backaches anyone????

hey everyone. i recently posted here concerning my backpains i have been having for the last month and a half or so. i have OCD, panic attacks, abit of agrophobic, VERY high health phobia. but anyhow for the past 8 years the health phobia and the anxiety and panic attacks have ruined my life. everytime i get a bit sick, feel a abnormal pain or different feeling that i have knoticed before, i get all hyped up and scared. i currentlly am only on xanax when needed and just started Remeron today. i was on paxil a few times, and up untill 3 months ago i was on it again, but it did not to a thing for me. i have to admit aprox. 3 years ago when i took paxil it helped me out SO much, but this last time it didnt. but anyways like i said up untill amonth or so ago i satrtted to get middle to upper back aches, and also aches at the side of my back and sometime right from underneath by breast bone going right up the breast bone moveing out to my upper chest. at the beginning it was only my back. and at the beginning i started think "oh no" i have to have lung cancer. so after a few visits to my family dr. he sent me for an ecg, chest xrays, xrays for my spine, blood test, and even did a full medical on me. he has tried antiinflamatorys on me, he has tried muscle relaxers, and has told me to try robacet and tylenol, none of them have helped. he says that this is all a "mechanical issue" and refered me to physiotherapy.  i am still waiting for an appointment from them. i have also went to the massage therapist, but the pain comes back shortly after i get home from the office. i have knoticed that my anxiety has gotten alot worse since my back has been bothering me, and i knotice when i take one of my xanax for my anxiety, that my pains in my chest area go away and my back feels much better. has anyone heard of this, or had this problem themselves? is all this anxiety and my health phobia making my back worse? is all this causing tesion in my muscles?. i dont know what to think. and another stupuid thing is, where i live there must be only aprox 20-25 Dr's. and i wanted to switch Dr's because sometimes i think maybe another Dr would be better, but none of the Dr'd will see anyone if they already have a Dr. Apparentlly there having a problem with people jumping from one Dr. to another, so im stuck with mine i already have. so if i want a second opinion im screwed because i cant get one. sorry for the long story.

I get minor back aches and they seem to intensify when I am anxious especially if I am having an attack and hunching over a lot.  I find hot baths help me. 

I have more of a problem with stomach aches (IBS) and I find it is directly linked to my anxiety levels.  Only valium helps me when it get's bad so you may have the same thing with your back.  Unfortunately sometimes it is all anxiety related.

I hope you get that physio appointment soon.  It could help out a great deal.  Best of luck

fdmcall:

I have read your posts regarding back pains and I had to pinch myself to make sure that I didn't write the posts myself.  What you describe is me exactly!  It is almost like I have a clone  Amazing that there are others out there feeling this and it is very reassuring that we are not alone.  I am a 41 yr. old male with a wife and 2 young children.  I have a great wife, great kids, a nice house, 2 cars, a boat and a good career.  about 7 years ago, I had a medical scare that scared the crap out of me.  It turned out to be nothing and I got myself into a major episode over it.  One good thing is that I quit smoking over it.  I went on the web and diagnosed myself with lung cancer and when that was ruled-out and nothing was found wrong with me except some lung scarring from previous respiratory illness, I found a lump on front of my shoulder.  I went to the Dr. and he told me it was a benign tumor.  I had an MRI & CAT scan and both diagnosed it as such.  I was still not convinced.  I again went on the web and convinced myself I had lymphoma.  I didn't believe them and searched for other Doctors.  Turned out it was a benign lipoma and I had it cut-out at a later date.  As a result (prior to the surgery), I feel into depression.  I went and talked to a professional and talking wasn't helping so I went to a psychitrist.  He diagnosed me with GAD w/ depression and OCD.  I am also have a health phobia especially when it comes to cancer.  I went through a year treatment of Paxil and Xanax.  It helped me overcome the rut although coming off Paxil was hell.  In 2003, my mother died unepectadley of pancreatic cancer.  She never was sick, then started feeling ill, got jaundice and died 8 weeks later.  Another scare for me.  I started thinking I would get it because of genetics.  I had backaches, stomach issues, etc.  Wen to the Drs. scans, tests - nothing wrong.  I got over that hump.  Just before Christmas my wife had a persistant earache.  She finally went to the doctor and the doctor said she had a swollen lymph node in her neck and mentioned the "c" word.  I went downhill and back on the web.  I convinced myself she had cancer.  The holidays sucked.  Turns out after tests and a visit to the specialist that the lump has disappeared and is probaly related to her having TMJ and the earache was due to wax.  Any way, I never fully recovered and I started having back pain and stomach issues again.  Again I went on the web and the "c" word came up.  So guess what I thought I had.  Went to the doctors and she said it was a muscle issue and inflammation of the rib cartlidge (costochondritis) and some possible GERD.  Told me to get a massage, relax, take Motrin and Nexium.  Well that was helping somewhat but here is the clincher:  a friend at work told me that his wife has the exact same personality as me and is always worrying and complaining about physical symptoms especially backaches in the mid to upper back.  He told me that he heard about a book on the radio one day and went out and bought it for her.  She read it and it helped her tremendously.  The book is "Mind over BackPain" by Dr. John Sarno.  I went out and bought it and I recommend it highly.  I also talked to a handful of others that have been helped by the book.  Basically, the book demonstrates how the chronic backaches we get (as well as other chronic pain conditions) are directly related to stress and tension.  It makes alot of sense and his theory holds a lot of water.  He has successfully treated many patients with his theory.  I am not done reading it but I can tell you I feel relaxed and I have not had the nagging aching now for 2 days.  Also, sitting at our computers and typing and reading all of this stuff doesn't help.  Don't diagnose yourself in the internet-it will drive you down.  Get up and move around and exercise.  It gets oxygen to your stiff, tense, painful muscles.  Just sitting her writing this I can feel tension in my back.  I am learning to relax and not worry.  I know it is easier said than done but I think it will ultimately help all of us with this condition.  See by my post that we really worry about stupid stuff and it usually turns out to be nothing.  I feel you pain and know were you are coming from and I assure you are not alone.  Our anxiety affliction is most definatley causing all of these aches and pains.  I know we can get through it.  Good Luck!