Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Anxiety Or Neurological Disease??? Posted: 08-18-06 18:22pm
Where do I begin? Well first I would like
to say that I am thankful to see that
other people have the same concerns as me.
It helps to know that people are
networking and helping one another to cope
with the stress and anxiety.
My issue is that I am a constant worrier.
I find myself worrying about something or
the other almost all of the time. But
what have me concerned are the symptoms
that I have begun to suffer from. I first
noticed that I was having tension
headaches that feel like someone has tied
a band around my head and is just
squeezing. Then I noticed the tension in
my neck and shoulders. Because I am a
worrier by nature I started to focus
almost 24/7 (no exaggeration) on this and
then I began to have great fatigue in my
body. I went to my doctor and they did
the battery of blood work and it came back
fine. But since I was concerned that it
was something not detected on a blood test
like something neurological (like ms) I
was not comforted.
I continued to have the fatigue and
headaches and got so worried one night
when I felt pins and needles in different
places that I rushed to the emergency room
and they did a cat scan of my head and it
came back normal. This still didn’t
help, because the sites I researched said
that cat scans aren’t as good at
detecting neurological diseases and you
need an mri. I then began to have
nightmares, restless sleep, constant
butterflies in my stomach, easily
startled, and the scariest thing is the
muscle tension I feel in my forearms and
calves upon waking. I have been to the
doctors again and they gave me a
neurological exam and said that I am
normal and no signs, but I am saying
isn’t muscle fatigue, and tension in
your arms and legs sign enough?
My question is can anxiety truly cause
these types of symptoms? Not talking
palpitations of the heart of shortness of
breath. I am talking about chronic
tension headaches, tingling, constant
stomach butterflies, great fatigue, and
sleeplessness, tension in forearm and calf
muscles. I appreciate everyone’s input
and advice and look forward to your
responses.
Adam
|
sherry24
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 188 Location: indiana
Posted: 08-18-06 18:41pm
I used to have that all the time. Prettu
much all those symptoms you are having.
My Dr. Said it was anxeity. He told me
that I have gad. Generailized anxeity
disorder. He just gave me medicines.
Talk to your Dr. About that
|
Phillypoet
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posted: 08-18-06 18:51pm
Thanks sherry I appreciate the quick
response. I did read a bit on gad and I
can certainly see all of the symptoms in
myself. I guess it's just hard to
believe that anxiety can wreak havoc on
your body like this!
I will discuss gad with my doctor and see
what can be done.
I really thank you for the response. I
am a ball of nerves at this point.
By the way what meds did he give you and
how have they worked out for you?
Thanks,
adam
|
sherry24
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 188 Location: indiana
Posted: 08-18-06 19:46pm
Well at first he put me on buspar. That
really sucked being on that. I couldn't
even get out of bed on that. Then he
prescribe paxil. I never took that.
For some reason I won't take medicines
because of the side effects. I worry to
much. But i've learned to control my
anxeity attacks. I first got them when I
was 16. I thought I was having a heart
attack or something. What brought them
on was seeing my grandma die. I wasn't
even close to her, barely talked to her.
I'm now 25, and I still get them. They
are not like they used to be. I still
get headaches, sick feeling. Well I hope
everything goes good for you, and you get
them under control. Cuz I been there,
and it sucks to think somethings wrong
with you, or that your dying. I used to
think that all the time. If you need
someone to talk to let me know.
:d sherry
|
Phillypoet
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posted: 08-18-06 21:18pm
Thanks again for the reply. Yeah its
deep. I was at dinner tonite and it seems
like the muscles in my arm just seized up!
Of course I panicked and that made things
worse. I am all jittery and of course
still focussing on these symptoms which is
making life more miserable. Now my arm
feels like it would after you hit your
"funnybone" I am trying to keep exercising
it. I really don't know what to do.
Adam
|
sherry24
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 188 Location: indiana
Posted: 08-19-06 07:26am
Well, you should make an app. With your
Dr. And talk to him about it. There
are good meds out there that actually do
work. Just keep trying to you find the
right one good luck
|
Phillypoet
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posted: 08-19-06 22:24pm
I saw a list of physical symptoms for
anxiety and gad, this is amazing. It is
so hard for me to believe anxiety and
stress can do all this!
Headaches
tachycardia - racing pulse due to high
adrenaline.
Fatigue, weakness, "rubbery" legs.
Tremor or trembling of arm, leg, or whole
body (outside or inside)
twitching, jerking, or cramping of a leg
muscle - cramping may be just calcium or
magnesium deficiency
waking after 2-3 hrs sleep
tinnitus - ringing in the ear, due to high
insulin in about 70 % of tinnitus cases.
Abnormal weight - too high or too low.
Crawling sensations on skin
blurred vision
smothering spells - gasping for breath
joint pains
migrating numbness
difficulty swallowing
neck and back pains
bodyaches and myalgias
lack of balance, etc.
Not saying they are not symptoms of other
things but I found it amazing that anxiety
can do so much damage to the body.
|
Phillypoet
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posted: 08-23-06 13:47pm
My doctor prescribed zoloft for me
yesterday. He started me off on 25mgs and
wants to see how that works for a week
then he said he would up it to 50 if
necessary. Just looking to hear some
experiences out there with zoloft before
starting.
|
jbtj
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 4
Anxiety Posted: 08-28-06 17:08pm
I have been going through the same things.
I had costochondritis which I convinced
myself was my heart and the worrying
started. It has been 2 months and the
chest is fine now, but I am left with the
symptoms of the worrying like weak legs,
calf pain, twiching at night and terribvle
sleep. It is as if I just get to fall
asleep and my nervous system wont let me.
The twitching and tingling feeling is
only at night when I try to sleep. I
dont loose balance or have visual problems
but have taken a look at a lot of things
that may be causing me the weird feelings.
I think I am going to talk to a
professional because I feel its anxiety
from the chest thing!
