Tingling, vibrating, aches and stiffness. So many symptoms...need reassurance.

[Sarahjosephine]

Hi everyone,
I am really not coping too well at the moment. For the last week I've had this weird vibrating/tingling feeling in my left foot and it sometimes radiates to other parts of my body.

I watched this doco about this guy who got a bad disease and I keep thinking I have it now. I've also got aches and pains in my joints and stiffness in my hands...I'm so scared. It seems like one symptom after the other, I have also noticed this strange taste in my mouth that comes and goes and I am afraid it's something serious.

Does anyone have input or advice and have you experience this before? I want to feel well again and not keep worrying about this stuff. Much love Sarah:weep:

[Dave1]

Hi, I get weird vibrating/tingling in my feet. Mine is caused by shallow breathing. Try slowing down your breathing.

[Carnation]

Sarahjosephine, it sounds like you are in a state of high anxiety with a health anxiety in overdrive. Everything you mention are common anxiety symptoms.
You will find that all of these symptoms can come and go and eventually, they will fade away. They can be scary, but they can cause you no harm. They appear to frighten you and do a good job in trying to convince that something is seriously wrong.
That's what you have to remember. It is the 'anxiety' and nothing sinister. x

[Bill]

I want to feel well again and not keep worrying about this stuff.

Firstly I'd have to ask why you were watching a documentary about a guy with a bad disease when you know it would start you worrying. I know they say we should be able to learn to watch things without them worrying us but I feel what's the point inflicting worries which we can do nothing about on ourselves.

A doctor once said to me, if I know a programme is likely to trigger my anxiety, watch a cartoons instead. It may have been a flippant remark but it did make me think so I no longer read newspapers, I don't watch health documentaries and I don't watch things that I know will worry me that I can do nothing about. To me, although it's not always avoidable, it is pointless. I know they say you shouldn't avoid things but if I can't do anything about something that upsets me, why watch it.

I'd much rather watch or do things within my control that I enjoy. Life's too short to find additional worries beyond our control.

Also, I know this will sound silly and obvious but if you want to feel well and not keep worrying, then don't. Find something you enjoy doing and forget the unnecessary worries you can't do anything about. You Will feel well then.

Whenever we watch or hear something that really frightens us, our anxiety will immediately make us focus on checking ourselves for those symptoms and once we do that, anxiety will often create those symptoms making us worry even more creating a worry cycle. The only way to break that cycle once it's started is to nip it in the bud by immediately focusing our minds away from the worry that's arisen onto something we enjoy. We can't do anything about the illness etc that's triggered the worry but we can stop it triggering our anxiety by as a first wall of defence, not allowing ourselves to be triggered by unnecessary worries and by using a second wall of defence by nipping the worry in the bud and focusing the mind on other things because as I say, otherwise we just make ourselves ill for no reason at all.

By the way, when I was younger I can remember watching tv programmes while I was having dinner. These programmes would often trigger health anxiety and they would make me vomit with anxiety. The doctor reminded me, what's the point in making myself feel ill over things out of my control. I agreed and now I try to focus on enjoying things in life.

[Sarahjosephine]

Thank you so much guys for your response and support and taking the time to reply. I really appreciate your advice and reassurance...I dont know why I watched that doco, my bf recommended it and i wish I never saw it because Ibe been obsessing ever since.

Today i woke with the most painful upper shoulder/neck pain and now i am bed bound. I cant help but think this is all related....also been twitching and a weird cold burning sensation in my hands. I hate this and Ive taken pain killers and Im resting but the vibrating foot is still happening and im just mentally exhausted and want to scream.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and I am so scared :**( much love and light sarah

[Sarahjosephine]

I went to tp the Dr today and I dont feel much better....she didnt have very fluent english and seemed unsure of everything and even googled symptoms herself which made me so uneasy that I began to cry and she didn't know what to do. ..

She have me anti inflammatoryies for my bback/shoulder pain and said to give it a few days to see if that helps my hands and aches but she didnt know much about my vibrating and said maybe it was a trapped nerve. I just dont feel better and feel like she just wanted me in and out and Im still in pain and so down :( i will most likely make another drs apt with someone else. I just want the ains and vibrating to stop...its scaring me so much and I keep crying. Sorry for all this I just have n one else to talk too

---------- Post added at 18:54 ---------- Previous post was at 18:51 ----------

Also I am twitching all over now :**((