The Never-ending Barrage Of Symptoms

[OneNoSneaker]

Hello everyone, I'm a brand new user, but I really need some quick advice. My anxiety is wholly related to health issues and spawned from strange symptoms that I always seem to be having. It started over a year ago with chronic nausea, then bladder problems, all the way to severe PVC episodes, and now CONSTANT dizziness/lightheaded feeling with "prickling/itching/crawling" sensations all over. Most recently, I've also been experiencing a "sweet" flavor in my mouth mixed with a sort of bitter/metallic taste. I'm in my early 20's, average build, not overweight, and considered to be a healthy male for my age by multiple doctors/specialists. I am truly wondering - can these more recent symptoms (the dizziness, tingling, and taste in mouth) be anxiety and affect me EVEN IF I'm not feeling anxious? I go about my daily life and function normally, and I'm not depressed or anything of that sort. I'm just extremely nervous about these symptoms that never seem to dissipate. The only reason I'm concerned is because all the doctors just keep blowing it off as "anxiety." I've had so many tests that I'm embarrassed (including MRI, CT Scan, blood work, etc. etc.), but I'm just not feeling like my usual self. The funny thing is, before I had my first panic attack, I NEVER felt this way. Any suggestions/advice or comments would be great. Thank you so much!

[j2]

Welcome to the board. Sorry you are suffering with HA. This is a great place to ask questions or just vent as we truly understand the pain you are in. As for your symptoms, they completely sound like anxiety especially given all the tests you have had and the fact they started after a panic attack. The dizziness can be because your blood is being diverted due to fight or flight or it could be because you are breathing shallowly. The same can be said for the tingling. The taste could be stomach acid in your mouth from an agitated stomach due to anxiety. Obviously I am no doctor but it sounds like more than one has given you the OK. As you read this board you will see all the different things the mind can do to your body. I know it is not as easy as simply saying calm down to your mind and all will be better but I assure you that what you are experiencing can definitely be caused by anxiety. Good luck.

[linda a]

i understand where ur coming from ive been suffering from symptoms for 5 months yes lighttheaded alot daily weird vision and head feelings and feeling of motion.it hard but we must take one day at a time i hope u get to feeling better sorry u are having these problems ur not alone.

[cornishmaid]

my symptoms always changing, ill have couple ectopic beats so thats all im focussed on for few days,slowly that fear wanes off a bit and il get a bad leg so then its the dvt fear for next few days,then head ache and its brain tumour and the list goes on and on,ive had egcs,echo test,blood work all were ok ,wish my mind would accept its ok too :-)

[judipat]

Hi
My anxiety too started in my early 20's (I'm now 53) and still here!! despite all the illness's and diseases I've thought i had over the years!! lol
Anyway, in my experience and having read extensively on the subject, anxiety only becomes a problem if you focus and/or panic about the physical symptoms you experience.
My advice would be to be as well informed as possible and try to understand the affects that adrenaline and prolonged anxiety can have on the body.
For instance, when I become anxious, I tend to overbreath or hyperventilate or shallow breath - this causes all kinds of problems, I get tingling/numbness in the extremities, chest and upper back pain, pain in my shoulders and neck, dizzyness and headaches and so on and so on. Over the years, I've learnt to control this and most importantly, I dont panic about it. Its all about acceptance. Accept that you sometimes suffer with anxiety, accept that it can sometimes be unpleasant - but most important, dont worry or panic about it. If you have had all the medical tests and they are clear (which you have by the sound of it) try and accept that it is anxiety.
The taste in your mouth is probably acid from your stomach - try taking an antacid and suck mints etc - I have this pretty bad and take omeprozol prescribed by my doc.
Hope you feel better soon
Judi

[crazyhayz]

Im in the EXACT same situation.

I never really FEEL anxious, infact i feel pretty normal all the time! I go out alot with friends, shopping, go out for dinner, cinema etc...i dont feel anxious but i must be because like you ive had many tests and nothing has ever been found!

I get prickling, tingling, numb patches, feelings of burning on parts of my skin and also ice cold patches, mostly in arms and legs... i get nausea all the time... my off-balance issues are most difficult, aswell as the vision, always seems like im walking around in a daze like everythings not real... my vision is blurry all the time and my head has pressure felings in it.... im literally dizzy all the time but ive just accepted its anxiety and nothing more so ive just gotta deal with it. its hard and i rly do undersatand how ur feeling, trust me, i never feel anxious and some days i get symptoms out of nowhere.. even when im busy.

Im thinkin my meds may be exageratin them so guna get them changed i think. i take 20mg citalopram for anxiety. do u take nefing???

please u have to believe us here, that these sympotoms are due to Pro-longed Anxiety/Panic due to high levels of adrenaline in our nerve-endings... short term anxiety doesnt have the same affect, but like you i suffer from long-term anxiety which is why i get strange Neurological symptoms.. a doc told me its coz our nerve endings are constantly 'on a high' and never relaxed, even when we feel like we are, its subconcious.

I never had a single symptom before my first panic attack. I was and felt completely 100% normal in every way. Since last january which was when my first panic attack was, ive had so many bad symptoms and nothings been found by any doctor, ive had brain scan heart scan loadsss of bloods, many trips to a&e, chest xrays, ultrasounds, ive had a full body MOT and im only 23!!!! haha.

Try and get referred to CBT and take some meds. Best way. But believe me, the key to beating anxiety is ACCEPTANCE.

Take care x