Physical symptoms of anxiety? am i going mad

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi everyone,

Just wondered what the physical symptoms of anxiety people suffer with as i know everyone is different?

 

Lately mine are:

- Palpitations (sometimes really intense only last few seconds/minutes)

- Sweating/Trembling 

- Feeling that i am going insane

- Fidgety 

- Shooting pains in my chest/shoulder area 

- Muscle twitches

- Feeling spaced out

These are a lot of physical symptoms don't you think? is it normal or am i suffering with an illness?

the palpitations are what i cannot stand, i have had 2 7 day ECG's the first test came back normal and the second showed up a irregular heart beat, i have been referred to the cardiologist but there is currently a 18 week wait.. (been waiting 8 weeks got 10 more weeks to wait) should i go back to my GP in the mean time?

worried i am going to have a heart attack and die, suppose this is what anxiety is all about isn't it? fear of something bad happening?

any opinions would be great to be honest, my partner understands but not to the extent of people who actually suffer with anxiety/panic

i just feel like i'm gong mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!sad

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    Honestly all of those are very common symptoms of anxiety. I get palpatations, sweating, shaking, weak legs & arms, nausea, feeling spaced out and also my lips & nose go numb it's awful 😞 Have u tried any medication to help? I'm on fluoxetine but also have propranolol to take when the anxiety gets bad as it works pretty much instantly. It's used for high blood pressure & blocks the adrenaline so stops palpatations & shaking. Obviously it doesn't stop the crazy thoughts & I still get weak legs but it helps alot when it gets bad. It wouldn't be suitable for everyone but I've found it a lifesaver & there's many similar med option out there it might be worth discussing with your doctor x

    • Posted

      Sorry to hear you suffer with anxiety too. 

      Sometimes I get physically symptoms I’ve never felt before and that’s when I think I’ve never felt this before so surely it’s something more than anxiety!! 

      I’ve been okay for a while now, I am very stressed at work at the moment so it does all make sense just cannot seem to convince myself. 

      Regarding the medication at the moment I’ve chosen not have any as I am currently having councilling and I wanted to see if that works but it is an option so I may look into this, thank you. 

  • Posted

    I've been getting all of your symptoms and then some more just for good measure.

    It could all be anxiety related!

    (Not a doctor or medical advice).

    • Posted

      Hello, 

      I am sure it’s anxiety but sometimes I can’t shift the thoughts when my head is telling me “you’ve got something wrong with your heart” it’s really horrible sometimes 😔 x

  • Posted

    All sound like anxiety for sure..I've had all of those and sometimes all at once also. Hope you're feeling a bit better now. Crazy how anxiety can make your body do all this crazy stuff.

    • Posted

      I am sure it’s anxiety but sometimes it’s hard to convince myself of this!! It’s very crazy How something mentally can make you feel things so physically! It’s draining sometimes x 
  • Posted

    Oh god is there enough space on this page to list all my symptoms? LOL I can try at least...

    So far in my 8 years of anxiety issues I have had (at some point):

    - Chest pains/chest muscle spasms

    - Arm/leg/face numbness

    - Dizzyness (feeling like I'm on a boat)

    - Depersonalization (feeling disconnected from my body and the world)

    - Head/neck/face muscle tension

    - Jaw muscle pain/tension

    - Cluster headaches/tension headaches

    - Insomnia

    - Tingling hands/feet

    - Racing heart

    - Sweating

    - Fatigue

    - Cold & sweaty hands/feet

    - Chills, hot flashes

    - Pressure/fullness feeling in my ears

    I thinkkkk that's all of them haha. Some of these I had together with other symptoms, some were alone. Chest pains lasted about 3 months for me, had bloodwork and EKG done and came back totally normal and after hearing that I calmed down a bit and then the symptoms subsided eventually. Tension headaches and muscle tension I have been dealing with now, on and off for about 4 months I'd say.

    I see a therapist and it helps a lot. I've also started to practice mediation.

     

    • Posted

      Hello! 

      Wow! What a lot of physical symptoms so sorry to hear that you have/are suffering with that. 

      I have also had tension headaches and they lasted for such a long while I actually got referred to the neurologist but all came back fine as I was expecting. 

      Lately it’s the palpitations I really cannot deal with them and not sure if it’s normal to have the amount I’m having daily at the moment? So I far I have had over 10 today and that worries me. 

      I hate anxiety and it’s really got the better of me this time. 😔

    • Posted

      Hopefully this may help...

      I'm currently reading this book called Anxiety & Phobia Workshop (6th edition). Pretty good so far. But anyway one of the chapters I just read last night actually went over common fears about anxiety and panic attacks that make your anxiety/panic worse. And one of them is the "what if a panic attack or the constant anxiety and racing heart gives me heart issues and/or heart attack"... And the book discusses how this is not possible. The reason for real heart issues or a real heart attack have nothing to do with your heart beating too much or too fast. It's a defect in the heart or a blockage. It goes on to say that the average human heart can withstand something like 200 bpm nonstop for days in a row and even that wouldn't harm your heart in anyway. It says it's actually quite amazing what stress your heart can physically endure without any issues arising.

      So morale of the story: you having heart palpitations and a racing heart from anxiety is not actually going to harm your heart whatsoever, even though you may worry and feel like it will. Your heart can withstand a LOT more than just bad anxiety palpitations. Your pulse from anxiety will never be over 200 bpm, and u now know the heart can withstand that huge amount, so no cause for concern.

      If you didn't have EKGs and Dr visits I would say to obviously go get checked. But being that you have been checked and it's clear its the anxiety, then you just need to focus how to calm yourself down better so you aren't uncomfortable with all these racing heart feelings.

    • Posted

      Oh and also! In this same book it says how anxiety heart palpitations etc. can lead to EKGs showing abnormal results sometimes. But heart issues are almost always eventually ruled out and it ends up being just anxiety as the cause and no actual issues.
  • Posted

    .. and for long time suffers (at least for me,ten years on and off.. well always there  but dies down to where I can manage it) .. attacks that spiral down never get any easier, no matter how  many times I've been seen by dr or at hospital,my mind says something has been missed and I'm done for this time. 

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