Health anxiety

[sophie822]

Hi this is my first post.. I am suffering with health anxiety and It is filling my every waking thoughts!! I have strange symptoms look them up and panic.. My current problem is I'm red from head to toe and (like flushed) and I don't know whether there is something wrong or If this is yet another symptom of my anxiety.. Has anyone ever had this? It's hard to know what's anxiety and whats a real medical problem.. I think my Dr is sick of the sight of me!! Thank you!

[Srm1135]

I've suffered with anxiety since I was 8 years old and am now 36. I have been to group therapy sessions where people described the same flushing feeling that you are having. It is a result of the anxiety. Are you eating enough, or regularly, drinking enough water? These could be contributing responses to the flushing.

My doctor has been through hell with me and never said a word. If your doctor can't handle what he is PAID to do then seek out another one. Lord knows there are enough out there. I went through about seven before I found the right one for me. Good luck.

[em1]

I agree,your doctor is there to do a job and that's get to the bottom of why your feeling like this,anxiety and panic attacks are never the same for everyone but this is defo one of its faces
Welcome to the forum you will find so many lovely people on here and some gr8 advice

[sophie822]

Thanks guys! I know that it's my Drs obligation to see me I just wish I could maybe go for a week or two without seeing him! It's strange because i have never heard of all over redness (looks almost like I'm sunburn) it comes and goes. :S I'm seeing a lady for CBT tomorrow. Hopefully that can help! Thanks again!

[hypochondriac1993]

I have terrible health anxiety as well. Check out "it's not all in you're head" it's a book. Just started a few days ago, it's marvelous! I know you'll benefit from it! And head over to anxiety centre and check out all the symptoms it can cause. There's SO many!!! You almost have to appreciate anxiety for how much power it has. Best of luck!

[sophie822]

Thanks you I will do that.

[Enduronman]

Welcome Sophie!!

We're here to help friend... :)

[sophie822]

Thank you Chip!! :)

[NixonRulz]

Sounds like you are doing the rights things

Health anxiety can be quite the bitch

Welcome to the site and I hope you find some answers

[Enduronman]

Thank you Chip!! :)

HEY!!! Where did you get my real name from???!!! LOL!!!

Are you one of my new Facebook friends now too??...If not, send me a request....:)

E-Man. (Real name Christopher, nickname Chip...BAHAAAHA!!) :D

[sophie822]

Thank you Nixonrulres!! Chris I saw the Facebook thread! I think Chip is a cool name!! :)

[Enduronman]

BHAAAHA!! Thank you Sophie!! :rolleyes:

[Enduronman]

PS: Take an (anti-histamine) like benedryl, to stop the redness from head to toe....redness is caused by histamines.. so, stop them!!....

What country are you in?? (this will help me to figure out what anti-histamine you can actually get).... :)

[sophie822]

I have taken piriton it's like benadryl! I'm in England!

[Enduronman]

Ok friend, has it helped you yet? Is it itchy or just red???? How long ago did you take it??....:)

It may be that you're allergic to your soap or laundry soap too...Have you changed either of those lately????....

[Chatative]

It's hard to know what's anxiety and whats a real medical problem.. I think my Dr is sick of the sight of me!! Thank you!

I'm having exactly the same problem at the moment.

I mentioned to the Doctor I was peeing a lot & I got a blood test for Diabetes. It came back normal but then over Christmas I seemed to develop other symptoms like thirst & tiredness. I got more blood tests & they too came back negative. I still thought it might have been missed if my blood sugar was only spiking after meals so I got a blood glucose checker & sure enough, my Doctor was 100% right. I felt as if he was being negligent up to that point & not taking me seriously. I was being rather obsessive about it too.

The thing that confused me most was I felt dehydrated yet the Doctor said my blood work showed no signs of regular dehydration. Since then, I found out anxiety can cause a dry mouth, making you drink more & pee more as well as the tiredness!

I'm not sure whether it is just Health Anxiety I'm experiencing as I have mild anxiety in other areas of my life too. I'm getting other blood tests anyway but I'll be mentioning the anxiety to the Doctor when I get those back regardless.

I really sympathize though, it's hard to ignore symptoms when you have no idea whether they are caused by anxiety or by a real health concern. I guess the thing to do is to try & take your mind off it & see if the symptoms clear up as your anxiety wanes a bit.

[sophie822]

As I type this response to you I am sitting in the Dr's surgery! Lol. I try soooooo hard to ignore the symptoms but i always fail! I wish I could give you some advice but I'm not really sure what to do myself :(

Eman i just look like I have sunburn.. But it comes and goes... Really bad last night not so bad today.. I can't think of anything that could of triggered it!!

I won't add you on Facebook because then you would learn my embarrassing name!! Hah

[Chatative]

Hehe, doh! In the end of the day though, you are always best to be on the safe side.

However, you have to try & find a way to break the cycle of being anxious, which causes symptoms & triggers more anxiety. Of course there will always be genuine symptoms that appear from time to time but if you can get on top of that in the short term, then you've made a positive step!

Currently, I don't see every minor ailment as indicative of a major health problem luckily but anything that is persistent or a prolonged vague "feeling under the weather" still makes me anxious.

I think that when I get a clean bill of health, I might be able to break that cycle. I'm already finding it a bit easier now I know my symptoms *might* be caused by anxiety.

Hopefully your Doc will be able to put your mind at rest! :)

[h4yl3y]

Hehe, doh! In the end of the day though, you are always best to be on the safe side. However, you have to try & find a way to break the cycle of being anxious, which causes symptoms & triggers more anxiety. Of course there will always be genuine symptoms that appear from time to time but if you can get on top of that in the short term, then you've made a positive step! Currently, I don't see every minor ailment as indicative of a major health problem luckily but anything that is persistent or a prolonged vague "feeling under the weather" still makes me anxious. I think that when I get a clean bill of health, I might be able to break that cycle. I'm already finding it a bit easier now I know my symptoms *might* be caused by anxiety. Hopefully your Doc will be able to put your mind at rest! :)

I too feel unwell all the time I have new symptoms everyday and feel like I'm losing myself and withdrawing, I often feel like I'm dying and I am so sick of feeling sick I just don't no what to do! Seems no one really understands me or what I'm going through. This is my first time on here btw hoping I get some help

[vonnhelsing]

H4yl3y...
We on this forum DEFINITELY understand what youre going through. We are all going through the same , at different stages..
I felt like I was dying every single day for 2 whole years. The symptoms kept coming. Once a symptom would subside the next would come sneaking up on me straight away.
have you done a health check up to see if youre in good condition? That would be step 1 .. really helps put your mind at ease..

[h4yl3y]

I had an ambulance out to my house when I had my first attack in August, I was so numb and tingly I completely froze and couldn't move a muscle I had a feeling of my brain needing to escape my body n I didn't no wether to scream or cry! They examined me and blood sugars were fine so was pulse/ bp/ temp and heart trace. I had bloods to check for thyroid problems at my docs and all was ok. Citalopram made me feel worse so I come off it had implant removed also incase it was something to do with the hormones in it. I feel like I'm giving up I can't function properly at all!! I don't have racing thoughts I'm just overly focused on what I'm feeling and why??

[em1]

I had an ambulance out to my house when I had my first attack in August, I was so numb and tingly I completely froze and couldn't move a muscle I had a feeling of my brain needing to escape my body n I didn't no wether to scream or cry! They examined me and blood sugars were fine so was pulse/ bp/ temp and heart trace. I had bloods to check for thyroid problems at my docs and all was ok. Citalopram made me feel worse so I come off it had implant removed also incase it was something to do with the hormones in it. I feel like I'm giving up I can't function properly at all!! I don't have racing thoughts I'm just overly focused on what I'm feeling and why??

Oh you poor thing,it's such a scary experience when you have your first one and don't know what's going on,do you know why you had one? Are you going to try anything else to help with it?

[h4yl3y]

I had an unplanned pregnancy and aborted which I didn't really want to do but felt I had to do so this caused a lot of upset in august too! It just feels like it's getting worse lump in throat and chest an breathless and week all my muscles ache an I just don't want to go anywhere or do anything, although I do manage to work 3 days a week.. I have been doin self hypnosis and relaxation at night I'm not sure if it is helping the anxiety but it helps me sleep. I am interested in trying vitamins and minerals to see if they help but need more advice on what to take. Thanks for reading my post x

[em1]

I had an unplanned pregnancy and aborted which I didn't really want to do but felt I had to do so this caused a lot of upset in august too! It just feels like it's getting worse lump in throat and chest an breathless and week all my muscles ache an I just don't want to go anywhere or do anything, although I do manage to work 3 days a week.. I have been doin self hypnosis and relaxation at night I'm not sure if it is helping the anxiety but it helps me sleep. I am interested in trying vitamins and minerals to see if they help but need more advice on what to take. Thanks for reading my post x

Have you had any blood tests done? What will affect your anxiety is low vitamin D and your thyroid,so it may be worth having them
Checked to rule them out,
Lavender oils are very relaxing and you can also get room sprays,you can get them
In the Avon book if your in the uk or
eBay,more natural remedies are
Kalms or rescue remedy

[Chatative]

Have you had any blood tests done? What will affect your anxiety is low vitamin D and your thyroid,

Hmm, interesting fact.

Considering I've been obsessing about my health this past month & looked most things up, I'm surprised I never found that out.

I'm awaiting results back on my TSH test at the moment.

[h4yl3y]

My thyroid test came bk fine I did have bloods done and the only thing that came back abnormal was my liver function tests I heard magnesium calms you is this right and rescue remedy does it make you feel normal again x

[em1]

My thyroid test came bk fine I did have bloods done and the only thing that came back abnormal was my liver function tests I heard magnesium calms you is this right and rescue remedy does it make you feel normal again x

A lot of people use it so it's well worth a go or something like
At johns warts

[em1]

Hmm, interesting fact. Considering I've been obsessing about my health this past month & looked most things up, I'm surprised I never found that out. I'm awaiting results back on my TSH test at the moment.

Well it's well
Worth having it all checked to rule it out :)

[h4yl3y]

Il have to give it a go thank u x

[Chatative]

the only thing that came back abnormal was my liver function tests

Same!

I was told I needed to get screened for Hepatitis & you can just imagine what that did to my anxiety levels.

I was told by the nurse drawing bloods that it's a very unlikely condition to have but my mind wasn't set to rest until I found out it's quite common to have elevated Liver Function. It is even the norm for some people.

[h4yl3y]

[QUOTE="Chatative;146205"] Same! I was told I needed to get screened for Hepatitis & you can just imagine what that did to my anxiety levels. I was told by the nurse drawing bloods that it's a very unlikely condition to have but my mind wasn't set to rest until I found out it's quite common to have elevated Liver Function. It is even the norm for some people.[/QUOT

I was taking citalopram at the time and was told this can show abnormal liver function results in some cases... I am now taking lansoprazole for what the think is reflux of the osopheagus and also ranitidine it has helped a little with the lump on throat feeling along with excercise a to stretch the neck muscles but the pain in my chest is still there and every muscle in my body aches too x

[h4yl3y]

It runs you down doesn't it I cry often in public cus I'm so sick of feeling ill all of the time!!! Definitely one of the most challenging things I've had to deal with to date x

[NixonRulz]

The reflux was horrible. I waited 6 months before seeing the doc about it.

Had to put me out and do an endoscopy to see if there was anything going on or did any damage

Fortunately no issues

[h4yl3y]

I never have the burning sensation though!! Did you ??

[NixonRulz]

I did.

Burned like hell in matter of fact

I just ate Tums like candy to stop it but I later learned if it lasts long everyday, you need to get it checked out....before 6 months have passed!

[h4yl3y]

What other symptoms do you have with your anxiety if you don't mind me asking and also did the reflux make your muscles ache??

[NixonRulz]

The reflux did make my abs and chest tight and kinda sore

Fortunately, I dont really have any symptoms anymore

After a long confusing struggle for a long time, I finally put my anxiety in its place a few years back

Not that I dont occasionally have a few odd pains and thoughts.

I just dont reat to them anymore

[h4yl3y]

Wow that's fantastic for you! What's the secret

[Chatative]

I thought I'd just continue in this thread rather than start a new one...

Since I've realised that anxiety is causing me to feel under the weather, I've found it easier to keep my mind off my health.

However, this morning I noticed a bruise on my arm & was really worried! I had no idea where it had come from for like 10 minutes... eventually I figured it must have been from carrying a TV down to the car with my Dad yesterday. Still, even though I know it is nothing, it's brought back anxiety which hasn't gone.

I went out for lunch with my Mum not long ago & as I got outside I felt under the weather. I probably hadn't noticed whilst doing things in my flat this morning. That got me worried & then every little twinge during lunch made me anxious. I had a great lunch but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could & I wasn't very talkative because of it. I'm not overly worrying or looking things up any more but I feel on edge now. :(

I just hope that the blood tests I get in 2 days will come back normal, which will relieve some tension & hopefully make me feel better.

[sophie822]

I thought I'd just continue in this thread rather than start a new one... Since I've realised that anxiety is causing me to feel under the weather, I've found it easier to keep my mind off my health. However, this morning I noticed a bruise on my arm & was really worried! I had no idea where it had come from for like 10 minutes... eventually I figured it must have been from carrying a TV down to the car with my Dad yesterday. Still, even though I know it is nothing, it's brought back anxiety which hasn't gone. I went out for lunch with my Mum not long ago & as I got outside I felt under the weather. I probably hadn't noticed whilst doing things in my flat this morning. That got me worried & then every little twinge during lunch made me anxious. I had a great lunch but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could & I wasn't very talkative because of it. I'm not overly worrying or looking things up any more but I feel on edge now. :( I just hope that the blood tests I get in 2 days will come back normal, which will relieve some tension & hopefully make me feel better.

I have had the same thing today.. Got some possibly worrying results from a scan I had..... won't know more until I get other tests done... This is like torture.. But instead of losing it completely I'm trying to focus on other things whether that be cleaning (yawn I know) playing with my children or watching fav tv. It's so bloody hard though!

[mykids12]

I have had the same thing today.. Got some possibly worrying results from a scan I had..... won't know more until I get other tests done... This is like torture.. But instead of losing it completely I'm trying to focus on other things whether that be cleaning (yawn I know) playing with my children or watching fav tv. It's so bloody hard though!

Very hard to concentrate on other things when you're worrying about your health, been going through that right now myself, but I too find that cleaning, cooking, shopping or dealing with the kids does help too. When I sit down to watch tv my mind starts to wander haha.

[mykids12]

I never have the burning sensation though!! Did you ??

You don't have to have the burning. I don't either and I think it's more of a silent reflux is what thy call it. I get lots of mucus, dry cough, throat cleaning and lump in throat feeling with the silent reflux.