Who else has these symptoms?

Hi,

Sorry if I'm repeating myself here, just feeling a bit worried about stuff at the moment and wanted to check these were all 'known' symptoms of anxiety. I seem to be mentally calmer these days and it's largely physical symptoms that persist.....

* Muscle fatigue. Mostly in my right calf - it's an achey fatigued feeling which comes and goes and varies in intensity, but is there more often than not. This has been going on for about a month now.

* General aches and pains - muscular or joint based. Usually only appear briefly in any one spot. Can be anywhere.

* Muscle twitches. Occasionally spasmodic, but usually a one off twitch, can be virtually anywhere, but legs seem most common.

* Pins and needles. Usually in my right foot (especially when calf is tensed as described above) can also be other foot and hands.

* Skin tightness/pressure. In a given area (usually my right hand) it feels like the skin is being ever so slightly stretched. Very mild - may just be paranoia. Sometimes I also get a slightly more noticable sensation which I think is related where a patch of my skin (usually my scalp) appears to tense up causing the hairs to stand on end as if I was cold or had a fright.

Has anyone experienced these? I've had what I would regard as more conventional anxiety symptoms (tiredness, light headedness, trembling) but these seem to have subsided recently as I've learnt to relax and although I still feel a little on edge I'm not obsessing about things, yet some of the physical symptoms remain, just wonder if anyone else had that?

Chris.

Chris,

Have you been tested for Lyme disease? Alot of your symptoms could also be that.

Hope it gets better soon.
Karen

Chris, I've had all of those symptoms with my anxiety. Many times.

 

Chris I am sure all will prove you okay at the docs today as we speak 3 fingers of mine are numb it happens to me all the time
Other things you mention hun I feel are anxiety related and if tx you can live a somewhat normal life Variants of tx are out there as well,not just meds and I hope you will look into all aspects I am not against meds I take them I feel you have to explore all avenues as we are all the same yet different ya know
Keep us posted please
Lyn

Hi,

I'm really sorry to hear about your condition, I don't know what to say other than I hope you find ways to make things easier. Whilst my problems could be a whole host of nasty stuff (trust me, you don't need to tell me that....) it is more likely to be anxiety. My prime fear was MS which apart from being statistically unlikely for any given individual, predominantly seems to go for people who are somewhat older than me and they're also more likely to be female. I know I am personally prone to anxiety for whatever reason, so the chances are overwhelmingly that it's purely a physical manifestation of that. Doesn't rule anything out I know and it certainly doesn't stop me worrying about it, but it does mean it's less likely and I manage to take some comfort from that.

What I've experienced so far has come and gone and physically it has never really had that bad an affect on me. It may be tiring and unpleasant, but there aren't that many things it has stopped me doing even in the more difficult moments. Plus, with anxiety (as opposed to a progressive physical illness) there is always the knowledge you can overcome it, or atleast learn to live with it.

I spoke to the doctor this morning and to my relief she was quite happy that it was just anxiety and that no MRIs etc. were necesary. Almost certainly as a result I already feel better. With this reassurance (and that of the people on here - I really do appreciate it) I think I can overcome it. Even if the physical symptoms remained I could live with tremors and the occasional aches and pains (etc) knowing it wasn't physically harmful. I'm told even the dreaded MS can in certain cases be controlled so it actually has little impact on your life, but I'd always feel there was something hanging around just waiting to cave in on me when the time came. Nobody lives forever and we'll all experience some deterioration as we get older, but that sense of innevitability would terrify me. I'm one of those people who'd rather take their chances and live a normal live, than know they'd live to be a hundred if it meant knowing you wouldn't reach 101!!

I don't think conventional medication is necesary in my case and I personally would only risk side effects and dependancy as a last resort (like I said, just a personal preference, but I'm the sort of person who's even reluctant to take asprin....) That said, I've been taking a natural remedy called kalms (I think it's a plant extract of some description) and this seems to be having some effect even if it's only psychological. Besides that, I've tried meditation and found it to be extremely helpful. I thought progressive muscle relaxation would be very useful for me too, but don't really seem to have the hang of it - gave myself cramp last time!! :)

Post Edited (Chris711) : 2/23/2007 8:35:37 AM (GMT-7)

Thanks.

Well, I've had a fairly good weekend. Things seem to be getting better, but as always they also seem to be changing. What I have currently is:

The aches and pains seem to be less frequent, but more intense. One reocurred a few times in my foot at the same time as a nearby leg muscle started to spasm - has anyone had this (where the pain and spasms are linked)? Also have more general muscle pains.

The tingling/pins'n'neeldes feeling in my hands and feet is still there. It's weird - very slight (almost undetectable) just a slight sensation, but enough to pray on your mind. What worries me with these as with all the symptoms is I don't have to be panicking to get it - I assumed you'd have to be hyperventilating to experience stuff like that? Feel relatively normal other than the stuff I've mentioned here.

Those two fingers which go numb seem to feel cold regularly - maybe just poor circulation though.

Still getting occasional 'tight' feeling in my skin, particularly on the top side of my right wrist. It feels like someone is pulling at either side and stretching it.

Post Edited (Chris711) : 2/26/2007 6:51:55 AM (GMT-7)

also If I am awakened in the middle of the night I feel nauseated and my heart races in such a frightening way. I just can't hardly stand this any longer

Chris711 said...
Thanks guys.

Another one for you.....

A couple of times recently I've woken and the little finger and 3rd finger of one of my hands have gone numb. After I've moved them for a couple seconds they go back to normal. I'm sure if I was being completely rational I'd just say "I slept it on it" - it may even have happened before without me taking any notice - but it's happened 3 or 4 times over the past couple of weeks and I have been very much aware of it!

GREETINGS CHRIS: I've had this very thing going on for many, many years now...I would say it started in my early 20's and now that I am 40, over the years it has slowly progressed.  I have carpal tunnel plus the ulna nerve is weak. This is how it started out and then to what it has progessed to thus far...

It is in my left arm/hand.  I first noticed that I could not carry my purse on that shoulder because my pinkie and 3rd finger would begin to tingle.  Over time they would go numb on the outsides of each finger.  This went on for many years, then at night I would wake up with a numb hand, I would shake it and it would come back..

Progress a couple of years, I would begin to have pain behind my elbow, right in the middle of my elbow and I would wake up with a swollen numb hand.

Now, presently, I have shoulder pain, elbow pain, and hand pain...I can't wear my wedding ring at night anymore, because not only does my hand swell so does my forearm.  My hand will swell so big that if I wear my ring at night, it gets stuck and my ring finger feels almost dead...

You might want to get checked for carpal tunnel...