Welcome to the Anxiety Forum - A Home for Those with Anxiety, Fear, or Panic Attacks.
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  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
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    Texas
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    11

    Veteran with a question

    About me: First I'm a 31 y/o male.

    Well, the funniest part of my anxiety is the first time I had a panic attack was on an airplane a few years ago. This is funny because I'm a paratrooper and I wasn't jumping I was flying to a vacation in San Francisco with my lovely wife and son. Neither one of them realized that happened. I breathed and was able to control it. I have had few attacks that would surge for a few minutes then subside separating by months.

    Over the past month I have been to the ER twice for back pain. I thought I had injured by back, I still think I might have I'm not sure. The first time was because of tingling and numbness down my arms and legs, and in my face. I was certain I had a compression injury of some sort. Years of military service running with heavy loads and landing at 18 feet per second on hard ground feet first is not the best for the back. One week later I was back in the ER because I had numbness and weakness in my legs and started having full body spasms and muscle twitches. The muscle twitches never seemed to stop. One month later here I am thinking I finally figured out what was wrong with me this weekend.
    I am no stranger to anxiety. I have done two extended combat deployments I have probably faced he most life-threatening and dangerous situations you can face. I've jumped from planes, even though I'm afraid of heights. I SCUBA even though I am claustrophobic. I have had the ability to suppress the panic and continue on with the whatever I was doing.

    Now over the past few days I have had severe throat tightness and trouble swallowing with what seems like excessive saliva and a tight jaw feel like my tongue is too big or not in the right position. Over the past two weeks I have been convinced I have ALS. Due to the throat tightness and and muscle weakness and muscle twitching. Still not completely convinced that I don't have something more serious. All weekend I have been fretting over it. Pushing it down and continuing on with life.

    My wife is currently serving her 3rd deployment in Afghanistan. Not unusual as we have spent a good deal of our marriage apart. There's nothing between us except miles, we are very committed and devoted to one another so there is no worry there. I'm ramping up to go sometime next year possibly. The past three weeks have been stressful at work with training and planning. But nothing anymore than I'm used to handling. I don't have social anxiety

    I was a combat leader. I have led men in the dark of night through the most dangerous place on Earth. As happens when you go up in rank I now have a desk job.

    What happened to me? Have I finally reached a breaking point? Is there a way to recover from this? Reading some of the forums people on here have been dealing with this for years. I guess this rookie is looking for answers from the more experienced out there.

    I was wondering if anyone would have an opinion as to why this is poking it's head now. Why am I not able to control it like I used to? As I sit hear with a tired, sore and clenched jaw.

    I'm seeking help tomorrow. But I would like to conquer this without meds, so next question anyone have any suggestions for that...

    Thanks
    MDB

  2. #2
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    6
    As far as the jaw tightness i can relate. Sometimes it does feel as if my jaw is out of alignment. To get it to relax ill do some stretching my jaw. Open your mouth as wide as you can then focus on feeling the muscles relax when you close. Sometimes il even let my jaw loose and shake my head a few fast times. Sounds odd but it works. Basic stretching helps the whole body relax. My back will go out and lock up when i get too much continual anxiety. Im not medicated yet but i find doing very basic yoga in the morning and night helps alot. Just focus on feeling relaxed. Hope my rambling on helps a bit lol

  3. #3
    Junior Member
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    Oct 2012
    Location
    Texas
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    Maverik, made perfect sense to me. My jaw is loose now. Just have the tingling in the face and the tight throat and a stiff leg and back.

    I'm going over a month now of almost continuous symptoms. Is that feasible for anxiety symptoms? Because it seems they subside slightly for a few hours then come back.
    I mean either my leg is stiff and tight or my throat is tight and feels like it has a lump or my back hurts or I feel fatigued or weak. This has been since Sept. 7th.
    I'll try the Yoga as well. I'm not very good at it. Up until a month ago I was running 10 miles every weekend, I doubt I could do a mile right now.

    Thanks for the reply.

  4. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Texas
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    11
    UPDATE: Alright well, two MRIs, CT scan and blood test all completed. All tests were not conclusive for anything, except a slight bulging disc in my neck and some fluid filled nodules on my thyroid. They said my sugar, cholesterol and other misc. blood levels are perfect on all accounts. I have had constant physical symptoms since August. There has been little reprieve, a couple of days here and a few there at most, even when I don't feel particularly stressed. The weakness in the legs is gone today and not as frequent as a few months ago. The back pain remains at least in the background, flares up depending on the day. Now I'm getting short bursts of electrical shocks in the lower body. I'm also getting allodynia in my legs at random times, it comes and goes. I have only been able to see a counselor once since October. They asked about taking anxiety medication and I refused. I think I'll accept next time. I have partially accepted that this is all a result of anxiety. My health phobia is manageable for now. Still have fears about this all being MS. I try to stay away from Googling symptoms but when the strange new thing pops up I can't help it even though it only helps to confirm my worst fears. Ugh. I think this is all a result of facing mortality after the years of being young and invincible.

 

 

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