Health anxiety or something else

[lax21]

Hi-

Just looking for some advice? Let me give you a small backstory. I had a positive ANA test for Lupus back in January. When I went to rheumatologist, I was told my number teetered on the line of Lupus but my symptoms were not severe enough for a positive diagnosis.

Fast forward to the end of June. I had been feeling fine. Then on social media someone from high school posted that her brother had been diagnosed with ALS (my biggest fear and cause of my most severe anxiety). I thought about this for days until one night I had a full blown panic attack. For the past month I have been experiencing all types of symptoms: painful joints in hand and wrist, joint stiffness, muscle pain, tingling in toes (especially left foot) and in fingers, overall feeling of fatigue, headaches, some burning sensations in hands, and splotchy skin on palmar side of hands. While the symptoms have gotten less severe as time as gone on I still have a variety of these symptoms throughout the day.

I am currently on anxiety medication. I am just trying to see if all this stems from health anxiety and my anxiety attack, a possible autoimmune disease or something else?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Ms.Honey]

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I have the same symptoms happening lately, and have the same fears. I have a hard time believing this every day, but I know it is most likely anxiety!

 

[imsotired]

omg i am so sorry that you are experiencing this itsounds horrible . i recently i have had a lumbar puncture (where a thin needle is inserted into your spinal canal to collect cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic treating). i had that done to check just in case i have lumpus. im not that worried anymore as a lot of my medical tests have been negative which is good news!. i think its problem anxiety related. it is okay to be concerned about someone but not too concerned where you are worried about them rather than on your own condition.