Can Stress/Anxiety cause all these physical symptoms?

[aumali]

Hi,

Let me begin by saying that I started worrying about my health 9 months ago when I had gallbladder pain.  I was sent through a series of CAT scans and MRI's which made me worry even more. The docters said that I was fine and it was probably due to stress.  I was fine for 3 months but then started having constant headaches and I thought I might have a brain tumor. I went to the ER and they did a CAT scan and everything was fine.  Exactly 2 weeks later I had blood in the stool and thought I had colon cancer (I had a full blown panic attack).  The docter performed a colonoscopy and said everything was fine.  I was fine for about 3 months and then I started to have muscle twitches and tingling in my extremities. I googled these symptoms and looked up MS and ALS. Once again, I had a panic attack and subsequently saw a neurologist who performed an EMG and ordered an MRI of the head and spine.  He said everything was fine.  Since then, my twitches have subsided but now I am experiencing CONSTANT bodywide muscle pains (shooting pains that radiate throughout my body as well as constant dull muscle aches) and am becoming easily fatigued.  I talked to my neuro about this and he said I should go see a rhemotaulogist if my symptoms really bother me. Since then I googled up these symptoms and I think I may have fibromyalgia. I even started to press on my tender points and some of them do hurt when I press on them. My question is, should I go ahead and see the rhuemotologist or do you think these bodywide muscle pains is attributable to anxiety?

I am 23/male and have become extremely depressed since this whole health scare started. I would really appreciate your input.

[shinobi]

Wow did you write this or did I! You and me are the same person man. had the gall bladder out, found out I had Ulcerative colitis and that turned my world upside down. Anxiety and panic attacks and then I went to the war and came back with thyroid cancer (Big deal right) and then had an HIV scare that Im just getting over. Overall symptoms of prolonged stress + missing thyroid and PTSD combined.

1. Headaches and neckache
2. Total body aches
3. Tingling/numb/burning hands and feet (Down arms and legs)
4. Constant anxiety and worrying
5. Hypochondria
6. Depression.
Am I making my point here. Stress can manufacture the needed results to get you through hard times and thats what it is designed for. You hear people constantly say "I perform best under stress" well try it for 2 or 3 years and see how well you function. I totaly feel your pain bro and am going to answer your question.
Im a Paramedic so I can tell you about some of this with great accuracy so here it is. Your far to young to be worrying about all of these diseases. The problem with you (Us I should say) is that we are Hypersensative to outside influences and lack the controling devices to cope with this anymore. Stress prolonged can create any number of symptoms and most of the symptoms that you feel are classic stress symptoms.
Get some counseling.....Its so important.

[cat457]

Thanks, Mustang!
My GP finally referred me to neurologist who gave me an even more extensive neuro exam testing strength, balance, hearing, reflex, vision etc.  I passed them all with flying colors.
He also asked me to bend my neck down to see if I would feel an electrical charge running up and down my spine, but I didn't feel that. He said that is usually a sign for further testing.
So, he said I'm ok no signs of MS or need for MRI, EMG, etc.
After that I relaxed a lot - It alleviated my anxiety and I don't feel and weakness or tingling, etc.  I've been getting back into exercising (walking and mountain biking) and feeling better.  Hope all is well is you.

[Lil"one]

I too have been having anxeity symptoms. I feel hot all the time but my temp is normal. I my face feels tight, like a strained facial expression. I have the pins and needles sensation and feel
like insects crawing all over me. I sweat only on my lower legs.
I tremble and shake, cant concentrate. I am constantly looking at
my face in the mirror. I have been under major stress the past few months. My appetite is good but I am losing a few pounds. I too
roam the net at various medical sites looking for answers. Years
ago I was on buspar. A co-worker let me try on of her pills called
Lorazepam. It did calm my symptoms. I had a complete blood count
and everything was normal. Someone here said that if felt like
someone injected ice water in their veins; it seemed like someone
injected hot water into mine. I am constanly checking my body. I
am going NUTTS!

[dunphy]

Anxiety is a feeling that something is wrong or something is going to happen to you, basically that you are in danger, (either mentally, physically or both). If you accept the thought of danger in your mind a vicisous cycle will develop. The nervous system links mind and body. If the mind is pre-occupied with danger, both body and mind are deprived of attention (for want of a better word) and a cluster of mental and physical symptons can develop, palpitations, tremours, disturbing thoughts or impulses, senses affected, tingling soles or fingers, numbness, depression, feelings of overwhelmness, unreality, childhood memories, low self esteem or worthlessness
Anxiety symptons can be slow to subside. All nervous symptons are distressing, they can be torture, but they are NEVER dangerous. If you hold this thought in your mind your symptons will in time go away. Anxiety needs the threat of danger to be believed in order to survive. Nervous symptons LIE. You must consantly substitute the thought that you are not in danger, despite the VERY CONVINCEING message delivered by your symptons.
If you are near a recovery group meeting i would suggest attending.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

In my opinion, given these facts, anxiety is the most probable cause...why don't you start treatment for anxiety and see what happens.....then you can prove it to yourself.

[Jabberym]

Hi I'm 17 and all of you are literally exactly like me in so many ways. I feel like Everytime I stop stressing about a health problem I instantly find a new one. I honestly don't understand what's wrong with me. It's definantely got worst. Literally in the past two months. I've had cervical cancer, a staph infection melanoma, lymphoma,
lymphoma I say that twice because I found a swollen lymph node and instantly began
stressing and had horrible anxiety thus causing lack of hunger stomach cramps and hard
breathing like their was something caught in my throat this lasted for a couple weeks and finally went away when I stopped stressing. But I still



had some type of anxiety because my back started aching started stressing about that. Then I found another normal gland And I try to rationalize hahahahahhaha. Me rationalize that was funny. No I pick and pick and rub and touch and prod and poke until it is big and hard and angry I even left a scab on my skin because I messed with it so much. Then the what If's come into play. And then about a week later I get that stupid limp in my throat and you Think that would make me feel better no! I seriously believed so much that their was something wrong with me. I don't even want to think about that future. I can just picture myself being in the doctors office and giving the bad news. I honestly Think I'm more
afraid of being like this forever. Every itch or pain scares the crap out of me. I read something online, next day! Guess who has it. I have OCD hypochondria aspergers I was adopted and I am always so negative I just want to feel better like other people

[cat457]

I have been having same symptoms including tingling in hands, arms and legs and now stiffness in calf, thigh muscles.  The Doctor did a neuro exam (vision, refex and muscle resistence) but did ok.  He is reluctant to send me to neurologist at this point which I guess is a good thing but wish I knew what is causing this as it is causing me quite a lot of anxiety.  Am I just starting to lose it cuz I think I have MS, ALS or other neurological condition?  I hear anxiety can really beat your body down.

[Jenny Wren]

Hello, I wish I could help you, but I have been going through the same thing myself.  Try not to google to much.  I have had facial tingling for 6 years, had brain MRI, cervical MRI, bloodwork, neuro exams, you name it.  Tried Prozac, helped some, but never takes the weird feelings away that I have on a daily basis.  The only thing that seems to help some is Xanax.  I only take a 1/2 of .25 mg, and it calms me down and the symptoms diminish a good bit.  I have cold feelings that radiate throughout my body, like someone is injecting ice water into my veins, they only last a few seconds, but I also had these symptoms when I first started the Prozac, they say that sometimes your anxiety will get worse during the first few weeks of treatment.  I am going to try a different AD, to see if I can get myself out of the hole that I am in.  I do have have muscle pains and aches, tension/migraine type headaches, and tingling.  Hope this helps some.  Anxiety is a awful thing!!!!

[sunflower21]

When I'm under lots of stress, I often get physical symptoms and think about all the things I think are or could be wrong so it's not uncommon. The more medical stuff you look up on the net, the more you will think is wrong with you.

[fixerup]

After I had my son 5 years ago I suffered severe ppd which spiked my anxiety to levels unimaginable. It got to the point that I would not eat because I thought my throat was closing and food was getting stuck. I suffered with this for 3months before anyone believed me that something was wrong. I went to the ER 3 times and each type they put me in the psych ward of the ER and after spending hours there hearing all the doctors tell me it was just in my head they would send me home, I went to numerous doctors and psychiatrists all who told me I was just a nervous belly and it wad normal to feel this way after u have a child. After hearing everyone tell me I was fine and it was all in my head I lost it, I thought there was no hope and I wad never going to get better so one day I sat on my floor screaming and crying all while ripping my hair out. When my hubbub saw me do this he took me to a psych ward and was going to leave me there but once we got inside Ur decided he could never to that. Eventually I found a therapist who belived and cared about what I was saying and diagnosed me with ppd and severe anxiety she put me on meds and on three days I was myself again. Needless to say anxiety and depression can cause numerous symptoms you just have to find someone who will listen. I still struggle with anxiety sometimes usually only happens when I have to up my meds but I sec better than I use to be

[corinnebo19]

for the past two months I have been going crazy.  Currently my back aches and my stomach will not let up. Every few days something diffeent and painful.  I too have had blood work urine test x rays and multiple trips to immediate care and dr. Offices.  Finally I went to a psych. Anxiety is causing all this..not lung/stomach/bone cancer.  Fecal test tomorrow to be sure there is no blood but I doubt there will be.  This all started with a feeling of pain in my wrist diagnosed as a bone cyst...i was sure it was cancer.

[Scrambles09]

Hi eveyone.. I just want to say thank you all so much for being brave enough to post these messages. I can feel myself calming down as I write this. A year ago I was diagnosed with crohns disease and out of no where I went from being a healthy 27 yr old female to being in and out of the er and one all sorts of horrible meds with terrible side effects ever since that my anxiety and feeling of impending doom have escalated. Now it's to the point where I'm convinced I am going to die at any given moment. Sometimes it's thinking a random accident might happpen sometimes I think I will die of cancer or heat attack or another rare fatal illness that I'm positive I have.. The first panic attack I had I was sure I had taken too much of my pain meds and was ODing impossible as I was taking them as recommended for my flare ever since then my symptoms have escalted recently it's muscle pain and throbbing as well as joint pain back pain chest pain dizziness shortness of breath. I went to the er at 130am a couple day ago bc I was sick to my stomache and my left arm was throbbing again I was sure I was having a heart attack.. All my blood work came bk fine except for I was having another flare up elevated SED rate which I'm convinced is tied to my stress.. They did an EKG just to appease me and it came bk fine. I convinced myself after web research that an EKG doesn't determine all heart probs and they missed something. I worried I woulnt wake up when I fell asleep this happens all the time. A nurse at a drs office once told me my blood pressure is on the low side (97/63) so now I obsess about that. The web other than today has been my biggest enemy as I googled arm pain and saw lymphoma and MS related to those symptoms so MS is my newest concern and I couldn't believe it when I saw all ur posts about worrying about MS! It's so nice to hear other ppl are going thru this horrible constant fear all the time too although I wouldn't wish it on ANYONE. I knew psychological issues could manifest themeslves into pysichal pain but I had no idea how intense and real it could feel. There are times when I'm absolutely convinced I'm dying and it seems happen more and more frequently now.. Even tho I tell myself it's all in my head it still can take hrs for me to calm down my heart races I get dizzy muscle pain an the racing thoughts of impending doom are the absolute worst. After my dr gave me a ck up the last time she suggested fybromialga as her primary concern and depression/ anxiety as her secondary. She also Gave me the # for a CBT specialists who deals specifically with anxiety disorders. I'm finally realizing it's more important
for me to get help so I can start living again than it is for me to feel nervous about admitting I've been having these feeligs.. Although writing this post has helped me tremendously! It's the first time I've told anyone let alone thousands of strangers! I just know for me I can't live my life In constant fear waiting for something horrible to happen always obsessing over every ache and pain spnding hrs googling symptoms then fixating on whatver new disease happens to pop up on ly search. I really feel for all of u suffering the way I am bc I know how paralysing it is. I wish u all the best and hope u seek some support and help to get u living your lives again.

[gotenks]

Hey everyone. I can relate to you all. I'm a 28 y/o male. I have had every symptom on here and more. Headache..arm pain..elbow pain..shoulder pain..neck pain..hip pain..I get an intermittent brief sharp pain in both upper thighs which last only a second..same thing with my shins..knot in throat..numbness..tiny sharp intermittent pain on the right side of my sternum...clearing of throat constantly..tiny tickles in throat and chest that make me cough only one time. I had quit smoking a couple months ago...after smoking pot and cigarettes daily. Have had 2 chest xrays..blood work..urine test and total body physical check with his hands in the er on 3 seperate occasions and NOTHING. I have had myself worked up so bad that I had lung cancer with metastasis to bones and its has driven me complete insanity. I finally got health insurance and I'm going to my new primary doctor tomorrow for some answers. I have also had roaming joint pain also. I also fear maybe something is wrong with my thyroid since my mother has an under active thyroid. As I'm typing this I just got a sharp pain in my upper right arm just before my shoulder that lasted only 1 second. Its been a mess for me. The ER put me on zoloft and Xanax and the Xanax works fairly well. I just want this to all be over with. I just want a clean bill of health. I do know from a MRI a couple years ago I have spondylolitic spondylolisthesis of my lower back and some disc issues in my mid back. Maybe its all related to that or pinched nerve. I do have poor posture. Maybe its all in my head...

[Raviegirl]

Wowww I swear I am reading about myself I am a 16 yr girl and likevlast october I got a horrible headache went to the hospital and got a ct and everything was fine they did a spinal tap and my intercranial pressure was a little high but they said with diet and excerise I would be fine. But ever since then allll hell broke lose migranes muscle twitches muscle pain shortness of breath and checking my vital signs an overwhelming feeling I am going to die. It's really bad at night I want to talk to my parents about it but I am afraid they will think I am crazy or not take me seriously. I just want my non stressed out life back  

[nicie22]

Hi im 18 yr F and recently I've been having a fear of HIV and idk why im so stressed I've been checked until this last person I've had sex with and im almost 98% sure he has nothing but im so terrifeied that I think. My body is comming up with the symptoms but im to afraid to know if I do or not. I cnt sleep at night and that's the only time I stress about it. Is at night when im alone. Or when no one is talking to me. I need help someone to talk to. Because this stress keeps making more and more symptoms...I think. Ugggh

[Pandas198327]

I am a 27 yr female, I have recently travelled to states on holiday, for first 5 days I was fine, then one morning I woke up and I had a strange sensation in my left hand. This got me worried as my left hand started twitching and shaking and then feeling pins and needles I then made the mistake of googling and it came up with parkinsons. This then plagued me and I was constantly checking my hands all day then at night my left foot started getting the same sensation pins and needles, so ofcourse I then panicked I had dvt, this has now been ongoing for a week, I'm getting dull aches in my left thigh and knee area, recently starting in my ankle s well, I'm constantly checking for signs of swelling and going nuts over it. I'm trying to convince my brain that I have been over here now for 2 weeks surely if I had dvt symptoms would show straight away?? Then yesterday I started getting chest pains this of course set me off even more yo the point that I can't stop crying as i'm worried what this pain is now as well. What isn't helping me is I'm panicking as not in my home country and still have one more week if holiday (which cansay not enjoying at all just getting very depressed) :-(

[plagued]

I have the exact same story, down to every detail. I too am a 23yro/M. Treatment for anxiety has all failed. It has been an on going battle for several years with only a couple months of sanity in between. I've lost myself and hope. I've tried to tell myself I would be ok no matter what symptom I am suffering from, and it was ultimately going to be related to anxiety, now I find myself hoping for the worst just to have a solution.

[Dimsie]

I've suffered varying degrees of anxiety symptoms over 30 years and I have to say that yes, most of the symptoms people mention here can be part of an anxiety state. When I first suffered from anxiety I'm sure I made myself much worse by worrying about every new symptom that arose. I was totally convinced I had either cancer or heart disease or maybe MS. I obsessively looked in every medical book I could lay my hands on - no Internet in those days, prob just as well - and the more symptoms I read about the more I got. My doctor had me tested for just about everything before he came to the conclusion that my symptoms were all coming from my anxiety. Although I know it was right to have the various tests done, in some ways the fact that I was considered 'ill' enough to be sent for tests just made me worse. Why would they be testing me if I wasn't showing all the symptoms of a serious illness?!

Anyway, I gradually realised that in spite of all these symptoms I was actually pretty healthy physically. I reasoned as time went on that if I really did have a serious condition I would get much worse, instead of which I symptoms that came and went or symptoms that stayed but didn't get much worse. I won't pretend that this reaslisation happened overnight - it took years for me to truly believe that my symptoms were those of anxiety and stress. One thing that helped me very much was reading books by Dr Claire Weekes, an Australian doctor who specialised in anxiety states and agoraphobia (which I also suffered from and to some extent still do though nowhere near as bad). Dr Weekes' books explained so well how the physical symptoms of anxiety arise and taught me to recognise them and accept them, instead of trying to fight them all the time. And with acceptance instead of fighting, I was able to relax a little and then a little more and gradually most of the symptoms went away. Sometimes, when I'm under stress or very busy, they come back but at least now I know them for what they are - just the physical signs of tension and anxiety. I hope this gives some reassurance to some of you, though of course you are right to consult your doctor and have any tests he thinks necessary. But stress and anxiety can indeed cause numerous physical symptoms - I'm living proof of that!

[tooweird]

Wow, I totally understand. It seems like when one thing goes away and I go to the doctor and everything is okay then a few months later a new thing starts. I have had stomach pain, head pain, arm pain, eye ticks, muscle spasms, vision problems. I've had 4 MRI's on my head in 5 years, all okay but I still think that something is wrong up there because now I have eye twiches and I've never had those before. It is a vicious cycle! I wish someone had the answer.

[Springbrock]

OMG I feel like I could have wrote this. I started in august feeling like food was getting caught in my throat. I gag my self and it will finally go down. Well 3 days into this my right arm got very heavy, They told me anxiety.Put me on ativan and busipar. Well then my legs got heavy and I started having muscle twitches every where. I had mri's cat scans, emg bloodwork, barrium swallow, biopsy, you name it . Well after 11 weeks heaviness went away. Well it has been 4 months and my symptoms are 2 weeks of stiff crampy calf, muscle twitches and still food caught in my throat. I feel like alltests were done to early. I am scared of als. It is controlling my life. I cant eat, sleep or think strait. Do you think anxiety can cause stiff crampiness in calf, feels wierd even in toes. Swallowing is driving me crazy. my tongue feels to big for mouth.

[Hollywood1979]

Wow, I feel like kind of rookie with the whole axiety/stress thing after reading everyones comments.  I'm a 27 year old male, light (2-6 cigs a day) smoker, married, no kids, stable job.  A couple months ago, I started feeling very tired, and worn down all the time, plus my head felt really stuffed up.  Went to my doc, refered to allergist, diagnosed with non-allergic rhinitus, which basically means you have an allergy, but they can't figure out what to. Went on numerous types of meds, nothing helped, and at that point, I developed severe post nasal drip, which basically feels like you have something in your throat. And because of that, developed some trouble swallowing, especially pills of any sort.  Went to ENT, who did the whole camera down the throat, everything looked good.  Started to feel better around mid summer.

Then, about 2 months ago, I started having acid reflux, and stomach cramping/pains. Went to doc, gave me prilosec, have been on that ever since. Acid Reflux stopped about a month ago.  Then, I started having chest discomfort, sort of a heavy chest feeling, also had dull pains in chest, especially on the left hand side. Went to doc, did an EKG and chest x-ray, everything normal, discomfort went away after a couple days.  Then a couple weeks ago, I had what appeared to be a panic/anxiety attack at work; chest tightness, trouble thinking, throat tightness, thoughts that I was going to die.

Since then, I have had trouble going anywhere outside of my home, when I'm there, I'm relaxed and stress free, when I'm not, I'm tense and have terrible gas/bowel problems.  Drinking of course makes this go away, which can be very dangerous.  I did finally go back to my doc (for the thousandth time in the past 6 months), and told him that I think I have anxiety and also depression (which is probably caused by all these physical symptoms).  He put me on celexa, and referred me to a psych. I've been on celexa for 5 days now, and really haven't noticed a difference, except that it gives me severely bad gas, and diahrea. I still get that feeling in my chest of tightness, and the thoughts running through my head. The overall chest soreness throughout the day, I've told myself, is probably caused by my panic attacks, and the tension it puts on my muscles in that area. Of course, I still have the "cancer" thoughts in the back of my head since I smoke, even though I've had at least 6 x-rays in the past 6 months that would prove otherwise.

I seriously feel for all of you in this forum, it's tough for me to go to work everyday, because that's where I feel the worst.  It affects my work, to the point I can't concentrate on large tasks for more then 15-20 minutes at a time.  Luckily, I have home access, so I can do most of my job at home, which helps me cover up my resent short comings.  I just want to feel normal again, and get back to my passions of writing and doing stand up comedy, which are completely non-existant since I started feeling terrible. I hope the meds and therapy help, or at least let me function normally again.

[Only20]

Hey Guys

Im so scared , I have the same symptoms, They started of as Fatigue , after I had a biot of a scare about having HIV , which I found out I do not, since hte fatigue, i worried it may be something else and developed muscle pains , mainly in my lower amrs and calfs, As they were not going I went to the dr's and have had 5 blood tests to date , which all come back clear. A few weeks ago I also started getting muscle twitches  and the last two weeks the pain has been horrible , my pressue points all hurt aswell. I cant put my mind at ease from it , I am so worried that I have ALS or ME and i'm only 20. All this worry alongside my final year law degree work and student finances is killing me. I am going to beg the dr to let me see a nerologistr , but last time i asked she said if it were aynthing as exciting as MS she would have picked up on it, where as i thought things like MS were extreamly difficult to diagnose.

What do you guys think.

[hereitcomesagain]

It's truly unbelievable the affect stress and anxiety can have on one's body. In August of this year I thought I was having a heart attack (i'm a non smoking, healthy eating, 36 year old woman). I went to the E/R (with no health insurance mind you) and was there for two days. After every test in the world was given to me and all of them came back perfect, not a problem on one, I was given a 10 day prescription for Valium and sent home. It instantly stopped the palps, the tingles, the shakes, the everything. Of course one can not live on valium so now I am surviving on St John's Wart Tea and seeing my therapist once a week. Anxiety and Panic attacks run in my family. I was convinced that I would never have that problem though, boy was I wrong. I got hit at the same age as my mom. I had been in a very stressful crazy marriage for 8 years (he's an alcoholic, bad family, etc and i'm the opposite, good family, no addictions, bla bla bla) and over the summer I guess I hit the wall as they say. I have since left him, starting fresh and altho some of the symptoms have gone, some linger. Like currently, I was fine for a month, but now I've got heart palps again and tingles. Also, my vision keeps blurring a bit, then it will be fine again. I've gone to all the docs and they all say "You are healthy as a horse". So when I start to freak out I just think "i'm healthy as a horse". Sorta like a mantra :)

Anxiety is a vicious cycle if your not careful. i am forcing myself to move through the days that i feel like i need to be back in the ER because I KNOW, it's the stress of this life and i will get through it. Like I said, a month a go, felt GREAT, this month, not so hot. It's stress and it sucks. But we will survive...

[LindaGlass]

Hello

Maybe this is an environmental factor: is your environment causing you stress? If so try to eliminate is, like caffeine can make you nervous so don't drink it, excessive noise ect ect (eg: wear earplugs). Stress can cause illness in itself, anxiety symptoms are what you describe with twitching legs/arms and nervous tension, it can also give physiological symptoms like headache and backache ect ect. Stress causes illnesses like coronary heart disease. Personality may be a factor in your anxiety - are you always on the run, do you smoke, ect ect. Give yourself time to relax, breath in for 3sec and then exhale, think about the lovely trees in the park and flowers. Whatever you think becomes how you feel: you interpret something and from that you feel a certain way. So, see what you are thinking about the most each day - keep a diary and see how many times a certain thought comes into your head - if you find that the thoughts are disturbing nature and are often repeated during your days than this problem could be the reason you feel anxious. Medicine can help but cognitive therapy is a great way to understand yourself and ease the anxiety with a proffessional therapist.

Do not worry, you will be fine, try to think of other things and do things that make you happy - maybe start an excersise program (fitness is very good for mood states). Involve yourself in a hobby like crafts or arts ect ect, try to relax your body by tensing it up and then letting go - this way you can teach yourself to relax - see how your body feels when you are relaxed.

Warmest Regards.