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Strange symptoms. Told it's anxiety but am terrified!
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Hi, welcome
I haven't heard these physical symptoms of which you mention.
I can only suggest reading on google and if you don't find anything then stay concentrated on your anxiety.
Thete are hundreds of threads on anxiety. Read a few everyday. Good luck and here is one to get you started. Google it
Topic: Maharaji- he helped me for 25 years- beyondblue
Tony WK
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Hi opuses,
The short answer is yes, anxiety can cause cold sensations and burning sensations, even on the head.
Anxiety can cause a huge number of different symptoms and sensations, because anxiety is so much more than 'in the head'. There is a massive response in the body when we have anxiety. One possible reason that you could be having this sensation is because of the nerves around your face and head. When we get anxious we get tight around the shoulders and neck and the nerves that are on your neck are connected to the back of your head - this in itself would explain the sensations in your head.
The good thing about it being anxiety and not something more serious like a tumour or MS means that it's manageable and treatable. One thing that may help is trying to keep a record of when you experience these sensations; where was it, was it burning or cold, how long did it last, what were you doing, did anything make it better/worse? This can be a great way to start to identify patterns in what's happening and may help you recognise triggers.
It may also be helpful to talk to your GP about why he won't send you for a scan. Thinking nothing is wrong and not sending you for a scan are two different things; chances are your GP has drawn to the conclusion that your symptoms are not like those of MS because of xyz. Knowing why can often help relieve some of the unknowns.
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Hi Opus
When my anxiety is at it's worse, I get a burning sensation under my arms, like they're on fire, it's really painful and awful. The only things that helped me were anti-anxiety medication short-term, and seeing a psychologist and taking antidepressants long-term. I understand how you feel, I was sure I had some sort of nerve disease, but it was definitely anxiety. Has your GP suggested seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist, to help with dealing with anxiety?
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Hi opuses,
Thank you for posting and your reply back. I'm so glad that this info was helpful to you!
Anxiety is such a tricky beast in that there's a stigma over it that it's no big deal and 'just in our heads'. The reality is even though it might be in our head (brain) it actually affects 70% our our systems including musculoskeletal (muscles), respiratory (breathing), nervous system, cardiovascular (heart rate), reproductive system (periods and desire) and gastrointestinal (stomach issues). So it can kind of manifest itself in lots of different ways and this is why peoples experiences with anxiety will always be a little different.
The idea behind anxiety is that it's our 'flight or fight response', which supposedly comes from our ancestors quick need to react in scary situations. The problem now and the problem with anxiety is that the parts of our brain that react to anxiety are overexcited, so it can seem to come on suddenly and without a 'trigger'.
I'm glad that you've started keeping a diary and hope that soon you can notice little patterns and things. Maybe too it might be helpful to notice what happens at the very beginning; are you happy/content one second and in so much pain the next? Does it build; where does the anxiety start - how does it feel in the lead up to the burning/tension/cold sensations? Trying to be mindful in these situations is hard but can be so helpful.
Maybe hitting the pillow isn't a 'trigger' but instead your exhausted at the end of the day so your guards are down and anxiety is more likely to come on. I know this has happened with me a few times so it might be your experience too.
Anyway - hope this is helpful to you! I know anxiety can be a hard thing to wrap our heads around but I do believe that knowing about it makes it easier to manage. Also hope that getting the brain MRI can put you at ease. Best of luck with the psych and of course, feel free to let us know how it goes or to post again 🙂
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Hi.and maybe i can help. If i get very severe anxiety i get hallucinations. I see weird things and hear things as well.ive always had it. But otherwise its not there. .as for the hot and cold sensations. I have had some of those with axiety. But if it worries you.i would get another opinion for an eeg .and a scan. But i wouldnt get too many scans done cause that can be harmful. Another opinion wouldnt hurt. Sometimes not knowing brings on more anxiety symptoms. So eliminating the stress by getting a scan done can be of benifit. Cheers...Max.