Is this really just health anxiety

[JACKIE]

Hello Everyone.

I just like many of you am suffering from horrible physical symptoms that have led me to believe something is terribly wrong with me. I have had a few panic attacks (they suck!!!) and i just want to feel normal again.

It all started with a feeling of weakness in my left leg and lower back. I was already suffering from mild back pain and tense muscles. anyways after feeling weakness in my leg and lower back, i made the mistake of googling. Now along with that weakness i also felt very uneasy and like i was going to loose control of my legs and short of breath. Well after i googled i came across ALS, MS and all sorts of neurological issues.

Now i am convinced i have MS or there is a brain tumor in my brain. After reading all the symptoms for MS i started feeling all of them. Pulsing in legs, eyes, tense muscles, my vision feels forced etc. It sucks. I ended up in the ER with a horrible i believe panic attack. they ran blood work, did a chest x-ray and everything was fine. After that episode it has only got worse. symptoms don't seem to go away. I went to my doctor for a full physical, had a lupus check and muscle enzymes checked and everything was good. I have another appt. with him because i keep having these symptoms I think i wont be ok until i get a brain and spine scan which is freaking me out. I guess i can deal with the symptoms but its the panic attacks that i want to stop.

My symptoms are: shortness of breath almost all the time, tense neck and back, vision feels forced or like i am really sensitive to light and i feel like i cant focus my vision sometimes, tension headaches, feeling tired all the time like super tired, and the pulsing/twitching all over my body is so annoying. This is affecting my work and my family. Also my pocket because i keep having to go to the doc. $$ I just want to feel normal. I have 2 appts. next week. One for sports medicine for my back and another one to go back to my doc. to talk again about my symptoms. LIke i said i will probably ask him to do a brain scan and back scan; maybe that can ease my symptoms or make them go away!!!

 

[JACKIE]

I also want to add i feel like my brain is not "working" to its fullest. I seem to have bad brain fog and it scares the crap out of me and sometimes triggers the panic feeling. I do try my best to control it but sometimes i cant.

 

[KKientzy]

Hi Jackie, I completely understand how you are feeling I right now cannot have a pain without it being fatal. I hate it so much I do not google anything or it would be much worse. So I have been working on my negative thoughts through listening to books about it and see a psychologist. I also pray my faith really comes in handy, I really don’t want to do drugs so trying real hard. Just know you are not alone and remember to breathe and breathe again it helps to relax.

 

[JACKIE]

I had a horrible episode right now I felt a horrible panic attack coming. Shaky legs and body and my whole body just felt weak specially legs. It started cause I felt super fatigued like I had zero energy. I’m freaking out that this isn’t only anxiety. Am I depressed? Does depression have different symptoms? After these attacks happen I just feel super sad and want to cry and cry and cry. I’m scared

 

[Kaynil]

Hey, Jackie.
I am sorry those panic attacks ate really interfering with your life right now.

Remember no matter how bad they feel they will pass and you are going to be alright. A lot on it is the anticipation. It is easy to panic as we feel them coming but we have to do our best to remain in control. Try to sit and take deep breaths so you don't hyperventilate. This helps making it more bearable. Hopefully some other members that have experienced panic attacks can tell you in more detail.

I suffered a lot of anxiety nit that long ago due to accumulated stress that ended in symptoms like dizziness, chest tightness, palpitations, lose of balance, knee and tight pains, mind going blank for easy tasks and hard time concentrating. I had to ask for time off as I was making too many mistakes at work. I don't have panic attacks but I've had anxiety ones and asthma.

The crying could be your body releasing the stress the panic attacks are giving you.

Depression is different for different people but overall is more than just crying. For me I cried easily and got very emotional when it came about things related to my self worth. As it progressed I bevame detached and apathetic about anything I used to care or like. It felt like nothing.

Like I said, could be different for you but hopefully this helps you to see if there's more to your crying as to cobsider you could have depression.

I hope your appointments go well.

 

[JACKIE]

Thanks for your reply. It calms me a little bit when someone I don’t know let’s me know they may have experienced my symptoms. I’m super scared and really anxious today. Always imagining I’m going to start feeling another one. I’m feeling all these aches in my body and the weakness in my legs has me freaking out and I’m once again convinced I have MS or ALS. I get muscle aches all over my legs and arms and my lower back pain is horrible. I just want to go to the doctor and know already as scary as it may be.
I keep thinking about how my family will react and how hard it will be for them and that’s makes me super sad.