Health anxiety- which physical symptoms do you get?

[ACCx]

Hi, I was just wondering if there’s anyone on here that suffers with anxiety/health anxiety and what physical symptoms you get? I have a bunch but right now I have random twitches/spams mainly in my legs and just started to get a kind of shivering/tingling feeling in my leg. Speaking to the GP in the morning but anyone have any words that may help? What symptoms do others get?

Panic attacks. Dizzy, nauseous, heart racing.

Hi there, I have terrible health anxiety as well (even worse now I've just had a baby and worry constantly about her too!)

I feel like whatever small symptom I get, I generally find the more I fixate on it the worse it becomes which just sets the cycle off even more. Day-to-day I'll get racing heart and sweaty palms when I think about things too much.

My sympathies - it really is one of the worst things to deal with

Thank you! I also get the heart palpitations. I agree. The symptoms get worse the more you notice them and fixate on them don’t they? Ergh it is horrible. I have a telephone app with the GP tomorrow but I get really anxious about them. I’m one of those that would rather not go for the tests ect due to having to wait around and acknowledge the issue.

Blurred vision/floaters
Pins and needles in arm and hands
Jaw spasms
Twitching eye
Palpitations
Chest pain, upper back pain
Heartburn
Laryngospasm- utterly terrifying

I think going to the GP is a really brave step. I've just started on 50mg of Sertraline, which seems to have slightly taken the edge off, but I'm going to ask for an increase in my dose to help even more moving forward. If it helps, remember that there will be times in your life where your anxiety seems unmanageable and other times where it's just simmering in the background and you won't notice it.

I always try and remember as well the amount of things I've worried about that never came true! What a waste of my time and energy eh?

Racing and thumping heart, can't sit still, can't concentrate, can't sleep due to overthinking, tingling down arms and legs. Tension in lower back, neck and shoulders. Gritting teeth in sleep resulting in lock jaw and headaches. God it looks awful written down

wow thanks everybody for basically telling me I’m not alone with the physical symptoms. I’m sorry you all also suffer with this to:( @velvetgh0st thank you for your kind words. My gp has mentioned sertraline before so I think I will just take the step and get them! Im worried about what the gp will say tomorrow regarding these leg twitches/shivers. Making me sooo anxious just thinking about her referring me for tests :(

No saying you shouldn't get checked out but I had the same in my right leg. Had it for ages, was worried it was a blood clot, kept seeing my gp,
Said it was fine, also went to the walk in centre about it as was so concerned but they just told me to take ibuprofen. I also suffered with chest /
Shoulder pains so was convinced I was dying. Think eventually I saw a different gp who said it was likely to be anxiety and referred me for
Cbt and gave me sertraline,( I was planning my wedding)
The weird thing ones as soon as I started taking it the pains just went. It was like I needed the reassurance

Now whenever I get pains like that I calmly tell myself it's in my head (unless obvious reason) and to 'test' my theory I convince myself my thumb hurts.. just to make it hurt x

@Charrin10 wow thank you! That has made me feel a lot better. I really think I need to just try the sertraline. Did you have any side effects from it? My worry is getting side effects and then worrying that they’re something sinister 😩 x

I lose the ability to swallow, just can't get my brain to do it, then follows the feeling of impending doom as I'm sure I'm about to choke to death!! really strong anxiety medication is the only thing that stops it

Sorry only just seen this! I felt abit sick id say for the first couple of weeks and abit of a weird taste in my mouth but apart from that nothing else. You almost feel like it's not working but then realise that all the 'pains' have gone and actually you don't feel that bad. I know some people are reluctant because of the side affects and how they believe they will make you feel 'out of it'
But I didn't find that at all. Good luck with whatever you decide x

Tingling arms
Funny tummy
Cold but sweating
Shaking
Dry mouth
Can't concentrate

Only started a year or so ago

I go really hot, starting with my hands.

I’ve just started with the hot hands feeling to. I’m also getting muscle twitches all over my body. It’s really scary

So recently this is something Im struggling with too. In the past I have took panic attacks and could always tell you my triggers, I would feel sick to the point I would make myself physically sick, stomach cramps, dihorea and would be unable to concentrate or talk to anyone - I would take diazepam and the panic attack would finally pass and I would be better by the next day.
However recently I have health anxiety and it’s been constant. I now have chest pains, unable to swallow, heart racing and talk myself into having symptoms for everything. I feel like it is constantly on my mind and I have been very weepy - literally cried at everything for a week or two straight. The doctor gave me Propranolol however I don’t feel any better taking it so I think my next step will be sertraline too but again, I’ve been like a lot of people and trying to avoid getting to that stage. It’s a terrible thing to have and my heart goes out to anyone feeling this way. Until you have anxiety you don’t understand how bad it really is.

Diarrhoea
Weak legs
Pins and needles
Pain under ribs
Headache
Upper back ache from the tension
Palpitations

It's amazing how anxiety can cause so
Any physical symptoms

I get a tight chest, a nervous cough (?!), heart hammering, loss of appetite, general achy feeling all over and a weakness in my legs. Oh, and hot feet! Bizarre. When I experience relief of the anxiety for whatever reason, I get a rush of adrenaline, symptoms disappear and I feel exhausted!

@ACCx what did the GP say?

I get muscle twitches, internal tremor and vibrations all in different areas of my body. Also pins and needles, tingly feelings in my legs, arms and shoulders. Grind my teeth at night which causes jaw pain, headaches and migraine. Blurry vision in right eye.

Have a look at benign fasiculation syndrome. I'm pretty sure that's what I have. Seems to be caused by anxiety but other than being a pain in the butt it's not dangerous or serious.

So sorry you all suffer with this to. @SpecialK01i have just decided finally to start sertraline today. I have put it off for so long but enough is enough. Maybe speak to your gp. X

@Kittii wow I have almost all those to! GP said anxiety. I went there today and she said it’s reassuring that the twitches are in different places rather than in one place. X

Yes that's what the neurologist said to me. I was worried about Parkinsons as I was shaking a lot. He basically said to ignore it as much as possible and think about something else. Not easy when your muscles are jumping about!

I decided today that I am going to speak to my GP tomorrow. I really hope it helps you, you’ll be in my prayers for sure. I’m new to mumsnet but feel like it’s a sort of comfort knowing that others are feeling the same as you feel so isolated and alone when you are going through the turmoils of anxiety x

Health anxiety sucks. If I am freaking out about something health related, I get racing heart, feel like a bomb is going to explode, can't sleep etc. I noticed I usually fixate on one thing and think the worst and it seems to make things worse. Then suddenly I fixate on the next thing and then realize my other health problem has gone. For example, two months my legs felt fatigued and tired, I thought all sort of bad things. Then I realized, perhaps if I rested a little more. I was basically on my feet all day long with three young kids and a dog so no wonder they felt so fatigued. Anyway, they got better. But I moved focus on to eye floaters, which I have always had (even as a child I noticed them)....but then I would not notice them and only notice them sometimes...but anyway of course the more you focus on them, the more you notice them and seem to get worse and worse. The list goes on and on about minor things I have noticed and thought the worse... When I was little the anxiety made my tummy hurt daily. I always thought there was something wrong with me. My mother did not know what anxiety was and she was not very helpful.

So many people suffer from this and it seems to get worse as you get older or have kids. I try to just let things go or talk sense into myself. I do not want to take medications, as then I would get anxious about side effects etc. I find that diet and exercise helps a lot. Wine definitly makes anxiety worse...but I still drink sometimes, as I enjoy the wine when I am drinking it! :)

@Kittii has yours improved at all? You’re right it doesn’t help when they’re just jumping about :(

@SamPoodle123 sorry to hear you’re also suffering. It really is awful having HA. I have just started sertraline I’m hoping it gets a little easier. X

@ACCx good luck and I hope it helps you! I am going to do a month or two of no drinking to see how I feel. As, the days I do not drink I notice I have less anxiety. Well, correction, the day after I drink I get anxiety...so the days after that it is much better :)

No it hasn't really improved but I have good days and bad days. I try really hard to ignore it as focusing on it or thinking about it makes it so much worse.

Yes, drinking wine is great as it usually gets rid of my anxiety temporarily, but then I always pay for it the next day by having increased anxiety. I try to just have a glass or two at weekend.