Hi everyone,

Well I am now at my most anxious ever about my health. I have been diagnosed with anxiety and at my last GP appointment was prescribed 10mg Amitriptyline, not as an anti-depressant, but for neuropathic pain relief. My GP thinks my physical discomfort/pain in my left arm, armpit, neck and chest is probably some sort of muscle/ nerve issue and she has also referred me to a neurologist to see if there is any nerve compression issues. My appt is not for another EIGHT weeks though. I am on day 5 of taking the Amitriptyline and have suffered no side effects of note, but it is a small starting dose which will be increased to 20mg in 4 weeks.

But, I am having some weird new symptoms which may well be anxiety, but are scaring me a lot.

The discomfort in my armpit doesn't seem so bad, so maybe the tablets are working a bit. But my pulse is causing me huge anxiety.

I can feel it and even see it in my stomach, above my chest near the collar bone and also in my left temple. I am an obsessive pulse checker at the best of times, so now I am just so tuned into every beat of my heart. I worry that my bp is increasing which is why I can see and feel my pulse. Also I am getting a twinge just below my left collar bone and above my left nipple which twinges in time to my pulse. And finally my heart rate is continually higher than normal. When I wake up, it is 60/64 which is normal for me over the years. I get up and then it spends most of the day at anywhere between 70 and 90.

But it is the visible pulse in my stomach and the feeling in my temple and chest which is new to me.

Is it just because I am focussing on it, or have I deteriorated since I had all my tests at the end of 2012????

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Charlie