Please somebody help is this anxiety?

[hendey]

well, i've posted here before but i just want to start from the beginning and get all this off my chest. May this year, I started having chest pain and palpatations. for days after this i got a racing heartbeat. preety sure this is all anxiety related now. but since then i've been having on off mild chest pain and back pain mainy upper. pain seems to be mainly left sided. docotors felt at first maybe it was a virus, then they said it may be pulled muscle, or gerd. Also i have been having feacal bleeding, which is sometimes bright red or sometimes dark red. The other day, i had an endoscopy which they said was fine. I often get sort of a dull achey head, and sort of dizziness and feelings of mania. I've also have often a sort of funny throat, sort of like an ill feeling like im thirsty. also i have swelling on my feet, hands and left neck although this is only slight swelling. ow i also get chills that go all through my body which have been getting worst recently.

is this anxiety or something more sinster.

i have had two panic attacks in the past, but that was months ago and the sympotms still perist.

furthermore, once when i was out walking through town i had tingling like pins and needles all down my left arm which was sort thier a few days previosuly but got worst all of a sudden and my head went all funny, and i got a twinge pain in my left breast area. the doctors have done endless ecg's and a chest xray also full blood tests and found nothing. some have said it is anxiety.

any help would be greatly appreicated, sorry it's a long post i'm just at the stage were i need help.

[Mikke]

Most of the symptoms you describe reminds of anxiety, except maybe the mania and the swolling.
You should always consult a doctor about physical symptoms, but this sounds a lot like anxiety symptoms, at least most of them... and it seems you have seen a great number of doctors already.

Palpitations are rarely dangerous as long as they not come with extreme dizziness and fainting. Chest pains that get worse if you press fingers on your chest are almost always of muscular origin. The needles and pins sort of feeling are a classic symptom of hyperventilation, which is a "standard" anxiety symptom. You can also get back/chest pain from incorrect breathing (hyperventilation).

If you have done a resting ecg, this rules out a lot of dangerous situations ( like an enlarged heart, some of the atrial flutter disorders, heart attack, heart block etc). In most cases palpitations that can't be explained by ecg, or lead your doctor to suggest a holter monitor or stress test, are symptoms of anxiety. You should not worry to much about the palpitations, as it will only make them more frequent. Axept that your doctor has made a professional decision not to suggest further investigations on basis of a normal ecg.

You should read up on hyperventilation, as many of the symptoms you descrive could be caused by this (chest/back pain, dizziness, tingling sensations, chills etc)

[Nechtan]

Apart from the swelling I've experienced everything else at some stage. The cold shivers could be that via the anxiety your immune system is a bit low and you feel the cold more. I certainly feel the cold more than my wife and do sometimes have to wrap up for bed in case I wake with a chill.

It's good that you have had tests done and nothing sinister has been found. I hope this gives you a confidence. Most of what you have described are symptoms of anxiety. The back pain is something I experience and as your doctor said of your own mine comes from damaged muscles. It's very easy to do. I done mine my picking up a fairly empty bin bag. If you do this then it is very easily aggrivated again.

The tingling in the arm I've had before. What happens though is we think the worse, tense up and panic which increases our awareness of it and brings on other symptons. Like Mikke said I would trust your doctors on that one. The subsequent pain in your chest could be from tensing up as you started to panic.

All the best

Nechtan

[Dawn08]

Hi Hendey
I just had to write when I saw your message in here. All those symptoms I read that you were experiencing - if I hadn't known better, I wouldve thought I was reading about myself!!
The aches and pains, the tingling etc ARE ALL FROM ANXIETY. I suffer from panic disorder/depression and experienced those weird pains that you were getting.I even called the doctor out one night thinking I was on the verge of a heart attack - and what was it ??? Yes, youv'e guessed correctly ANXIETY !!
The fact that you have had tests done which all came back normal should reassure you, and put your mind at rest. Believe me when I say anxiety can create havoc with people's mind and health. It has us thinking all sorts, when in fact there is absolutely NOTHING wrong....
I do hope I have managed to put your mind at rest because I hate to see others suffering what I have gone through too - I just wish someone could put MY MIND at rest from these horrible panic attacks and depression.
Take care and God Bless
Dawn