Can all this Pain be Anxiety related??? New here

[buckeyegirl]

I am new to the forum. 32 years old and a recent sufferer of panic issues. I have become extremely health anxious and it is starting to really take me over. I have never before felt so obsessed with what is going on with me. I have been to the ER 4 times in the past 7 weeks scared that something terrible is wrong with me. I have had chest xrays, ct scan of head and neck, 3 ECG's lots of bloodwork and finally an ultrasound on my left leg checking for DVT's due to horrible pains in my legs. Now I am experiencing horrible pains in my left arm and the left leg pain is just getting worse.

All of this really started after I was experiencing awful facial pain after a tooth extraction. This pain went on for 2 months and I was bounced around to all kinds of specialists. I think I got myself so worked up about what was going on with my mouth that my stress escalated from there. Also my husband recently lost 60 pounds without really trying. He went through all kinds of tests and we were pretty much told they couldn't find anything. Needless to say this was extremely stressful.

Now I just can't seem to get my life back. I have tried 2 different medications but due to the type of work I do I am unable to get past the start up phases. I can not life in fog and be dizzy, nauseous all the time. I have pretty much had to try to deal with my symptoms on my own. I do pretty good most days but every little twinge and I am googling my symptoms. With my current pain in my left leg and arm, plus jaw pain on right side, i am freaking out. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon after work so we shall see.

Does anyone else experience constant health fear? How can all of this real pain be caused by anxiety. I am afraid that the local ER is going to "black list" me or something but this pain is really bad. I feel like maybe I am having a heart attack due to the arm and jaw pain.

[Enduronman]

Hey Buckey,

1. Yes it can.
2. It can cause loss of all physical motion and self control, read through the forums it is very descriptive in detail.
3. Recent panic.
4. Suddenly concerned about physical health. (hypochondria).
5. Test, test, test,..no explanations. common.
6. Acute, localized, pain. Stress=anxiety=physical pain and thank God its localized and acute... You're addressing it promptly before it tears you apart. Great!
7. Started after (extremely traumatic event)..
8. Go here, go there, stand here, stand there..(Chronic stress input caused by frustration=expectations NOT being met)
9. Spouse and unexplained weight loss. (no resolve, no answers, no closure, mind is creating all sorts of speculative presumptive conclusions on its own=++stress)
10. What was name of (2) meds prescribed? What was diagnosis?
11. You came to the right place, yes..many others have great and overly-hyper sensitive concerns about their physical health as well.
12. How long has the arm and leg pain been there?.. Jaw pain on opposite side doesnt seem consistent with heart attack, possible infection after tooth extraction..

Welcome Buckey!

Enduronman.

[IceBat]

I am new to the forum. 32 years old and a recent sufferer of panic issues. I have become extremely health anxious and it is starting to really take me over. I have never before felt so obsessed with what is going on with me. I have been to the ER 4 times in the past 7 weeks scared that something terrible is wrong with me. I have had chest xrays, ct scan of head and neck, 3 ECG's lots of bloodwork and finally an ultrasound on my left leg checking for DVT's due to horrible pains in my legs. Now I am experiencing horrible pains in my left arm and the left leg pain is just getting worse.

All of this really started after I was experiencing awful facial pain after a tooth extraction. This pain went on for 2 months and I was bounced around to all kinds of specialists. I think I got myself so worked up about what was going on with my mouth that my stress escalated from there. Also my husband recently lost 60 pounds without really trying. He went through all kinds of tests and we were pretty much told they couldn't find anything. Needless to say this was extremely stressful.

Now I just can't seem to get my life back. I have tried 2 different medications but due to the type of work I do I am unable to get past the start up phases. I can not life in fog and be dizzy, nauseous all the time. I have pretty much had to try to deal with my symptoms on my own. I do pretty good most days but every little twinge and I am googling my symptoms. With my current pain in my left leg and arm, plus jaw pain on right side, i am freaking out. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon after work so we shall see.

Does anyone else experience constant health fear? How can all of this real pain be caused by anxiety. I am afraid that the local ER is going to "black list" me or something but this pain is really bad. I feel like maybe I am having a heart attack due to the arm and jaw pain.


i'm sorry to hear you're in such distress. i'm sure everyone on this forum can relate! i certainly can. may i ask, how long has this been going on? a month, a year? personally, i have been battling (and overcoming) my anxiety in the span of about 6 weeks. anxiety has not proven to be a chronic ailment in my life but more of a phase. never the less, it has come with a very troubling list of symptoms. hopefully you understand (but maybe you don't believe) that anxiety has REAL physical symptoms that mimic disease. these symptoms can manifest from everything from aches and pains, nausea, heart palpitations, derealization, dizziness, shaking/tremors, shortness of breath, blurry vision, etc. and of course, it is never the same from one person to the next. our symptoms are as unique as our finger prints. It seems impossible that the mind can manifest feeling ill when no disease is present. Believe me, stress will absolutely, without a doubt, cause the body to feel sick. Our nervous system, our thoughts, our feelings, etc. its all CONNECTED. I'm sure you've heard of the fight or flight response? Your mind is telling your body to feel fear. When we feel fear, real fear, the body RESPONDS. this is what makes us feel sick!

Like you, I experienced extreme panic when anything in my body felt "off". I went to urgent care in an absolute tizzy. i had the physical and the blood work only to be told "you're healthy, you're having anxiety." naturally, i didn't believe the doctor and every time i felt "weird" i would google myself into even more hysteria. i was convinced that i had a brain tumor, multiple sclerosis, hyperthyroidism OR some mysterious disease that no doctor had ever heard of! i truly thought that there was going to be a disease named after me. i'm sure you've had these thoughts too, right? Guess what, they are not going to name diseases after us. we're not that unique! what you're experiencing is 100% anxiety and it's 100% treatable WITHOUT medication! my view on medication is that is only buries the real problem. it does absolutely nothing to treat the root cause of the issue. at best, meds can take the edge off in EXTREME cases. at worst, meds can set you back miles away from true recovery. anyway, I want you to know that what you have is very common and very treatable. If you found this reply helpful, then I am happy to discuss more about myself and my steps to overcome anxiety. All the best to you.

[buckeyegirl]

Hi Enduronman,
I recently replied to a previous post that I made, didn't think it worked. thank you for your reply on both of my posts. I think I will try to stick with this post as it is my newest one. I really appreciate all of your advice. I was prescribed 0.5 mg of Xanax 3 times a day but was only taking it at night due to the kind of work I do. My boss would frown on me sleeping at my desk :) It floored me, made me feel like a drunken drugged up mess and put me right to sleep. Then I was switched to Buspar 5 mg 2 times a day but it was giving me horrible insomnia and terrible dizzyness. I couldn't get past the start up phase due to my job again. I am seeing my PCP tomorrow and will discuss some other options. My PCP believes it to be GAD. But I only recently started seeing a new doctor after my other doc dismissed everything thing I said as soon as the word Anxiety came up. Then immediately nothing else mattered. I have been experiencing the arm/leg issue for almost a week.

[Enduronman]

I could envision you slumped over in chair, slobbering all over the TPS reports in the Accounting Division..snoring.....LOL!.. Break the .5's in half and try half-dosing before you give up just because you passed out in the breakroom a few times. Buspar is successful..for very few (old med). Probably did ok in 1985's minds..not in 2012 minds..Yes, it is an intense headache in a pill. "excuse me but do you have buspar without excrutiatingly painful headaches like I'm wearing little league football helmet all day sir?"...LOL! ah ha! The other Dr dismissed you once you said anxiety?.. Number of reasons for that, but they wont EVER tell you the truth as to why they just start whistling and looking at the ceilings..hilarious! GAD= 1. Tramadol-crazy germans! (this is a multi-action med, many conditions can be covered) even though generally used as a painkiller. No, it is NOT habit forming. 2. Hydroxyzl (anti-histamine/anti-anxiety agent). 3. Xanax- (awesome chemical creation, GABA levels in the brain). If you can get outta there tomorrow with a scrip for those 3 then thats what I'd try first...Also, while yer there take note of your BP and asks if it appears to be high to him/her?...If so, request (beta-blockers)...It will slow the racing heart/panic..pretty cool med. Taken by people who must Publically Perform in front of huge crowds, hides panic attack from others sight. Adrenaline blocker basically... Wow! You're gettin s**t done too!! Thats great and also goodluck on tomorrows visit with a NEW Dr..be subtle but demand what it is that you really MUST have...

Enduronman.

[IceBat]

buckeyegirl, have you ever considered seeing a Naturopathic Doctor instead of your primary MD? An ND can offer you a safe, holistic approach to treat your GAD that is often times 100x more effective. i think xanax or anything of the sort can truly inhibit recovery. resist the urge to google yourself into hysteria. i'm convinced that ALL of your symptoms are a product of anxiety. the mind and body are connected! when we feel fear, our body has a physical, visceral response that can be very troubling! take heart, anxiety is very common and very treatable!! all the best to you.