Extreme aches and pains (upper arm and legs), head pressure and dizziness. Is it anxiety ? worried!

Mental health
1

Okay so a year ago I had a very bad experience with cannabis where I had extreme panic attacks and I thought I died and so much happened that day even the ambulance came and everything I was traumatised so much. So after that night I was never the same. I would often get panic attacks and have constant anxiety and thoughts of death would make me so panicked I would experience sweaty hands, cold sensations, heart palpitations and extreme fear. So now that has improved a lot since last year however I could feel I was getting fatigue over time for no apparent reason and that would bring my anxiety back on. It wasn't until last month I had a viral Infection which was so bad. I mean it was really bad that I thought I had a killer disease which would kill me (again death thoughts). I went to the A&E three times in such a panic. Once thinking I had toxic shock syndrome. I mean I didn't care all I cared about was my health and I would do anything to find out what I have. Had blood tests done and it was all clear. Been to the gp like every week and they said I was fine too after taking bloods and urine samples. I also thought I may have an sti so I got checked at a sexual health clinic and again tests came out all clear. 

So my viral infection started with a lump under my jaw and constipation. I then experienced night sweats, chills, disorientation, shortness of breath, a lump in my upper neck, Photophobia which was so bad it would give me migraines and I couldn't go out at night with all the lights outside, panic, fever, extreme body aches and extreme fatigue and extreme dizziness. This lasted 3 whole weeks and every time I would get all sorts of symptoms. So I would panic and go to the gp and sometimes A&E and all they would say was it's just an viral infection. Plus before my infection I was constipated and I had bowel problems too. In the 4th week my flu symptoms stopped. Such as sweats, chills, disorientation (I would get up feeling like I can't feel my body or like I'm leaving my body, it was SO weird, I would shake myself to gain consciousness or wake my sister to feel better) thankfully that has gone. 

So It's the 5th week now but I'm still not well my fatigueness (which includes aching upper arms and legs) has not gone, neither have my headaches I get pressure in my head an ears still and I occasionally get dizziness and shortness of breath. I also feel a lump in my throat which the go said is normal however I don't. I mean I can't function properly anymore I get extremely exhausted after 3 hours of work where I work as a sales associate. My body feels like it's giving up on me. I'm in extreme pain even at this moment my arms are paining so bad. I've got an appointment for an abdominal scan and I want some other scans done too because at this moment I feel as if I have something which is causing all this pain and discomfort. Maybe then I'll be in peace that it's nothing serious and it's all down to my anxiety. I hope it is. However I don't know how to tackle it. I wake up during the night feeling strange, short of breath or I can hear my heartbeat beat so fast or hear a heartbeat in my head when I sleep. Yes I'm so paranoid and worried. My aches and pains are not going. 

I need some help out here. Has anyone experienced something similar. Please get in contact. It would  make me feel so much better 

Thank you 

2

Hey! I have experienced everything you have and still do on a daily basis! It's been confirmed that I have an anxiety disorder and depression and I'm starting therapy next week and meds. I still can't help thinking that it's more then that, I think to myself anxiety can't cause this much pain and discomfort but it can! Please feel free to have a chat I am going through the exact same as you!xx

3

If it is anxiety. Neither can I, how can a mental condition affect your health so bad. aw I'm glad you know what it is and your dealing with it and being treated I hope it goes well. How did your anxiety come about? Plus how old are you may I ask ? Sorry but it's just so good to have someone understand your symptoms so well. No one ever does my gp is so confused. She's still investigating me sad xx 

4

I know I really can't understand it😞 me too it's always comforting to talk to someone who is going through the same as you! And my anxiety was due to a lot going on in my life the past 2 years or so il fill you in but not on this it's quite personal but if you wana chat privately il be happy to do that have you got Facebook? And I'm only 17 years of age😞 way too young for all this😞xxx

5

I feel the same symptoms !!!!! Now I'm having eye pains with it. It's soo frustrating. How old are you?

6

Yeah it really is. Though I've been doing my research lately and the fact that our body's go into fight or flight response when we are anxious causes the sore muscles because our body prepares for battle in a sense. I feel the best way to tackle this is to tackle the anxiety. Maybe then this will all go away? Because we've had our tests and everything is normal. I need to go speak to my gp about all this. Aw I'm 19, would love to talk to you personally. However I dont want to give my personal details out here. How can we contact one another? 

7

Yes it sounds exactly same as what I have had and experiencing 

8

Yes exactly! I can personal message you on this one sec x

9

I'm only 19. Too young for all of this 

10

Hey Ameli your story sounds just like what I went thought really, I have GAD and if it is bad enought can have the same symptoms of panic disorder, but with GAD the symptoms remain constant. The only think that work for me is medications, not saying to go on them just what work for me.

11

The mind is a powerful thing and anxiety will focus on any insecurities about health and blow them into massive pre occupations which exaggerate the symptoms often making you believe they are something which they aren't. Anxiety effects the whole body but not necessarily showing symptoms in the same way for example a feeling of tightness around the scalp or head, tingling sensations, racing heart, how sweats, burning sensations, aches and pains, stomach pain. The tight head or tingling down the arm is a symptom of anxiety but the anxiety focuses on your health anxiety and you straight away believe it's something you fear, rational goes out of the window because that's it's nature as when your fighting or fleeing from danger your brain switches off rational thought as that part of the brain at that stage is not needed to function when in danger.

The feeling in your stomach is the blood being diverted from the digestive system to the muscles as again you don't need to digest food when in fight or flight response.

thats the science bit... The empathy bit is that we all have similar experiences so your not alone in your feelings and thinking.

keep posting N 

12

I had a gastro enteritis virus which left me in bed for three days too ill to call a Dr or an ambulance.  I had migraine headaches stomach ache and diarrhoea.  I could not eat anything apart from toast and drink water.  Eventually I called an ambulance and got some tablets to cure the virus and headaches.

13

About 7 months ago, I had a horrible experience with marijuana... I ate a tiny piece of a weed brownie ( which was high concentrated thc) I didn't know it was... Well when it finally hit me, I felt a werid sensation where I stopped breathing... When I noticed it and I jumped out of my chair sacred and then I start hyperventilating really bad. I actually thought I was having a heart attack... I also thought that was it for me, I was gonna die... I'm 21 years old male. My life before this was chill, no worries or stress.

Go out and party, be adventurous, I'm Athletic guy so play a lot of sports.

Well every since my experience with marijuana my whole life changed... Since that day I haven't Been the same.

I been dealing with a bunch of symptoms... Panic attacks, heart palpitations which scare the crap out of me... Feeling like I'm gonna die, body feeling very weak, chest pain, headaches that don't go away, dizziness, eye problems, lost weight, arm and leg pain, burning sensation through my body, a lot of breathing problems, pressure on my head and ears, throat also feels werid, I couldn't feel my legs and arms for like a second which also scared me...

I space out sometimes, sleep problems, get chills, night sweats... Probably a lot more you name it... But what you just said sounds exactly like me... It is very strange and scary... Kinda hard to believe it's anxiety.

In the past 7 months I been to the doctors, urgent cares, and even been to the emergency a lot of times... I got checked out... Everything came back normal and I that I'm healthy ! Blood test, ekgs, chest x ray, oxygen was fine, eyes checked. I might even ask for a head MRI.

Doctors say it just anxiety...

The thing that kills me is... Doctors don't believe me that I was a normal guy before all of this... They think I was stressed and anxious before all of this... But I never experienced any of these symptoms before...

Anyways just wanted to share my story, till this day I'm still struggling... But life goes on and I hope you beat this !!!

14

Hey mate.

im 27 male. Same as you. Chilled out no anxiety exact same symptoms since the day i 'thought i was dying'...

7 months on... how you coping..

I wake up after 1 hours sleep with my head burning. Legs and arms tingling. 5 hours sleep a night.

Spaced out talking to people.

Whats the go?

15

I'm going through the exact same thing as you... I'm writing this message just after having all those sensations yet again and waking up at half 7 in the morning freaking out looking of symptoms and came across this page... After reading all the comments mainly yours it has relaxed me and they have slowly went away...I used smoke weed when I was younger started at like 18 up until I was about 20 didn't smoke it day in day out but would have 1/2 joints a week... Suddenly one night I had it went into a giddy bang and then felt a pain in my chest and had those exact same symptoms you described... Ever since that day I've never been the same again and that was 3 years ago... Always regretted ever taking weed because it's done this to me it must have triggered something in my brain to make me this paranoid... I've brought myself to hospital like 5/6 times in the space of like 5 months absolute joke... Any tips on how you deal with it? Would appreciate big time thanks

16

I'm the exactly the same - but learning to deal with it better knowing that it's anxiety. Accepting it is the hardest part but try it for a month and see how you get on. When your body is in fight / flight mode there is a very physiological response that happens and prolonged periods of this (or even 24/7) will cause pain and keep you feeling awful. RE the lightheadedness make sure you are breathing properly. Oxygen flows away from the calculus part of the brain into the primitive fight/flight portion when anxious. Google some breathing exercises.

Also try not to focus on your symptoms. I did this for 8 years and only recently have I started researching anxiety. Guess what...Im at least 50% better. Understanding why these symptoms occur is half the battle as they're very real and very frightening! Here are some coping tips that have worked well for me.

- Sleep in a dark room. Good wake/sleep routine. Lavendar oil. Earplugs.

- Exercise every day (this uses up some of the excess adrenaline etc)

- Good balanced diet.

- Take anxiety therapy / CBT

- Google what happens in fight/flight response.

- Breathe

Weed didn't f*ck you up, it just triggered an unhealthy thought pattern that is unfortunately really tricky to get out of. Don't smoke, avoid caffine and follow the above. I promise you'll feel much, much better. I finally do but it's still a hard cycle to break and will take time. Don't beat yourself up about getting better right away. Good luck man, let us know how you get on.

17

This sounds very similar to what has happened to me!

Even the timescale. I've been suffering for what will be five weeks on Wednesday. Been told by 3 GP's, 2 Doctors at the Hospital and numerous NHS24 advisors that it's viral.

Only the most recent Doctor at A&E has said it's not viral. She reckons its Migraines and is arranging for me to see a headache specialist. She has also recommended I go back to my GP about my anxiety.

18

Hi

I have experienced pretty much the same as what you are describing.  Last Christmas 2014 I had a really bad cold, the worst I had for a very long time.  It went from a head cold, to a sore throat to a chesty cough to a tickly cough.  Couldnt get rid of it and it last about 3-4 weeks.  On new years day 2015 I basically had a massive panic attack, although at the time i didnt know that was what was happening to me, basically the overwhelming sensation that you are about to die together with a fever and intense dizziness.  Not room spinning dizziness but like you are being pulled down to the ground and a floating sensation.  Anyway went to the GP a few days later turned out i had a urinary infection.  1 year later and I am still experienceing the dizziness together with panic attacks which has lead to some depression.  i was seeing a ENT specialist for the first 5 months of the year, had a MRI, multiple blood tests the whole 9 yeards all back clear.  So bsically it has all been written off to a viral infection.  I have googled the hell out of researching and trying to find an answer and basically there isnt one other than Viral infection you just have to ride it out and it can take years.  One very interesting thing that I have been reading more and more of is the link between viral infections and dpression / anxiety and panic attacks.  It appears there is a clear link between the two especially if the viral infection is vestibular related.  I have gone down the road of more natural remedies like using st johns wort or 5HTP rather than antidpressents and keep reminding myself that what I am feeling it not real (the panic attacks), its a viral infection and I will get better over time.  I'm sorry of this is not quite what you want to hear but there doesnt seem to be a quick fix for these types of infections.  If everything else comes back clear than at least you know its not serious and need to give yourself time for your body to heal.

Take care and hope it all works out for you - you are not alone

19

I suffered for the last 11 years with the above and I think I can help.

(Tired, dizzy, burning skin, palpitations, tight chest, short breath, head pressure, stinging legs arms & face, lump in throat, weak, no sleep, digestive issues, cold limbs, sinus pressure - the list goes on really).

I'm a smart guy and not one to jump to conclusions but this really defeated me for a long time, with doctors being no help. The head pressure was unbearable and I was convinved there was something seriously wrong that was undetected.

I tried super healthy, vegan, gluten free, elimination diets, no drinking, no caffine and all that stuff. Tried loads. nothing. Ended up smoking weed to deal with it all, not good.

Finally I said to myself, OK let's just say this is anxiety. I started researching the stress response (you don't have to suffer from anxiety to have these physical problems).

After just 4 months of CBT, lots of research on the fight/flight response I'm now 90% better and I feel the best I have in years. It's insane. This time 5 months ago I was having episodes of deporsonalization and thinking of ending it all - because of these symptoms. 

I still get them, but now they last a minute or two rather than days, or weeks. It's crazy to believe that this can be caused your thought processes but it can (and when you start looking into it - it actually all makes perfect sense). I just wish the doctors had pointed me down the anxiety/stress route before. 

I'd recommend looking into it and also CBT. Basically I slowly started analysing my symptoms one by one and finding a link to the stress response (eg - stinging legs is simply the nerves firing and muscles prepping for fight/flight). Then I could stop worrying about them. It worked.

The best thing you can really do is breathe. Deep breath and let it go. (This is much easier to do now with an understanding of the physiology of it all, breathing did nothing at first).

I'm not saying that you aren't genuinely ill with something else - but I'm a pretty grounded 30yo guy and was convinced that I was ill, for over 10 years. I mean really ill. 

Like I said, now I've almost shed all the anxiety/stress and the  symptoms have subsided 90%!

If anyone wants to Skype then I'm happy to share my thoughts as I know how much this SUCKS. It nearly drove me to end it all. I feel I should help if I can. 

I'm no expert but I sersiouly learned a lot in the last few months and it really changed my life so much.

PM me if you wanna chat.

Tim

 

20

It is labeled under mental condtion because its from your mind. Your brain. It needs a new label. It was not always under mental condition by the way. It is a mal function. Yiu fire off fight or flight adrenaline rushes too fast. Adrenaline rushes causes all different symptoms it effects seventy oercent of your body at a time. Have you seen an endocrinologist? Would your gp give you a referral. Theres many hormones that can get messed up that he is not familiar with. Did you have mono!?