs blood tests and 24 hr monitor ok urine and stool samples fine still convinced its my heart :(

1. wake up in panic feeling strange
2. have phelm (could be acid) in throat
3. feel like breathing in acidy taste and wheezy feeling
4. constant shortness of breathe
5. bad wind pain always burping chest and back in middle of spine always hurts
6. always fearing heart attack or something bad each day
7. constant checking pulse
8. left jaw and neck pain radiates into shoulder sometimes a lot during day keep feeling linked to heart
9. throbbing sensations mostly left arm but sometimes right arm.
10. aches and pains in muscles all over
11. jaw keeps clicking
12. feel like doctor has missed something hasnt done enough tests
13. constant shaky hands
14. always really sweaty (could be side effect from ssri)
15. bad bowels (although do have ibs)

see even reading through that feel like being silly and its anxiety but cant tell if all caused by anxiety or has something caused me to be anxious.

doctor thinks acid reflux or hiatal hernia but tried 4 different medicines none help which panics me its not what he says and something worse.

keep relating it back to heart but surely something would have showed up somewhere?

really struggling any advice appreciated.
thanks.

sheryl x

[Laurabaz]

It sounds like health anxiety. I have it. It's basically always thinking there is something wrong with you and every little pain or weird sensation you concentrate on. Apparently if you think something enough with your mind you will believe it so this could be explaining the pains and stuff. I always concentrate on my breathing so get shortness of breath and constantly feel like I'm going to stop breathing. Your alone :) its our minds a theropist would be your best bet. Good luck!

---------- Post added at 23:51 ---------- Previous post was at 23:49 ----------

I meant * your not alone

[southey]

Several of your symptoms sound like indigestion. The burping and pain in the chest/spine sounds like trapped wind.

The rest of the symptoms could well be anxiety/ssri related.

Try not to worry too much, none of your list warrents any fretting over.

Steve.

[lindajane1971]

Hi Sheryl
You are definitely not alone,! :)
One thing you wrote there really sums up how i think every day
"cant tell if all caused by anxiety or has something caused me to be anxious"
this is what i struggle with every day - logically i know that the symptoms i am feeling are very real but caused by adrenaline and anxiety and that they will do me no harm, but my "anxiety head" is very good at convincing my brain that its not anxiety and that im going to die that day or else its the beginning of an degenerative disease!
I have said many times that i cant believe anxiety is causing all this as im only anxious when i get a symptom.
It has slowly crept up on me and now sadly i am anxious almost 24/7 :(
I have always been a worrier, but it really hit me when my mum died 4 years ago from a heart attack at age 54 and since then i have had "heart anxiety"
Im 40, female, overweight, ex smoker.
Ive had ecg's, a heart scan, blood tests all normal. 24 hour monitor picked up i get lots of ectopic beats
My symptoms -
awful inner trembling throughout my body upon waking
feelings in chest/head like im going down the dip on a rollercoaster
dropping sensations, like the ground has dropped suddenly by an inch or two
weird sensation like my body is turning in on itself -so hard to describe
lightheaded, like ive had a few drinks when i have not
feeling like i am walking on a spongy surface
visual vertigo
sudden sweating palms, head and a hot flush feeling washing over my chest and head (not the face)
sometimes my vision seems like it zooms in or out, kinda like when they zoom in on someone at a scary point in a move?
random sharp shooting pains in my heart area, and other parts of my body, like electric shocks
A new one for me is muscle twitching, since May, in various muscles in my body, my left upper arm has been twitching since Sunday morning and its almost constant.

things i have definitely got-
ectopic beats
restless leg syndrome
acid reflux

I was a outgoing bubbly person who worked 50 hours a week and still managed to look after the house/kids
Since this hit me, i only work 6 hours a week, have stopped socializing, very reluctant to go out on my own or even shower in the house if im alone.
Only drive if i have to, and if i must then its just local ( i live in a small town)
Wont go shopping on my own, or take the dogs out for a walk on my own

I am terrified of side effects from medication, as most of them i feel already and i just could not cope if they were exaggerated further.

Each time i visit the doctor i am reassured, however the next day i am back to square one.
I just wish i knew how it felt to be normal again.
Linda x