Anxiety or something else?

[Lil115]

Hi,

I have been experiencing severe anxiety for a while now and I also have had health anxiety for as long as I can remember! Recently I have been feeling very dizzy and light headed while I’m walking around and generally throughout the day and my legs can feel quite shaky and heavy at times.
I have some stressful things going on aside from covid and the doctor thinks it’s anxiety.
I am wondering if anxiety can really make you feel physical symptoms like this? I had the standard blood tests and they came out normal.
I feel like I can’t trust my own instincts on what it is because of my health anxiety. I always feel like
I have a mystery illness that the doctor hasn’t spotted.
Anyone have experience of similar symptoms?
Thanks

Hi, I have anxiety and it can definitely cause the symptoms that you have described. It's quite frightening isn't it. I get dizzy, lightheaded, palpitations, migraines, nausea, sickness, tingling sensation in arm and exhaustion. I also get extremely sensitive to sound and smell.
Keep in touch with your GP and try to get some rest if it helps. I find resting for a few days helps. Other people prefer to keep busy. Hope your feeling better soon 🤗💐

Oh this sounds familiar. It is amazing what physical things stress and anxiety can create. When I was divorcing vile ex I had all the things you describe. I had some truly bizarre sensations like numbness in my lips, cheeks and tip of my nose, tingling in my arms and legs and feeling like I couldn’t keep putting one foot in front of the other when I was walking outside and that I was going to fall . I had an extra heartbeat and could barely stomach food. I literally forced some toast or a banana down once or twice a day and that was all I could manage . Normally I have a good appetite. It was the first time I’ve ever lost weight without trying. It was only when a colleague at work mentioned it sounded like anxiety that I’d have thought of that. When I looked up anxiety I ticked off so many things on the list and more that I agreed that it made a lot of sense.

I second Lockitty in keeping in touch with your GP. Is there one you feel is understanding at your practice? Mine was incredible and made appointments for me to come in every few weeks, He also prescribed sleeping pills for a week as I was up most of each night wondering how to sort out the mess I was in. Poor sleep can certainly make you feel dizzy and lightheaded if that is anything you are struggling with . If there’s a lot of stress you are dealing with you are probably producing a lot of adrenaline. When too much is released into our systems it produces everything from all out panic attacks where people are certain they are having a heart attack or stroke down to constant but disturbing weird physical symptoms like you are having. Rest, relaxation videos on YouTube or some calming music and consciously relaxing your muscles all helped me. If you have health anxiety it will be extra hard to believe your mind can produce actual physical symptoms like this but it really can.