Could this all be anxiety?

Hi,

My name's Chris, I'm 23 and from the UK. I think (hope) I may have some sort of anxiety disorder and wondered if you guys could help.

I'll go back to the beginning....

about a month ago I started feeling faint (almost as if I wasn't in my head, but wtaching it on a tv) and slightly nausius, this went on for about two weeks, at which point I started to wonder if I was diabetic. It didn't worry me especially, but it did occur. I went to see a doctor (a GP as we call them over here - general practitioner rather than any kind of specialist) and amongst other things she examined the back of my eyes and did a few co-ordination tests and comissioned a blood test. During the eye examination, she paused on one eye and re-adjusted the lense or something.

Afterwards when I got home I felt a strange sensation in my face around that eye - I think this was now my muscles tightening. This stayed along with the light headedness and general feeling of ill health. It started to get really bad and I began to shake as well - all over as if I was shivering - so I went to an out of hours doctor service, by now convinced I had a brain tumour. He repeated the basic exam the first doctor had done and when I explained a strange tinglign feeling in my muscles as if I'd just had a fright he asked "what is it you're afraid of?" and persuaded me it was anxiety. I stopped shaking almost immediately and the faintness seemed to reduce.

Gradually the faintness subsided and I began to develope a tremor. This seemed to be all over, but centered around my head and shoulders. It wasn't visibly noticeable, but felt very disturbing. I also noticed a slightly stiff feeling in the top of my right forearm, mostly on the underside (ie same side as my palm) up to the elbow, but attributed this to my new excercise routine which includes press ups - something I've never done regularly before. I've also been doing a lot of running and putting most of the force through my right leg, due to an injury on my left.

One day earlier this week I was at work and noticed the little finger on my right hand felt strange, slightly numb even. It went very stiff, although I could still move it more or less normally, but it felt uncomfortable. The stifness in my arm remained and occasionally I had the tremor - this time mostly in my face. I thought it was on both sides, but feeling the muscle movments I now suspected it might just be on the right.

The sensation in my finger went away yesterday and was replaced by the facial tension - almost entirely on the right hand side again. Today the facial tension has largely gone, but the stiff feeling in my little finger and right arm has returned along with a milder sensation of the same type in my right thigh near the knee and in my finger atleast it's enough to give a permanent strained feeling (maybe like a minor cramp?). In addition I've been getting odd sensations, a bit like pin pricks or a very, very localised burning. These only happen occasionally, but frequently enough to be identified as the same thing. They occur anywhere from head to toe on my right hand side.

Although I did get very worried about "my brain tumour" and I have since had brief moments of obvious anxiety because of whats going on I'm not conciously worrying about it. The symptoms sometimes get better when I relax, but they never completely go. On the other hand they do seem to come and go and I only really get one at a time. I'm a reasonably fit 23 year old man, very light drinker and non smoker and I've always been very self reliant and level headed in the past - could it really be anxiety?

To recap:

* Muscle tremors, especially around my jaw

* Facial Tension, almost if not completely excusively around the right eye

* Basic co-ordination and touch test Ok'd by my GP a few weeks ago

* Stiff feeling in my right arm, leg and little finger. Quite extreme in my finger - to the point where it's almost restricting movment. Also painful strained feeling occasionally around the same area.

* Ocasional pin prick burning sensations anywhere from my head toe

* Symptoms seem to happen almost exclusively down my right hand side

* Not necesarily feeling worried when I experience the symptoms, still occur when I'm apparently relaxed

* Symptoms come and go. Usually just one at a time, or atleast one symptom dominating at any one time

Think that's pretty much everything!! I think the main points of concern are the fact it seems to go mainly down one side, the fact the symptoms don't always subside when I'm more relaxed.

I'm not concerned by the idea of having anything temporary or curable, I'm just worried about the possibility of there being more to it than just anxiety.

When I first read your post I thought sounds like my anxiety syptoms but then when you mentioned your arm and finger I thought not.  Everyone is different but my faintness comes and goes and unlike your arm doesn't bother me all the time.  Not being a doctor you sound like you might have a pinched nerve in your upper cervical spine.  A chiropractor or neck doctor might do you some good.  Thats just a guess and someone more educated than I might have a better suggestion.  Good luck to you.

Hey there

I am by no means a Dr. but Im just going to say its safe to assume none of us are>

What you describe sounds like anxiety/hypochondrianism/possible nerve pinched ?(can cause all sorts of sensations) worst case senario would be MS or something but with that you lose control of your extremeties and fall or drop stuff etc.....  From my extensive experience even if I THINK about a symptoms I may be experienceing it will continue for as long as I let the thoughts have a pattern in my head, whether I am truly afraid or not.  Your mind is so strongly connected to your body in more ways than you know.  You can always go back to the doctor and get your piece of mind, but if you have already been seen twice, make sure you cover ALL of your symptoms, write them down beforehand and make sure you get all of your questions answered, eventhough its probably nothing it is your health and you have a right to be educated.  Take Care and don't worry

Try some stretching and meditation-I swear by it!

God bless,

Leah

Thanks guys.

Well, all the symptoms come and go - there are times when I don't feel any of them really, although that's not common.

The lightheadedness has pretty much gone now and I mentioned the tension around the eyes to my GP who agreed that the whole thing sounded like anxiety "come back if it's still happening in a month..." Should probably also mention the tension around my eye only really started to develop after the first visit to the doctor, where she changed lense part way through looking at that eye, I wonder if it's coincidence or if that set up a complex about the right side of my body. I was convinced I was about to die of a brain tumopur at that point, so watching everything she did a bit too closely maybe!!

I did occasionally have moments of panic whilst I was going through the "brain tumour" episode, but recently I've been worried rather than panicked if thta makes sense. No obvious plapitations or anything. It's on my mind maybe 75% of the time I'm awake (I feel rather on edge) and the rest of the time I suppose it's maybe stuck in the back of my mind somewhere - relaxed may be a relative term. It's difficult to say whether it's cause or effect, but the symptoms do seem to be better when I'm relaxed.

My greatest fear in all of this is MS. However, I went out on my mountain bike recently and had no trouble sliding round in the mud, I also go running most evenings and play the guitar and haven't noticed any loss of co-ordination or balance. I also assumed (not with any real knowledge of it admittedly) that something like MS wouldn't come and go like this does?

The sensation in my finger feels like a muscular thing - not dissimilar to whats happening on my arm and leg, almost like a mild cramp. Sometimes I think the tip is going slightly numb too, but that could esaily be psychosematic and also it's rather cold here at the moment!!

PS I'm right handed

Post Edited (Chris711) : 1/27/2007 5:37:31 AM (GMT-7)

Hi and welcome
Yes I think you should see a neurologist as well and the exercise regime you have started just may be part of the problem it may have to be nodified
Post often and stay with us
Lyn

It sounds like your doctors feel this is psychosomatic, which is not uncommon in severe anxiety disorders. Have you started some counseling and considered taking medication? It would help you a lot, instead of suffering.

Hi guys,

Well I haven't actually been diagnosed with anything - be it psychological or physical, I'm only assuming it's anxiety, because the doctors haven't found anything physical that *is* wrong with me and most of the symptoms seem to fit with some form of anxiety.

At the moment I go through phases of worrying about it - bordering on panic on a few rare occasions and it's just about always somewhere in the back of my mind, however I seem to be ok when I can rationalise things - for example, I started getting a strange sensation on the back of both wrists. This worried me for a while, then I realised that when I'd been doing press ups it puts the force largely through that part of your hand and I'd gone from not doing anything like that to 40 a night after being told to excercise by my GP since the first blood test (I used to be a very keen mountain biker and skier in very good health, but have got out of shape recently and was looking for an excuse to regain it...) Anyway, as soon as I worked that out I stopped worrying about it - the feeling was still there (although it's since gone) but I knew what caused it and I could ignore it. I'm hoping I could do the same with the other 'symptoms' and seal this off as an isolated episode rather than a reocurring problem. I know people do have long term problems with A/P and having experienced it briefly I'm almost as determined to avoid that in the future as I am the various diseases I've worried about - to me at that time I 'did' have brain cancer etc and it was horrible.

You can probably detect I'm reluctant to take the medical investigation any further. I'm worried that if I 'indulge' my paranoia with CT scans etc it might enocurage a psychological problem for the very small chance of uncovering something physical (I'm a fit healthy 23 year old male with no family history of anything neurological and a thurough eye exam and basic touch and co-ordination tests came back ok....)

For the same reason I don't want to take any medication. I'm certainly in favour of warm baths, meditation, maybe some therapy sessions at the very worst, but I don't want to risk becoming dependant on drugs or experiencing any unpleasant side effects, especially after only a month of varying degrees of (apparent) anxiety.

IN that time, I've gone from being predominantly faint, to facial tension, to shaking all over, to a minor tremor, to facial tension again and now to mostly having these joint and muscular aches. The current symptoms do concern me as they involve muscles and an extremity, but given all the other symptoms that I've experienced recently, the fact that I clearly have some degree of health anxiety and atleast a brief examination by the doctor, I'd suspect anxiety (or maybe that plus a trapped nerve, say) over a more serious condition.

Yes I have on my left tingling numbness in fingers and feet especiaily and weakness ......or stiffen up
I know for me it is anxiety
I wish you all the best
Lyn

I really think you are worrying to much over all of this sit back and try to calm down know your pro's and cons you have much more going for you agaist MS then for............... IMO
as well as other things
'Lyn

CHRIS
LOOK at pics of PYODERMA on page 2
thees are sores I get from too much anxiety and stress as well as from crohns
Stress anxiety can /will do anything to body it wants to IF allowed to
sometimes you cannot hep it as in the case of these sores
Lyn

I wasnt trying to belittle your anxiety at all hun I was only trying to show you just what this DD can and will do ...I so despise this A/P ........
Yes I am always with some anxiety no matter what unless sleeping but I can work thru most of it
It is when it all comes to a head that is the breaker for me
Wishing you all the best friend take care and TRY to relax a bit more
I know it is way easy to say lol
BUT you know
Have a great day or at least try k
Luvs
Lyn

Hey Chris,

My name is malissa. I am from the US and I have a lot of the same problems.

I have been to several different doctors and the last one that I was sent to told me that I might have a brain tumor. The first doctor tried to put me on anti-anxiety medication and tried to convince me that it was just anxiety. I have had panic attacks off and on since high school but this feeling seems to last. I like how you put that it seems like your looking though a tv or whatever. It almost a feeling of nothings real, huh? I can't drive hardly at all because of this illness that I am still not certain what it is. I am scared. I have a three and a half year old and a 21month old. I am scared to leave them if and I am scared that of something happening to me while I am home alone w/ them.

I have to go for my MRI, but first I have to go to a allergen specialist to see if it's allergies which I pray that that's all it is. I have felt strange like this since Aug of this 06 and it doesn’t go away and I don’t get any relief from it ever. I just want to feel normal again.

Thanks for listening.

malissa

Hi Guys,

I have to say on the whole I've been feeling better lately, however ironically not so much at the moment - one side of my face/head seems to have a sort of chill, which is a bit worrying - anyone else experienced that in anxiety?

I know exactly what you mean about just wanting things to be normal again. I'm really fortunate in my circumstances at the moment (baring the obvious!) and just want to enjoy it. It seems incredibly cruel that something, be it physical or psychological is preventing me from making the most of a good income, good social life, great relationship. I've tried to rationalise stuff:

* The sensation in my hand/arm seems to be particularly bad after I've spent a couple of hours playing the guitar!! Me doing that isn't anything new, but maybe I've just picked up an RSI type thing....

* The similar sensation in my calf and toes may well be caused by worn out shoes pressing on a nerve ending in the ball of my foot

* The chill on my face is worrying me (as it's only on one side) but I can't help thinking having my hair cut and a recent cold spell could be factors!!

* I've had a strange feeling in one ear lately (like when you get shampoo in it in the shower!!) maybe this is a sign of an ear infection that is causing the dizziness I've been experiencing

All of this seems like very obvious paranoia when I type it out, but it seems like unquestionable evidence of MS or something when I worry about it. There is no doubt that I am anxious - as I mentioned before when I went to the doctors because I thought I had a brain tumour I was visibly shaking and feeling faint (basically a panic attack) yet this dissapeared as I talked it over with him. So, if I combine the rationalised reasons for the symptoms above with anxiety it also explains the hand tremors, insomnia and (from that) fatigue. I do find 'positive hypochondria' helps - where I can find inert causes for the symptoms, such as anxiety and prove to myself it could be something harmless rather than the diseases I fear.

I'm a bit reluctant to talk to a therapist for the same reason I don't want to pursue further tests - I'd rather beat this myself. It is slightly unerving when I haven't had an MRI or anything done, but it's made easier to achieve by an under funded state health service over here which wouldn't send me off for such (expensive) things unless I begged them!!

Malissa - I'm fairly confident my (our) problems are anxiety. I was *convinced* I had a brain tumour until a doctor told me "you'd have to be very unlucky - you'd need to have one on each side to do that". If it's been going for some time without any really dramatic physical symptoms I'd guess this was also a good sign. I know it sounds strange, but maybe you can take some comfort in it if you've had panic problems in the past - I see the fact I've obviously had problems with health anxiety as evidence that my new symptoms are just a continuation of that (MS would be the third serious disease I've 'had' in as many weeks - I can't have all 3 even if I did actually have one of them!!) I'm sure the MRI's will come back ok for you - when they do, try not to worry too much about the allergy results. I know anxiety is horrible (probably more so for most people - I seem to be quite lucky with it so far) but as I understand it isn't dangerous and can be overcome. I'm not a doctor, but from what I gather these symptoms have a tiny, tiny chance of being neurological and once you've disproved that with the MRI's virtually the only thing that could cause all of them is anxiety. So please don't worry to much about 'finding' something in the allergy results.

It's strange actually - I feel slightly embarassed to admit this, but my main worry if anything happened to me was for my girlfriend. I say embarassed, because she's a strong, indpendant 24 year old woman!! None the less, I know what it's like to worry about the effects that something happening to you would have on others. The tragic irony is it could be that very worry that is causing our problems.

 

Post Edited (Chris711) : 2/5/2007 9:53:56 AM (GMT-7)