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Having trouble with health anxiety

Posted , 3 users are following.

joseph45337
joseph45337

Let me start by saying I've had anxiety since age 4 but back then it was a social anxiety. I am now 27 and have overcome that. I haven't taken any medication for anxiety since 21. Anyways I've had what I believe to be health anxiety for the last few weeks now. It all started one night when I had noticed my veins looked more visable in my arms, legs, hands, feet, and chest. I got really worried and my heart started pounding so I started googling (horrible idea). I googled so much and came up with a bunch of different things that drove my mind crazy. It got so bad my stomach started acting up and I would get sharp stomach and chest pains. I also was diagnosed with gerd a few years back. I had trouble eating and ususlly I'm not hungry and will get alternating diarrhea and constapation. Since I've upped my fiber intake the diarrhea has cooled down. I haven't had it for the last 3 days now. Still I've been really worried. A week ago I went to the hospital to get a Sebecus cyst drained that seems to reoccur every year. While there I asked the doctor about my visable veins and showed her my arms she said it's fine. Then I also showed her my legs and she didn't seem concerned not even giving it a second thought. However while there my heart rate was high. I said I had been anxious and the nurse replied "it wouldn't be that high". Anyways the doctor comes back in checks my pulse and I tell her I've been very anxious. She tells me its most likely just anxiety as it's not alarmingly high and asked me if I had trouble breathing or chest pains. I said no because at the time I didn't. Anyways all that did was make my anxiety worse and I would constantly check to see if my hesrt was beating fast. For most of last week it was and I was very jittery. I've since cut coffee out for the last 4 days. The jitters have seemes to of calmed down as well. My appitate seems to slowly be improving but after I eat sometimes I'll still get acid reflux symptoms. While I do feel my anxiety is getting slowly better I am still having trouble telling myself that I'm not ill. I don't want to go back on medication for my anxiety if it can be avoided.

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • joseph45337
    joseph45337

    Posted

    Anyone?
    • joseph45337
      joseph45337

      Posted

      Sorry Ema just saw your reply. That is an interesting suggestion. Anything else?
  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 joseph45337

    Posted

    Lower your sodium intake. Low salt diet and drink a lot of water. Your veins  ar most definetly nothing but will raise your during dehydration, which would also increase heart rate or blood pressure. Try and some walking and moving around for twenty minutes a day. It sounds like your diet is poor. Stick with water not other drinks and try to consume half your body weight in onces a day..throught the day. This should help. Try eating healthy foods that are low in salt. There are many otc meds for reflux you can use until your diet is under control. They sell complete nutrition drinks you can buy to provide nourishment as your appetite is low. A good multi vitamin and a b12 sublingual and vitamin d as well. Basil is nutritious and helps with anxiety and nerves and the pulse and heart as does ginger as well.
    • joseph45337
      joseph45337 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Lisa,

      All I've been drinking is water. I haven't had any soda in over a month (except for ginger ale two weeks ago) I go to the gym and eat healthy. My dinners usually are grilled chicken or fish. Sometimes a steak along with veggies. I don't skeays eat breakfast though and ususlly have a small lunch but my appitate has been poor lately, likely due to my anxiety. Because I eat a good amount of protein and drink protein shakes my sodium is probably high, but I don't add salt to my foods and because I am sensitive to diary it would be very hard to give up eating meat.

      While my diet use to be poor when the acid reflux started it's improved greatly, especially over the last several weeks. However the veins are still visable.

    • joseph45337
      joseph45337 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Sorry I don't know how to edit and I'm not sure if it's because im using my phone but I also want to add I take a multivitamin everyday and have for the last several years.
  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 joseph45337

    Posted

    A low sodium diet would be best as long as you continue to stay hydrated. The veins are nothing to worry about. They do go the surface  if you weight lift but most aspire for that look. The pulse and bp are anxiety driven but when too high are diet driven. Low sodium would be benificiial. Anxiety levels will wax and wane. If you are still eating healthy but get reflux that is not the correct foods for you. Although anxietyplays  arole as well. So many people and gp have told me diet is a major player in reflux so a food diary is a great idea. And not to sleep flat but raise your head at night.  Anything you chose to focus on can spur terrible anxiety, as all of us suffers well know. People with high level of anxiety are very aware of their bodies and higly sensitive to even the littlest changes.  Try to accept that your veins are visible or bulgy because everyones body is different and ive never heard that to be anything dangerous. All you can do is a healthy low sodium diet and keep hydrated. You seem to be doing the right things. Theres something called mindful breathing that i found to be a life savior. Its a positive way to literally calm yourself rapidly. Good luck and feel good
  • mandi32309
    mandi32309 joseph45337

    Edited

    Some people just have thick dark veins. It runs in my family although I don't have it. My

    Mom and sister look like they are about to pop. Lol it's honestly nothing. They are very healthy too but still got the veins. The crazy thing with health anxiety is that our brains look for something to focus on and we magnify it 1000x more. That dear makes your heart beat faster. Your heart isn't beating faster from a heart defect, it's the anxiety/ fear and panic that's causing your heart to beat faster. Happens to me all the time. Ive lived with health anxiety for 20 years and still battle it each day. I am only 35. I feel healthy but I think I have every disease imaginable. ANY ache or pain no matter how small, will set it off. One think I NEVER do is Google. It will always always always give you worst case scenario. Trust me, if I could trade places with you and only have my veins to worry about instead of what I worry about, I would trade in a second. You are healthy and fine!!

    • joseph45337
      joseph45337 mandi32309

      Posted

      Mandi,

      Thanks for the reply. The veins aren't budging at all expect in my forarms and hands which has always been the case. They are just noticeable. That's why I don't think working out has to do with the ones in my legs or chest as they aren't budging veins just visable blue veins. I agree that googling is a horrible idea.

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