Westinghouse
15-08-16, 15:35
Hi folks,
Background
I was always a worrier, but stable. In 2015 April matters at work really piled up and I had an explosion of terrible anxiety, panic attacks etc that lasted for 3 days. I've been living with daily anxiety ever since but I've managed to remain mostly functional.
For whatever reason the thing I fear most is not being able to sleep.
Paradoxically, I get pretty good sleep on most nights, but I'm always worried that starting with the next night, it will all go bad.
Symptom Checking
For more than 9 months now, almost every day, sometime between 6PM and 10PM, a dull ache/tension/itch starts in my quadriceps muscles on both sides. Always the same muscle, same time.
The sensation makes me want to stretch the muscle, or shake it (like having a panic attack). But I'm not compelled to do this - I can sit/lie with the tension for hours and I can fall asleep like this.
Walking doesn't help. Hot/cold showers or OTC painkillers do. Relaxation techniques also help somewhat.
Whenever it comes on I can't think of much else and I spend my evenings googling about this symptom.
I have no idea what this is. According to Dr Google this resembles Restless Legs Syndrome where you feel a compulsive urge at night to move your legs, preventing you from falling asleep.
RLS is a progressive condition with no cure that tortures its victims with persistent insomnia.
I'm worrying myself sick that this is early-phase RLS. The phenomenon is tolerable now but if it really is RLS it will progress and slowly destroy me.
Unfortunately there is no objective test for RLS.
I visited several neurologists and even a dedicated RLS specialist and they all said that they don't believe this to be RLS (because it does not go away with walking, a key indicator) but they can't be certain and they also don't know what else it could be.
My only "hope" at this point is that this is an anxiety symptom.
Question is: I'm aware that muscle tension is a fairly typical anxiety symptom; can "circadian" pain/tension which starts or worsens during the evening but is better in the morning also be an anxiety symptom?
Thanks for any replies.
Background
I was always a worrier, but stable. In 2015 April matters at work really piled up and I had an explosion of terrible anxiety, panic attacks etc that lasted for 3 days. I've been living with daily anxiety ever since but I've managed to remain mostly functional.
For whatever reason the thing I fear most is not being able to sleep.
Paradoxically, I get pretty good sleep on most nights, but I'm always worried that starting with the next night, it will all go bad.
Symptom Checking
For more than 9 months now, almost every day, sometime between 6PM and 10PM, a dull ache/tension/itch starts in my quadriceps muscles on both sides. Always the same muscle, same time.
The sensation makes me want to stretch the muscle, or shake it (like having a panic attack). But I'm not compelled to do this - I can sit/lie with the tension for hours and I can fall asleep like this.
Walking doesn't help. Hot/cold showers or OTC painkillers do. Relaxation techniques also help somewhat.
Whenever it comes on I can't think of much else and I spend my evenings googling about this symptom.
I have no idea what this is. According to Dr Google this resembles Restless Legs Syndrome where you feel a compulsive urge at night to move your legs, preventing you from falling asleep.
RLS is a progressive condition with no cure that tortures its victims with persistent insomnia.
I'm worrying myself sick that this is early-phase RLS. The phenomenon is tolerable now but if it really is RLS it will progress and slowly destroy me.
Unfortunately there is no objective test for RLS.
I visited several neurologists and even a dedicated RLS specialist and they all said that they don't believe this to be RLS (because it does not go away with walking, a key indicator) but they can't be certain and they also don't know what else it could be.
My only "hope" at this point is that this is an anxiety symptom.
Question is: I'm aware that muscle tension is a fairly typical anxiety symptom; can "circadian" pain/tension which starts or worsens during the evening but is better in the morning also be an anxiety symptom?
Thanks for any replies.