Severe Health Anxiety: My Story

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EnlgishBirder

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As some of you know I've been twitching 9 months or so and have severe health anxiety. Recently I was feeling more positive but I played tennis last Friday after not doing exercise for around 6 weeks due to an operation. I did give it some welly and aout halfway through I jarred my hamstring in my right buttock and thigh. It was getting better but I went to the gym yesterday and it was fine. Now it's worse than ever. I'm fi ding it hard getting upstairs it's so painful. My right knee is now twitching and I'm starting to feel anxious again. My shoulders are also twitching. Ironically it's always been the left leg that's given me problems.Am I being silly? Can these things take a while to get better? Would someone who is developing *** get problems like over strained muscles more easily than normal? Husband says it's because I'm unfit and not young anymore! I'm 44.Thanks
 
I think your husband is right. Age like ours means our ligaments become less flexible and therefore we really can get them strained easily. Tennis is extremely strenous excersise, and if you are doing that after 6 month break, it is quite possible.Give yourself a bit of rest, and I am sure you would be fine again.
 
I strained my left calf muscle in October as I was running down the stairs playing with my dogs and decided, like an idiot, to playfully jump down the last two stairs. During the "takeoff" I felt and heard a pop, and I couldn't put any weight on it for a day or two. I went to an orthopedic doctor and he said it was a very common injury, in fact strained or pulled muscles are the most common injury in those over 30, and especially those who have just taken up exercising after a period of idleness, and especially tennis players. Also, those who are stressed out tend to have tense muscles, and that plays a part in it as well. Sound familiar? :) Incidentally, after a long period of remission from twitching, I had a hotspot on my left arch and randoms all over, due I believe to the inflammation of the injury. The twitching subsided as the injury healed in a few days. Also, although I felt as good as new after a week, the doc told me that I was still healing and to avoid quick acceleration, as in going slow and then deciding to jump (which is what I did and what tennis players often do I believe) because that shift in motion is what causes the injury. I am 100% now, and I bet if you rest up you will be too my friend.
 
Thank you. I'm still in pain but better than yesterday although I'm now convinced I have a dent in my right calf muscle when I contract the muscle and I'm sure it was not there before. It's similar on the left but not so pronounced. I feel I'm slipping back and getting quite anxious after having a good month of no worry :(
 
if worries come more or less on schedule, it might be associated with our hormonal tidal actions :) so probably it is one of those issues...everybody have dents on their legs, especially beneath that 'belly type' calf muscle (gastrocnemicus?), it is 100 % normal.
 
There is a top post somewhere on this forum about dents. Please read it because I think it will give you some reassurance. Believe me I've noticed quite a few dents on my body myself through the years and when I bring them up to neuros no one is ever concerned. No one is symmetrical, and dents without weakness really don't mean much. I've been told by my chiropractor that the entire muscle in question would shrink, not just a dent. I'm sorry you're going down this dark path again. It's up to you to change your thought pattern and to stop examining yourself. You've been twitching for 9 months. You had a clean clinical exam. You have no weakness or true atrophy, just a debt and pain. It's not als.
 
I'm now in full on panic mode. I have looked at my calves and they are different shapes . It doesn't help that the one that's more "defined" is the leg I hurt playing tennis. Perhaps it's more prone to injury because it's being affected by ***?It doesn't help that I'm supposed to be stronger on my right leg but because of the thigh pain I can't do things as easily as my left leg.I've booked to see my physio tomorrow. Do you think mom overreacting?
 
I think you're at a point where nothing we say here will reassure you, so if you've already booked an appointment to give you peace of mind then by all means go. Keep us updated and take care.
 
Also, maybe go back and read your old posts and your journal (If you don't have a symptom journal I suggest you start one). You were once worried about your left leg, now it's your right.
 
Well just to update if anyone is interested! Physio was great and has said its definitely a strain - seems like my piriformis muscle. She strength tested me and my right leg is fine in that way.She also looked at my calf and thigh and said both fine.It's so horrible being back on this train though. My post nasal drip and coughing is worse again (I have had this all my life) but sometimes it's ok and sometimes not. I'm now thinking it's bulbar and am focusing on all these weird symptoms like the fact that I keep coughing halfway through a sentence. I feel like I'm never going to get over this fear :(I keep thinking that perhaps this time it's for real.
 
Post nasal drip has nothing to do with bulbar and everything to do with allergies and the cold weather. Bulbar is so very rare and fast progressing, that one doesn't question it...it's pretty unmistakeable. Please don't waste any more time worrying about it. You would have issues talking that others would notice and wouldn't be able to pronounce certain sounds. You would have issues swallowing. Coughing when you have post nasal drip means allergies or a cough/cold. I'm glad to hear that your physio was great.
 
Thank you Emmie for your reply. I do need to revisit my posts as it really does go in cycles. Leg so much better today as well after sitting on a tennis ball! It really does help even though I was really cynical. X
 

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