Can anxiety really cause this many symptoms?

[Max mar]

Hi I am beginning to really accept that I have anxiety and depression but am struggling to get my fearful mind around a couple of issues.
My main issues are physical pain, I have constant digestive pain, muscle aches/ burning pain/ headaches etc... All the normal symptoms associated with anxiety. These pains did start after an apparent viral illness caused me to acquire thyroiditis which took 2 years to resolve after the birth of my son.

So I now have a normal functioning thyroid and I am not on any medication, I feel comfortable that my thyroid is working well so I am assuming that due to 2 years of pain and very little sleep with a child who wouldn't sleep that my body is overly sensitive to every little pain and that my tension and obsession with illness could be causing these problems BUT I need a little insight on the following...

My pains seem to be of a cycle nature! When I ovulate I get muscle pains and get jittery but have little stomach pain, then after ovulation the digestion problems get gradually worse for 2 weeks up to my period. When I get my period I feel great for a few weeks then the cycle starts again.

Sorry for going on! I'll get to my question now! Could this really be down to anxiety and me noticing every little thing and by addressing my anxiety I could rid myself of these issues?

Btw I have tried all diets/ supplements/ etc for hormones with no significant results, part of my anxiety OCD is constantly trying different alternative therapies etc so I'm trying to not do more!

Any insight would be great, thanks

[Olive Yew]

YES! It can! Here this might help you. I know it has me!

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml

[Olive Yew]

Also, it sounds like you COULD have Leaky Gut like I do. Ya fix your gut, ya fix it all. And it doesn't require nasty prescription pills. Just supplements and eating a certain way. Specifically no gluten or dairy until your gut heals

[Olive Yew]

Also my anxiety issues are VERY cycle based. Basically you are me lol.... But i'm Without children.anxiety CAUSES leaky gut and leaky gut CAUSES pain and discomfort, acne, brittle hair and nails, headaches, body aches, IBS, sharp abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, gas, food sensitivities (like you feel you're allergic to everything) and a whole slew of other things.

[Max mar]

Hi thanks for your reply! Unfortunately I have already gone down that road:-( literally done every diet/ cleanse/ supplements you could think of and seen a couple of dozen different Drs/ alternative practitioners.

It's been a couple of years me eating that way and it's become an obsession, cut out all the offending food groups to the point I am scared of food and what I'm putting in my body. It's just too limiting to do long term as I has become depressing and created more fear about food for me.

I really hope it works for you but it's not helped me much which is why I'm entertaining the possibility that my nerves could be causing over sensitivity and I'm noticing every little thing.

I'm not belittling your suggestion but I have become obsessed with that approach. :-(

[Max mar]

Just read your last post and I totally agree that stress can cause leaky gut which is probably why I never healed properly as I would not accept stress had anything to do with it! I actually had a leaky gut (permability) test performed which did indicate mild leaky gut.

Just need to address the anxiety and get the thoughts out of my head that there is another 'cure' out there for my 'mystery' gut issues!

[Olive Yew]

Just read your last post and I totally agree that stress can cause leaky gut which is probably why I never healed properly as I would not accept stress had anything to do with it! I actually had a leaky gut (permability) test performed which did indicate mild leaky gut. Just need to address the anxiety and get the thoughts out of my head that there is another 'cure' out there for my 'mystery' gut issues!

You could simply just have IBS. I know my tummy was a T Rex for the first few months of having anxiety disorder. It didnt like being scared all the time. I hope you're feeling better. :(

[Max mar]

Thanks for taking the time to reply olive mew, yes IBS it could be but my overactive mind needs to know the answers to everything. That's the age old question with IBS isn't it 'what causes it?' Guess because I've tried everything else it's my tension causing it. Do you think anxiety is a major cause of your gut issues or a result of it? It all started with gut pain for me then all the other panic symptoms but maybe it was all anxiety to begin with and I've just for myself in a hole. Chicken or the egg I guess!

My approach at the moment is to try and think there's nothing wrong with my digestive system and it's an anxiety problem and guess I'll have to see how it goes...

As for the cycle issues it's just so weird that I can literally feel every change my body goes through which I interrupt as pain, at least that's what I'm hoping! Erg!!!! Fed up at the moment. Trying the amino magnesium thing at the moment then gonna go on citralopram if that doesn't help. No other options I guess!

[Olive Yew]

For me it started as a perpetual upset tummy which I thought I was gluten intolerant. After about a of week of no gluten that is when I started developing anxiety disorder. The tummy issues only got worse. They would come and go, especially as I started to cure the anxiety side of it. It always gets worse if I'm PMS thing or on my period. Of course it gets worse in times of high stress. What I found help me the most is to keep telling myself that I do have IBS and that any symptoms I'm feeling tummy wise is just that. It took the edge of your off and it gave me an explanation as to why I was feeling that way. And the same way and wanted to know the cause of every pain, twinge, and uncomfortable feeling that I have. This was a way out of that cycle. However as I have developed more gut issues I have decided that I have leaky gut syndrome which is why I am trying to cure it this way with diets. The possibility of an ulcer is also high but I am hoping I am not that far along yet.

[spartymum]

Anxiety is a horrible disease and we can control it with our minds it's never easy . I have developed a throat issue and it's driving me crazy and the gut thing ugh .. Stay positive and we can beat this !!!

[Enduronman]

You're doing alllll the right things Max and you have your back up plan in place already too with the medication...that may be allllll it takes to stop this cycle.
Great advice Olive...You go girl!!! Dayyyuuummmm!!!
Great post by the way!!

Welcome Sparty!

E-Man...:)

[Max mar]

Yep trying to stay positive, power of now and all that good stuff! Thanks e man.. Yes gonna try the amino acids and magnesium for a while as I'd love to kick this naturally but I will definatly go on the meds if that doesn't work. I've tried so many natural supplements/ vitamins etc that have had little effect I wonder how much good it actually does!

I'm just finding it amazing that stress/ tension/ anxiety can cause physical pain. I have always tried to block my emotions out for the sake of my family and just focus on physical symptoms it's hard to get my head around. Especially when the pains hit when I emotionally feel ok. Also the cycle thing compounds the feeling that there is something physical wrong. The mind is a powerful thing!

[Enduronman]

The human mind is the most powerful thing in this world....:)