Specific symptoms

[Lab03]

Hello,

I had 2 panic-style 'attacks' originally, 1 from an existential crisis, but the 2nd one came months later and I thought I should ask to see if anyone else had similar symptoms (inital or chronic) that have cropped up.

The 2nd 'attack' came on abruptly a few minutes after I got out of bed (wasn't feeling at all stressed at the time but had felt on and off dissatisfied/unfulfilled/annoyed etc for a few months). This was a kind of violent vibration in the middle of my head which lasted a few seconds, which I thought was an aneurysm or embolism or something, which freaked me out a bit and made me worry for a few days until I went to the doctor about it, he said it was probably anxiety (original 'vibration' might have been from sinus infection or similar) and I should just try and ignore it.

Since this first 'episode' I've not felt quite right, as if my perception of the world has changed somehow, and I get the characteristic tension headaches (little knots of pain around the head, brain 'stiffness', hot sensations). I understand these are quite common in anxiety, but the other night I had an isolated episode of sudden dizziness while in bed, which got much worse with head movement to either side, which went away by the next morning. I also seem to have a permanent but not intense tinnitus, which started several weeks before the 'vibration'.

Does anyone else have a similar experience?
Also, people have tingling of the arms and legs a lot, I seem to get not so much a tingling but a feeling as though I can feel blood gurgling through vessels in my left leg/foot. These overall symptoms vary a lot from time to time but tend to manifest most strongly at night-time.

Cheers :)

[MrsSandraD]

I have those symptoms just like you described.

I convinced myself I had MS but realize it's my anxiety acting up again.

I've had GAD my whole life.

I'm 35 years old and always pushed it away.

I'm almost finished my Psychology degree.....I always felt that I, of all people should not have this.

I cannot control it. I cannot fight it any longer. It really does affect all aspects of your life.

It's important to be realistic and deal with it.

Sorry, I'm way off your topic but I'm having a bad day.

I'm going on Monday to see a Psychologist - the first time I'm actually doing something about my GAD.

HUGS to you! I hope you are able to manage your anxiety symptoms.

Take care of yourself. Talk to someone. Keep posting here.

PM me if you want to.

[amarkb]

I've had very similar symptoms as you describe and they all came on following a very stressful time.

A lot of it has subsided since I started working hard on staying rational and being really proactive regarding getting better.

I too had one very dizzy spell which left me feeling not quite right.

I have at times had pins and needles and numbness but this has subsided and the only things I'm left with are a slight tinitus (just like you) and a feeling occasionally that my hands are slighhtly numb (this is weird because they're not actually numb, it could be completely in my head.)

Doctors are sure it's a combination of anxiety/stress and some sinus issue (mine have always been prone to congestions etc).

Like MrsSandraD I convinced myself I had MS and despite a lot of reassurance from doctors I still have to work really hard to not go down that road.

I'm getting there slowly but surely.

You will too.

[sharrison]

I can feel blood gurgling through vessels in my left leg/foot.



I get dizziness a lot, but you're the first person I found that has this also! It feels like a pulsing/buzzing sensation as the blood passes through my feet. It's so weird. I'm hoping it's just an anxiety symptom because I can never find any information on it.

[Lab03]

I think now this "not-quite right" feeling I've been having is just a result of constantly thinking "am I back to normal yet" and of course I'm not because I'm still thinking about thinking in a strange fashion :) as with a lot of this anxiety it's self perpetuating, the action of thinking about how anxious you are exacerbates the situation. For me I'm trying to think positively about my attitude to life and am consciously making an effort do be more forthcoming and confident - going out and about walking every day, acknowledging people in the street I don't know, posting on forums where I would normally want my opinions to remain private and away from scrutiny, trying new things, etc etc.

@amarkb,
For the tinnitus, perhaps this chemical imbalance from anxiety sometimes affects the middle ear? I assumed when I first got it that I'd damaged my ears by listening to music too loud and too often, then during the full on anxiety-hypochondriac stage I thought BRAIN TUMOUR as I'm sure a lot do when they surf the net/look in medical texts. There is not hearing loss that I can detect, just the presence of tinnitus. A fan next to the bed normally drowns it out when I'm trying to sleep.

@sharrison,
although to me the foot thing feels like an embolus dislodging and heading for my brain or a furred up artery I've come to think that this sensation of "vein" feeling is just twitchy leg/foot muscles from the anxiety, I don't get them as much after I've exercised a bit hiking about during the day, I've also changed my diet a bit, which although is probably unrelated to these weird sensations, will help prevent proper circulation problems later on and hopefully make me feel better in general.