Really bad health anxiety!

Hi i have been going through something that sounds the same but my problem is from anxiety thats causes no sleeping. One night I woke up at night with a panick attack i couldnt breath my sister called 911 n they said nothing was wrong so i went home and i was so scared still i tried to go to sleep but my body kept julting me awake then a whole night passed n no sleep just getting julted awake over n over so for 4 days i didnt sleep then i started to panick even more i went to doctor they prescribed me xanax and i took that everynight to sleep since i couldnt anymore after 2 wks xanax didnt work anymore so i went back told them and they just uped my dose i took that for sleep for the rest of the month n still didnt feel rested i still felt anxious n tired tingly on my legs n arms n face now i tried sleeping with no medication n i could go days without sleeping n then finally my body passes out but for only like 30 min then again another 3 days with no sleep Its been 2 months n I dont know what to do anymore i feel chest pain, head is heavy, my ears ring, eye pressure and sensative to light, i feel sad and scared most days because i cant smell nothing anymore from hyperventing so much at night and my memory is really bad now i can barely concentrate i have no emotions makes I feel so stupid my skin feels cold and numb, my throat feels dry my hips n back hurt and and everytime i try to sleep all the pressure goes to my head n ears i feel like they are going to explode. My body feels like its going to colapse It makes me sad that i got this far maybe if i would of got help since the begining maybe i wouldnt be on so much sleep debt n no one can help me not even doctors all they do is just prescribe me more meds and say its just anxiety that its all in my head.

Hi,

I'm very sorry to hear about all of your anxiety issues, I hope you are all coping and are attempting to make some sort of attempt to combat it. Mental health problems are incredibly significant in today’s society and a huge goal of mine is to understand them and devise an approach to help solve and help people like you and myself. Mental issues such as anxiety, depression and bi-polar are incredibly hard to research in respect to the physical on goings inside the brain due to the absence of technologies advanced enough to provide accurate data on such issues. 

Mental problems are very much underestimated in general society and to put things into perspective; PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) is comparatively equivalent to quadriplegia in respect to the effect on the person’s life. 

I'm 18 and study science and engineering, I had my first anxiety attack 3 months ago due to contemplating the possibility of developing bipolar/depression as my father has the disease. Since then I have gone through a few more anxiety attacks and experience generalised health anxiety on a regular basis in response to symptoms which aren't normally associated with health problems. My anxiety has itself created very similar symptoms and in most cases the very same to what you have all gone or are going through such as tightening of chest. I have been to see various health professionals who have all diagnosed me healthy as many of you have.

It is very important that you all understand and accept that what you have is hypochondria and not a physical issue, it is actually entirely mental. It is important you all understand I am not a health professional, and thus don't take my word on everything written. I haven't actually cured myself of it as yet but I think I understand the process which I am going to utilise until it is removed from my life.

To get through health anxiety it is incredibly important to begin by filling your life with things which take up your time and distract you from contemplation of health worries. This will make it easier in the long run as it will probably take a while to get through your issues. The most important thing you should all do to combat it, is see a psychologist as soon as possible. I don't feel like mine is at that point yet but if it worsens it will be my next step. 

In order to overcome this by myself I realise that I must first understand what is wrong, I am certain that it is my brain responding to symptoms or even threatening thoughts with fear which in turn results in anxiety. This is initially caused by my constant thought of, ''what if''. I realised this about a week ago, that me thinking ''what if'' in response to any kind of abnormal physiological experience or thought is the underlying cause of my anxiety. It would result in googling of symptoms, which is NEVER a good idea because of so many variables that aren't incorporated, always seek a doctor first! Google any symptom and it will most of the time result in some sort of illness which could result in death, so for someone with anxiety it is crucial that you understand this isn't the way to go. 

Once you understand that it is all in your head you should use this to your advantage whenever anxiety begins to befall you. First identify the issue then remember all of the occasions when you have been certain something was wrong but were assured otherwise by various health professionals. Writing down these experiences could be invaluable to getting over later ones. It is critical to remind yourself of what you have read on here about other people going through many health issues where they have thought they could be dying and in the end they have been diagnosed healthy.  

I must stress this to the upmost importance, the key is that you have health anxiety and your health anxiety is caused by your tendency to think ‘what if it’s this or what if I have that’’. Understanding that this is the problem is crucial as well as understanding that consciously pondering and thinking about the symptoms can worsen them to the point where if it was in a person without health anxiety it may be a problem, but in people like us, you must understand that it is our hypochondria status and nothing more. It can be a vicious cycle but one that I don’t think will be too difficult to break after understanding this.

I'm sorry I can't provide any further information on how to combat anxiety but I have only just begun my journey to relieving it as I have only just put all of this together tonight. I'm certain the goal to relieving it in the end is attaining acceptance of the fact that it is all solely to do with my mental side asking ‘’what if’’. I’ll be sure to report on my progress in the coming weeks, and thankyou to all who have read this and are attempting to associate their experiences with what is written here. 

Hi lucy everything you are experiencing is exactly how I feel from waking up to going to bed it's a awful draining experience if you want to talk that would be great we could help each other Gill x

Hi lucy84536,

I completely understand where you're coming from. I had never suffered from anxiety until the birth of my daughter. She is now 5 and a half months old and I have suffered/am suffering with what the doctor has told me to be 'health anxiety' since I was around 1 month postpartum.

I have always been a healthy person - like you, I don't have the healthiest diet and I am not one to exercise regularly (however I don't drink or smoke). Towards the very end of my pregnancy I was induced due to having high blood pressure and retaining fluid. My birth was natural with no complications, however, at 3 days postpartum I was rushed back to hospital with that the midwife who happened to be visiting my daughter and I at home believed to be a possible mini stroke. I was kept in the hospital for 4 days and many blood tests, MRI's and CT scans were done on my brain to determine whether or not what I had experienced at home (numbness and tingling in the right side of my face and hand, as well as being unable to speak properly and a drooped face) was in fact a mini stroke. The results came back from my MRI and CT scan and my brain was 'perfectly healthy' according to the specialist at the hostpital who was looking after my case. My case was put down to postnatal preeclampsia (a rare but potentially life threatening sickness if not treated in a timely manner). In hospital they drained the fluid I was retaining my legs and feet and discharged me with blood pressure medication. I was to take one tablet each morning, take my blood pressure and send a text message to the specialist at the hospital. After about 3 weeks of taking this medication, my blood pressure had stabilised and I was slowly weaned off the medication. Since then, my blood pressure has been normal. When I first arrived home from the hospital, my blood pressure was very low (the specialist put me on a high dosage of blood pressure medication to lower my blood pressure, then slowly wean me off the tablets until my blood pressure was 'normal'. It was horrible, I was dizzy and had no energy. As part of my discharge from the hospital, the specialist neurologist referred me to have an echocardiogram and transosophegal ultrasound on my heart. I have had both of these done as well as an ECG and the cardiologist has assured me that I don't have anything wrong with my heart. Although, I still feel as though there is something wrong, and every day am terrified that I will drop dead from an undiagnosed heart condition. I was put on an anxiety medication called Endep 10, but I didn't find that helped so I have stopped taking it. I guess the trauma of being seperated from my daughter at 3 days postpartum has created the anxiety, I was devastated, and I guess I am terrified that it will happen again and that I will be apart from her.

The worst part about it is, that the anxiety symptoms respresent those of heart conditions (chest/arm/jaw pain, rapid heart rate, I also get a 'dropping' sensation in my chest, the type you get when on a rollercoaster)...

I have tried my hardest to stop thinking about it, but I constantly find myself on Google researching my symptoms, which creates more anxiety. It really is horrible. I am now seeing a psychologist to help me deal with these thoughts when they pop into my head.

Good luck with everything, accepting that you have anxiety is the first step to getting better.

Yah. I also feel exactly same. For last 1.5 years. Suddenly one day i felt a pain in ma chest. Its very mild. Then i checked its gastritis heart burn. Since that im so conscious and worrying about my health. Also i have a left neck nerve and and left arm nerve pain. Like my fingers twitching. I taken mri also its normal. I taken all the essential tests. All came out with normal. But still im sad and i feel very bad about me and some times i feel why we born and having this much problems in the life. I feel some times so fear about the world. Its not a safe place. All makes me crazy and depressed the whole day. I also donno what to do next? Please anyone can help me for my problem.

Hello Lucy, 

How are your tingling and numb sensations now? 

5 months ago while my husband I were visiting family I had a severe panic attack because I had tingling and numbness in my face then it was in my arms and legs. It lasted off n on a month. Then it went away completely for two and half months. It had returned. I feel like a insect is playing tag on different parts of my face hands and legs. I too have health anxiety. I just want to find a forum where someone had this but it went away and wasn't serious to give me hope. Because I'm going crazy. I'm wearing myself out constantly rubbing the area that tingles or checking the mirror to confirm its a hair not my nerves. 

I have the exact same symptoms i know this was over a year ago but have you felt any better ur symptoms could be related to smoking i smoke as well and all of a sudden thats when i feel these crazy symptoms

I really am glad I'm not the only one who suffers like this, I recently got diagnosed with costochondritis as well and ever day it feels like I'm having a heart attack even though I've seen several doctors and cardiologists for ecgs and blood tests everything came back fine. As I said glad it not just me

I hate it I'm now drinking everyday to get over my anxiety, I'm 27 and experience all the symptoms of a heart attack apart from elephant sitting on my chest but I'm nearly twice a week in AnE, I don't want to be sitting there thinking I'm having a panic attack then feel the crushing pain on my chest before it's too late

I mean this is absolutely insane. I have all the same symptoks 😞😞😞

Hi, I also suffer with anxiety and have been for 12 yrs or more. I too have these strange feelings in my arms and chest. The dizzy spells too. It's all apart of anxiety. My therapist said it's because I hold things inside, and I need to let go of something in my mind, and I need to go work out tat helped a lil, until I had another panic attack in the gym. I thought everyone was watching me, and could tell I was losing my damn mind, but they wasn't, it was just me freaking out.... I took meds once or twice, but I don't like the side affects. So what I did was go to the health food store and asked alot of questions, and I was told that if I took b-complex or magnesium it would help with the anxiety, well I tried it and it worked for a while until my mind started over powering me...i brought a blood pressure monitor, so I can check it myself, I have had over a dozen test done on my heart, from EKG's, echocardiograms, stress test, treadmills, x-rays, MRI, sonograms, and they found nothing wrong with my heart, they did however said I had Acid reflux or Gerd, now I only have anxiety when I'm on my cycle or when it's coming....my friends and family are helping me with it as well....the b complex helps and wine.....lol. I hope this helps....good luck

I'm going through exactly the same thing , I'm 16 years old , smoke, over the last 3 weeks I have been hospital twice and doctors down to racing heart beat , tight chest and a tingling down my arm and sometimes in legs , I'm reading everything on google convincing myself I'm going to have heart attack , I've had several ecg's done , heart montiored , 10 lots of bloods taken and they're all fine , but I just don't believe them I'm sure I'm not ok , can anyone help , also a touch of tooth ache and all my symptoms are the same as a heart attack on google

Hi Lucy. All of your symptoms seem very familiar. About 10 years ago I was in Denver training for a job. Very stressful. If I didn't pass the test I didn't have a job. One night in my hotel room something happened to me. My heart started racing and I got palpitations. I started to panic and ran out of my room to get some fresh air. Went for a walk. Then checked the internet for symptoms and it turned out I had a panic attack. Later I found out it was brought on by stress. I was also suffering from anxiety because of the intense training I was going through. After this experience I became more health conscious to the extreme. More like a hypochondriac. This was all in 2005 and 06. In 2007 everything turned for the worse. I left the job I trained for and I loved for another job closer and more 9 to 5 ish and weekends off. But I wasn't happy. I felt like a blue collar worker while my wife wore slaks and high heels to work. Plus she always made more. As a feel months into the job I felt really down. My wife's behavior toward me became different. In a way that I started feeling in easy. I noticed she was taking longer grocery store visits. Going out with friends more. Meaning not wanting to be home. I though she might be cheating. Well in a nut shell it sent me in a downward spiral. I started drinking heavily. I would go to work extremely tired. Smoking. One night on my way home I couldn't stay conscious while driving. Like I was fighting to stay awake. I was having what they call micro sleep episodes. Very close to a narcoleptic episode. It comes from when the sufferers have too much sleep debt. Meaning your so tired your mind and body wants to just shut down. At this point I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't drink caffeine because it made me feel worse. Like I was crawling out of my skin. I found out that my blood type does not like sleep deprivation and stress. My symptoms got worse and more interesting. Bad headaches, severe fatigue. I felt like I was dying. I went to the doctor and he said I needed to get off the alcohol so they could get a baseline. He also said it looks like I have a lot of anxiety and I'm depressed. So they put me on meds. Still no resolve at this point and I knew I was in for a long fight. So ahead a few years in 2012 I went to my mothers out of state and quit drinking. After a few months of sobriety I still felt the same, just not as bad. Still had the brain fog, fatigue and general crappy fealing. So I lived with it till now 2016. I went to a neurologist. He said I have a weak chin. I asked him what that meant. He said that I might be a good candidate for sleep apnea. So I took the sleep test and what would you know? I have severe sleep apnea. My tongue is choking me in my sleep. He said as we age or under chronic stress our skin tissue sags. So my tongue is blocking my airway in my sleep. All my symptoms are due to obstruction. My blood type, sleep apnea and drinking was all playing a huge roll in what I was experiencing. So all these years I thought I was going crazy and I feared for my life. So you might want to get tested. Yes you can have anxiety and depression because sleep deprivation depresses the brain. And can cause all kinds of problemss. Palpitations are one of them. I take magnesium for that. I'm currently waiting for surgery. I will not tolerate the cpap. So go get tested. Hope this helps.