ANXIETY ? LIST OF SYMPTOMS AND TESTS TAKEN TO HELP EVERYONE.

[Lightwise]

I posted this in the anxiety forum also: Reading everyone's concerns on this message board (along with my concerns) I thought it might be a good experiment(and a helpful reference guide for everyone) to list ALL the symptoms they have had and ALL the tests that have come back normal and ALL the specialists they have seen that have concluded that it was all anxiety. If you can put it in a LIST FORM with no back story so it is easy to reference that would be great. The idea here is that we can help eachother by revealing the range of symptoms that anxiety can produce ... this might ease all of our minds and help us get back to the life we were intended to live ... HAPPY and HEALTHY : )
Here is my list:

SYMPTOMS:
FATIGUE
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
FOGGY HEAD, CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS
FREQUENT URINATION
PINS AND NEEDLES FEELING
IMBALANCE WHILE WALKING
HEAVY HEAD
PAIN BEHIND THE EYES
COLD TOES/COLD FINGERS
PALPITATIONS
SOME SHAKINESS/CLUMSINESS
FLOATERS IN VISION
MUSCLE TWITCHING

TESTS TAKEN THAT CAME BACK NORMAL:
ECHOCARDIOGRAM
EKG
BRAIN MRI
EYE EXAM
EAR EXAM
EMERGENCY ROOM EKG
4 BLOOD TESTS
STANDARD PHYSICAL

DOCTORS/SPECIALISTS I'VE SEEN WHO SAY IT'S ALL ANXIETY RELATED:
MY PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR
NEUROLOGIST
NUTRITIONIST
THERAPIST
CARDIOLOGIST
EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR
PSYCHIATRIST (FRIEND)

[ElaineL]

I realize that for you it ended up being anxiety. But I believe each and every person should investigate any weird symptoms they are having just to be sure that nothing else is wrong.  I appreciate the info you provided because it helps those of us suffering to see what symptoms could be related to anxiety.

Please answer this for me were or are your symptoms 24/7.  And also while you were asleep were you awoken with rapid heartbeat and shaking.  I know that this could be anxiety but I just would like to be sure.

[Inkognito]

I am happy for the opportunity to display these feelings that I have been bottling up for years.  My panic attacks are so severe they are controlling every situation of my life.  I do not want to go the store..i cannot date I avoid social events even around my own family.  I have been reading online tonight and came across a VERY interesting site i think you all should check out.
http://www.panicend.com/   I cannot vouch for this yet - but hopefully SOON!  I have been thinking that I am alone and crazy...and yet I am NOT and it is so good to know that there are others out there (not saying I am happy you go through this because I dont wish this on anybody).  Here are my symptoms:
I do not hear what people say when they speak to me because I am so concentrated on fighting a panic attack.  People are speaking yet my mind is going "dont have a panic attack" (repetatively) and of course I have a TERRIBLE one...dizziness, my heart beats so fast, my body goes numb, fear takes over, i become tingly and chilled to the bone (why - fear of what?  looking stupid? saying something dumb???  threatened??) it becomes so intense that i can't even look at the person, i can't make eye contact. I want to run and hide I am searching for something or somewhere.  It is affecting my work - as someone approaches me in the office (somebody I see EVERYDAY) my body goes in to complete panic.  Today I had a terrible one - i kept checking my pulse, heart beating so fast, dizzy, wanted to run away to somewhere but there was nowhere that I wanted to be..i thought i was dieing or going to die, i went to the mall and was nauseous and could not look at anybody that asked me if I needed help.  I also lose eye control (or it feels this way).  I can't really explain this well because it is so odd...but my eyes start squinting and I lose control of the muscles and it feels like my brain/head/muscles?? are shaking?  I am interested in knowing whether or not somebody else has experienced this.  I am finally seeking counseling and am skeptical of taking medication.  I want to overcome this with out alteration..I have to face this fear on my own.  I have to do it now because I cannot live with this for the rest of my life - I feel that it is ruining me.

[Inkognito]

I guess I covered more on panic attacks than anxiety - to me it goes hand in hand and I suffer from both.

[Inkognito]

I guess I covered more on panic attacks than anxiety - to me it goes hand in hand and I suffer from both.

[ElaineL]

What you are experiencing does really sound like panic attacks and anxiety. I have been reading other stories of people who suffer from this and it seems that when a person is confronted with a certain situation and that situation makes them panic, they are experiencing panic attacks.  If that is what you are experiencing then medication will help to alleviate those symptoms.  You could try to take the meds maybe for a short while just to try to give your body a break from all this panic.  I had an uncle who the meds really helped for a while.

I would however if I were you get the normal tests a doctor can do just to be sure that there isn't something else going on like thyroid problems.

[PlateletGal]

Some of these symptoms, including heart palpitations are consistant with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/or FMS. They recently found out that 73% of CFS patients' also had heart valve problems. (google Dr Paul Cheney + CFS + heart) for articles.

Of course one of the tests you can do to find out if you are anxious/stressed is to have a cortisol level done.

Normally though.. people w/ FMS and/or CFS have LOW BLOOD PRESSURE. That is another indicator...

[tanns]

How are cortisol levels checked?  Is it through saliva only and do regular docs do this?

[PlateletGal]

If you have yours checked, I actually would prefer the blood test. A consistently high cortisol reactivity to repeated familiar challenges is an atypical response that may reflect chronic physiological stress.

Cortisol levels have been shown to be greater among individuals experiencing chronic stress from work or emotional strain.

[PlateletGal]

P.S. If your cortisol levels are low, that could also be a sign of chronic stress. Stress so bad that it has affected your adrenal output and that can cause many symptoms. Also, many chronic fatigue syndrome patients' also have low cortisol levels. The cause for this is still unknown. Autoimmune diseases can also cause your adrenals to dysfunction.

[ElaineL]

People who have FMS or CFS usually feel very tired or not?  If so that is not one of the symptoms that I have been experiencing.

[PlateletGal]

Fatigue is a common symptom in CFS... also in FMS, but definitely not to the degree as it is with CFS.

Fibromyalgia symptoms:

widespread pain
nausea
dizziness
temperomandibular joint dysfunction (like TMJ)
skin complaints
morning stiffness
chronic headaches
chest symptoms
fatigue
vision problems
memory loss
fibro "fog" or memory impairment
muscle twitches
cold symptoms

[LEO877]

I had a really awful vertigo attack and am now anxious most of the time because of fear of this awful thing repeating itself.  

I am experiencing a tightness in my left arm which goes up to my head and is most noticeable at night when lying down.  I get a vibrating sensation and then tightness then a kind of dragging gushing feeling.

Could this be related to  anxiety and panic?

[dottiemar]

It appears this forum is older, but for future reads I wanted to add my 2 cents. I see all the comments about panic attacks and such. I suffered from most if not all of the same symptoms as Lightwise and PlateletGal but I can reassure you that these issues are not always panic attacks. I spent almost 15 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars, just to be told it was all in my head. Then one morning in apr 05 I work up to severe facial pain and by the next AM, the right side of my face was paralysed. I then spent 2 more months being told I had shingles even though there were no visable signs. After pleadning with doctors, I finaly received and MRI that showed a Pituitary Tumor. I had the tumor removed that year and most of my symptoms improved. I am now 2 yr 4 mo post op and have delevoped some of the symptoms back. I just don't want people brushing off these things as minor issues. There is nothing worse then being told that nothing is wrong with you when you know that there is.

Always get a second opinion!

[tina203]

please HELP me! since i was 33 yrs old and pregnant for my last child i have been going through hell and no doctor can help me...please if someone can i am at my ends witts...thanks tina

my symptoms and more all the time:
dry mouth,diarrhea,stomach pain,heat radiating from my insides,rapid heart beat,dizziness,numbing
light headed,nasuated,diarreaha,muscle twitching,joint and muscle pain,head aches,sore mouth,gaining weight,heart palpatations,chest pain,mood swings,leg pain,arm pain,back pain,sore breasts,presure in my noses,eyes,and head,loud heartbeat,heat radiating from my insides,rapid heart beat,dizziness,numbing

[ComesInThrees]

Dottiemar, I'm glad you mentioned that. I had an adrenal tumor which caused axiety, and many other problems. That was 5 years ago and now getting similar symptoms again.  Brain fog , along with memory problems, is pretty common with pit and adrenal problems.  

[ElidaCon]

After I had my fourth child when I was 33 I started to have similiar symptoms as you described.  Chronic fatigue that would keep me in bed forever and I could not take care of my family.  I was diagonsed with hypothyroid disease. After treatment I was okay for a while and then two years later I started to feel the same again.  After going from doctor to doctor, my friend told me that it sounded like I had lyme disease.  Sure enough I went to a specialist in Conn. and I was positive for Lyme.  After extensive antibiotic treatment and also supplements, I felt better.  Although my lyme isnt cured, it goes into remission and under stressful situations i can get symptoms back.  But at least I know what they are and I can go and get treatment for it.  I noticed you are in NY. Dr Raxlen is now located in NYC and it is worth the trip.