Always something wrong with you?

[goater31]

Is this common for health anxiety sufferers?

I lurch from one health catastrophe to the next. Some problems are chronic, some come and go. Here's what I mean:

Heart palpitations/flutters/extra beats

I've had these for around 6 years now. They started off slowly, maybe one every few days. I started to obsess about them, and now I have at least 20 episodes a day. Sometimes just a single skipped beat feeling, other more scary times my heart flips out for a few seconds, and I have a run of the weird beats. Sometimes they give me a head rush.

When they happen I just flip out, I want to run away but there's nowhere to run. This has caused some social anxiety, because I am terrified i'll have a bad episode when I'm in a meeting, in a restaurant, crowded place etc.

I'm convinced that one day these funny beats will kill me. Some days are better than others, but I've not had a palpitation-free day for about 2 years.

I've been checked out about 2 years ago by a cardio, had numerous ecgs, an echo, stress test - cardiologist said they're benign and I should just get on with my life - easy for him to say!


Droopy eyelid/headache one side in the morning

I frequently wake up with a stuffy left-side of my head. My left eyelid is always slightly droopy in the morning, this goes away after an hour or so. I almost always wake up with a headache on that left side, and often a nosebleed from the left nostril.

I am convinced this is a brain tumour, or high blood pressure in my head which means an imminent stroke. Maybe this is connected to my heart problem, I don't know.


Chest pain

I've been having chest pains which can be squeezing, sharp, localised, generalised - all types.

I'm convinced it's an impending heart attack related to my funny palpitations somehow, but I'm not sure, because the pain never seems to last more than 10 seconds or so. Sometimes it can be so severe I feel about to pass out, and it actually makes me sweat.

It seems to be coming from my lower chest, upper stomach, which makes me think that if its not a heart attack, it must be something like barretts esophagus or esophageal cancer.

Ear ache

I get these stinging pains sometimes in my left ear, which I think is related to the whole left sided headaches/droopy eyelid thing and I think it's either a tumour or impending stroke.

Dizziness

I often have dizzy spells which usually only last for a few seconds but are scary, and I think its again due to the tumour or about to burst blood vessel in the left of my head

Colds

I've been getting a few viruses recently. I think this is because I have cancer (ive heard getting regular colds is a symptom). The viruses make my heart palpitations worse and this makes me think I've definitely got CHF or cardiomyopathy or something sinister with my heart.

Shortness of breath

I've had episodes of this recently. It's either the heart failure manifesting itself, or if not its acid reflux, caused by barretts esophagus or esophageal cancer.

I won't have an endoscopy because I'm terrified it will set off a fatal heart arrythmia.

Aching leg

My left leg ached a bit the last couple of days, could it be cancer spreading?

High blood pressure

I'm 28 but I was told a few years back by an ENT specialist that my blood pressure was normal for a 50 YR OLD. My father and his father had HBP, so I think its hereditary, and I'm worried about an impending stroke or aneurysm.

Muscle twitching

Quite often my muscles seem to twitch involuntarily. Is this the onset of early parkinsons or MS?

Panic attacks

I've had a few of these but none touch wood for around 6 months. Maybe its a brain tumour that is causing them. I've got a real dizziness problem when standing in any queue.



At the moment I never feel NORMAL, there's always some sinister symptom going on. Please help!

[Jaco45er]

But apart from that? how do you feel?

Welcome mate, I could have wrote that myself, I recognised everything on there.

I went through everyday jumping from my "heart attack" (always having like a thud in the chest, like a lift stopping suddenly), heavy pressure like a band around my head (brain tumor), pain in my back (that was liver failure) chest (lungs shot), yip just about everything you mentioned.

I notice you are well up on the terminology, you are either a Dr or a serial googler ;)

1st things 1st, wrap the whole lot up and stick it on the mental shelf of "faulty thinking". You don't need a seperate category for each sympton, because anxiety triggers a lot of chemicals that act on your organs that lead to how you think which leads to how you feel. simples (as a meerkat would say).

There is some MP3's on this site in the store (they are free) by Claire Weekes. Not sure if you have heard of her, but her audio and books really did help me come to terms (mostly) will health anxiety.

As for BP? BP is easily controlled with meds, and you are a young fella so I would just have a regular check up and chat with your GP. And don't worry about BP, I get peeky BP (both numbers combined look like a phone number) and I am 41.

TC

Jaco

[Vanilla Sky]

Goater , First of all you are listing the most typical anxiety symptoms, the main one being your thought process. In my head i had every illness you could think of but my main one was heart because of all the palpitations i had, real bad throat ones that made me feel like i was going to pass out. You have had tests so be assured that if there was anything wrong they would have found it hon. When someone is really ill in public they are not able to run like anxiety sufferers, so we know that is the fight ir flight setting it caused by anxiety , caused by your thoughts . Why do you have to have Barrets ? Can it not be normal stomach upset which is very normal in anxiety and easily treated ! Cancer does not spread to your leg. The shortness of breath again is the fact your panicing and not breathing right. Muscle twitching im afraid is another one < i had a twitch in my eye and arm for ages. So what if that ENT person said your BP was normal for a 50yr old, my dad is 80 and his BP is lower than mine! doesnt mean anything. Im taking it your ear has been checked then if you've seen a specialist. You won't know how you sleep at night but ill bet thats what it is , the fact that it goes away! And because we anxious ppl are using so much energy worrying we deplete ourselves, so no wonder we get every cold going. Please stop worrying, accept that the symptoms are anxiety and you will notice theyll get less and less Love Paige x

[countrygirl]

Wow someone who has all the same symptoms as me - I have had the ectopic heartbeats for over 20 years but still hate the feel of them especially when it feels as if there is a butterfly trapped in your chest and you get the headrush as if a lift has stopped. At their worst mine can be every 3rd beat is a missed one:weep: I have had all the tests including a 24 hr ecg every 4 years gor past 20 years:blush: Like you always told harmless but horrible.
Try increasing potassium rich foods it worked for me a bit.

I have just posted about al the things I am worrying about before I read this one. I woudn't wish health anxiety on my worst enemy but in the nicest possible way its good to know I am not alone.