Anxiety rears it's ugly head worse than ever. Dizziness/Anxiety/Physical Symptoms.

[Movielife]

Hi all

I've posted on here before. Back in late August 2015, I was signed off from work, due to high levels of anxiety.

Current symptoms before I start:

- CONSTANTLY on edge, like the feeling before an important test. This leads to goosebumps and shivering, and my stomach and digestion feels out of sync.

- Dizziness - This has come and gone for 2.5-3 years now. It's not serious, more of an upsetting swaying if I am tired or anxious. Sometimes I don't even know it is there.

- Pins and Needles when I'm asleep. This started mainly when Propranolol was prescribed. I had very minor pins and needles for a week in July but the GP said it was anxiety. That went and hasn't come back. This what I have now is different; my feet feel cold and my hands go partially numb when I'm asleep. Propranolol is lowering my blood pressure a lot (it is already low and one GP didn't want me on 80mg slow release propranolol, but current GP is happy for me to be on it) and I feel it affecting my chest and my hands/feet all the time. This has all come on mainly over the past 6 - 8 weeks of being on propranolol.

- Tearfulness. This happens a lot. I am so upset this is happening to me and the person I have become. If I look back to say March, I was nothing like this. I just had the dizziness.

- Tiredness/aches - This only started on Propranolol. Never had it before. It isn't chronic it is just upsetting.

About me?

I've always been anxious, but moving house and cities twice in 3 months in 2015 finished me off. I also had new jobs etc. Also, I had other health issues which exacerbated my worry. I was also travelling incredibly far for work and not getting time to switch off.

I eventually quit that role, worked in another more relaxing (but longer hours) role and then I've recently had the first two week holiday I've been able to take in TEN years.

I'm 34 - I see everyone taking 3 -4 weeks a year off to exotic locations, etc. This was my first holiday away.

Everything was going well in Sept 2015, new temp role, new permanent role lined up, holiday about to start. I was prescribed propranolol which made me feel pretty awful at first, but it got better mid Sept. I felt better about myself. I could see the light and my physical symptoms DID become MUCH better. Dizziness almost stopped.

Anyway, late Sept, the propranolol seemed to be making things worse. I also went to a new specialist re: my ongoing 2 -3 years of light dizziness, and they changed their opinion of what was causing it. It's not Menieres disease, they think it is pain free migraines attacking my balance system.

So, better than Menieres? Yes, of course. My hearing is safe. BUT, and I knew this was coming, they want to run a routine MRI on my ear canal and probably my brain (scan sheet says auditory meatus which is mainly the ear to brain part).

The specialist isn't worried. He said it should have been done some time ago, no rush. He runs a few tests before I leave; basic nervous system checks and walking on the spot with eyes closed. All normal.

I panic and say what I've been worried about - MS. He says his opinion is no, it isn't MS.

Since that day, I've felt sick with worry. This is the be all and end all. I've sat an imagined how I would tell my parents I'm seriously ill, and how it would slowly affect me over the years.

Health anxiety has indeed completely infected me. I'm certain I am seriously ill.

Funny that before this all kicked off, all I had was mild dizziness. No weakness, no problems, nothing.

As others may say, I can't accept that the anxiety and propranolol is causing all of my physical problems. I'm convinced this is it for me and when the scan comes in, I'm in for bad news. I've imagined the specialised apologising and saying I do have a tumour/MS.

I honestly thought mid Sept I was ok, and fighting the anxiety. Now I'm possibly worse. I'm monitoring every part of my body and it is making me on edge 24/7.

I wake up hating what I have become. In the first two - three days of my recent trip abroad, I panicked in the morning, couldn't sleep and cried for a good 20 minutes about how bad I've become.

Thank god I have my partner, but my thoughts are now this:

- New job - I'll fail and get sacked. Anxiety will ruin it. No confidence.
- Partner - She will eventually leave me, especially if I am seriously ill.

I am calling the GP today. He is aware I am not happy with propranolol but thinks the MRI will make me feel better. He and a few other GP's think it is all anxiety based, and that basically I reached the threshold and stepped over it, thus triggering physical issues and almost a breakdown emotionally.

Any advice would be greatly received.

Thanks

[ray.olsen]

Hello there my friend

After reading your case I can't determine whether your condition is caused by your anxiety or the side effects of propranolol, both seems to be factors in what you are experiencing. Although I think what you ought to do is to just try to reinforce your medications with other alternative methods. I understand why your doctor seems to believe that what you are experiencing is due to your anxiety and I also understand why you think it's caused by the meds. So why not try tapering down with the meds then at the same time back it up with other methods. Have you tried CBT or other counseling therapy? Try natural remedies as well in dealing with your anxiety. I did this before and eventually I got of the meds completely. Before doing so, it is still advisable that you tell this to your clinician. I hope you find a way to ease your problems. God Bless.