MichiganMike
29-04-20, 15:36
Hi -
I'm a 39 m from Michigan. I have two amazing kids and a strong awesome wife. Unlike many in America right now, I'm lucky to not have any financial problems. I'm grateful.
I run and cycle a lot and aside from a lot of job stress, I've considered myself to be healthy. When I was younger I had a lot of mental health issues that I worked through on my own. Mostly by getting outdoors and running or through a lot of reading about mindfulness meditation. There have been times in my life where I've abused alcohol, but nothing recent and I was never a falling down drunk. I just liked to go out with friends a little too much. I don't smoke and I am decently fit, maybe 10-15 pounds overweight.
For the last 6 weeks I've been either sick or making myself sick inexplicably. In late Feb/Early March I came down with a couple back to back colds. COVID was on my radar at that point, but I didn't think I had. In Mid-March I started getting persistent chest pain, chest tightness, palpitations, bloating, diarrhea and incredible fatigue and muscle pain. Then I started to think, well maybe?
Testing is awful around here and since I couldn't be tested, I ended up getting a chest xray which was clean for my heart and lungs. My symptoms lingered and lingered to the point where I was told to go to the ER twice to get my chest pain checked. Tests were fine, thank goodness. But everything kept lingering.
I have no primary care doctor because I recently moved back to Michigan and I haven't needed one, no one is taking patients right now, so finding a doctor was really challenging. Eventually I ended up at a Federal Health Clinic and the NP there diagnosed me with GERD and anxiety. He ran blood tests and a vitamin D test and everything was good (though I was slightly low on Vitamin D as all Michigan people are). He put me on Buspar and Pepcid and Nexium. I've also started talking to a therapist.
This was all two weeks ago and while some symptoms have improved, my chest is still in pain quite a bit of the day. The most troubling thing for me right now is frequent heart palpitations and this strange vibrating and shaking feeling I get when I sleep. I've never felt anything like it, though sleep issues are not new with me. But now feeling some twinges and shakiness during the day (mostly in my head and neck).
Any way, I trust the Doctor and my rational brain says the shaking and palpitations are likely from anxiety. It's rational as those symptoms came after the respiratory and chest stuff. I was really freaked out I might have COVID, and I can definitely fess up to incredible anxiety about it.
My physical symptoms are like a snake eating it's tale and it's hard to not get down trying to break the cycle. Any thoughts or advice from those who have dealt with heart palpitations and the sleep vibrations would be appreciated.
;TLDR Healthy, happy guy gets sick and thinks he has COVID. Has some chest pains and palpitations he gets checked out a few different times, all clear. Gets diagnosed with GERD and anxiety. Still dealing with daily chest pain and palpitations and is now shaking at night when he tries to sleep and sometimes during the day. Looking for compassion and advice from anyone who has dealt with all of this (especially sleep tremors, they are freaking me out!)
I'm a 39 m from Michigan. I have two amazing kids and a strong awesome wife. Unlike many in America right now, I'm lucky to not have any financial problems. I'm grateful.
I run and cycle a lot and aside from a lot of job stress, I've considered myself to be healthy. When I was younger I had a lot of mental health issues that I worked through on my own. Mostly by getting outdoors and running or through a lot of reading about mindfulness meditation. There have been times in my life where I've abused alcohol, but nothing recent and I was never a falling down drunk. I just liked to go out with friends a little too much. I don't smoke and I am decently fit, maybe 10-15 pounds overweight.
For the last 6 weeks I've been either sick or making myself sick inexplicably. In late Feb/Early March I came down with a couple back to back colds. COVID was on my radar at that point, but I didn't think I had. In Mid-March I started getting persistent chest pain, chest tightness, palpitations, bloating, diarrhea and incredible fatigue and muscle pain. Then I started to think, well maybe?
Testing is awful around here and since I couldn't be tested, I ended up getting a chest xray which was clean for my heart and lungs. My symptoms lingered and lingered to the point where I was told to go to the ER twice to get my chest pain checked. Tests were fine, thank goodness. But everything kept lingering.
I have no primary care doctor because I recently moved back to Michigan and I haven't needed one, no one is taking patients right now, so finding a doctor was really challenging. Eventually I ended up at a Federal Health Clinic and the NP there diagnosed me with GERD and anxiety. He ran blood tests and a vitamin D test and everything was good (though I was slightly low on Vitamin D as all Michigan people are). He put me on Buspar and Pepcid and Nexium. I've also started talking to a therapist.
This was all two weeks ago and while some symptoms have improved, my chest is still in pain quite a bit of the day. The most troubling thing for me right now is frequent heart palpitations and this strange vibrating and shaking feeling I get when I sleep. I've never felt anything like it, though sleep issues are not new with me. But now feeling some twinges and shakiness during the day (mostly in my head and neck).
Any way, I trust the Doctor and my rational brain says the shaking and palpitations are likely from anxiety. It's rational as those symptoms came after the respiratory and chest stuff. I was really freaked out I might have COVID, and I can definitely fess up to incredible anxiety about it.
My physical symptoms are like a snake eating it's tale and it's hard to not get down trying to break the cycle. Any thoughts or advice from those who have dealt with heart palpitations and the sleep vibrations would be appreciated.
;TLDR Healthy, happy guy gets sick and thinks he has COVID. Has some chest pains and palpitations he gets checked out a few different times, all clear. Gets diagnosed with GERD and anxiety. Still dealing with daily chest pain and palpitations and is now shaking at night when he tries to sleep and sometimes during the day. Looking for compassion and advice from anyone who has dealt with all of this (especially sleep tremors, they are freaking me out!)