Health Anxiety

[Misscbu17]

Hi,

I’ve been suffering with bad anxiety for the past few months and the health side to it has ramped up.

My sensible side wants to believe it’s all stress and anxiety related and the other side I’m convinced I have something terrible as when you put all the symptoms together it results in things like MS, ALS etc

I am a single mum of a little girl and want to stop worrying and enjoy life more. My family are wonderful but don’t support me in my worries.

Do you think the below sounds like anxiety disorders, I know the brain is a powerful thing and often I will read up about something and then focus on that thing.

Symptoms are:
Fluttering in ear when in silence
Tingling, burning in hands (helps when I wear a splint at night) worse when using phone. Thought it was carpel tunnel as had it bad in when pregnant but seems weird tingling is also in left foot
Tingling in left foot
Feet sometimes get really cold and hurt
Muscle twitching/flexes/jolts - more noticeable when relaxed or not busy - all over body
Electric shock sensations in head now and again
Neck pain
Left breast pain and pain underneath
Reflux and mucus sometimes
Stuffy nose
Vision in right eye is slightly darker than the left so for example looking at a white unit it will look bright white in one eye and a dull white in the other (have to wear glasses as vision is terrible)

I spoke to the dr about the tingling and he’s going to do a nerve conducting test when we are out of lockdown as well as test for thyroid and b12. Also going to see someone about neck pain when I can as this could be the route of some symptoms.

Think it makes it worse knowing I don’t know when I can see a dr eg no referrals because of lockdown at present and I did have an appointment with the dr to discuss trying medication at the start of March as was suffering bad panic attacks suddenly but my appointment was cancelled!

Any advice or knowledge would be most helpful. Need some positivity.

Thank you

Hi. I have health anxiety too and have had all the same symptoms except the visual ones. Was convinced I had MS when I had really bad tingling in arms and face and muscle twitching. When it was bad I also had severe fatigue, brain fog, word finding problems, sensitivity to bright lights (made me feel spaced out). I ended up getting loads of tests and nothing found. The worse was around 20 years ago and I’m still fine.

Thank you for replying. Did it stop once you had the tests and knew nothing was wrong?

When I go out in daylight it feels very bright so I think I have that sensitivity too.! Xx

Hi HA is a very difficult condition to get on top of. The following link may help. Don't suffer alone. It may be a good idea to have a chat with your GP about your fears.
www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Health-Anxiety

I had a lot of these symptoms particularly the muscle twitches and tingling. I seen a neurologist and had a nerve conduction test. It was fine. I had full bloods done and was low on iron so once I started the tablets the muscle twitches went. It's most likely something simple such as iron or thyroid. I have severe HA and I'm going through a good patch just now just when everyone else is anxious with covid! I listened to cbt audiobooks and was recommended a book overcoming health anxiety. Also lots of cardio exercise helps.

I decided one day to stop thinking and focussing on all the terrible illnesses I could have and I just blank it out at the moment. Its hard as it comes and goes

Also most of the things you list are caused by extreme anxiety. Try not to worry I know its easier said

Thank you. I know a lot of these things can be stress but the main issue is the fact my right eye sees things differently, so my left eyes sees things be brightly and my right eye things appear less bright, like the light has been turned down. This can be optical neuritis and one of the main symptoms of MS! The dr is ordering bloods and putting me on citalapram to see if my symptoms improve and I’m waiting for an appointment from the opticians to check my eye. As you can imagine, I’m in a pure state of panic xx

I've had bouts of going to the doctor to have every symptom investigated to find nothing and also the experience of that 'life changing diagnosis'.

The tingling/burning in hands- I have really bad frozen shoulder and at one point it was affecting my hands and naturally I worried and went to the doctor who did some strength tests and sent me on my way. They said its coming from my shoulders where the muscles are tight. Physio etc. Hands are bit better.

Its very unlikely to be serious and if it is theres nothing you can really do by worrying about it now. Try and be kind to yourself

I had a whole range of strange symptoms after I had Ds 12 years ago. Everything pointed to MS - widespread body numbness, electric shock sensations in my spine when I bent over, choking sensation, couldn't feel the floor when I walked, eyesight problems, the MS hug sensation (really unpleasant) clumsiness etc.

GP agreed that they were potential symptoms of MS, but ordered blood tests first and it turned out I had extremely low levels of iron, B12, and folic acid.
I actually have pernicious anaemia so get B12 jabs every 12 weeks, and I start getting all my symptoms about 4 or 5 weeks before I'm due my next jab.

Hopefully yours will be something as simple as mine op.

Health anxiety is so debilitating. I never go to the GP now (unless it's eg a uti) as I'm too frightened, most of the time any symptoms of illness go after a week or 2.

I think it probably did start to get a bit better after all the tests but with health anxiety you are reassured at first but the the doubts start creeping in again. I think ms and als type illnesses are really common for people with health anxiety to worry about. Hopefully going to the optician will give you some reassurance meantime.

Thank you and yes you are right, you start to focus on everything and sometimes I think the body can then mimic that symptom. The other day I started to use an ointment for a cut in my nose and read on the leaflet that it can cause hearing issues in rare cases as then I kept thinking my hearing was going funny.

I went to the optician today for an extensive check - she called it an mri/X-ray of the whole eye, did so many checks and lightning checks - had such a headache this afternoon and evening from the lights. My optic nerve looks fine but she can’t explain why I see different colours in each eye, eg my right eye sees everything with a slightly dimmer tone like a yellow hue (when a dim light is cast over something) but I know other people see differently in each eye. X

That’s interesting to know as I suffer bad with my neck, sometimes sleeping wrong can give me such a bad headache the next day and I did wonder if it’s something neck related! Not easy to get checks etc done while in lockdown ☹️ X

Sorry you suffered with all of that, must have been such a worry but thank goodness you found out what caused it. I’m having the same bloods done to rule them out too, just hate the whole waiting game! Feel a total mess xx

Sorry you had all that and glad things have got better. I’m having bloods done so I’ll see if it’s linked to a deficiency etc.

The dr has put me on a low dose of citalapram and I’m starting cbt soon, it’ll as found out I get it for free on my health insurance and which spurred me to do it more x

OP re the nose ointment - I strongly recommend not reading leaflets that come with medications etc. Really, you'll imagine you have every rare side effect going.

I have most of your symptoms (and others) due to a combination of anxiety and b12 deficiency.

Please try and distract yourself OP - give yourself a set time to worry and then don't allow yourself to worry out with those times.

Health anxiety is very distressing but there are medications and talking therapies which can help. Hopefully the citalopram and cbt will make things easier for you.

In your case I think it would be good to rule out any neurological disorders, which it sounds as though your GP is hoping to do. Unfortunately, though with health anxiety everyone wants to reassure you and tell you you’re fine, unfortunately that’s not always the case and symptoms such as those you’re experiencing shouldn’t be overlooked!

Good luck

I know, I don’t normally (mum always said to never read them unless you get a weird side effect, then do so!). But it was just pointing out your brain can convince yourself of things.

Thank you for reassuring me. I’ll see what the bloods point out xx

All of those sound like anxiety OP. But I would say it’s worth having a breast exam if you have breast pain. I’ve had this before and there was no issue (was hormonal and no doubt is for you too) but it’s always best to be on the safe side with breast changes.

Hang in there - god knows it’s a stressful times for us all but for those with health anxiety it must be so overwhelming.

I’ve had severe breast pain for years and years and had an ultra sound and seen two consultants, both said it’s just ‘breast pain’ and probably made worse from having a child and also the fact I have very old implant (13 years old) and I’ve put on 2 stone since having them and had a child so they’ve dropped considerably. I think anxiety brings on so much stress in the body, especially the electric shock sensations and muscle twitches - or at least I’m telling myself it’s that x

So glad I found this thread! I have convinced myself on multiple occasions I have cancer. Last week I went to the doctor with a red sore mark on my left breast, told me was an infection (mastitis) gave me anti biotics, the infection has responded incredibly well mark is barely visible anymore and pain is gone. However now I keep checking all the blooming time.. I can’t stop - I discovered I have stretch marks in almost identical places on both breasts but on multiple occasions over the last few days I change my mind and think it’s orange peel skin. I’m 99.% sure it’s not they are a large area of lines going in towards the nipple, my weight has fluctuated a lot over the last six months. I just feel like I’m driving myself mad!!

Hi, I really feel what you’re going through and I was totally the same this time last year - my health anxiety was out of control. I’d constantly check myself, worry about me, worry about my little for (even checking her) ... noticing things about myself and thinking omg is that normal ... reminded me as I thought my deep white stretch marks on my breasts were orange peel.

I tried to deal with it on my own for a long time, until the point where I thought I was getting MS because the symptoms my anxiety and stress were triggering, replicated this (so did the anaemia I was diagnosed with)!

I’ve been on citalopram since and it’s changed my life, also sorting my iron levels did too!

Please don’t be afraid to ask for help. So many people need a little boost medically as some of us just have a slight imbalance and to be honest... life is hard and lockdown doesn’t help! Don’t be afraid - keep positive and ask for help eg tablets or another method! Good luck darling xx

@Misscbu17 hey!!

Is that what you were eventually diagnosed as having? Did they do any further tests?

Sorry - im also having very strange symptoms similar to what you had and more and am terrified of ms 😞

Hi, yes it was low iron and folate eg anaemia. When I started taking the prescribed tablets, I bear to instantly felt better. It will also a mix of stress and anxiety too and I started citalopram at the same time, which also relieved many of the symptoms.

It’s incredible what low iron, stress and anxiety can do or mimic - very scary! I now just take multivitamins and vitamins which help amazingly (If I miss them for a few days I can tell!) I’m happy to send you what I take?

I would recommend speaking with your dr and explaining your symptoms and asking for a full blood test to check your iron and b12 and low b12 is the same symptoms! Or you can but a full test from thriva for not much at all, which tests all of the above and more :-) xx

@Misscbu17 thank you so much! Im currently being seen by a neurologist and have some mri scans coming up - i feel so scared and worried all the time.

I have requested a blood test which was put off because of covid but i have been in touch with my gp and asked for it again so i hope theyre able to do it.