Anxiety/night shaking symptoms

[hollya25]

I have always struggled with anxiety. It comes and goes but for the last 4 months it's been unbearable. Every time I eat, stand up, I get an attack. I can feel my heart beating and I start sweating. I read that anxiety always causes pressure in the ears, which has happened the past 2 weeks. I feel outside my body, I have trouble keeping my brain connected to my head. I have trouble resembling things and people's names. What really scares me is the night shaking that happens uncontrollably. Sure, I've had anxiety shakes while having an attack. But every time I'm falling asleep and wake up, my whole body is shaking. Even behind my eyes. It takes about five minutes to return to normal to where I can finally move. I've talked to people, and the last thing I want is medication because that causes anxiety too. I've gone to the ER multiple times and they always say anxiety, but  I convince myself it could be something else besides anxiety. Could it be? I feel something is legitimately wrong.

[Paxiled]

First, know that anxiety never "always" causes anything.  Everyone has a different experience physically.  So no, anxiety doesn't always cause pressure in the ears.  Allergies often do, though, and it's allergy season.  Inner ear problems do.  Even wax build-up does.  I've been on this site a long time and I've never heard anyone mention pressure in the ears as a symptom that concerns them.  Mostly, we're concerned about feeling afraid and avoiding things because of it.  The physical sensations build up over time, as our thinking becomes more and more filled with anxious thoughts and stress from them.  Feeling what you do when you stand up sounds more like a blood sugar problem than an anxiety problem, but remember, anything that happens in your life, even having an alcoholic drink, can cause a feeling so similar to what you feel when you're anxious that it can trigger anxiety because that's what you expect to feel.  Also keep in mind, the ER isn't the place to go for this stuff -- they don't do thorough exams, they're in way too much of a hurry and have much sicker patients than you, and are often very quick to attribute it to anxiety and give you a drug to get you out of there.  You should be seeing your regular physician for a thorough check-up, looking for everything, such as blood sugar, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid problems, etc. that can have symptoms that are a lot like what an anxiety attack feels like.  Until you eliminate the possibility of something physical, even something as easy to fix as low iron or Vitamin D3, attributing it to anxiety is bad doctoring.  And the world is full of bad doctors.  Just as it's full of bad plumbers.  Use your instinct -- if you feel it's anxiety, well, get into therapy if you haven't already.  If you feel it's not anxiety, and at least from what you've said I'm thinking it might be something else in this case, keep after your doctor.  Good luck.

[Paxiled]

Oh, the shaking.  Again, could be several things, but that could be anxiety.  You won't know, though, again, until you get a thorough check-up by a really good doctor.  Not an ER doc.  And as for drugs, I'd try as hard as possible not to take them if you can get better otherwise, but they don't cause anxiety.  I mean, some do, but not the ones they use to control anxiety.  Some work, some don't; when they don't, you can get more anxious, but you just stop that drug and try another.  If this turns out to be anxiety and therapy or other things don't help -- and one thing I'd try is meditation and make sure to get plenty of exercise because they can level out your mood and reduce some of this increasing worry that something terrible is happening all the time -- and drugs are the only things left, making you more anxious is the least of your worries with them.  Most of the really bad things that happen with them is when you try to stop taking them.  And look at your diet and how often you're eating -- if you eat a long time apart in time, that can explain the problem that happens upon eating.  Not being sufficiently hydrated or having enough electrolytes, especially magnesium and potassium, can cause it.  And as for sleeping, try some melatonin or some chamomile tea, something safe and mild that might just settle you down enough to stay asleep.  Again, good luck.