Anxiety and muscle pain?

[doomey]

Hi I suffer from anxiety, over the last few days I have been getting quite a bit of muscle pain, and tightness of muscles (mostly in my chest, mostly) is this common with anxiety?

Thanks for the help.

[pammy1944]

hi doomy ........as i get the same thing i would think its to do with anxiety .....good luck x

[Ragna]

Same here, I believe from reading google and on here that it is totally normal. With me, I find it normally ends up to be indigestion.

Of course you end up convincing yourself otherwise, but you definitely in the right place for support :)

[den68]

its seems to be one of the most common symptoms. I know i have had it

[chantelle]

It is a common sympton and as you relax it will loose it's intensity. Good luck!!!

[tim73]

is this common with anxiety?
Very :)

Take a look at the Symptoms section on the left if you haven't already. There's loads of helpful stuff there.

Though it's not to say anxiety is the cause, but if you have anxiety it's quite likely. If it's bothering you, go to your GP. If it's a new symptom and very painful for quite a while, it may be worth checking with NHS Direct to ask their advice (don't use the web site checker as that will have you dialling 999 for a common cold!).

[teez]

i muscles get so tight at times that i get spasms,,i hate those,,but im learning if i get them to find something to sit and do,,normally sit on my laptop or ds,,it normally helps after a while

[doomey]

Hi again, thanks for the reassuringly answers, very helpful knowing , I am not the only one going through this.


To be fair my anxiety had mellowed somewhat, but for some reason has flared up a bit recently.

Just a quick question, does anyone find they get stressed more easier since "coming down" with anxiety?

I find that the most annoying thing for me really, above any of the symptoms, the silliest things stress me at times.:doh:

[tim73]

Just a quick question, does anyone find they get stressed more easier since "coming down" with anxiety?

I find that the most annoying thing for me really, above any of the symptoms, the silliest things stress me at times.:doh:
This time round, yes I do. Last year I had an "episode" of anxiety with lots of panic, trip to A&E and sorted it out with beta blockers as the symptom was mainly a pounding heart that wouldn't calm down. Then it's been fine for a year until about a month ago and a simple thing set it off. Since then almost anything sets it off and I find my muscles are often aching and even burning yet I don't feel I'm stressed or understand why.

I think maybe my muscles (and brain) have reached a point where they're sensitive to everything. I'm now attempting to get a better sleep pattern (I sleep fine, but I struggle to wake for work and feel awful in the morning), and just a break in general. Hopefully I can get the whole system back to a normal state and it'll all calm down.

[doomey]

Thanks.
I am a little curious to find out how long some people have suffered from anxiety for?

My doctor is concerned that I have not made much progression in the last year.

[melvin]

hi iv had this chest pain on and off most days and it gets me going every time i always think its my heart iv just had a lung test all OK iv had a e c g all ok so i have to put down to stress but i dont feel stressed when my chest goes tight i get no other symtoms so i dont know what to think

[tim73]

Yeah, I sometimes have got the tightness and arm/muscle pains even though I think I'm not stressed or even in a very relaxed situation.

I believe it to be that my body has been tense for a long period and it's still tight and aching. I get the impression that this can last days or weeks (well it has anyway for me). The tension also explains the fatigue I've had. It's surprising just how much energy the body uses when it tenses up.

I think work has a lot to do with it also. It's not that it's a stressful job as such, but being an office job it's stressful on the body to be sat in front of a computer all day.

[Meewah]

Hi

I am having exactly the same problem at the moment. What gets me through and stops me going to the doctors i hear you ask. Well I sit with it. I then find that my breathing becomes very shallow as if trying not to make any noise so that my mind can listen in detail to my chest. This seems to make the problem worse because to do this I have to tense my chest muscles, so why don't I panic, well I analyse the shooting pains and tightness and aching and realise that the pain is outside my ribcage. I mean it can be eased by rubbing the painful area. My problem is I don't know exactly what indigestion/heartburn should feel like as I can only say what I have experienced and I cannot describe the feelings accurately.

Anyhow I have mumbled for too long now.

Thanks for listening.

Mee

[tim73]

Another thing I find which is reassuring is going out and doing some form of exercise stops the aches. Even just going for a walk.

That's a strong indication that it's not an issue with the heart etc.

In fact I've been going out for walks quite a lot and boosted the frequency of my mountain bike rides, and my blood pressure is coming down a fair bit. It's now into the definite 'normal' range rather than the 'top of normal', even when taken at the doc's.