Anxiety and severe dizziness

[Dee_Junum]

I am a 27 year old female hoping that others out there have felt or are feeling the same as i am right now. For the past 6 months i have had extreme dizziness, headaches, nausea, stomach pains, fatigue, constantly thinking and been in and out of doctor surgeries. My blood tests, Ct scans and ultrasounds all come back normal with no signs of bad physicsl health. Why am i feeling like this?

I recently saw a therapist and she has told me I am suffering from depression and anxiety. Could these symptoms I am feeling be only related to depression and anxiety? 

Has anyone else out felt these symptoms? 

I feel like i am going crazy and no one is believing that i am feeling these symptoms. 

Any advice or stories would be greatly appreciated!

[56degree]

Hi Dee

I have been fighting anxiety for the last four or five months and have had all of those symptoms, with a few more thrown in for good measure.  It seems that when one stops, another decides to start. 

I too have had the CT scans, ultrasounds and blood tests which can point to reason for these physical symptoms.   I found the symptoms were worse when I was doing the tests - because I was terrified about the worst case scenario and what that would mean for my family.

After a few sessions with a psychologist, I am now beginning to accept that th symptoms are perpetuated by constant worry and anxious thought.  My goal is to stop dwelling on negative thoughts, reduce the anxiety, which will hopefully reduce the physical symptoms.

If you would like a bit of reassurance, you could see your GP and ask them whether, given the other tests are clear, t is likely that anxiety is causing the symptoms and if so, what can be done about it.

Thanks for sharing, hope things improve for you soon.

[Beltane]

Yes, i had all these symptoms and more when i had severe anxiety. (Past tense, as i dont have them anymore.

A typical day involved me waking up and spending the first few hours of the morning trying not to vomit. Needless to say i could only really work evenings, and took far too much sick leave. i continued to feel sick all day, had often terrible stomach pains like a knife was stabbing right through the middle of me. I got blinding headaches and migraines several times a week, heart palpitations, and dizziness particularly when i stood up.

I had every blood test, CT scan, ultrasound, and Xray known to man, i had 2 gastroscopies and a colonoscopy. I went to numerous doctors, specialists, then i went down the alternative medicine path- naturopathy. chinese medicine etc.
i was on really strong ani nausea tablets but they didnt help, i went on antacids and medications for dizziness, nothing helped.

Antidepressants made it worse, they all made me feel much worse. But that was because i was misdiagnosed- i didnt have depression, i had bipolar and severe anxiety. I did therapy of course, for 3 years, but it didnt ease the symptoms though it helped me live a better life.

The day after i started my bipolar med (an antipsychotic), i woke up not feeling sick for the first time in as many years as i could remember.

My anxiety has dissappeared, as has my depression and mood swings and other bipolar issues. All my bizarre and strange symptoms disappeared.

Yes, anxiety really can cause awful symptoms. The constant adrenaline in the system is really damaging, your body is constantly running in "high stress" mode which causes awful symptoms.

I hope my story can help somewhat. Medication and therapy cured me, and i now live a normal life with an enjoyable full-time job, hobbies, friends, a serious boyfriend....Life is great.

[Maxco]

Welcome to the forums, DeeJunum.

You state you have symptoms that are real such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, stomach pains.  I have suffered anxiety in one form or another all my life and from my teens to well over 30 I was skinny (may not be the case today).  When at home, I ate everything going but put me in the presence of other people - friends or work colleagues - and I instantly became nauseous and there was no way I could eat anything.  So for me socialising and food never went together and put a dampener on my social life.  

So yes, anxiety can create symptoms to mimic most illnesses and that is why you need to listen and follow your doctor's advice and also seek the help of perhaps a psychologist who can guide you to learn the ways to feel better about yourself and your surroundings.  You should always be aware of your body and any messages it tries to tell you. Don't fight those messages, acknowledge them but not dwell on them and again, listen to your health professionals. 

I'm getting there - it has taken time and  a lot of effort on my part to think differently about myself.

[Dan_]

Hi 56degrees,

any update on your progress? I’m going through this at the moment,

thanks

[Booklover17]

Hi Dee Junum,

A few months ago I kept getting migraines and headaches. I had never had a migraine in my life and just woke up with it. No doctor or ct scan told me what was going on and the doctors were not concerned but I was. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I now think it might have been my anxiety but no-one has ever told me that’s what it was. I haven’t had them come back so hopefully they are gone (I have been seeing a psychologist). The best of luck to you.