Leg pain worries

[Panico]

Hi, this is my first post on here after joining in a fit of desperation!

I have suffered from Anxiety for over 10 years now. It started off as health anxiety and then slowly developed in GAD. I've had great success with CBT in the past but am currently in a pretty bad place and the health anxiety I suffered with a decade back has come back with force.

My main worry at the moment is the pain in my legs. This pain only reveals itself after an hour or so of walking and is never present on sitting. The pain is in both legs and feels like one would after a long run. After consulting trusty old Dr. Google I have convinced myself I have Peripheral Artery Disease . :unsure:

The main point of my message is basically to ask whether anyone else has suffered these symptoms with anxiety or whether the symptoms of leg pain coming on after walking more likely to be a "genuine" illness. I've recently had an ecg and blood tests that showed nothing other than a very slightly enlarged heart (which I've had for at least 10 years) and slightly low iron in my blood. I have another dr's appointment in a month but am just really struggling at the moment so was hoping for some feedback from any members of this board. Thanks for reading! :)

[Clydesdale Epona]

Welcome firstly, I hope you find the forum to be supporting :)

I can't say much for the leg pain as its a tricky one but I have the same issue with my ankles, if I walk or stand for too long they start to ache and if ignore the ache it developed into temporary tendonitis(had six times last year, ouch)
sometimes our symptoms can be real, sometimes they're real and over exaggerated, and sometimes we just completely make them up,
how long have they been like it? there's a chance they could just be weak or something, do you do a lot of exercise/have busy days? x

All the best :hugs:

[Panico]

Thanks for the reply

I've suffered from achy legs before but it's always been just a day or so then it goes. I've had constant pain when walking for about 3 weeks now. I have been under a lot of stress with family illnesses and these pains have coincided with that so it could well just be tension in the legs but as always with anxiety you think the worst.

My blood pressure is high at the moment too but again that's a fairly recent thing that's come in the past month or so. I'm hoping that's just to do with the stress of what's happened in terms of my family.

I started an exercise programme last year after years of inactivity. It really helped my anxiety I found. I haven't been since the New Year though mainly due to motivation issues! I was ready to go back to the gym this month but then the leg thing flared up so I've been putting it off. Going to go swimming tonight to see how that goes. My legs are fine whenever i'm not standing on them so hopefully swimming won't cause as much pain as running would.

Hope the tendonitis has been sorted out. How long have you been suffering with it?