Anxiety and Stress Forum - Physical Symptoms of Stress????


Physical Symptoms of Stress????

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phsloman

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy

Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 6
Location: maryland

Physical Symptoms of Stress???? Posted: 08-31-04 14:21pm


I am a healthy 32 year old stay-at-home mother of three with a huge amount of stress just due to that situation, along with a very stressful financial situation that keeps my husband and I both up at night. I have been having tingling in both hands and feet, as well as just general fatigue, problems sleeping at night, and I also have some muscle twitching and jumping that I notice mainly at night while i'm trying to sleep. I also feel like my mind is lagging a little, I get things turned around and i'm more forgetful. I am sooooo stressed and have kept it bottled inside for years, I guess i'm wondering if the stress is coming out in these physical manifestations? Has anyone dealt with something like this at all? Could it be possible that this is stress-related? All my blood tests come out fine and I guess the next step might be mri. Can anyone tell me if these symptoms sound familiar?

little_woman

Active User, Really EHEALTHy

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 765

Posted: 08-31-04 14:24pm


You should see your doctor just to be safe but yes, most likely those are all symptoms of stress. They range from what you described to things like weight gain or loss or just about any thing you can imagine....Are your children affected? Ask them how they feel, children rarely show their parents their stress and it seems you all could use something to relieve the stress, is there anything you can do to help alleviate it? Meg

phsloman

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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 6
Location: maryland

Posted: 08-31-04 14:34pm


I've started meditation and yoga to try to relieve stress. I do believe with some time it will definitely help. I forgot to mention that my blood pressure has gone up to 145/90 and it's always been very normal. So i'm pretty sure it's stress related, but these other symptoms are really scaring me - the tingling in the hands and feet and the muscle twitching/jumping. I'm really worried I guess about neurological stuff.

little_woman

Active User, Really EHEALTHy

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 765

Posted: 08-31-04 20:55pm


Yoga is a great outlet and it should help, as for the blood pressure, go see your doctor cause that isnt unusual. Hey stress does all kinds of weird stuff to you, I went through a three month period where I lost 7 pounds in a week, took up drinking heavily and smoking i'm 21 so I have some better coping mechinisms! but I also had the twitching, fluttering heart and phantom pain, but it sounds like youve got a handle on things, let me know how it goes meg

phsloman

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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 6
Location: maryland

Posted: 09-01-04 07:21am


Hi meg! Thanks for the response again. Yes, I do think I have a handle on things and then I start to freak out again about the "weird" symptoms i'm having. Can you tell me more about the "twitching" you experienced??? It makes me feel better knowing i'm not going crazy! I also have had the heart palpitations on and off and that's a strange feeling. I do have a handle on the blood pressure now. It seems the meditation and yoga plus additional exercise are helping that a lot. Lately it's been quite normal, around 118/76. If you don't mind, let me know more about the twitching muscles . . . Does anyone know why this happens, and does anyone know why the hands and feet would tingle?? My neck has been very stiff on and off too. Thanks! Paula

little_woman

Active User, Really EHEALTHy

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 765

Posted: 09-01-04 14:37pm


I'm guessing a lot of the twitching is from nervousness or just being anxious, but I heard once that the twitching in your face is from an electrolyte or enzyme that is missing, some kind of nutrient or something, the heart palpatations are probably from your blood pressure,but yeah the twitching is weird isnt it? And for the neck thing it might be from the way your sleeping but ask your doctor about that.........Hope this helps! Meg

phsloman

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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 6
Location: maryland

What Kind of a Response Is That!!!!!???? Posted: 09-16-04 12:25pm


I cannot believe you would tell me that i'm dying! I just completed all bloodwork and mri tests and everything is normal. It actually does turn out that all of my symptoms have now gone away with the use of my anti-anxiety medication - lexapro. I'm feeling like a new person and I do not have fibromyalgia.

BADSAL

Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy

Joined: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 257
Location: PA

Posted: 09-16-04 15:07pm


I am a 33 year old married, working mother of 2 boys (8 and 4). A year ago I was very stressed out with just normal everyday life and money issues. I was upset, couldn't sleep, little things would set me off and get me mad, my heart would be beating so fast and I would feel like I was shaking. I was screaming at my husband and kids all the time. I finally got the nerve to call my doctor and she prescribed zoloft. It works wonderfully for me. I am happy again. I think we all get stressed out at times and it doesn't hurt to take medication to help. Take care.

bridget28ack

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Joined: 23 Jun 2004
Posts: 40
Location: Ohio

Phsloman Posted: 09-16-04 15:20pm


Hello, i was shocked when I read your post, it sounded like what I went through. I thought that I was the only one that has every felt like that. The tingling and the way you feel is exactly what I went through over a year ago. My blood pressure went sky high also. Which the doctor thought was odd since i'm 28, healthy (not overweight) and a nonsmoker. I took every test possible. Nothing was wrong with me. The doctor told me it was stress. I thought no way i'm fine. 2 weeks later I started having panic attacks. So I think you should see your doctor. I was put on 50mg of zoloft and that helped me. By the way ignore any post from nikos gallis. He has no idea what he's talking about. Thanks, bridget Last edited by bridget28ack on 09-16-04 15:28pm; edited 1 time in total

bridget28ack

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Joined: 23 Jun 2004
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Location: Ohio

Badsal Posted: 09-16-04 15:25pm


I totally agree with you badsal!!!!!! It has helped me also. Y bridget :d

BADSAL

Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy

Joined: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 257
Location: PA

Posted: 09-17-04 07:11am


Yeah- it is nice to know that others go through this same stuff. I know sometimes I would feel like I must be a terrible mom or something since I couldn't handle the stress. I know i'm a good mom but the stress sometimes makes ya crazy.... Right now my 3rd grader hates school and cries everyday when it is time to do homework. Talk about the stress.

scaredmom

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Joined: 29 Apr 2005
Posts: 1
Location: NJ

Posted: 04-29-05 07:49am


I am a 28 year old stay at home mom that has been experiencing similar symptoms I have numbess and tingling in my arms and legs and have seen an orthopedic b/c I have back problems that I thought may be causing this. It turns out my back wouldn't be causing the numbness in my arms. I also have night chills and have an upset stomach with muscle twitches. My ortho said to see a neurologist and I am very frightened by this. This all started when I began seeing a chiropractor for my back and I found out I have spondylothesis which is a slippage of my vertebra on my sacrum. The day I found this out is when I started feeling all these weird symptoms that have come on so suddenly. I am wondering after reading all of these posts that this may all be atttributed to stress. Or is a neurolgical problem? It's super scarey and I totally understand the way everyone is feeling! If anyone has any thoughts on this or can help please write me! Thanks scared mom

Filo

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Joined: 29 Apr 2005
Posts: 3

Posted: 04-29-05 10:36am


I had pretty much the full range of physical symptoms myself, and went through the usual fear that I had every nasty illness in existance, in the end it was only when I really accepted that they were truly anxiety symptoms that they would go away. Cognitive behavioural therapy can be a big help with that, helping to break the vicious circle, where you get a physical anxiety symptom, become convinced its a sign of a serious illness and that increases your anxiety and helps to exacerbate the symptoms. Scaredmom I certainly had the night chills, muscle twitches and upset stomach at one time or another and I would say its almost certainly nothing to worry about, but if you are worried go to a doc nad if they tell you its nothing, believe them!! When I was in the early days and my anxiety was utterly uncontrolled I would become continually convinced that the doctor's had missed something and that there really was something physically wrong with me!