Changing anxiety symptoms - normal?

[emlica]

Hi all,
I have quite mild anxiety, usually related to my health, and it comes and goes a bit. For a while my main symptoms were all digestive, IBS-type stuff. I then developed a slight case of what I guess was globus, but that's been improving since I realised I didn't feel it AT ALL all over Christmas so clearly what was going on in my throat was down to anxiety. When my health anxiety was bad a few months ago and my stomach was playing up, I did have the odd instance of feeling shaky and panicky, including occasionally during the night - I'd wake up feeling panicky for no real reason. That had largely gone away - even when I was most worried about the globus sensation, I didn't feel particularly 'panicky' at any point. But now, for the last couple of weeks, I've been feeling shaky again. Both a kind of internal shakiness and, if I rest my hands in certain positions, a visible though very mild tremor in my hands, which I've not had before. I'm guessing this is just another way that my body is responding to my anxiety, but it just struck me as weird that it hasn't manifested itself like this previously. Have other people found that their anxiety symptoms change like this?

[almamatters]

My ever changing anxiety symptoms are very hard to keep up with. One day I can have tingling and pins and needles, then it's palps and breathlessness, IBS and stomach cramps, eye floaters and visual disturbances. My symptoms sometimes change on a daily basis or occasionally some will last for several days, it is rare that I am without any symptoms at all. I would think that feeling like this is very common with anxiety. x

[Annie0904]

Yes they can change depending on the level of your anxiety. I have experienced these same symptoms.

[Blondiegirl1]

Me Too. My symptoms are different at times also.

[KLP]

I have this trembling in my hands as I type this. Like pulsating, surge sensation.been like this for months now.

[London_Girl]

I can certainly relate to this. It seems whenever I think my anxiety has disappeared for a bit, it hasn't, it's just my symptoms that are changing. A few weeks ago I was extremely anxious and on edge for several days and couldn't get through the day without at least one diazepam, when that had passed I felt kind of empty/light-headed/dizzy for a few days then when that went away I felt very foggy headed and found it hard to concentrate or even construct basic sentences when I was typing. My physical symptoms change too although most of my symptoms are psychological. When I first experienced anxiety I was very shaky, now I don't really shake, it's mainly heart palpitations when the anxiety is at its worst. I also get anxiety rashes sometimes which last for about 10 minutes then disappear which is very odd.

It's very unnerving when your symptoms are constantly changing and you don't know what to expect next but that's the nature of anxiety, unpredictable and debilitating. I read someone else describe their anxiety as always taking one form or another and manifesting itself in more and more new ways as time goes on. That's pretty much how I feel mine is.

[emlica]

Thanks everyone. Glad to know it's not just me - though sorry you're all suffering too! I'm not a big fan of this shaky feeling I have to say. Very unsettling - and obviously with mine being health anxiety I'm occasionally convinced it's something sinister! Also seems to happen when I'm not all that aware of being anxious, if you know what I mean? I guess I always have some underlying anxiety though.

[Talbot]

I am suffering from terrible health anxiety at the moment, and yes it changes every couple of days at the moment. I get positive reassurance regarding one symptom and then almost immediately I get a different one. Anxiety is awful, it has taken over my life and I can fully sympathise with anyone who suffers with this. It has the ability to constantly change and adapt to ensure the maximum suffering from the host.