So over this!

[aggie2007]

Hi all! I have been reading the forum for a while, and it has been easing my mind to some extent. I am a 22 year old active, healthy eating female college student. Basically every member of my family on my mom's side suffers from anxiety. August ended up being a really stressful month for me. So much that I ended up in the ER thinking I was having a heart attack (im sure many of you can relate). I was told it was anxiety and all was ok. I still had severe chest tightness after that and occasaional hyperventialtion. One weekend I decided to drive home for the weekend and as I was driving I felt some pains going down my legs. This of course scared me so I had a panic attack and ended up having to turn around and go back and it has all been downhill since then! Here are the symptoms I have had since about beginning of Semptember and in order of their progression.

tingling feeling in my arms and hands
arms and hands felt heavy and week
pains down legs and down arms into fingers
bad back and neck pain
upper back and right calf had a burning sensation

.....Mom thought it was a pinched nerve since I had been sleeping on a futon since August. Went to a general practioner who prescribed me a Medrol pack to see if it could reduce any inflammation on any nerves. Did bloodwork for hypothyroidism or vitamin deficiences..all came back normal. Took the 7 day dose of Medrol, went to get a massage, had a nice relaxing spa bath. Then then pain got worse

started getting cramps in my feet and calves....not the the point of charlie horse but achy tight feeling
started getting twitches mainly in calves
tingly crawly feeling on tip of my nose and around my right eye
legs felt achy like a  growing pains type of feeling
still getting pains in arms and legs
pain worse when first wake up in morning and lay down at night
legs feel restless and like i have to move them when sitting down or laying down
pain in neck, shoulder, and arm on side I lay on in bed
feeling spacy and "out of it"
upper back sore


...freaked out and did WAY too much looking online. Got scared that I had MS. I went back to my GP who suggessted I see a neurologist and get an MRI. I got got a brain and C spine MRI..all came back normal. Went to the neurologist who did all kinds of weird tests...said my nerves were not damaged and everything looked fine and he saw no signs of MS or neurological problems. He suggested I get some bloodwork done to test for any rheumatological diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthrits. This of course freaked me out and basically the day he said that I started getting pains in my joints and Im still getting the pains and achy feelings in my arms and legs!


Im so tired of living my life like this...it has drained me to the point that Im not myself anymore. Its the only think I think about. I definitely feel like a hypochondriac. I keep telling myself if the rheumotological bloodwork comes back fine then Im going to move on and accept that this is all anxiety...but when will i really stop! I have been researching online about lupus....i don't really have any of the other symptoms other than joint pain and muscle pain, so I am trying to ease my worries with that fact.


Im so scared! Can this really all be in my head? I sure hope so... except that ill feel like im going crazy! No one seems to understand :( I know some symtpoms can be caused by anxiety...but can muscle pains and join pains also?? Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated....sorry for the novel!

[aggie2007]

I think thats the big problem and one of the things that causes all of us so much anxiety....the symptoms of them can all be so similar. I think just about everyone of us has gotten freaked out that we had MS . One of the main things I guess is if you can notice the symptoms coming on or getting stronger when you feel your anxiety worsen. I know sometimes when I was really focused on something else I wouldnt have the tingling but when I would start to get really anxious I would get the facial tingling. Also if you have several other symptoms of anxiety it is very likely that these symptoms are also coming from your anxiety.....of course the only way to know is to go to the dr and make sure...and most of the time this is the only way us anxious people can calm our nerves....Congrats on your 5th day! Keep up the good work and good luck continuing it

[noble77]

Ok so I am going on my 5th day with no Xanax.  Hopefully I can make it the rest of the day with out it.  So I guess something is starting to work (Acupuncture, Vitamins, Massage or Paxil) at this point I do not care as long as its working.  I still have numbness in my leg and airms, sometimes a twinge on a muscle here and there, hardly an appetite and I am super tight in my back, neck and shoulders,.  Does anyone know the big differences between Anxiety, MS or Fibromyalgia/CFS?  It seems like the symptoms are all about the same.  Thanks for listening and congrats on normal blood tests.  

[aggie2007]

you got the right idea! Now that I know I dont have some scary form of arthritis..i really want to get back into an exercise routine and get some endorphins flowin :) Keep up the good work!!

[stephk821]

I wanted to share that I have started walking around my neighborhood for about 2 miles every night when I get home from work and it has seemed to get some of my anxious energy out.  My worst time for my anxiety is usually at night and this seems to be helping it.  Just thought i'd share!

[aggie2007]

My ANA blood results came back normal!! I am so relieved. I think I have had just about every test done at this point, so I am going to try and move on with my life and accept that this is anxiety. I refuse to live my life like this. You only live once and I dont want to waste anymore of it worrying....we will see how long this lasts haha :)

[stephk821]

Thanks! you hang in there too!  And definitely post more comments if you feel there is more to ask because this definitely makes me feel better! : )