Scared of aches and pains

[Laura1981]

Hi everyone I'm quite new to this and it's not nice hey.
It all started about two months ago when I started getting bad stomach/digestion problems. Terrible gurgling noises, the feeling that food wasn't going down properly and pains under my left ribcage. Went back and forth to the doctors a couple of times and they didn't think there was too much to worry about and just prescribed me some tablets to help with the digestion. Ended up down A&E as one day during eating I was getting terrible stabbing pains in my stomach, tight chest and I felt like someone had got hold of me around my neck and was strangling me...not a nice feeling. They did an ECG and some basic blood tests and said that they couldn't find anything and to carry on taking the tablets the doctor had prescribed. Of course, this makes me feel stupid because I know that I don't feel right but they look at you as if you are making it up!
Anyway, stabbing pains subsided but then started to find it increasingly difficult to eat and swallow as I seem to have a constant feeling of something at the back of my throat. I also developed terrible pains in my left breast arm and shoulder. Back to the doctor again who checked me over and just put it down to lifting my 4 month old baby and prescribed me co codamol. these didn't do anything for the pain so i stopped taking them after a couple of days. Anyway, about a week later the pain went as quickly as it came on!:wacko:
I had also noticed a pain in my right leg that kept coming and going, kind of an achy pain but not really the muscle and again after trying painkillers it was still there...and still is. I mentioned this at one of my trips to the doctors and he said probably nothing and didn't even take a look!
Then just over a week ago I woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe properly, heart beating really fast, head felt all numb and I couldn't stop shaking. I spent the next hour or so pacing around with my husband trying to calm down. Eventually he persuaded me to go back to bed and try and get some sleep. I told him I was too scared to go to sleep because I felt like I had to concentrate on breathing otherwise if fell asleep I woud stop! Sounds silly I know. Eventually I did manage to drop off but ever since then I have felt terrible. For the next few days my hands and feet felt numb and like I couldn't use them properly this has got better but in the last few days I have been getting really bad feelings of pressure in my head. Not headaches, just pressure. My ears have been hurting, my nose and eyes. My right ear feels blocked, even though I can hear fine, when I swallow you normally get a feeling in your ears but I don't have this in my right one. Now today I have a really bad ache in the left side of my neck.
Really the list is never ending and its so hard to try and stay posotive when all of this is happening to you. I have noticed that when I am keeping myself busy then I tend to feel a bit better and when I try and relax I feel terrible!
I have the doctors again today because I think it might be wise to discuss the possibility that I am suffering from anxiety. I just don't know what to do with myself and what I can do to get out of this loop. I just keep thinking the worst will all the things that I keep experiencing.

Any thoughts welcome, oh and has anybody tried acupuncture or reiki to help with their HA?

[pinkpenny1uk]

hi laura,

i started suffering with health anxiety 2 years ago, and how u have described what is happening is more or less what i went through. and no its not nice.

i had all the symptoms you describe, the gurgling, the sensation of something stuck in my throat, the pains in my stomach,chest and rib cage. eventually after many visits to a n e and the and the doc's i was diagnoised with acid reflux. since being on omeprozole, while i still get the above symptoms, they r a lot less severe. maybe this is something u could mention to your doc, as like u i had not long had a baby when my symptoms kicked in,

i keep getting a pain in my left leg, bewtween the knee and ankle, mainly in the calf area. at first i thought it was dvt. i was checked out and have now had this pain on and off for a year so i now think if it was anything bad i would have had other symptoms by now surley?


it sounds to me that when u woke up not being able to breath properly you were having a panic attack. this is just how i felt when i very first had one. and of course the more i fought against it, the worse it was.

i too like to keep busy cos i also noticed that i didn't think 'bad' thoughts when my mind was occupied with other things. if i sit and relax u can guarentee all these thoughts rush back into my head.

i haven't tried acupuncture or reki but i have tried meditation which along with help and advice from people on here has helped.
while i still do suffer with panic attacks nd health anxiety, i do find i can cope with them alot better now then i did. .

if ever u feel u need someone to talk too feel free to pm me.

take care
luv pen
xx

[june]

Laura1981
Your post could have been written by many of us on the forum (and probably has) I am not making light of your fear - it truly is horrible.
I do not want to add to your worries but I still get most of what you have written after many years.
Do try to read though Problems / issues on the left of this page - Panic attacks and Symptoms.
There is a lot of GOOD information there and if hubby can read it as well at least he will understand what you are going through.
If there is another doctor at your surgery try that one.
Panic is awful - your fears keep it going - I know that - but my brain does not (ha ha)
Hope you feel better soon
Best wishes
June

[Laura1981]

Thanks Penny. :)
It's amazing that so many people seem to be suffering with the same things. I have an acupuncture session booked for the weekend (I went a few years ago for headaches and it was great) and next week I'm having reiki so I have all my fingers and toes crossed that this will help!
June - as for the doctor, I am actually seeing a different one today...again fingers crossed!

[june]

Laura1981
Is your new doc any better than the other?
Hope you are feeling much much better
June

[MistyBlue]

Deffo echo the above. I could have written all that exactly the same.

Hope you feel better soon. :hugs:

Lisa x

[Laura1981]

Thanks guys.

New doctor was great. Very understanding and the fact that he listened made me feel better. He has asked me to go back in a month and let him know how I am getting on and have a chat about how I have been.

Thing is since I went last monday I have been feeling terrible again...physically not mentally. Both of my ears feel blocked, hurts when I swallow and my neck is sore....glands feel like they are up. I have been trying to ignore it but everyday it has been worse. Head kind of feels numb as I does the right hand side of my chest. Any ideas?

I am having reiki tonight for the first time so fingers crossed but I might try and book an appt to see the doc just in case.

Any thoughts?

[seeker]

Sounds like a cold or throat/ear infection - it is a good sign that your glands are fighting off the infection, belive it or not - it would be much worse if they didn't! Ironically, you could have picked it up in the doctors. I have had acupuncture for anxiety and depression and it did work. As did proper yoga and meditation. Hope you feel better soon!