Change in symptoms has me terrified

[j2]

I am a long time sufferer of HA. I am a 37 yr old male in good shape (distance runner). For years I had a multitude of the same symptoms; dizziness, racing heart, bowel troubles, twitches, frequent urination, mood shifts, trembling and a whole host of the usual suspects. I was generally in a panic all the time and scouring this board for reassurance several times a day. About a year ago I started really trying to be proactive and read several books about anxiety. About six months ago many of my symptoms all but left and my mind started to ease up a bit to the point where I felt panicky only a few times a week. I thought I was getting better due to my increased knowledge of anxiety and the many reassuring posts on this board. I still had bowel problems which I thought was weird since this I wasn’t feeling anxious all the time. Then I started having all kinds of aches and pains in my fingers, toes, hands, feet, tailbone, calves and back. The pains are not all the time and not always in the same places and not so severe that I can’t still run. I just ran a 7 mile race and felt fine but currently I am having pain just sitting here. I am also having very oily skin to the point where I need to wash my face a couple of times a day just to control the pimples that I haven’t had since I was a teenager. I am also having great trouble falling asleep even though I am not lying in bed and worrying, I just can’t fall asleep. I am beginning to worry that something is really wrong with me. If this is anxiety I am thinking that perhaps since the books addressed the usual symptoms, the usual symptoms went away and I am now burying my anxiety deep in my mind and it is “coming out” in the form of pain and the other new issues. I have read a book by Sarno about how your unconscious mind lets out emotional problems as pain but I don’t know of anyone else that may have gone through something like this and his book deals primarily with back pain and my back has been good for the most part. Anyone with similar experiences or just a kind word would be great. I am starting to really get worked up about this like it is MS or ALS or some kind of tumor. Thanks

[magpie girl]

HI J2,i get horrendus pains in my feet and hands and very often they lock up and the pain is constant for hours.I also get it in the base of my spine and legs.I am at the pain clinic tommorow to see if there is anything i can do to control it as i am allergic to most pain killers.My gp thinks its my anxiety which causes your circulation and posture to go funny which affects the nerves:) :) i will let you know what the consultant says tommorow

[Valka]

Hi there J2.

Well, nearly all of my symptoms vanished for about a year and a half (while I was on Cipralex and for a good while afterwards), and I felt really good. Then earlier this year I started to get both some of the old symptoms back and a host of new ones as well - which really freaked me out. I didn't feel I was under a lot of stress at the time but when I later put things into perspective I realized that the symptoms came back just after a period of some stress for me. But like you, I was scared because a lot of it felt different. Suddenly I was experiencing things to do with breathing, weird back pain and other things that hadn't been a part of my anxiety before. Also, anxiety seems to affect my skin sometimes! It's normally completely clear and fine but occasionally when the anxiety plays up I start getting spots like a teenager! Ridiculous.
So try not to panic completely (I know, I know, you've heard it a million times before!) and maybe try and see your GP, tell him/her that you're worrying about it and see what they think. Throughout the years I've gone in with all sorts of weird pain from anxiety/stress and I'm always convinced it's something deadly, then my GP asks a couple of questions and can often tell me exactly what it is that's making me ache.
Good luck!

[j2]

Wow, you guys are great. It is so nice to not feel alone with these struggles. I have a great family but they just don't understand. it is like they think they can fix it by just pointing out the fact that i am a bit nuts. I wish it was that easy. Anyway thanks again.

[agent orange]

I don't know if this is any help or not, but I suffer from a somatoform disorder, it was diagnosed by a mental health clinician. The diagnosis means that a particular person will suffer from stress in bodily form such as dizziness, aches and pains etc. I have never met anyone who suffers from this, but it is quite common. I could be barking up the wrong tree, but this information might be of use to you. Check out a post by ITOLDYOUIWASILL you might find this particulary interesting.

[agent orange]

[quote=agent orange;531139]I don't know if this is any help or not, but I suffer from a somatoform disorder, it was diagnosed by a mental health clinician. The diagnosis means that a particular person will suffer from stress in bodily form such as dizziness, aches and pains etc. I have never met anyone who suffers from this, but it is quite common. I could be barking up the wrong tree, but this information might be of use to you. Check out a post by ITOLDYOUIWASILL you might find this particulary interesting. The post is called something like advice for those worried about m.s etc.

[j2]

I have wondered about various disorders where the mind causes pain in the body. That is why I have reading the book by Sarno discussing TMS and mind body disorder. It sure seems logical. Thanks