Can anxiety cause these symptoms ?

[Mummyrj18]

I have general anxiety disorder and feel quite anxious most of the time. A couple months ago I started having panic attacks because I felt like my left side was tingly/sore/weaker and the past couple of days I’ve felt really shaky, like my arms and legs are trembling even while resting . Obviously convinced myself I have some terrible disease ! Can anxiety cause this ?

Panic attacks can definitely cause tingly/numb/prickly sensations on the left side, as I had a panic attack last year and those were my symptoms. It was horrific.

But the rest of the time? I don’t know. I had crippling anxiety last year and developed loads of weird symptoms - including a lump in my throat that meant I couldn’t eat solid food for 2 months. After an endoscopy revealed my throat was fine, that symptom magically vanished! So now I think psychosomatic symptoms are a real thing.

When I get scared driving my car, I get s tingly/squeezing feeling in my left arm/armpit which I’m terrified is a heart problem. God, I’m not helping either of us, am I?!

One thing I try to do when I’m worrying about symptoms is to try my hardest to be rational and detached. For example, are you actually shaking? Or just feeling shaky? Do other people notice your shakes? Can you still walk and use your hands normally?

Actual symptoms, caused by medical problems, are generally noticeable. Or — as a lovely doctor told me, when I was presenting with one of my made-up anxiety health crises — they persist and get worse.

Also, do you still suffer the symptoms when you’re feeling relaxed or having fun? My symptoms only appear when I’m alone, or lying in bed with a mind that’s free to worry. When I’m having fun in the pub with my friends or at the cinema (for example), I always feel normal. If you forget the symptoms when you’re busy, it’s more likely to be all in your mind.

Yes I've had these exact sensations, all caused by anxiety. I really hope you're feeling better now