ElectricAlice
02-02-11, 14:06
Hi everyone, I was thinking about health anxiety a lot yesterday. And I want to post about all my symptoms and worries, and hope that you'll all share yours to see what is actually caused by anxiety. Because I think there's so many problems that anxiety causes that aren't that well heard of. And maybe if people can check back to this post and read about different peoples symptoms in detail, then they won't google or worry so much. I know i've found so much relief talking to you all and finding out that someone has gone through the same thing as me. It's not so scary. But also hoping it'll put a lot of my (and yours) worries to rest. And share our stories and struggles. Thanks if your reply and read this :). Sorry if it's a crappy idea and my post is stupidly long!
My symptoms/worries: (in they're worrying order!)
Leg pain: from my hero, best friend, and dear dear mother passing away last October. I can't even describe the pain from this emotionally. Its beyond anything. I'm 22, so it's young to loose such an amazing mother and person. She passed away suddenly from PE, caused from DVT. Ever since I found out that a symptom of DVT is leg pain. I've developed leg pain in the left leg. I'm not 100% sure it started exactly the same time, or I was just more aware of it after discovering this. But nonetheless started the terrifying battle with health anxiety. I have been constantly comparing my left leg to my right, measuring them to check ones not swollen, feeling the temperature, looking at the colour. Squeezing it to see if it's tender. Most of my attention is focused on this one leg, pretty much all day somewhere in my mind. I've been to A&E checked for clots twice with blood tests, and the DR's twice about it too. And they all say the tests are normal and I don't have a clot. I think I've gotten a bit better recently, I try to see reason; that the pain only started when I found out about DVT, it's there because I must be tensing my muscle, it's there because I focus on it, etc. But the other part of my mind thinks, if it happened to mum it could happen to me, why didn't the DR's realise that's what was wrong with her, I feel unlucky, etc. I just find it hard to convince my head it's NOT a clot. It's so hard. And the more 'assurance seeking behaviour' and 'solution findinh' I do is apparently setting me back, according to the HA book I bought. But sometimes talking with others about similar anxiety problems helps me realise it is only anxiety, and therefore I can move on from it. The pain is still here, and seems to be getting worse, so I have been thinking it is scaitica. As the pain seems to fit that more. We're great at fitting what little evidence we have to our own case, and trusting our emotions and gut more than hard evidence and DR's advice. It's a hard battle. So does anyone experience muscle ache and pain in one limb? Is it worse when they focus on it? Do they dismiss DR's advice and still worry?
The second thing that I've had for a while now. On and off for about 8 months. Is right sided chest pain. I think originally I must have pulled a muscle back packing or something. And then I focused on it and freaked out so much it was breast cancer or lung cancer, and it didn't go away. It usually gets much worse when I'm thinking about it. I've had X-rays and tested and have been told it's anxiety. So I started looking at the way I hold myself. Sometimes I actually sit and stand with my whole chest tensed and my shoulders raised, so I take a deep breath and relax all my top body. I wasn't even aware I was holding myself like this. So I think this has helped. Even though I still get the pain, sometimes very bad. Part of me thinks it might actually be a gall bladder problem. But who knows! It is one of my most scary symptoms though, as it's tied in with clots in the lungs again :(. But long term chest pain apparently wouldn't be anything like lung clot pain.
I feel tired all the time. Sometimes sleeping feels like the only relief. I can sleep all night and most of the day and just not want to get out of bed. I have horrid dreams. I wake up with a jolt and a gasp like my body was holding it's breath in its sleep. I feel lethargic most of the time. Unless I have a solid plan for the day, or are going to exercise.
I have problems breathing 'correctly'. I feel like not enough oxygen is getting into my body, and I need to yawn or take deep breaths to make up for it. And I have a pressure on my chest that feels like its preventing me from breathing properly. Apparently breathing from your abdomen is important but when I try to do this I feel like I have to breath twice as fast and panic. This symptom is one of my worst :(. It's awful.
I get random pulse/muscle twitches in my right shoulder blade and in my leg. That feel like a pulse but I can feel them very hard through my body in these areas. This worries me when it's in my leg. Does anyone else get this?
Pins and needles/tingling in my left foot.
Randomly feeling sick.
That's all the major physical ones I can think of. I'm sorry if it was too long. I just think this is going to be one of my last posts, so if I could get everything out and get any help, stories shared, advice and similar situations I would appreciate it so so much. Thankyou so much if youve read all this and I look forward to your replies :).
My symptoms/worries: (in they're worrying order!)
Leg pain: from my hero, best friend, and dear dear mother passing away last October. I can't even describe the pain from this emotionally. Its beyond anything. I'm 22, so it's young to loose such an amazing mother and person. She passed away suddenly from PE, caused from DVT. Ever since I found out that a symptom of DVT is leg pain. I've developed leg pain in the left leg. I'm not 100% sure it started exactly the same time, or I was just more aware of it after discovering this. But nonetheless started the terrifying battle with health anxiety. I have been constantly comparing my left leg to my right, measuring them to check ones not swollen, feeling the temperature, looking at the colour. Squeezing it to see if it's tender. Most of my attention is focused on this one leg, pretty much all day somewhere in my mind. I've been to A&E checked for clots twice with blood tests, and the DR's twice about it too. And they all say the tests are normal and I don't have a clot. I think I've gotten a bit better recently, I try to see reason; that the pain only started when I found out about DVT, it's there because I must be tensing my muscle, it's there because I focus on it, etc. But the other part of my mind thinks, if it happened to mum it could happen to me, why didn't the DR's realise that's what was wrong with her, I feel unlucky, etc. I just find it hard to convince my head it's NOT a clot. It's so hard. And the more 'assurance seeking behaviour' and 'solution findinh' I do is apparently setting me back, according to the HA book I bought. But sometimes talking with others about similar anxiety problems helps me realise it is only anxiety, and therefore I can move on from it. The pain is still here, and seems to be getting worse, so I have been thinking it is scaitica. As the pain seems to fit that more. We're great at fitting what little evidence we have to our own case, and trusting our emotions and gut more than hard evidence and DR's advice. It's a hard battle. So does anyone experience muscle ache and pain in one limb? Is it worse when they focus on it? Do they dismiss DR's advice and still worry?
The second thing that I've had for a while now. On and off for about 8 months. Is right sided chest pain. I think originally I must have pulled a muscle back packing or something. And then I focused on it and freaked out so much it was breast cancer or lung cancer, and it didn't go away. It usually gets much worse when I'm thinking about it. I've had X-rays and tested and have been told it's anxiety. So I started looking at the way I hold myself. Sometimes I actually sit and stand with my whole chest tensed and my shoulders raised, so I take a deep breath and relax all my top body. I wasn't even aware I was holding myself like this. So I think this has helped. Even though I still get the pain, sometimes very bad. Part of me thinks it might actually be a gall bladder problem. But who knows! It is one of my most scary symptoms though, as it's tied in with clots in the lungs again :(. But long term chest pain apparently wouldn't be anything like lung clot pain.
I feel tired all the time. Sometimes sleeping feels like the only relief. I can sleep all night and most of the day and just not want to get out of bed. I have horrid dreams. I wake up with a jolt and a gasp like my body was holding it's breath in its sleep. I feel lethargic most of the time. Unless I have a solid plan for the day, or are going to exercise.
I have problems breathing 'correctly'. I feel like not enough oxygen is getting into my body, and I need to yawn or take deep breaths to make up for it. And I have a pressure on my chest that feels like its preventing me from breathing properly. Apparently breathing from your abdomen is important but when I try to do this I feel like I have to breath twice as fast and panic. This symptom is one of my worst :(. It's awful.
I get random pulse/muscle twitches in my right shoulder blade and in my leg. That feel like a pulse but I can feel them very hard through my body in these areas. This worries me when it's in my leg. Does anyone else get this?
Pins and needles/tingling in my left foot.
Randomly feeling sick.
That's all the major physical ones I can think of. I'm sorry if it was too long. I just think this is going to be one of my last posts, so if I could get everything out and get any help, stories shared, advice and similar situations I would appreciate it so so much. Thankyou so much if youve read all this and I look forward to your replies :).