weird feelings in arm

[pistagreen]

I have had several episodes of panic/anxiety in the past.  I could go months/years between major attacks.  However, since having my son, I am convinced I am going to die.  My latest fear is leukemia.  It started with a bruise I had a couple of months ago.  Now, my arms are burning and my muscles and joints hurt!  I wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like my arms are on fire.  Does anyone else experience these strange arm feelings???

[Northcoast]

Hi Pistagreen,  the problem I have with my eyes is that I have trouble opening them when I wake up.  I struggle for a few seconds to get them opened.  Very creepy.  It's like they are clamped shut.  Could be from anxiety, but the doctor wanted to check for something more serious.  I have a follow-up with a neurologist next month just to be sure.  

And thanks Underorbit for your comments about drinking water.  I am one of those people who is always dehydrated.  Just don't feel the NEED to drink.  I think that could be affecting my muscles and joints.  Gonna have to make a concerted effort.  

Take care, everyone!

[jennifer13]

Yes, I have been getting burning hands/arms, which was recently diagnosed as a symptom of anxiety.  A few times the burning has escalated into a panic attack, then includes more burning sensation down my groin and legs to my feet, with rapid/heavy heartrate, and tightness in my chest.  Have been to the ER four times in the past few weeks, convinced it was my heart, but tests come back normal.  I am now on meds for anxiety, and find abdominal (belly) breathing helpful.  Also, the Anxiety & Phobia Workbook has been very informative and comforting.  

[Underorbit]

Whether or not you react upon it, when you're having an episode, your body reacts upon it. Such as the flight or fight response when a mate plays a trick on you and frightens you. Your body still reacts, muscles tense, causing a bit of stress on joints. I don't go to a therapist like Northcoast, but I do have my fiancee massage sore muscles if they tense up and refuse to relax properly.

Have you tried anything such as relaxing your arm, working the joints slowly, and stretching? It'll help alleviate tension and stress of the muscle. Another remedy can be drinking a bit more water. When muscles and joints aren't properly hydrated, they'll ache. The cartilage of joints especially adhere to this, since as you use them, the "cushioning" aspect begins to fade away, and the water retention that they need to provide proper "cushioning" is...squeezed out? For lack of better term. It's a normal thing and one of the reasons why keeping properly hydrated is important.

[mikej1736]

What were the problems you had with your eyes?  Your story seems similar to mine, except I haven't had any meds yet.....

[Northcoast]

I thought I had had every anxiety symptom known to man and that I KNEW my stress symptoms and could identify them when they hit.   So when I started having muscle spasms and numbness in my arm and hand and burning in my bicep I got REALLY concerned since these were not my normal stress symptoms.  So I talked myself into thinking I had a major life threatening disease.   I saw my doctor and he thought it was stress but agreed to an MRI of my brain since I was having some other weird symptoms that affected my eyes.  After being on anti-anxiety medication for a few weeks now it seems like most of the symptoms have gone away.  But I still had arm numbness and pain so I have started going to a massage therapist for a therapeutic massage every week for three weeks now.  It has really helped.  I think I had such muscle tension in my arm and neck from anxiety that it was crimping a nerve or something.  So your pain could definitely be stress related.  But if you haven't seen your doctor in a  while, I'd give him/her a call and ask for an appt just to be sure.  It will put your mind at ease so you can stop worrying and enjoy your son.  Good luck!