Chronic anxiety's toll on me

[j2]

I am a 40 yr old relatively thin male who has had anxiety issues for many years. I seldom get what I would call a full blown attack but mostly I am just on edge all the time. My mind goes from one illness to another and it just takes a huge toll on me. For the better part of 20 years I have had muscle twitching and heart palps and all kinds of other symptoms. I am not on any meds right now but I am thinking of going back on them. For last several months I feel like my arms and legs are hurting all the time. I feel like they are weak. My hands and feet hurt too but more like nerve pain instead of muscle pain. Also my hands look mottled and or blue sometimes. I am also having weird half of my face sensations. Not really pain just like the muscles are slightly contracted or something. Also my limbs fall asleep very easily. Sometimes my muscles ache like mad when I do the lightest of exercise. I am forgetful and tired too. Does anyone else get this. I am really worried and scared. Please share your story with me. Thanks and sorry for the long post. This is just taking so much out of me.

[looking4answers]

Im 56 and way ahead of you. I have had anxiety in one form or fashion most of my life. For the most of my years its been dormant here and there but every once in awhile it springs up and ruins my life. Its hard to keep under control and I know what you feel with the aches and pains since im 16 years older than you. SO I hear you.Its mostly anxiety and then could be a little getting older.. but mostly anxiety..The forgetful is normal and most of us experience that. I am not a doctor but I think its just mostly stress and anxiety to me that you have. Just keep trying and it will get better.. Take Care and feel better soon.Michael

[85634]

I am half yr age and I get aches and pains, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, teeth clenching/TMJ, muscle aches/spasms, headaches, heart palpitations/irregular heart beats, shortness of breath, exacerbations of asthma, all from anxiety.

[crazyhayz]

Im in the same boat j2, i get all those symptoms however im only 23..

I get constant nerve pain in arms hands and feet and legs, i get muscle pain all over, dizziness every day! I get the feeling that my limbs have fallen asleep, this is what im findin most difficult. I can be sat there and my arm wqill just suddenly feel like its not attached to me. My leg will also do it sometimes, and i reckojn i must have something wrong in my brain or spine.. im worrying so much, plus i have swollen nodes in neck and groin! so not good really...

But i do think theres a chance its to do with chronioc anxiety. The symptoms are pretty much constant with chronic anxiety, thing is, mine are pretty much constant but i dont actually feel anxious most of the time! My symptoms come on so suddenly! even when im busy. Its so weird. Im seeing a Neuro on 1st feb. Have u seen one??

Maybe u shud spk to doc and get an appt so u can get some reassurance tke cre hun

[j2]

I fear and that is all I do. I fear I am dying from some neuro disease. I spend lots of time looking at my forearms and upper legs. I swear they are thinning and developing "dents" in the muscles. I fear that I will leave my kids without a dad. I fear that my wife won't miss me. I fear that she will leave me. I fear going to the doctor because I can't take a "real" diagnoses. I fear and that is all I do.

[blueangel]

Reading your post made me feel so sad - I thik there are a lot of us here in this position. I've spent so long worrying about things, and even worrying about worrying. The logical side of my brain knows it's all a load of rubbish, but the illogical, irrational bit is so strong.

[j2]

I know what you mean blueangel.I keep a log of my symptoms and have done so for about 2.5 years. I go back and read it and see that I have been worrying about the same things for that whole time and probably much longer. It makes me feel better that I have had these fears before and that I have not developed any "real" disease but it makes me sad to think that I waste so much time and and that I don't seem to learn from my mistakes. I just want my old self back but I am not sure I would even recognize him.

[crazyhayz]

How are you j2? Hope ur feeling a bit better now. I know what its like to feel like ur wastin life away worrying and being anxious about our bodies.. i think acceptance is the key most definitely.

I agree tho that long-term chronic anxiety can give us loads of 'neurological' symptoms due to (and i quote from my spoecialist) "our nervee endings are constantrly on a high, and never get a break due to the adrenaline!"

I think im almost there..

hope u are feeling better tho, tke cre :)

[jmoid]

Sometimes my muscles ache like mad when I do the lightest of exercise.
I get that! And my chest gets super-sensitive to the point where a t-shirt against it makes me feel like there's something wrong. Drives me mad!

[j2]

I wish I could say I was feeling better but I am not. I am having my right hand and foot feeling very cold and twitches in my right foot. I am also having some memory issues. I am forgetting some very basic things. I can't get over this I just can't. I want to. I need to but every minute of every day I am thinking about having some illness or suffering the sensations that make me think I am dying soon. Another year started and I fear another year wasted.

[Alex1983]

I have experienced all of those symptoms. I have suffered from anxiety for nearly ten years. It started when I was 18 and I'm coming up 28. My symptoms often chan ge and develop. But last 6 months more than anything else- and for the first time- I started getting numb half of my face and my limbs feeling dead. Like if i wanted to move my arm or my leg I couldn't. Although this has never happened. It just feels like I can't, and it scares me to death! I think that there's something wrong with me and I tell myself it's just anxiety, but there's something that's telling me it's more serious. Deep down I know it's anxiety. I just don't know how to control it. Readingyours, and other peoples posts makes me realise that we're all on here because we suffer from anxiety, and we all suffer these symptoms, so it's pretty obvious that it is an effect of anxiety on us. I hope you feel a bit more reassured :)

[crazyhayz]

omgggggg ALEX!!! finally found someone else who gets this really weird 'falling asleep limbs!' i have suffered with this for a good 6 months now and it scares me more than any other symptom. Its like u cant move it, even thouhg u can, but it feels dead or like its not a part of ur body, like it belongs to another person or its a dead body's arm or sumthing?? it literally goes so quickly, can ahppen in my hands too. mostly my right hand tho. i hope its nothing serious. like u i think its all anxiety, due to LONG TERM anxiety, coz ive only ever knwon this sort of neurological-sounding symptom from people who have been suffering weith long-term anxiety continually everyday..like me lol.

thanks for that as i dont feel such a freak anymore lol. if u have got it then its gotta be anxiety, as both of us with anxiety cant be wrong can we. im seeing a neuro next month just to be sure but i reckon its all in my head lol. good luck with ur recovery :)