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U4IA
31-01-18, 19:37
Hello everyone - totally new to the forum, and as of about a month ago, the physical symptoms of anxiety. I’ve always been a nervous person, and a worrier by trade… But the physical symptoms of anxiety caught me off guard, and sent me in a tailspin eventually leading to a full-blown panic attack.

Like many of the posts that I have read, I’m having an extremely hard time wrapping my head around all these physical sensations just being anxiety. The focus of my worry has been around my health, given the physical symptoms that I have experienced.

Over the course of a month, I’ve seen:

Numbness and tingling
Loss of appetite
Chills/cold spells
Near constant adrenaline rushes
Lump in my throat
Tight chest
Extremely dry mouth
Trouble falling/staying asleep
Tingling/hot flashes overnight
Excessive swallowing
Excessive Yawning
Full out panic attack
And perhaps most persistent and annoying, near constant brain fog.

I’ve been to the ER three times and my physician for follow up on a nearly weekly basis. As far as tests go, I’ve had blood work done, (1 CBC and 2 cardiac), and also had a CT scan, which the doctor said was “pristine”.

My physician has told me that it’s anxiety, and started me on 10 mg of Cipralex/Lexipro - I’m about 3 weeks into the medication.

What I can say is that the large majority of those symptoms have come and gone, and for the most part my mood has improved...But I still have near constant “waves” of severe brain fog, where I just don’t feel like myself, and my short-term memory is all but gone. There are periods of the day where it seems lighter than others, but it’s been near consistent for a month now.

What I’m hoping for out of this forum, is for perhaps someone else to share a similar story regarding the brain fog... i’m really struggling with CBT and changing my thought patterns when, with this fog, I just don’t feel like myself through my eyes. There has rarely been an hour that has gone by that I haven’t thought about my symptoms. I feel stuck in a loop.

If anyone has any similar stories about brain fog, or any tips on how to break this loop, it would be sincerely appreciated. I feel like if I could just get some improvement on the brain fog, I would feel so much more confident that this is just anxiety, and be able to manage it so much better.

nomorepanic
31-01-18, 19:45
Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

Please also read this post:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239

U4IA
03-02-18, 16:52
Anyone? This is scary - especially since I’ve never felt anything like it before.

nomorepanic
03-02-18, 16:54
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms

bella33
08-02-18, 05:29
Hi, you are definitely not alone in dealing with these symptoms. When my anxiety first started, I would obsess over my physical symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks (and I've had everything you listed on your list above ^), but overtime I started focusing more and more on my 'mental' symptoms. Brain fog for me is unfortunately something I experience VERY often with my anxiety. I also do experience depersonalization/derealization, but even when I do not feel these two symptoms, I am almost constantly feeling like I have some type of 'brain fog'. I know it is probably frustrating to hear that it's "just anxiety", but I really do think that this is most likely the case for a lot of anxiety sufferers (like ourselves). Just make sure you keep up with your doctors, a counselor, your vitamin levels, etc. to ensure you're in good health, but if you have already had many things ruled out as to what could be causing the brain fog, I would honestly just try to distract yourself from it as much as you can. I know it can be super frustrating, but from my experience the more you focus on it, the worse it gets. Hope all is well with you!

Ferrolix
08-02-18, 09:45
I also had some similar but I was lucky that me best friend just took me and put me on a plane I think It started because of I didn't want to worry anymore but I had to

U4IA
08-02-18, 17:40
Thanks so much for the reassuring words bella33 and Ferrolix...greatly appreciated. Bella, just wondering, how long did your brain fog last? Was is constant or would it come and go?

bella33
09-02-18, 00:11
Thanks so much for the reassuring words bella33 and Ferrolix...greatly appreciated. Bella, just wondering, how long did your brain fog last? Was is constant or would it come and go?

No problem! For me, it honestly comes and goes but I do get bouts where it just lasts for weeks or months. But I also am anemic and extremely iron deficient so that could just be a symptom from that. I've had periods of time where I either don't really have it or I just don't notice it that much though! My nurse practitioner that I see gave me the advice that stuck with me quite a bit saying "when anxiety is up, thinking is down", so when your anxiety is sky rocketed for weeks or months at a time, it makes sense as to why your 'thinking' feels down and you feel that kind of brain fog. I'm by no means a doctor or anyone that can give medical advice but I definitely have a lot of experience with brain fog unfortunately haha.

Fishmanpa
09-02-18, 00:25
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms

Did you read this? Curious as to your thoughts.

Positive thoughts

U4IA
10-02-18, 16:10
Did you read this? Curious as to your thoughts.

Positive thoughts

Yes, read it a few times. It does reassure me...however as I mentioned, I’m a worrier by trade, but have never succumbed to the rigorous physical symptoms of anxiety before in my life. I guess with my lack of experience with this stuff I’m having a hard time accepting that all the headaches and brain fog and, and, and...is “just anxiety”. I see that it’s a struggle for many, and I’m working hard to let go of my fears...but it ain’t easy!!