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View Full Version : Hi I'm new. I'm very anxious over symptoms of past year. Help!



concernedcass
06-19-2013, 08:22 AM
Hi. I would like to give you a history of what I have experienced over the past year and 2 months. (previously healthy, no medical conditions what so ever)
April 22 2012. I went to emerg because I was experiencing dizziness and my upper arms and upper legs were tingling. Multiple tests were done including blood work, ct scan, ekg for my heart, all of which came back normal. I was sent home with a diagnoses of anxiety. OK I could live with that. A couple weeks later, I went to emerg again because the right side of my body (from my face, to my arm, to my leg) went tingly and slightly numb. I thought I was having a stroke. This doctor referred me for an mri, to rule out ms. My family dr said in her opinion the mri was normal (there was one unremarkable spot) nothing of which would cause any of my symtoms. Again, they said stress was the probably cause. Over the next few weeks I experienced extreme weakness in my arms, mostly my right. I also had a lot of pain and a feeling of pressure in the back of my head and neck. I had a lot of headaches. May 2012, I continued these feelings of slight numbness in my face, felt lightheaded and dizzy all the time. June I started having difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath. I even had joint pain at which I was again sent for bloodwork to test for lyme disease and other deficiencies all of which came back normal. June 14 2012, I had chest pain, difficulty swallowing, my tongue felt weird and weak. When I would try and sleep I would wake up and it felt like I forgot how to swallow and had to force myself. In July I saw a chiropractor, I got xrays which showed cervical kyphosis (reverse of natural c curvature in neck)So we thought this could be the source of all my problems. Eventually my tingling went away, but I would still have weakness, arms, legs, mostly my right side of my body. My tongue, throat. Its been almost a year since regular chiro adjustments and I still have weakness. Feb of this year I was having shortness of breath, and the right side of my body felt weak and droopy. I even thought my eye and mouth looked droopy. This continued over the next couple months. I have been very anxious about what could be wrong with me. Currently I am experiencing weakness in my tongue and I find it hard to swallow. I feel like I am slurring my words even though no one has said anything to me. My hands and legs still feel weak (but I can still run, like I just ran 4 km yesterday) My hands feel weak, and sometimes hard to open. So tell me does this sound at all like anxiety?

em1
06-19-2013, 08:38 AM
Hello I've had weakness in my arms and legs and dizzyness and tingles it sounds all very much anxiety to me :)

concernedcass
06-19-2013, 08:49 AM
Is it possible for the symptoms to be there for over a year and never really go away? Sometimes it gets better but they never really disappear. I'm just scared its something a lot more serious like ALS disease or MS, but I have been to a neurologist and he said everything looks perfectly normal. I had the tingling and that went away now it's just the weakness. I wake up with it and go to bed with it. I feel it mostly in my tongue and sometimes it's hard to swallow. Not when I'm eating or drinking just randomly like I can't swallow and my heart feels like it starts beating fast for a couple seconds then stops. I also have weakness in my hands, not just sometimes they always feel kind of stiff but weak at the same time? If that makes any sense!

kelliesean
06-19-2013, 08:58 AM
Is it possible for the symptoms to be there for over a year and never really go away? Sometimes it gets better but they never really disappear. I'm just scared its something a lot more serious like ALS disease or MS, but I have been to a neurologist and he said everything looks perfectly normal. I had the tingling and that went away now it's just the weakness. I wake up with it and go to bed with it. I feel it mostly in my tongue and sometimes it's hard to swallow. Not when I'm eating or drinking just randomly like I can't swallow and my heart feels like it starts beating fast for a couple seconds then stops. I also have weakness in my hands, not just sometimes they always feel kind of stiff but weak at the same time? If that makes any sense!

I too have had these symptoms.. That's what makes us all crazy with anxiety.. The physical symptoms really and truly mimic real symptoms of health issues.
I used to have tremors.. I thought for sure that no one could deny that I was having diabetic related seizures (I don't have diabetes.. But of course.. I obsessed that I did).. I would have "difficulty breathing" to a point where I wd be so dizzy.. Faintish.. "Surely this IS asthma!!! Come on!! It's plain to see!!" But no.. No asthma.. My list goes on and on..

What is truly amazing is when you recover and do not anymore experience those symptoms as you once did.. Then u say to yourself "WOW.. That's friggin amazing that my brain could do that.." And then you realize that you truly do have anxiety disorder..

I was reading a post on here and someone said "when your health is truly at risk your body will truly let you know".. Hmmm..

But especially since you have Ben experiencing these symptoms for so long.. If they truly did mean you had a heart condition etc.. Your body wd have given way to that by now.. And it has not.. And your exams prove you are fine too.. So this confirms the anxiety further..

em1
06-19-2013, 09:02 AM
I've had Tremors to,yes it's scary but no your not going to die or go mad or lose control you may feel like it but I promise you it won't happen :)

em1
06-19-2013, 09:04 AM
hey kelliesean how are you today :)

kelliesean
06-19-2013, 09:10 AM
hey kelliesean how are you today :)

I'm good em1 :).. How are u?

concernedcass
06-19-2013, 09:10 AM
I too have had these symptoms.. That's what makes us all crazy with anxiety.. The physical symptoms really and truly mimic real symptoms of health issues.
I used to have tremors.. I thought for sure that no one could deny that I was having diabetic related seizures (I don't have diabetes.. But of course.. I obsessed that I did).. I would have "difficulty breathing" to a point where I wd be so dizzy.. Faintish.. "Surely this IS asthma!!! Come on!! It's plain to see!!" But no.. No asthma.. My list goes on and on..

What is truly amazing is when you recover and do not anymore experience those symptoms as you once did.. Then u say to yourself "WOW.. That's friggin amazing that my brain could do that.." And then you realize that you truly do have anxiety disorder..

I was reading a post on here and someone said "when your health is truly at risk your body will truly let you know".. Hmmm..

But especially since you have Ben experiencing these symptoms for so long.. If they truly did mean you had a heart condition etc.. Your body wd have given way to that by now.. And it has not.. And your exams prove you are fine too.. So this confirms the anxiety further..

Wow eh? It truly is amazing what the brain can do! I have been told by many that this is "just" anxiety. But it's making me crazy because I have never had any health concerns ever before! Now all of a sudden I start getting tingles in my arms and legs and then everything just spirals downwards! I have been obsessing for the past year of what could be wrong with me?! I have been trying to just ignore symptoms but its SO hard! I truly have alot of respect for ones that have been dealing with this for years! It's awful.

concernedcass
06-19-2013, 09:13 AM
I've had Tremors to,yes it's scary but no your not going to die or go mad or lose control you may feel like it but I promise you it won't happen :)

Thanks EM1! I just can't believe that the body can do this. I have heard of anxiety symptoms such as a hard time breathing, shakes, racing heart, etc. But weakness and tremors and tongue and swallowing problems. It's just so scary sometimes! I have experienced a full out body tremor too! Like I was freezing to death. Lasted about 15 min, I had to have a hot shower just to calm down.

kelliesean
06-19-2013, 09:22 AM
Wow eh? It truly is amazing what the brain can do! I have been told by many that this is "just" anxiety. But it's making me crazy because I have never had any health concerns ever before! Now all of a sudden I start getting tingles in my arms and legs and then everything just spirals downwards! I have been obsessing for the past year of what could be wrong with me?! I have been trying to just ignore symptoms but its SO hard! I truly have alot of respect for ones that have been dealing with this for years! It's awful.

Yeah.. It's certainly not JUST anxiety lol.. It's tough to deal with.. But I will tell you that I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Getting better does happen :).
I was in therapy and on meds for 10 years w fantastic success :-)

concernedcass
06-19-2013, 09:43 AM
Yeah.. It's certainly not JUST anxiety lol.. It's tough to deal with.. But I will tell you that I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Getting better does happen :).
I was in therapy and on meds for 10 years w fantastic success :-)

I'm not on any meds yet. I had one dr that wanted to start me on a bunch of stuff but I'm afraid of even doing that! I heard many can become addicted and that its hard to get off of them once you are on them. I have just been doing regular excercise, running and Pilates. Trying to eat good. I quit drinking caffeine and barely drink alcohol (not a big drinker anyways). And deep breathing and relaxation.