Health Anxiety Physical Symptoms

Mental health
1

Hi all,

I am not sure I have anywhere else to turn so was hoping for some help from here.

I have always suffered from what I would call low level health anxiety. In as much as I was always worried about my health, but it would not really impact my day to day life apart from a difficult period when I was 18 and had a bladder infection.

However this soon passed until recently (now 37) where around April time I started having chest pains, so I went to the Doctors. Some tests were done which revealed an abnormal blood result (elevated platelets), did all the classic bad things such as Dr Google and Social Media, and since then everything has spiralled out of control.

Ive had the blood results again with the exact same result and they dont want to test them again for 3 months. In the meantime due to the physical and mental symptoms I’ve been experiencing Ive been put on 20mg citalopram which im on day 21 , and have started step 3 CBT last week.

Ive been trying everything such as meditation, breathing and exercise and although mentally I think im better - I can get out of bed etc. However there is one physical symptom which is like a dull ache/pressure in my left side/armpit that gets worse when stressed but just wont go away when calmer.

Ive been to see the GP, both mine and a private one and they think its the anxiety causing it, and dont think its worth scanning me. But I just cant wrap my head around it especially when it feels so constant.

Im not really even sure what my question is, but any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.

2

Hello!

it´s great you have seen professionnals about your symptoms already.

I am sorry but I really can´t help about that left side pressure thing you have, and I won´t risk giving you false informations.

However, being an low level anxiety person my whole life (23 yo) and experiencing very serious panic attacks and stuff this year, I can assure you 100% that physical pain is possible.

The brain really commands weird things. I've gone through trans-like periods, panic attacks (heart "dropping", getting faster), near to faint for weeks, chest pain, sweating heavily, going from cold to hot, difficulty breathing/pressure on the middle of the chest, muscle twitch and stiffness, internal and external trembling/tremors, heavy headaches, neck pain and trembling, heart "skipping" beats, inability to sleep because I heard my heart beat heavily every night, a fear of dying at any second, feeling myself move forward and backwards along my blood flow/heartbeat, restlessness, extreme fatigue, inability to do any task cause my brain felt overwhelmed, brain fog, some kind of depression (not diagnosed but I had every symptom of depression). I have been tested (blood x2 times, ECG, GP listening to my heart and checking my health multiple times), and that GP had long discussions with me on why and how the brain commands these things to protect itself from the danger it feels.

So I wouldn´t be suprised if your symptoms were either due to anxiety or side effects of your citalopram, but again, ut an opinion and not a fact.

Sorry that I can´t help more than that, but if making an exhaustive list of the stress related symptoms I had can help you it's a start.

3

Hi Arthur,

Thank you for your reply it is very helpful, and sorry to hear about what you have been through - its brutal isint it.

4

Don´t be sorry for me, it happened but I managed to feel better in the end! Still struggling a bit with anxiety, but I can live and do things I like again. Progress has to be made but progress has been made!

So I am trying to give you a bit of hope that some very annoying things can happen but go away!

Good luck with your health issues, hope you'll feel better soon