To think I’m dying? Any doctors around? 🙏

[Garret]

Got worse over a couple of weeks. Tiredness. Squishy tummy and no appetite. Aches and pains. Buzzing sensations all over. Back and neck pain. Joints hurting and clicking. Muscles twitching and hurting. Feeling wobbly. Now struggling to walk because of muscle burning pains. Anxiety and panic.

GP is totally unconcerned. Checked me over and said I haven’t lost muscle strength, range of movement, tone or sensation. Took some blood to test for vitamin deficiencies (I often have these but never felt like this before). Told me to address my anxiety and referred me to the psychiatric nurse.

I’m hysterical. Imagining I have some awful disease. How can the GP not be worried when I have such severe symptoms? Please help me if you can.

Anxiety, fatigue and joint pain are all symptoms of peri menopause. If you are around mid 40s or have early menopause indicated then seek treatment. I was treated with HRT with still fairly regular periods (anxiety, joint pains and hot sweats we're main symptoms). If you think there's any chance you could be, try seeing another GP.

My work colleague had guillain- barre. He was in intensive care with a tracheostomy and on life support functions within a week of falling ill and in hospital for 6 months, then 6 months intensive physio. I highly, highly doubt it is that.

Often the case but my husband has guillain- barre and it built up over 6 months then that final flare over 2 days and he ended up in intensive care with a tracheostomy and on life support.

OP not saying that is what it is but you might need further investigations rather than you just being written off with anxiety.

I had all these symptoms with anxiety for months, I felt so ill I used to lie in bed expecting to die overnight, and I have not got a history of hypochondria. I remember once being out shopping and my legs collapsing from under me. I saw specialist after specialist privately and none of them could find anything physically wrong. I realised it was anxiety when I went on holiday and every symptom disappeared. Only to reappear as soon as I arrived at the airport in the UK. I'm not saying it's the same for you but anxiety can have a really awful physical impact. I hope you feel better soon

Oh there have been times I could have written your post & that's without the trauma you've been through the last couple of years.

OP - propranolol may not be the right thing for you. There's a certain amount of trial & error with these kinds of meds. You said you've been on it a week or so, if it's not right for you then it will make you feel worse for sure. Perhaps something like sertraline would be better. But the person to tell you that is your GP.

If we assume you aren't dying (which you're really probably not) then it's important to understand just how serious the effects of health anxiety/anxiety are. Or how serious they feel. It can effect every part of your body. Cause every type of pain. As you look up each type of pain & link it to a particular illness, the other symptoms of that illness get stored in your brain & you can be damn sure they'll manifest themselves at some point. And they will feel real! It's real pain & discomfort. And it just uses you to feed itself - It's hungry af & you looking up each thing trying to piece the puzzle of what you're dying from is food to it.

But you can't stop looking cos you might miss that symptom that proves you're dying!!

Understanding this helps to get it under control a little bit, but you do need help with the right meds.

It's also worth remembering that if you're anaemic (you don't say what your results were) it will make all these things worse. If you're peri? Add another level of worse.

Go back to your GP - ask for something else to help you. Propranolol might prevent the physical symptoms but you need something to help your brain - and that's fine!

If you are going to Google (and you are) then use this tip. Add 'mumsnet' to your search term every time. Remember - cancer & terminal illnesses are actually rare but the symptoms are often common & not linked to anything serious at all. Reading threads from other ppl who've experienced these things you'll see how many others are very much alive.

If it helps - I ended up in A&E, my body crumpled, & shaking uncontrollably, my hands clawed & stiff, feeling like I'd be unconscious any second. On the way there I was terrified, absolutely convinced I would die before we arrived - I couldn't speak for fear. After a few minutes of sitting with the Dr he quietly pointed out I was breathing better, my posture was returning - cos it was a panic attack. Me focusing on him pulled me out enough I could realise what was happening.

In short - yes, anxiety & mental illness can absolutely do this to you body. Don't underestimate what you've been through - it's not ok & it's ok for YOU not to be OK as a result.

Still not dying - but Psoriatic Arthritis can affect the tendons and uncontrolled inflammation does a number on you emotionally.

Different GP and a rheumatology referral.

Would have been useful to mention the Psoriasis and the ESR level in your first post.

Asking a load of randomers for medical advice is never a good plan. Go to another GP for a second opinion?

Could you afford a private health MOT?

OP when I read your post I though "psoriatic arthritis" and I see you posted about having psorasis.

My symptoms are shooting pains down arms, tiredness, brain fog, not feeling like I slept at night, headaches, joint pain and funny buzzing sensation. When I got a bad flare up that triggered a rheumatologist referral, I couldnt walk for the pains in my legs and feet.

I had loads of blood tests and all came back clear.

Do you have any particular issues with your knee or Achilles tendon?

Test results are back and the only thing wrong is Vit D is borderline (49 should be 50-175). Everything else is fine and marked No Further Action. B12, haemoglobin, thyroid, everything looks fine.

This is bad news. No obvious explanation for my symptoms. My muscles and joints are killing, pins and needles everywhere, I’ve had an upset tummy for two weeks, and my thigh muscles are burning so much I can barely walk.

@SerenityNowInsanityLater I’m wondering if you might be right about parvovirus. My DC had a mild cold, runny nose and bright red cheeks around the same time I started having muscle and joint pains and diarrhoea. Can I ask more about your symptoms? Mine are very severe, I can barely walk with burning pains in my leg muscles.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-are-the-34-symptoms-of-menopause#symptoms

Note tingling/joint pain/muscle soreness/anxiety/depression.

I still think it’s worth getting HRT to at least rule it out.

OP, the obvious explanation is your anxiety! All the symptoms you list are associated with high levels of anxiety and your GP has ruled out pyhsical causes.

That is quite low vitamin D though. The symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are

Fatigue
Not sleeping well
Bone pain or achiness
Depression or feelings of sadness
Hair loss
Muscle weakness
Loss of appetite
Getting sick more easily
Pale skin

Kindly, the obvious explanation for your symptoms is anxiety. Maybe try treating that first, go get an SSRI or something, before trying to find another explanation.

You don't seem to be taking in the comments from the many other posters who have had all these symptoms caused by anxiety disorders.

Within the last week my legs have gone from “doing a 2 mile walk with bearable aching” to “unable to walk a couple of hundred meters because of burning muscle pains and joint weakness”. Can anxiety really cause that?

I’m stuck in bed at home. I can barely walk. Waiting to be reviewed by the GP tonight. Nothing to do except try to figure out what’s wrong with me. Because I can’t accept that anxiety can cause this level of pain, it’s very severe.

Unfortunately, it can.

Let’s say it is anxiety. Such severe anxiety that I can’t walk. Is that not a mental illness that needs treatment? Or do you think that people with mental illnesses shouldn’t be entitled to see a doctor?

When you accept that bullying people who have mental illnesses is mean. Its not “dramatic” to be mentally ill, if that is indeed what it is. I hope you’re not one of those people who posts stuff on Facebook about supporting mental illness, otherwise you’re a hypocrite.

I bet you post " be kind "!