Anxiety Symptoms

[kittykat22]

Hi, I've just registered and would like some feedback on my symptoms please...

I've been diagnosed with anxiety although I cant work out what has set it off (i'm not stressed or worried etc).

Does anyone else experience muscle twitches/spasms with anxiety?

I can't really describe it but sometimes its a visible twitch in my arm or leg and other times some of muscles feel like they are vibrating slightly inside.

I also experience a tingly/crawling sensation down my back from time to time.

I've never experienced these symptoms/sensations before but this is the first time I have been diagnosed with anxiety.

I am also really aware of my heart beating, sometimes it feels like its beating too too fast - can this harm me?

My throat also feels tight & constricted, my breathing is fine but the feeling is uncomfortable.

I'd be very grateful for people's feedback on this post.

Many thanks :) x

[kirsty74]

All sound like pretty typical anxiety symptoms to me!! Sometimes anxiety/panic attacks creep up on us. I didn't feel stressed when I got my first one...even told the doctor she was mistaken. I had to go back a couple of weeks later to ask for help because she was right.

The important thing to remember (and one of the most difficult at times) is that these really are just feelings. They cannot harm you. You can get better:)

[kittykat22]

Thanks :) I really hope it all goes soon.

I never knew you could get so many physical symptoms with anxiety, i always thought it was a panic attack where you couldn't breath properly.

Mine aren't attacks as such, more of a continuous thing.

It started with me thinking i had something wrong (female problems) i thought the worst and before i knew it i was having the heart racing and other symptons.

It's difficult because all the symptoms from anxiety are making me feel like there is something really wrong with me and Its hard to trust what the doctors are saying.

[wherefromhere]

Dear Kitty Kat. Sorry to hear you are suffering from anxiety. I too have been diagnosed with anxiety (health anxiety) I was diagnosed after having numerous tests. I too get tingly in my spine and muscle twitches. Electric shocks the lot. I convinced myself I have some awful disease like ms, lupus etc. I have gotten a lot better since I started to believe that this could just be anxiety. I still get symptoms but I try not to let them rule my life in anyway and soon they disappear. I hope this helps in some way and that your less anxious soon. Take care.:hugs:

[kittykat22]

Hi, thanks for your response :)

What tests have you had done? I've had normal & arterial blood tests.
Blood pressure, ECG and chest scan. All appear to be normal.

I asked the doctor about a test for the muscle spasm/tingly sensations but he said it is just related to the anxiety.

I dont get panic attacks as such, more of a continuous thing. I dont even feel anxious sometimes but still have the symptoms which is why im having trouble accepting it.

My pulse rate is 85, i never really knew what my pulse rate was before the anxiety but it seems to be 85 all the time now. Is that high?

Many thanks for your help.

[snowwhite]

KittyKat, .... Yes, I have so many symptoms, it's ridiculous! Everything you and the other posters have mentioned, I've had, and still have...and more! LOL .... yeah, anxiety is a real doozie, and it has so many strange underlying symptoms, that you think you are probably dying from some disease. I've had the muscles spasms and electric shock feelings myself, oh, and we can't forget dizziness, off balance, and the sudden JOLT when you're about to fall asleep...... I do hope you feel better soon...

[nigel-]

I have this thing were my neck starts to twitch and its hard to control ( don't want people to see I'm doing it ). but anxiety does wired things.

[BigDaz]

Sounds like how I started, feeling stressed without any particular cause. The effects seem major so it's natural to look for something major causing it. However it can be caused by just thinking certain things. Like a phobia, the reaction can be completely out of proportion to the cause.

As for heart rate 85 is pretty normal. I wish mine was that low, when stressed mine can top 120. It's not harmful, it's no different to being excited or running.

[kittykat22]

Thanks everyone, it makes me feel so much better knowing that other people experience the same symptoms too.

I just can't understand why i still feel so bad even though i'm not anxious?

How long will it take to get back to normal?

Do any of you experience dizziness? Its not dizziness that makes me feel like im going to faint, its more like a woozy/spacey feeling. I'm ok when im sat down but as soon as i stand up i feel strange.

Does anyone else get that?

x

[Ddcoo]

Hi KittyKat, I get the spacey dizziness when I stand up and like you am OK sat down, although on occasions I will get a quick flash of dizziness when sitting down. I hate the dizziness more than anything else, it takes all my time to concentrate on anything and makes me feel even more stressed out. If you can try breathing deeply and slowly I find this helps to control it.

[BigDaz]

Dizziness is a fairly typical symptom of hyperventilating (breathing too much). It's probably so mild that you're not aware you're doing it.

[AlexandriaUK]

Hi KK welcome to the Jungle lol, I can assosciate with all you have said and more and the one thing I can say is that I wish that when I was first told what I was feeling was anxiety I wished that comps had been around and I could have come on a site like this I am sure it would have saved me years of terror, anything you can throw at us as in symptoms I am sure most of us will have had it LOL sit down relax and get reading, be careful though that you dont get any new symptoms from the site as they can be contagious lol :hugs:

[kittykat22]

Thanks for all your support...

The symptoms are real though aren't they? Its not psychological? I can definitely see visible muscle twitches/spasms and get skin crawling sensations.
The worse thing is my racing heart, im worried that ive been feeling like this for about 5 weeks now - can it harm me? :(

[AlexandriaUK]

I think that the heart is always one of the things that we focus on and your pulse is good at 85 lot less than mine can go up too and I can get my BP up as well and I am sure your pulse is a lot less than quite a few on hear and do I think it will harm you NO NO NO and thats a NO LOL
Wait till others who see your post will say the same.
PS yes the symptoms are real just created by the impulses from you brain.