Do TMJ, Reflux, & Anxiety Cause Symptoms?

[ChaoticGlow42]

I'm hoping I can word this so that people can understand what I am asking.While the doctors say that my problems are not serious (TMJ, Reflux and a great big dose of anxiety), I cannot fully convince myself. I have trouble believing that anxiety can bring on all of this. As I said before, I am going to see a therapist starting in a few weeks, so hopefully that will help.My question: Do the symptoms of anxiety linger even when you're not actually feeling anxious? For example....I can understand that I'd be hoarse when I'm having an anxiety attack, but would that stick around because I am having general problems with anxiety over these past few months. I could ask the same thing about other symptoms. All of my symptoms sort of come and go but I can't say they go away during the times that I feel I have kept my anxiety in check.Thanks...Jess

 

[Outlook1958]

From my experience I am quite sure that you can feel secondary anxiety symptoms even when you're currently not feeling anxiety. You need a really long period (several weeks at least I think) without anxiety episodes to make all of the symptoms go away. A good example is the symptom of rapid pulse. Your pulse can go up to 150 and more during a panic attack, but you might also notice that it is 90-110 (at rest) when you're not having too much anxiety right now. The brain and nervous system just need some time to adapt. That's also the reason why a single anxiety episode won't trigger long-term symptoms. Long-term anxiety however will, and it takes its time for everything to return to normal.Additionaly, remember that that what you perceive as anxiety is merely the top of the iceberg: Many psychologist say that "background anxiety" can cause a lot of symptoms, too. Thus, things like health anxiety do not come today, disappear tomorrow and reappear the day after tomorrow. It takes VERY much time to eradicate it or at least to force it back to a level where it doesn't cause any symptoms anymore.

 

[MarioMasher]

Yes they do stick around for a while.It has been proven that anxiety symptoms take on average four times as long to go away as they do to appear. So even though you can be perfectly calm, that doesn't mean your body is always going to be perfectly calm. If you have anxiety building up long enough for you to have an anxiety disorder, it can take a long long time to go away (my counselor told me 3 months minimum). So the short answer is YES. You can still have anxiety symptoms even if you aren't anxious anymore. It's why I believe that almost every single person on this board has or had had some type of an anxiety condition.

 

[simonw00]

Hi thereI am not familiar with your symptoms but your post read as if you were attributing ALL your symptoms to anxiety when, in fact, I assume that some of them are BFS related, in which case your BFS symptoms will grumble along irrespective of your state of mind (although anxiety will exacerbate them). The mind-body interface is complex but even purely psychosomatic symptoms can linger after acute anxiety symptoms have reduced. The physical nature of these symptoms tends to lead to a vicious cycle in which the symptoms themselves trigger anxiety (albeit low grade anxiety) which in turn feeds the symptoms in order to sustain them. Think of it as a spring which has become tightly wound - it will take some time to slowly unwind.Good luckSimon

 

[ListoR]

Hi, My theory is that I'm anxious when I don't realise I am. I'm well known as a person who holds her cool in the most trying of situations. When others are crumbling, I remain calm. In my work I deal with stress daily and nobody notices it taking a toll on me. I think something kicks in and I just cope. Adrenalin maybe? Anyway, I get delayed symptoms big time! As soon as I attempt to relax - WHAM! Twitches, panic attacks, palpitations, pins and needles. Sometimes WEEKS later! Usually during a holiday! My body can only maintain the coping mechanism for a while before it screams at me. I've said this before and I really believe it - I don't think that anxiety causes BFS but it DEFINITELY contributes towards it. The bottom line though - it's harmless - just hold on to that. Jan

 

[Outlook1958]

This is possible, ListoR. Having anxiety does not necessarily mean that you have to run around and scream all day, it's rather all about how your body deals with it. Many people say that you actually even don't have to perceive sth as direct, obvious stress for it to have negative effects on your nervous system. That also fits into the theory that anxiety can remain for quite a long time somewhere in the back of your mind and still be harmful.Interstingly, while my twitches don't really increase in stressful moments, those panic attacks with palpitations also usually occur when I'm actually supposed to relax, e.g. in the evening or on holidays. Maybe this has to do with distraction - if you're at work all day, your mind rather concentrates on what you're currently doing than on the anxiety, especially if it involves intellectual or organizational activity where you really have to concentrate on what you're doing.I also assume that things like panic attacks are more likely to occur if you actually combine several factors, in my case mainly:1. (health) anxiety2. stress3. too much caffeine4. too much alkohol5. lack of sleepI haven't proven that yet, but I haven't had any panic attacks or severe palpitations since I decreased 1., eliminated 3. and 4. and decreased 5. Maybe it's just coincidence however, I don't know.

 

[ChaoticGlow42]

Thanks everyone.I am doing a better job of not getting totally freaked out about all of this. I still think about it on and off during the day but I don't let myself dwell over it or sink into panic. I do feel, though, that the anxiety is still there and all I am doing is a better job of masking it. That makes people around me happier but probably isn't too good for me. I try and remind myself that all my problems can be linked to TMJ and Reflux. I ask, if i hadn't read anything about ALs, would it even occur to me to be worried about any of what i am feeling. Probably not...I'd just be annoyed with it. I wish that worked completely...the long term hoarseness (6 weeks at least...comes and goes but occurs basically at some point every day..even if I don't sound hoarse, I feel hoarse. I t gets very bad in the evening) and the jaw pain (stiffness, crooked mouth, teeth hitting) really bother me and I can't ignore that.Anyway...my anxiety is worse at rest (esp in the evening). I get panic attacks in bed. I had a bad one last night. On top of my health anxiety, we are moving tomorrow. I have been pack me, DH, 5 kids and the dog. Plus, we're going on vacation next week. In other words, I have plenty of 'normal' stress.Jess