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Avatar universal

Anxiety?

Skin burns at times, muscles hurt, kinda numbness in little finger, fatigue, insomnia and inability to get good nights sleep.

ive had blood tests and docs examinations.  my doc thinks it was 3 months of panic that i was hiv poz.  i got a neg test, but a week later i still have same physical symptoms.

i've never had major anxiety before.  this was first time and it was debititating panic for 3 months.

anyone else experience similar physical symptoms as part of anxiety?  how'd you get it to go away.  or should i say besides medications how do you get it to go away.  

thanks for any help!
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187799 tn?1219609573
I've been through all the neuro stuff - looking for MS, etc.  Did find the disc compression in my neck that requires surgery, but not looking forward to it!  And, as I said above, I have a host of other real physical issues, but none life-threatening, I  hope.

Working out is extremely therapeutic so get yourself back to that gym!!  

Also, isn't klonopin wonderful??!!  I was on it for about a year while in therapy when this all started while the therapist was figuring out what I should be on consistently.  I'm actually thinking of just going back on the klonopin twice a day and quitting zoloft b/c of the sexual side effects of zoloft (or lack thereof).  We'll see........

Talk soon.........
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Avatar universal
I'm going to start going back to the gym also but I know the beginning will be difficult because I am so weak and sometimes get lightheaded. I also had planned to have some more tests run to "make sure" it wasn't something else and my doctor told me to give it a rest. He has tested me for so many things that I could associate with my physical symptoms ( SLE Lupus/ Rheumatoid Arthritis/ Lyme Disease/ Fifths Disease/ and so forth) that he did most of those tests to pacify me and that he had do draw the line of what I have started doing to myself. He is convinced by our visits that its anxiety. So much so that we have a friendly bet (we are somewhat friends) that if I seek a second opinion and the diagnosis is different that he would be surprised enough to call the other doctor and question it. Example of how I have become lately is, you know when you work out to near exhaustion and your muscles are so weak that if you had a car with a clutch your legs would start shaking if you just had a good leg workout? I would laugh that off. Now, because I had similiar symptoms because of muscle weakness and lack of exercise, instead of laughing it off, I started migrating towards the possibilty of my doctor missing that fact that I had parkinsons disease. It was automatic thinking unfortunately. I had to talk outloud to myself to stop and I felt (feel) like an idiot.
So that medicine is working a little for you on your physical symptoms? I don't have that. Only xanax. And one of the side effects? Unusual muscle weakness. Go figure.  I can't win:-)
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Avatar universal
If you are opposed to medications there are other ways to treat anxiey...you can see a professional and ask about behavior modification therapy, or even just "talk" therapy....There are also many good self-help books out there..I once read one called Minding the Body, Healing the mind.  There is also the Anxiety/Phobia Handbook.  Also there is the "Linden Method" which is very popular, but is expensive.  I ordered it and have it, but have not used it yet, so I cannot give you an opinion on it yet!

Best to you!
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Avatar universal
I am going through the exact same thing. I had a extensive medical underwriting process for life insurance that included hiv, bloodwork, urine, etc. Since that time, 3 months ago, I have not been the same because of constant worry even after the policy was issued. I'm a 36 year old male and I don't know why I was even worried so much. I will not go on meds either. I don't even take aspirin. However, I am really struggling with this. I am sore all over, no strength, fatigue, and the rest. I am so weak that sometimes my hands even shake. My Doc also says it's from a 3 month worry fest.
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Avatar universal
Thank you all so much for the help!  This has got to be residual anxiety left over from the past 3 months of hellish worry and panic.

Beat Down, I cant believe we both had almost the exact same process that seemed to bring us to this anxiety filled life.  Am I understanding that you were three months in a panic cuz you thought you might have an illness that would keep you from getting your life insurance policy issued?  Mine was just a fear brought on by 'symptoms' i had convinced myself were HIV.  I never really had a risky exposure but when the symptoms hit I was in hell for 3 months, also debilitated because I thought I had infected my fiance perhaps.

I did take some klonopin last night and it seems to have cleared up almost all physical symptoms I described in my initial posting.  I definitely don't have my energy level back yet to 100%.  I am not totally against meds, I just don't want to be on them long term.  If klonopin will eliminate some of the physical symptoms by calming my nerves I am willing to give it a try for a while.  I took one last night before bed, but none today and I feel pretty good still.

I'm going to make sure its not MS or something else neurologically related, but after that I am getting back into life 100%.  I'm going to start going back to the gym 3-4 times per week and see if that helps as well.

I'll leave it here for now because we are going out for dinner, but I'd like to exchange more with you guys.  THanks again!

West
Helpful - 0
187799 tn?1219609573
Sorry for all the mis-spellings - it's late and I'm very tired!  BTW, with all my issues, I'm only 42 years old!!!!!!
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187799 tn?1219609573
I totally support the idea of trying not to use meds to control anxiety and all the evil side efects that it brings, and it does bring on a host of physical symptoms/ailments. For me, I need the meds.  However, in the beginning, I also went to counseling once per week for about a year to figure myself out; I was suffering from MAJOR low self-esteem. I was always shy and had alot of social anxiety.  But, I can't being to tell you how that therapy changed my life as I began to actually love myself (OK, I'm not an ego maniac - LOL).

So, maybe you should consider counseling at first to dig deep into yourself and see what your issues are, if any. Or it could be that your hormones/endocrines/chemicals are out of whack and that would really need to be checked by an MD - an internal medicine doctor (they cover the entire system and send you to the appropriate specialist if further knowledge is warranted).

BTW - I''ve had all of your physical ailments as well and they are mostly anxiety related after 12 years of going to docs.  But, I do have a herniated disc in my neck that needs surgery, a bad hip that will need replacement down the road, inflam. arthritis, some minor gyno issues and other things as well; basically, just annoying, non-life-threatening issues.

So you always need to pursue your physical symptoms before you chalk it up to anxiety - that's the nature of this beastly disease!

My very best to you and I hope this info helps.........
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