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!

[noble77]

It was really good to hear someone else is feeling the same way I do.  I am a 30 year old mother of one and have never been anxious in my life.  And yes I am soooo over it. To make a long story short it started in January when I went to the hospital (felt like I was having a heart attack or a stroke) they said I was low in potassium and gave me some Xanax.  I was scared to death to take any anxiety medicine... me anxiety I don't think so.  Anyway time went by and my potassium tests kept coming back normal but I was still having symptoms....
short of breath  
dizzy
muscle weakness
back, neck and shoulder pain
tingling in hands, legs, feet and face etc..
So since then I have been to numerous specialists-neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist anyway my tests have been normal.  The doctor wanted me to start Paxel.  Again I did not want to so I told her I would much rather do counseling.   In the mean time I did decide to go to a Chiropractor.  Even though it feels great I still have not seen my symptoms go away.  The counselor of coarse finds everything going wrong in your life so that does increase your anxiety.  But I do have to say it has been helpful and I have learned a lot about myself in the mean time.  Her famous quote is it will probably get worse before it gets better.  Well it did!!!  Anyway after a few sessions with the counselor my symptoms got worse.  Being desperate for relief I started popping the Xanax and yes it does take the symptoms away.  Since Xanax is not a good long term solution I did agree to start the Paxel and take it for 6 months.  I have been on that for about 45 days, after 30 days it was not working so the doctor doubled the dose.  Now on 20mg waiting to see if I feel better after 60 days.
In the mean time I decided to try acupuncture, what the hell do I have to lose now… I have been twice and I like it.  He also adjusts me like a chiropractor will do.  I still have symptoms but I like that fact he is looking at the whole picture which is something I feel the doctors lack.  He has put me on some vitamin supplements.  I go for my third visit this afternoon and looking forward to it.  It is very relaxing.  I have also decided to get a series of massages.    It is hard when everyday is a struggle and you keep feeling like you have something more than just anxiety.  Since none of my friends or family have experienced this they do not understand and sometimes its hard for me to understand.  Anyway when I read your entry it made me feel like I was not alone.  Thanks for listening….  Sorry I guess mine became a novel also

[aggie2007]

thanks all for the comments! the word of encouragement are a huge help. This morning I woke up with bad back and muscle aches...Has anyone ever tried a chiropractor or acupuncture??

Im starting to wonder if maybe my back could be out of alignment from sleeping on that dang futon!

I hope everyone has a nice anxiety free weekend!!

[OneScaredBuckeye]

I don't think you're a hypochondriac, but I do think you're suffering from anxiety.  The family history reinforces that belief for me.  I have painless tingles in my rear end, of all places (sometimes in the legs and feet), that used to come and go.  Now, they seem to be with me all the time in the house, but leave most of the time when I go out.  I've had just about every test and all come back normal.  I don't feel nervous or depressed except about the tingles, but everyone tells me it's stress.  It's very hard to accept that it is, but I guess I'll have to.  I have a broken rib right now, but before that happened, I could exercise a lot and feel better.  Like the poster above, I feel a lot better when walking or even cycling.  To me, that rules out a pinched nerve.  I feel worse when I try to relax, but it's not RLS or fibro.  I hope all of us get some relief and feel better soon.  God bless.

[crabby70]

Sorry to hear your anxiety is back  You one of the first people to answer me   I didn't take the lexapro     I was able to get pass mine  I hope the same for you    I'm not all the way there and may never be but I am learning to deal with it in other ways    I just started doing things I used to do and to trying  find myself again   I don't try to over think anymore   I think or try to stay positive  Good luck to you

[mrworryguts]

Reading your first post actually brought on some leg pains that i was'nt having before i read it, so that's pyscosamatics in action.

[aggie2007]

the weirdest thing to me is the fact that the joint pain didnt really bother me...occasionally stiff hands...but when the doctor decided to test me for lupus etc...I know feel like it bothers me the worst and my other symptoms other than the pains in my arms and legs...have mostly subsided

I never really thought hypochondria could be real...can I really be bringing these things on myself??

I am having bad joint pain in my shoulders and knees now...sometimes fingers and feet also :(