So I've experienced general health anxiety for decades now, but never had anything like this happen to me before. Things got kind of bad during Covid - bad enough that I finally started seeing a therapist. She helped - and things got better - but I wasn't clicking with her enough to make the changes I need to in order to keep seeing her when her schedule changed. For a couple of years, everything was just fine. Until very recently.
Over the past 2 weeks, I've been experiencing numbness in my hands and feet, along with a few other symptoms. It is entirely possible the initial symptoms were caused by general anxiety. The rains we've experienced here this winter threatened to cancel and radically change a large hiking trip I was organizing for a few friends over the past several months, and I was stressing on the weather all week - trying to both prepare to go and prepare a backup plan in case we were washed out. Thankfully the trip happened mostly without a hitch - but the damage was done.
The numbness started the worry. My general head fogginess and sinus issues that are common with rapid weather changes and rain heightened the unease, and I started to spiral. Every weird feeling spiked a panic, and Dr. Internet reinforced I had the worst. A trip to the doctor helped, but as I imagine is common with things like this, didn't answer everything. I had bloodwork in January (which was normal), and he took some blood for a few double-checks as well as did some reflex checks. He assured me that he didn't think it was something serious like MS due to the way it was presenting, suggested it was related to anxiety, and opted to take a wait and see approach. That kind of worked, for a few days. The numbness even started to get better over the next day or two. Until Sunday night.
I have suspicions about the trigger - but on Sunday night, I had a massive anxiety attack. I did my best to reign it in, but it persisted into Monday morning. I was far from any real town ... and a visit to a paramedic and a long remote call from my doctor was necessary to get me to calm down enough to get home and try to relax. Finally today my mind is starting to return to normal, but the numbness/tingling is still there in my hands, feet, and even my tongue and front teeth. Other symptoms are helping to keep the noise going. Is that weird feeling in my hips and thighs muscle soreness from the hike a week ago (still)? Or is it jelly legs from the anxiety? Or worse, a sign of something more sinister?
Now I am in this horrible waiting pattern while I try to find a therapist, wait on the physical symptoms to evolve or dissipate over enough time to warrant going back to the doctor, all the while wondering just how long this is supposed to last?
I cut out so much to keep this short, and I see now it still isn't AT ALL short, so apologies in advance, and thanks for reading.
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Generic809
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Hey welcome. Sorry about everything you’ve had to go through. Being in that waiting pattern is tough I know. Health anxiety can really cause problems it makes us question every little symptom and turning to Dr google is never good because you’ll diagnose yourself right into the worst case scenario. I would listen to your doctor about hands and feet tingling. It could be related to anxiety but could also be something else. Many therapists are available online today via zoom if that might work for you. Deep breathing and running helps me. I know what you’re going through as I’ve been there many times myself. You will find a variety of support from many good people here. Best wishes to you.
Yes - Dr. Internet is evil. I find even when I do it benignly - and don't get a catastrophic diagnosis, it makes me THINK about what I am feeling, and amplifies it.
I did make a consultation appointment for next Friday - which is rough, but I suppose isn't too long. I am also going to look into Transcendendal Meditation - I have a couple of friends who do it and sing its praises. Can't hurt to try. In the meantime ... trying to steel myself of a week of jitters and brain fog. At least today I was calmer on the whole...
Regarding Transcendental Meditation: There are many people here who benefit greatly from meditation of different kinds. You just happen to get a welcome from the one person here who CAN’T meditate, but most everyone else here does. Sorry I’m no help there. Unfortunately It makes me overthink.
Glad you’re doing better today tho. Every little bit helps. Keep posting here, especially about meditation, and you’ll get lots of support, ideas, and advice. Xx
Well, supposedly TM works, even if you can't meditate. I hope that is true - my brain is all kinds of noisy. Supposedly, it doesn't matter what your brain is doing. We will see the truth of that soon ...
Made some progress. Last night was a bit rough - triggered a couple of times, but managed to calm down. In addition to making that therapist appointment, I got my Chiropractor in today, and am getting a B12 shot at lunch from the doctor. Hopefully the physical symptoms are better today so my mind can calm down a bit...
Hey, didn’t know that about TM. If it doesn’t matter what your brain is doing then maybe it would work for after all. Very interesting. B12 is great idea. Many people don’t realize how low their levels are. I know how hard it is to calm the mind. Do you listen to music? I play piano and am learning guitar which helps distract me from all the madness. Have never tried a chiropractor but have heard positive things from others. Does it help calm your mind?
The B12 thing is kind of funny right now. So to preface this - I have a great doctor. This sounds bad, but I am chalking it up to his staff. At my appointment last week, he ordered some bloodwork to check some basic stuff, including vitamin levels. He also ordered the B12 shot.
Well, his staff came in, gave me the shot, THEN came back and drew the blood. Wouldn't you know it - my B12 levels were through the roof!
When he called me with the results, he explained he had "already had a talk with them about that" - but now we really don't know if my B12 levels were low or not. Everything else was fine. Annoying.
I have to admit - my tingling went away a couple of days after that, until my massive attack on Sunday. Was it the shot? Was I distracted by my trip actually happening? No idea.
I did recall last night I had changed my daily multivitamin. I had a bottle of the old stuff, and I compared the B12 levels. The NEW one was like 400%RDV, while the old one was 1600%RDV. So the old on had MUCH more. So maybe?
But then, if that is the cause - what is wrong with my body that 400% of RDV is not enough B12? It isn't like I don't eat meat!
So maybe not so helpful. I guess we will see how things go after the shot today.
I rarely have time to just "listen to music" anymore, sadly. I do listen to some in the car on my commute occasionally. I am hoping the TM will fill that deliberate mental relaxation role.
Chiropractor only indirectly helps my mind, but it does help by relaxing my body. I finally found a good one - which to me is amazing. Let's just say there are a lot of different philosophies to the discipline, and I like one with more of a "sports therapy" kind of approach. It helps relieve a lot of tension ... tension that causes other physical aches and pains, which can trigger the anxiety. So it is like a relief valve.
Oh wow, what a disaster at doctors office. Hope they don’t overdose you on B12! That’s very strange no doubt that staff was not aware of what was going on. I take a super-B complex supplement and it has 4100% of the RDA. My doctor told me that sounded high and said too careful as too much of certain B’s can’t cause nervousness. Because I’m a runner I figured it was probably ok but am now rethinking it. Last year levels were normal tho.
Sports therapy type of chiropractor sounds interesting. Would like to try it but always afraid they might accidentally break my neck lol! Think I read about an accident once involving a chiropractor and it stuck in my brain.
Just doing the shot once a week for a month. Doctor says he doesn't think there is any real harm to being too high for a bit, so since it is short term, we will see.
She always has a hard time cracking my neck - but doesn't push it. If it happens, it happens. She does work the neck muscles, so I at least get some relaxation out of it. Neck will eventually crack on its own a little later!
If ever there was proof of how much of this is in my head - I got my B12 shot. At the same time, I immediately felt better AND worse. Neither should have happened. It seemed like the tingling briefly stopped, and I felt nervous - my brain saying "what if this doesn't work?!?!"
I continue to be amazed at how much physical impact the mind has...
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