Hello I need help with my aches and pains.
I have never been formerly diagnosed
with anxiety, but everytime I head to the
doctors office I always come out with the
same answer...Stress. I just don't
understand. I have had headaches,
nausea, tingling hands and feet, tremors,
thought I had ms or parkinsons, doctor
sends me to a neurologist, results of all
tests normal. Go for a cat scan of head,
normal. Feel like I have a constant lump
my my throat, tests normal. For the last
3 years I have had a daily constant
throbbing squeezing ache on my left side,
radiating from the back to the front under
my ribs. Ultrasound on kidneys, normal.
Had upper gi done, normal, also had
barium enema xrays, normal. What is
going on? If this is really stress why
does it hurt so much? Believe me, I am
not imagining the pain...It is really
there. This side pain went away in
january and I thought I was done with it,
but it came back last week. If feels
like a constanst side stitch that you
would get from working out to much.
Ouch, it hurts. Anybody have this or am
I going coo-coo......
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lynn74
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 71 Location: sydney australia
Posted: 07-11-05 14:20pm
Welcome mary
read up on fight or fligh response, its
probably causing the tingling and much of
the rest, its caused by stress, you need
to learn new ways of calming and relaxing
yourself, long walks are very
relaxing.....
The lump in thriat feeling when none is
there is common from stress and anxiety
and can intefere with swallowing
sometimes
the ache in side is probably a muscle
strain, try quinnine tablets
you should be massaged regularly, they can
feel the tense muscles and work on them,
also jacuzzi or spa baths will help, so
will long soaks in a hot bath
if you worry too much, self help books on
overcoming worry have useful advice
any valium type meds will relax the body
for a while but shouldnt be relied on too
much, I would be wary of taking an
antidepressant, now popular for stress
look up gerd on the net, a digestive
problem often got by stress and anxiety
sufferers
fear comes into it, you have got the habit
of being more fearful than you need to be
stay with us
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Crystal1111
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 102 Location: Florida
Is This All In My Mind??? Posted: 07-11-05 17:00pm
Wow mary,
your symptoms are identical to mine. I
have had the throbbing beneath my left
ribcage for about 3 years now, off and on.
All the symptoms you describe sound like
anxiety and/or panic disorder. The pain
I have in my side is splenic flexure
syndrome which is similar to ibs, and is
brought on by stress and anxiety. Do you
notice when your mind is preoccupied, you
don't notice the aching? I have suffered
from this anxiety disorder for most of my
life. I am on "as needed" medication
now, but my mind can still get the better
of me. Just remember, it takes a lot of
courage just to be. This world can be a
scary place.
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mary70
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 46 Location: Canada
Posted: 07-11-05 20:32pm
Crystal,
what a sigh of relief I had while reading
your post. I can't believe that someone
else actually understands or know what I
am talking about when describing the pain
beneath my left ribcage. Did your doctor
tell you it was "splenic flexure
syndrome"? I am not sure what that is
but I will be doing a google search on
that as soon as I am done posting my
reply. I am also going to tell my doctor
about it. Do you get the pain in your
side daily as I do. I have even tried
testing the foods I eat to ensure it is
not ibs or lactose intorerent etc, but
there is no reason how to explain where it
comes from. I don't feel like I am under
stress but I guess I am. I keep alot
bottled inside.
A little about me, I am a 34 year old stay
at home mom with 3 young children, we made
a major move in january, my husband was
laid off his job a couple months ago, we
are having a hard time making ends meet,
bank account is constantly in red, my
mother is dying from terminal cancer, I am
constantly worried that one of my kids is
going to get a fatal childhood diease or
kidnapped and killed....When I write it
down, it does seem like I am under stree
but it doesn't feel like it. I find that
usually I am a happy person but I guess I
am not.
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jurplesman
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 139 Location: Sydney Australia
Posted: 07-12-05 00:01am
If the doctors cannot find anything
medically wrong it is more than likely
that the symptoms you are talking about
are those of anxiety attacks and stress.
Most people assume that these are due to
'psychological' problems, but the reality
is that they are caused by excess
adrenaline production from within the body
and due to some biochemical and hormonal
abnormality.
The body triggers the release of excess
adrenaline in response to the brain
sensing energy starvation. That energy is
derived form the sugars we eat. If we
have insulin resistance receptors for
insulin stop the absorption and metabolism
of glucose (sources of energy). Thus the
cells are deprived of energy. The brain
depends on energy to synthesize
neurotransmitters such as serotonin, and
hence with energy starvation the brain
will get the body to produce adrenaline to
compensate.
The non-drug treatment is going on a
hypoglycemic diet.
Please read:
“what is hypoglycemia?” and discuss
with a doctor or therapist if you wish.
i have also had sugar testing done, one
fasting and one where I had to drink a
sugar solution and they took blood an hour
later...Those came out normal as well.
But in saying that, I have had
hyopglecemic episodes where I get the
shakes, irrational and irritable and end
up eating everything in sight. I have
been on a low carb diet for the last year
and I only had one episode of hyopglecemia
and that was when I caved and ate some
white pasta or bread. Never happened if
I ate whole wheat though. Anyway, are
you saying that a low carb diet will help
anxiety and stress because although my
blood sugars are normal I still have alot
of anxiety symptoms....Just wondering....
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Crystal1111
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 102 Location: Florida
Splenic Flexure Syndrome Posted: 07-12-05 08:53am
Hey mary,
my doctor suspects that what I have is
splenic flexure syndrome because of the
anxiety I experience. All other tests
show nothing, so we can only conclude
that's what it is. Under the left
ribcage is the upper portion of your gi or
gastrointestinal system. Air can get
trapped in that area and that is one way
for the body to exhibit stress that may be
happening in your life. It sounds like
you definitely have every right in the
world to exhibit physical symptoms due to
stress. You may feel like you are not
stressed as I do most of the time. The
body still has to react in various ways:
headaches, stomach aches, hives, etc. In
my case and possibly yours, it may be
trapped air or gas in the upper gi.
Under my left rib area, it feels different
at times. Sometimes, it's pain that goes
from the front to my back, other times it
feels like there is a balloon trapped
under my ribs, and other times it feels
sore or bruised. It's all the same
thing. Because of the achy feeling
there, I often find myself palpating or
rubbing that area to ease the pain without
realizing i'm doing it. This makes it
worse, because that area of the body
bruises very easily. The spleen,
stomach, and upper colon area are very
tender. Try not to touch the area too
much and see if it comes and goes on its
own. Let your body handle stress in its
own way and see what happens with your
symptoms. Let me know how you are
feeling. If you google the sentence
"pain in left upper abdomen," you will see
just how many people go through this
mysterious symptom. It definitely sounds
like a stressful time for you right now.
I wish you all the best. Keep in touch.
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michal50
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 2
Help With Symptoms Posted: 07-12-05 22:57pm
I have everything you describe.....The
left side stitch which wraps around the
back (near kidney) aches often and my left
shoulder and left shoulder blade have been
aching for three months. This gives me a
headache too. Had a brain mri yesterday.
My other symtoms are twitching
throughout my body, with no weakness, some
numbness and tingling.
Told my neuro I want to be checked for ms
(or worse). I get an emg friday. After
my initial neuro physical, he said I had
benign muscle fasciculations. However,
I wanted some tests! He said if they
come back normal he wants me treated for
anxiety disorder. This is the second doc
to say this. I'm going to try massage,
meditation, and maybe homeopathy before I
resort to drugs.
It is great to know i'm not alone. I am
finding that keeping very busy keeps me
much more oblivious to the twitching
(which is pretty much only when I am
resting).
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Crystal1111
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 102 Location: Florida
Your Symptoms Posted: 07-13-05 08:11am
I agree michal50, pre-occupying my mind
helps. Sometimes when something big is
happening in my life, I find that I don't
notice my symptoms as much. I think
because my mind is focused on something
different. It doesn't have the quiet and
stillness to breed unwanted thoughts.
However, I do believe in meditation and
that's what i'm working on right now. I
think the goal of meditation is not to try
and do it right, but just to be. If that
makes any sense. I recommend trying that
also. If you experience fearful
thoughts, see what happens when you allow
them. Do they pass? Do they become
worse? Do they come and go? I think
when you allow them, they lose ammunition
and become less powerful. Just a
thought.
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jurplesman
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 139 Location: Sydney Australia
Posted: 07-13-05 23:05pm
Hello mary,
this was the wrong test. You were tested
for diabetes and not hypoglycemia. The
test for hypoglycemia involves 9 blood
sugar measurements over at least four
hours. It is explained at our web site
as:
“testing for hypoglycemia and how the
doctor can help”.
Most doctors have problems understanding
the difference between pre-diabetic
hypoglycemia and diabetes both of which
these are due to insulin resistance.
Read: what is hypoglycemia?” at our web
site.
<anyway, are you saying that a low carb
diet will help anxiety and stress because
although my blood sugars are normal I
still have a lot of anxiety
symptoms....Just wondering.... >
i doubt whether you blood sugar levels are
normal, otherwise you would not have
anxiety attacks.
The hypoglycemic diet is the treatment for
anxiety attacks, but may be further
adjusted to exclude allergies and food
sensitivities.
If the hypoglycemic diet does not work by
itself you need to be investigated for
further nutritional disorders by a
nutritionist, allergist or complementary
doctor.
Since tuesday morning at about 3am i've
been feeling quite annoying aches / stitch
type of sensations around my lower
abdomen.. At first I was just
shrugging it off as a typical ache (..As
i've felt them before as I often get aches
there.. But it just kept on aching
and aching for hours and I kept of
worrying and worrying till i've driven to
a point where 100% of my focus is just in
"when will the sensation return..." which
then depresses me again..
I've seen three doctors who said it was a
kidney stone and one say it was
constipation... So my anxiety has
sky rocketed because no one has given me a
straight answer :(
i went again to another dr on friday who
gave me some valium to take the edge of
the anxiety, which has helped... But
I still find myself thinking of the
worst... Like I might have kidney
failure... It's even made me wakeup
in the morning in tears because I can't
keep focusing on anything else other than
what could be going wrong inside me..
Other than the aches/slight pain and a
strange pressure feeling there.. I
have no other symptoms, except the anxiety
of course..... The strange thing is
it's completely random and so is the
sensation, it can be achey or a dull pain
(like pressure building) and in a few
hours later I could be fine for abit...
Then later in the night it just
returns...
I've got a scan tomorrow at hospital, and
I just hope it's me being paranoid...
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Crystal1111
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 102 Location: Florida
Symptoms Posted: 07-18-05 12:07pm
I posted earlier that I have had these
symptoms for years. My Dr. Thinks it is
splenic flexure syndrome, but there could
be so many anxiety-related causes for
abdominal discomfort of any kind. There
is also something called somatoform
disorder. It's a psychosomatic symptom,
meaning that if you feel any slight
discomfort, your mind allows it to
balloon. Somatization is a disorder that
was once ignored, but now professionals
are starting to take it seriously, because
the people suffering from it genuinely
feel the pain. If you focus on a body
part, say your foot, and imagine that it
itches or tingles, eventually it will.
Your mind is that powerful.
Mary70, how are you feeling lately?
Just concerned. Be well all!
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mary70
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 46 Location: Canada
Posted: 07-18-05 14:51pm
Crystal,
i still have the pain in my side, which
still hurts on and off. It feels like a
chronic pain. I am going to ask my
doctor to take a look at it again when I
go in for my yearly physical which takes
place in august. I am writing a long
list of things I want her to check on.
I spent most of last week really feeling
depressed, like crying at the drop of a
hat for no good reason at all. I was in
a store last week and I thought that the
cashier was being a little short with me
so I started balling. It was one more
thing that was irritating me. Or crying
at sad stories that are on dateline or
primetime live. I can't even watch those
anymore.
Anyway, a friend asked me to join a
running club with her so I did. We
started on monday, and it is so true what
they say about exercise, I felt great for
the whole night after a run. No side
pain, no depression, no stress. I felt
happy...That is until I went to bed and my
mind started wondering. During the day I
feel lousy and anxious. I am hoping that
the more I run the more I will start to
feel better. Clear my mind a little. I
go again tonight and we run 5 kilometers.
I have my mom over staying with me for
the week. As I mentioned before, she is
really sick with cancer so having her here
doesn't help my anxiety. But I have to
be strong for her and my 3 young kids....
Thanks for asking, how are you doing?
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Crystal1111
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 102 Location: Florida
Running Club Posted: 07-18-05 15:41pm
Mary,
i'm so happy to hear you've joined that
running club. Perfect timing! I agree.
I think exercise is so important. In
fact, I think it could potentially be a
cure all. I wish I had more will-power
to get out there and exercise more. I
know that it takes time for you to really
feel the true positive benefits from
exercise, and I think I give up too
quickly. Keep it up! I think you will
feel better and better. I just moved
next to a park, so I think I will start
walking the park as much as possible. My
mind also wanders when I am idle and
that's when anxiety creeps up. I can
understand why you are feeling anxiety at
this time. I wish your mother all the
best. When you feel like crying, just
let yourself. Your tears are justified.
Do they give you some relief? I become
very emotional at times as well.
Sometimes normal everyday things can feel
overwhelming. I'm going through some
health things myself, so my anxiety is at
its peak right now. I'm having surgery
next tuesday for some abnormal cervical
cells. I think I caught it early, but
just the unknown can be scary. I'm glad
you wrote back. Keep up the running and
let me know how it works for you. Be
well!
Crystal
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Hypochondriac1028
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 313 Location: Ohio
Posted: 07-18-05 17:50pm
Ya excersise does help, I just started
again about a week ago
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Crystal1111
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 102 Location: Florida
Hypochondriac Posted: 07-19-05 09:03am
When you exercise, do you ever confuse the
sensations with anxiety. For example,
when exercising and your heart rate
increases, do you ever have a panic attack
or have to stop exercising? Any feeling
I get that is similar to anxiety, I think
is anxiety.
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trentsgirl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jul 2005 Posts: 2
Anxiety Or Ms?!!! Posted: 07-21-05 11:44am
I am a 25 year old female with tingling
arms, feet, hands and legs. I do have a
history of anxiety, and i'm getting
married next week. I also have muscle
twitches everywhere, random shooting pains
in my head and body and generalized
fatigue. Has anyone else experienced any
of this?
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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mary70
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 46 Location: Canada
Posted: 07-21-05 11:53am
Trentsgirl,
yes I have had all your symptoms. I
thought I had ms or parkinson too. I
went to see a neurologist, he did a bunch
of tests and had a head scan done. All
my test were normal and related to anxiety
and stress. Getting married is very
stressful and your body is reacting.
Sounds like stress to me. Your symptoms
will all disappear after your wedding and
when you get back from your honeymoon.
If not, I would go see your doctor to
perform all necessary tests....They will
most likely be normal like all of us
here...Keep us updated and congratulations
on your marriage!
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trentsgirl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jul 2005 Posts: 2
Anxiety Or Ms? Posted: 07-26-05 16:11pm
It's been 3 days since the wedding and
today I was sitting in class and I my arms
and neck and hands started to burn like
they were on fire! It only lasted a
minute, but it was scary. Anyone else
experience this?
Can anxiety really cause so many dreadful
symptoms?
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mary70
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 46 Location: Canada
Re: Anxiety Or Ms? Posted: 07-27-05 10:03am
trentsgirl
wrote:
it's been 3 days since the
wedding and today I was sitting in class
and I my arms and neck and hands started
to burn like they were on fire! It only
lasted a minute, but it was scary.
Anyone else experience this?
Can anxiety really cause so many dreadful
symptoms?
yes anxiety can cause all these symptoms.
Did you feel any the these sensations on
your wedding day or the 3 days after? I
find when my mind is on other things I
don't feel any symptoms at all. It is
only when I am back in my normal everyday
routine and my mind is allowed to wander
that I feel the most symptoms. Have you
ever been so into a movie or show on tv
and throughout the whole program feel
nothing and don't even think about being
anxious only to notice that boom, when it
is finished and your lying down in bed,
you start to have twitches and jerks and
numbing. This happens to me all the
time. The mind of anxious people really
do play heavy duty tricks. If it was a
real disease, it wouldn't care if you had
to watch a show or be engrossed in
something else. It would bother you all
the time. Not just a convenient moments.
Have you been checked out by a
neurologist? The first thing I would do
is see a doctor. When he/she tells you
that your tests are normal, you can then
focus on calming your anxiety. Your
symptoms sound like anxiety as I have them
too. Even if there is something wrong,
it may not even be as severe as ms or
parkinson. It could be arthritis,
fibromayglia (sp) or even carpel tunnel
syndrome. You could have damaged a nerve
by playing sports or lifting heavy items.
There are hundreds of things it could be.
Although these things are annoying and
not fun to have, at least they are not
life threatening. Good luck. Please
keep me posted on your progress.
