Could it just be anxiety?

[Guest_41]

I recently gave birth to my beautiful daughter who is currently 12 weeks old. It was a really awful birth that resulted in an emergency c section - it was code blue due to her heart rate so it was so quick and as my partner described it was very violent as they tried desperately to get her out before she coded. It took 8 weeks to recover enough to walk and hold her on my own & the pain was excruciating. I was on so many pain relief medications... I started experiencing strange symptoms the week before my partner was due to return to work. its now become almost unbearable with no real answer as to why it's happening... I've had a few trips to ED. I have pain in my chest with what appears to be fluttering (nothing shows up as abnormal on ecgs) pain in my left arm & hand that doesn't cease as well as tingling. I also get similar sensations in my left leg from my shin down to my toes. I have inflammation under my tongue & just a general feeling of being unwell with it feeling like it's difficult to breathe... Sometimes it fills me with panic other times I feel completely calm and these symptoms come on... It doesn't seem to ever go away... I've had X-rays, blood tests, ecgs etc etc nothing shows up. I awoke to new stronger symptoms this morning and I'm just over it...

I just can't seem to get it out of my head that something is wrong with me and I'm going to die. It's torture living with this feeling Day & Night so I've turned to this forum.

is it just anxiety?

[sociallyawks]

Hi Midnightmoon,

Geez it sounds like you have been through something quite traumatic in your own body as well as your daughter. so no wonder its caused you some stress.

I'm not doctor, but only you know your body better than anyone and if something is not right, keep pursuing it , keep going back to the doctors or seek a 2nd opinion.

You have to let your body heal and the most important thing is to be healthy for your daughter.

I wish you the best

[Guest_41]

Hi Sociallyawks,

Thank you for your kind words. I have seen hmmmm 5 Drs now and none take me seriously. I did see one last week that decided a CT scan might be warranted so I might keep going back to him. I hope it's nothing I really do but surely anxiety can't manifest itself in this way... But who knows I'm not a Dr.

Thank you again for responding & wishing you all the best too

[BballJ]

Hi Midnightmoon,

Firstly, welcome to the forums. Congratulations on the birth of the little one. As tough as the birth sounded you still have a little miracle with you and that is great.

I am sorry to read what you have been through and to answer your question, could it be anxiety... well it may possibly be anxiety, I am by no means a doctor or trained health professional in any way so please take what I say with the smallest grain of salt. I can only talk from experience in the fact I have suffered from anxiety for around 10 years now and the first part of my anxiety was health anxiety. I actually remember when I was home alone when I was much younger and parents went away, I hated being home alone I was getting all these chest pains and what not and thought I was having a heart attack. I later learned it was my anxiety that was causing this pain due to not wanting to be home alone. I went for many blood tests and all came back negative and the doctor looked at me at one stage and said, you are too young to have a heart attack. I just wanted peace of mind really.

End of the day you do not want to take anything for granted after what you have been through with the birth. I would be triple checking everything and then triple checking again which I think is what you are doing. I read your last post that you found a doctor who is doing a CT scan, that is good and hopefully will be negative and give some peace of mind. May be worth bringing up that you think it might be anxiety, it cannot hurt to ask the questions from your doctor and see what they say about it.

My best for you,

Jay

[smidgen]

Hi, it's Smidgen again

If the doctors are satisfied your heart is healthy then chest pain, breathing difficulty and palpitations could be brought on by heartburn or acid reflux. Pain and pain meds can give you weird sensations too. Nerve pain can feel weird. I'm not a doctor, I'm just sharing info I've learnt over the years because I've felt like you.