Is this all really anxiety and panic? So many physical symptoms...

Mental health
1

Where do I begin.. I am a 25 year old male who was always in good health up until earlier this year.  All of my issues started back in March when I had a massive panic attack at work seemingly out of the blue  I felt a rush of adrenaline going through my body and mostly left side with numbness and diziness and thought I was having a heart attack .  The ambulance came and gave me an EKG and ruled that my heart was fine and I had suffered a panic attack.  I followed up with my GP and had a full physical with blood tests, and additional EKG and everything came back normal.  Since then over the past 5 months I have had a host of other symptoms and tests done.

I get dizzy spells and feel like my legs are weak and swaying under me when I am standing still, I have also noticed it gets worse when my eyes are closed and I feel like I need to reach out and grab something or I while fall over.  I get numbness and tingling in my scalp and feel like I can't feel anything on my head at times.  I also have had facial and nose tingling and crawling sensation on and off recently that seems to come and go.  I have always been somewhat of an anxious person but nothing that I could't handle.  Back in March I was dealing with a great deal of stress at work and was facing a career altering work decision and that is when all of my symptoms started.  Since then I have only gotten worse and have so many symptoms that makes it hard to believe it is all just anxiety and not something more serious like MS or ALS.  

I get random muscle twitching all of the time sometimes only for a little bit other times it has lasted for a couple days.  I also get numbness in my tailbone at times when sitting and it had radiated down to the legs at times and to the inner thigh.  I thought I had Cuata Equina Syndrome and went to the ER and the doctor performed some tests on me and ruled that out.  I have panic attacks every couple of days and am always on edge on when the next one will occur.  I have been to the ER two more times within the past month and was convinced I was having something more than a panic attack (heart attack, stroke or something else bad was about to happen).  Both times they did EKG's and blood tests and everything turned up normal. They also tested for blood clots both times and everything came back good for that as well.  

About 3 months ago I was having headaches and waking up with head pain on the top of my head that felt like bruises.  I went back to my GP and he sent me for a CT scan which came back normal.  I feel like everytime something is ruled normal symptoms start popping up on different parts or my body.  

I am seeing a neurologist this Thursday to get an MRI because I need to know what is causing this tailbone numbness and rule out any other conditions.  Maybe it is a bulging disc that is causing the tailbone numbness and leg feelings?  

I also spend a lot of time on the internet looking up all of these symptoms which i know doesn't exactly help anxiety.  I just find it hard to believe that all of these physical symptoms are caused by anxiety and stress.  I should also note that I have been seeing a phychologist who specializes in CBT to help with anxiety but I still am having panic attacks and still am needing this MRI done for reassurance to make sure everything is ok.  

Has anyone else experienced similiar things?  It is crazy to think anxiety can cause all of this stuff.  Before all of this started I didn't really understand anxiety and was never too concerned about my health.  I feel like I have become a completely different person over the past 5 months and am not feeling like my old self.  I feel weaker in the gym and have no energy when lifting.  I also feel sometimes feel dizzy when I try and workout or run but I am constantly worrying about what if I pass out right now, or what if i drop have some medical emergency in here.  I am sure that doesn't help beacuse everytime i get in the gym i am waiting for symptoms to arise.  

I have noticed myself becoming somewhat of a hypochondraic during these last couple months and am worrying about every little thing or symptom I feel and googling every little mark or bump on my body.

Does anyone have any advince or experience with similiar things? Any and all responses are appreciated.  

Thank you,

Ryan

2

It hit me out of the blue as well It will change your life but you have to take charge and get back in control. The physical symptoms are endless with anxiety. I had most of yours along with a multitude of others. Was convinced I had ms because of my symptoms. I just posted a topic on how I'm overcoming anxiety if you want to take a look. Some useful information I think Hang in there...you will get through this.

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Thanks for your reply Lisa, in the nicest possible way it helps knowing others have been in the same situation.. I will definitely check it out thanks!

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I should also note that I have suffered from derealization/ depersonalization on and off during these past few months which has led to some feelings of depression on and off..  Which is so crazy to me because before a few months ago i was super outgoing/ confident and now I feel like a shell of my former self.  Everywhere I go I am constantly checking/ monitering to see if I have any symptoms and it is just exhausting.  It is just so hard to accept that anxiety can cause all of these things and turn me into a whole different person

5

Hi Ryan trust me you are definitely not alone , I also get weird head sensations from my anxiety and I.must say its very scary , I usually get feelings as if something is crawling under my scalp , or a headache of some sort , or a sharp shooting pain that comes and goes , tingling , pressure , burning scalp sensations, and twitching as well, all kinds or weird thing happen , or the top of my head hurts and or burns these anxiety symptoms are endless ,,,, I've had a MRI of my head and my Brain back march and everything came back fine , but I still sometimes find away to get worried about all the things that go on in my head .

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That is also normal and could be a blessing in disguise. I also went through this. I picked up meditation, yoga and soul searching and it has helped tremendously. Avoid prescription pills and find a locally owned health store. Make sure the person running it is educated on natural remediea. I honesty belive that deficiencies cause most anxiety. Play around with vitamin supplements. ..magnesium is a big one.

7

Dear Ryan,

I'm 22 and I suffered almost everything that you've list down except for closing the eyes and falling. You're currently at the stage where you worry like 24/7 of the time, that will not help you cause it's increasing your anxiety/panic level way higher than it was before.

I used to have this crazy headaches which ache like crazy, dizziness, and so on. But I realised it was because of the worrying that I keep thinking about and I kept missing my meals due to that choking feeling in my throat. I realised I need to make changes, so I forced myself into thinking that I won't choke, I won't panic, I won't feel pain in the head, and so on. I kept my mind occupied with my happy moments from the past. But these moves are NOT EASY TO EXECUTE, especially people like us who are constantly worried for nothing.

It took me 2 years to master these moves, I understand how you feel, how you worry that you're having other illness instead of just anxiety, it's not gonna be a smooth journey Ryan, but you gotta keep your mind as positive as possible and keep reminding yourself that ANXIETY IS A CURABLE!

Once you're in this AGORAPHOBIA COCOON, it's gonna be twice harder that what it's already is. Be strong mate, this is temporary and we are chosen to go through it for a reason. I'm homebound myself, but I keep my mind occupied as much as possible, going for walks everyday, staying in the sun for that Vitamin D, learning new stuffs on the net (photoshop skills, Web design, knowledgeable Infos) by doing all these, it has kept me away from thinking of an attack. it's not be easy Ryan, but it's worth the fight! Don't worry, we will all get through anxiety together. ALWAYS THINK POSITIVE even when you're having an attack. It's all in the mind and I know it's damn hard.

All the best Ryan! You know where to find us! Let's get well together!

8

Very good You in way just described mindfulness. Another great practice of overcoming anxiety!! Anxiety is your thoughts of what might happen anyway so practicing the opposite is perfect. Congrats!!