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Anyone with similar symptoms?

Posted , 4 users are following.

alexis20017
alexis20017

Hi , I am a 25 year old female that has developed some odd symptoms over the last 4 months. I think it is worth mentioning that this has been a very stressful year for me (personal and family issues) and I believe that it is possible all that stress may have set this all off.

It all started as a pressure type feeling on my left rib cage. Felt like a pulled muscle and bothered me ever so slightly. When it didn't go away after a few weeks I became worried and started googling and gave myself terrible health anxiety. After a month of the "fullness" it turned into quick jabs, mild pains, that would move around the left ribs, sometimes on sternum too. I was convinced I had some type of bone cancer. I got more upset when it moved to my right ribs too. Again quick jabs that would jump around the ribs or sometimes a feeling of pressure on the ribs and also burning at times. Over the last month or so a slew of other symptoms have started. I have back aches/pains that move up the left side middle of back and down to my hips (this lasted for several weeks). It has now seemed to mostly shift to my upper back across on both sides. It's an achy feeling. My spine is tender in a couple spots and I also have recently started to feel twitching in the muscles between the ribs, on my sides, and random muscle twitches all over abdomen and in the back where the aches and tension spots are. I went to get a deep tissue massage for my back and it felt SO good. The woman said my back was horribly tight and I have muscle knots in my back. I work a stressful desk job and I believe I tense up a lot and I never had good posture (working on that). I also have aches in my thighs, knees, calves, ankles usually only in the morning, after waking it eases as i move around. I now noticed this intermittent tingling sensation in my left fingers and left foot/ankle. I get random neck aches and shoulder pain, usually left but sometimes right too. It seems like all this discomfort is migrating rather than radiating if that makes sense. I.E. when i have the upper back aches, I don't feel the middle back aches. I also have IBS type symptoms with all of this but could be from my anxiety... aka occasional cramping in left colon area from ribs to ovary area and I am either constipated or I have to go NOW lol... stool is brown and soft. My upper abdominal muscles feel sore/tender like I've been doing sit ups even though i havent done a sit up since high school gym class lol... I know this is a lot of info... does anyone relate to this at all? I have had 3 x-rays, a CT scan with contrast of my abdomen and pelvis (small ovarian cyst found), abdominal ultrasound, and lots of blood work. Nothing has been found. Colonoscopy coming in early Nov. I go back and forth between this being muscular/nerve related or GI related but honestly think both could be at play here? Good news is I feel great besides the every day aches and pains, like my energy is good and I feel overall healthy. I initially lost around 7 lbs when this started bc of my nerves but now that i am eating normally again I have gained it all back. The only thing killing me are the persistent symptoms with no answers. Really taking a toll on my mental health. Any comments would be so appreciated. Thank you!

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • LoobyM
    LoobyM alexis20017

    Edited

    Hi Alexis20017, I just read your post and wanted to reach out and say hi. Health anxiety is a truly awful thing and something I too suffer with.

    I was diagnosed with Fibro in June this year. My symptoms started with pain in my left leg (thigh) when leveraging from sitting/crouching. Within 6 weeks of this pain it then radiated to my right leg, my lower back and pelvis. I was in agony, I couldn't turn over in bed, I couldn't sit comfortably it was awful. it is pain I have never experienced before. At this point I was walking 5 miles every day with no problems. I then started with muscle twitches and cramps all over my body and fasciculations, in my scalp, my face and my body, my toes were moving on their own. One night we rang emergency services as my legs went into uncontrollable spasms for 20 minutes, it was terrifying. At this point the Dr was treating me for bursitis and sent me for physio with some Naproxen. After the spasms I went back to the Dr, terrified and started blood tests, all which have come back clear other than a little low on B12 which I'm now taking a supplement for. I was borderline underactive thyroid so am now on 50mg of levothyroxine and menopausal so went onto HRT. The HRT has helped with my anxiety and energy levels as I had been experiencing fatigue and severe depression too. I was referred to a neurologist, had MRI on neck, brain and spine, all clear. He said I had muscle tension through anxiety. At this point my jaw had also started clunking and I was experiencing resistance in my throat when swallowing. Back to the Dr's I went and asked her to refer me to a private rheumatologist, which I paid for. He did a few more bloods, carried out an examination and asked me what I thought it was!! He signed me off with widespread myofascial pain syndrome/Fibromyalgia and prescribed me with 10mg of Amtriptyline which I haven't taken.

    it is now October and none of my symptoms have abated, I've just learnt to adapt to the different severity of pain (good days and bad)

    I have tremors, numbness in my face, palpatations, carpal tunnel, my bones clunk, click pop and grind like never before and some days I feel like jelly, I also feel like I have a marshmallow wedged in my throat and now also experience acid reflux after meals.

    I'm at a loss with so many symptoms on a daily basis but with a clear MRI and so many bloods coming back clear I have to work with and trust the Dr's and the science. The fact you have had many clear labs and scans/ xrays is all very positive, however none of it means anything if you suffer with health anxiety.

    I'm of the opinion now that even if it is the worst possible illness, there is nothing to be done about it. I just go about my life every day, I continue to walk daily and manage my symptoms with ibuprofen for some of the pain. I know there are no answers in my post for you but I wanted to reassure you you are not alone and your feelings are normal given your physical symptoms.

    • alexis20017
      alexis20017 LoobyM

      Edited

      Hi LoobyM, thank you so much for your reply. I am so sorry to hear you are going through all of that, it sounds like a lot. I find it so crazy that I went from zero symptoms to all off this over the course of only 4 months. I guess things have to start somewhere though! I know stress and anxiety can take such a toll on the body so I have been working really hard to try and keep that at bay as best I can. I do feel like it has helped a bit. I also have been taking a combo of Tylenol and Motrin and for the most part it takes the edge off most days. Interesting you talk about the marshmallow feeling in your throat. I get that too!! I've had GERD for many years and take Nexium and that usually keeps my heartburn at bay but I have this feeling of something stuck in my throat lately and I believe it is from the anxiety. It's interesting that people tend to get the muscle/nerve issues and gastro issues together. Such a vicious cycle. Again thank you so much for your detailed reply - it seriously helps to know I am not alone although I don't wish these symptoms without definite answers on anyone. I will be thinking of you!

    • LoobyM
      LoobyM alexis20017

      Edited

      I can totally relate to that too Alexis20017, I said to my husband it all happened so quickly and I've gone from somebody who is fit, well and healthy to feeling like an 80 year old with so much pain and stiffness. living with constant pain is exhausting and I do feel like a light has gone out of me.

      Stress is an awful horrible thing and something the Dr's try to blame a lot of our symptoms on and hey they may be right, I'm no Dr, however, I know my 51 year old body better than anyone.

      I too lost a lot of weight, which like you I think was the worry of all these symptoms mounting one after another. I've too managed to put some back on.

      I have the rib pain, which can be tender to touch too, right under the rib cage and pain between my shoulderblades, which is a dull ache.

      Have you seen a rheumatologist?

      Stay in touch and stay positive as much as you can. We're still here 😁

    • alexis20017
      alexis20017 LoobyM

      Edited

      Yeah I hate being fobbed off as "you're anxious and it's causing most of this" like yes I am anxious but from the symptoms! I was fine before the symptoms started! Oh you experience rib pain too? The rib discomfort scares me so much! It's not horribly painful just there a lot and annoying and the muscles of my ribs and upper abdomen around the ribs seem to twitch a lot when there is pain. A rheumatologist is my next step after I get this colonoscopy next week. In the past I've had a muscle twitch here and there as that is normal but to have them in the same specific spots throughout the day where the discomfort is, is totally different. I have even started to wonder if this could be MS... but I'm really trying to stop the guessing game and just be present and live and just have to be patient as it takes a while to figure out the problem a lot of the time. Both my parents have autoimmune diseases so I wonder what's in my genes... And yes! I have the dull ache in upper back muscles between shoulder blades too! It feels like I've been hit by a truck some days! I am 25 and shouldn't feel like I'm an 80 year old! Same with you! I will def stay in touch. feel free to talk here or private message me whenever... we will get through this one way or another! 😄

  • jevoisrein
    jevoisrein alexis20017

    Edited

    Hello there how did your colonoscopy go? Did you eventually find out what it was?

    Reading your symptoms i couldnt believe how similar mine are... Other than i have pain in mostly left side on upper back and lower left abodem wich i find tender and full like a balloon... I had ultrasound, gi endoscopy and ct abdominal and pelvis scan, blood test and all clear... Yet here i am a year later with even more pain and doctors refusing any more diagnostic... I am anxious and apparently hypochondriac 😭 i dont believe this , i wish i could just live my life without all this pains and worry... Im saving money now to try and go private for some more scans

    • alexis20017
      alexis20017 jevoisrein

      Posted

      hi! so sorry to hear you’re going through a similar situation. the only thing that came out of my colonoscopy was i had mild lymphocytic colitis which my doctor didn’t believe was causing my symptoms. i never really got to the bottom of anything but over time things sort of settled on their own with occasional flares here and there, all mild . my only advice is to try and rest assured in all those tests coming back negative, those are great signs! i truly believe a lot of my prolonged symptoms were due to extreme stress and anxiety. i do hope you find the root of what’s causing your symptoms and that you are able to get it treated and resolved. feel free to check back in, sending you positivity and healing vibes! xx

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