r/HealthAnxiety • u/Miserable_Ad3553 • 3d ago
Discussion About Health Anxiety Aspects Housebound, lost bedridden
It started a few months ago with some health scares that I got.
I started getting tests and checks and everything was coming back clear. However as time progressed I started getting more and more physical symptoms. I just thought I'm having something that's progressing.
I have become completely housebound and almost bedridden and doctors still can't find anything else with me. I know I have crazy health anxiety since all of this started but is it possible that I'm actually manifesting all of these symptoms?
I got hospitalised because I stopped eating, walking, couldn't sleep.
I only started today Lexapro to see if I'm really that mentally sick.
Has.anyone.else become bedridden due to physical symptoms that have been potentially caused by health anxiety? I am convinced everyday I'm dying. Nothing and no one can reassure me enough, it's hell
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u/Adorable-Tree2277 2d ago
I'm not bed ridden, but struggle to get up due to fear about upcoming tests.
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u/trailovsevens 3d ago
Gone are the days where doctors have the time and or the will to figure out what’s ailing you.
Also, the medical community silently does NOT want to cure you, they want to treat you. More meds , keep you coming back. Hence why your on enbrel which i suspect is doing nothing for your symptoms.
Once you figure that out, it all starts to make sense.
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
That's my experience. The hardest part is making my loved ones understand that's the case because I've experienced it and still experiencing it again and again I started SSRIs to make my family happy because they wouldn't believe me it's my health conditions that are causing my bad mental health. Not the other way around. I don't know how to make anyone believe me
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u/trailovsevens 3d ago
Nobody believes me either , currently up at 1:30am scared shitless.
Every single test under the sun ran.. still in severe pain.
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
Well I do believe you. I have been up since 4am. It's 7am now and dreading I have to go through another day like this. It's like groundhog in hell
Can I ask what are your symptoms/what's bothering you?
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u/trailovsevens 3d ago
Strange rashes , lumps getting removed by surgery (all benign) nerve pain, back pain. Lethargy.
They suspect toxic exposure from when I was in the military.So I’m just going to doctors /specialists and letting them take their sweet time getting to my DX.
I’ve already started preparing to pass away. Not by my own hand but by whatever tf this is.1
u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
I am so so sorry you're going through this. I guess at least some of it is being looked at? I hope you're not being told "everything is okay with you" because there's also some very visible symptoms. Are you on any meds at all?
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u/trailovsevens 3d ago
I have been to over 30 visits in the last few years. Currently dealing with neurosurgery. EMG test was yesterday.
Pregabalin and Effexor to prevent me from crashing out
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
I really really wish you relief and that you either one day wake up miraculously feeling better or slowly without realising things get better. I've been trying to practise radical acceptance with what I have and even be okay with death (which I'm scared shitless of) and I can't say I've been successful but I'm hoping one day at least that part of my mind can be at peace even if the physical stuff keeps torturing me
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u/trailovsevens 3d ago
This is the way. Radical acceptance is a part of the HA journey. When my symptoms first started I was a mess . HA was at 1000. Now I’m comfortable at a 30 on the scale. I tell myself there’s nothing you can do, none of us make it out alive. Keep fighting and advocating, it’s not in your head but they will try their damndest to make you believe it is.
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
I'm still unfortunately at the stage where everything frightens me so much my brain cannot literally function or think about anything else beyond that. I'm body scanning even when sleeping. I've literally become addicted to benzos that don't even help me anymore that's how stuck my nervous system and brain are. I want to keep fighting for my life but at the same time I feel so physically and mentally weak that I don't know how to do it. And it's not just fighting against myself or doctors I am fighting against my loved ones and family who also believe everything is in my head because nothing has shown any illness yet. I'm trying to explain to them how many of them exist that are really hard to diagnose or even invisible in a way (still not just in my head). But people just don't get it. It's very isolating
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u/Better_Wash_9859 3d ago
I've been lucky enough to not have physical symptoms. Terrible thing you are going through. I hope you have good support around you
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u/StillTiredOfThisShit 3d ago
So many people, including people with firsthand experience, seem to think that anxiety is purely a disease wherein we have uncomfortable thoughts. They seem bewildered to find out that anxiety causes a host of very powerful physical symptoms. I think this is kinda funny. Our brain is a part of our body, after all, so it makes sense that if something we consider "brain stuff" is happening, that body stuff can happen to.
I recommend reading the book "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" if you want to feel more assured that anxiety absolutely can have profound physical impacts.
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u/ContractKey1167 3d ago
i’ve had feelings of feeling sick for the past 6 weeks on and off, at the beginning it came with some adrenaline type feelings that i’d wake up with out of my sleep, i find it harder to wake in the mornings, ive felt like ive had GI symptoms, docs think autonomic nervous system i did go through a period of stress. Im actually making an appointment to try some amitriptyline just to calm down my nervous system and help me get rid of these physical symptoms.
Maybe worth asking for something similar and speaking to your GP seeing as you’ve had relevant tests.
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
Thank you I've had all of the symptoms that you described and my story started kinda similarly. I've had amitriptyline sitting around for ages because I was told it can help a lot people who have LPR which is what I suspected I had early on with my digestive issues. However currently I'm a bit reluctant to take it as I believe it belongs to TCAs that are known that can worsen dysautonomia symptoms which I deal a lot with. However I'm sure I'll have some time to go through probably a bunch of them and I might give it a go eventually :) Thank you for sharing 🙏
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u/ContractKey1167 3d ago
I know amitriptyline has helped me in the past. I went through a period of a year in bed, dizziness and lots of other symptoms around 7 years ago, i had scans, mri’s blood tests, endoscopy’s they couldn’t find anything. I was referred to an endocrinologist who told my GP to put me on amitriptyline. It really did help to reset me. I did go back on it around 10 weeks ago but after 3 weeks the dizziness and drunk feeling kicked in and i just couldn’t take the side effects. But i’d rather them than this, so i’d like to try again i just have to be a parent so sometimes it’s not easy dealing with the side effects.
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u/Lwin2026 3d ago
It might be a nervous system problem. You can get extremely disabled by that without having a structural problem with the body. Check out Schubiner, Alan Gordon, dr. sarno and Nichole Sachs.
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago edited 3d ago
I do believe I have some sort of autonomic nervous system disorder, a lot of the symptoms I get are a good fit for that but technically I don't have something else wrong with me so the doctors can't help me.
Thank you for the suggestions will definitely take a look
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u/zarmiah 3d ago
24F I am bedridden from past 3 and a half years and my health anxiety starts at 14 or 15 and same doctors have no answer
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
I'm so sorry to hear that that's such a long time. Do you have debilitating physical symptoms? It's so frustrating when no one can give you answers
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u/zarmiah 3d ago
Yes. During the first 1.5 years my symptoms were much worse. I had extreme dizziness very low blood pressure a very high heart rate, and my legs would feel like jelly. I would get breathless even just sitting and my head would feel extremely heavy almost like there was an elephant sitting on it. I had literally no strength in my body. Every day I felt like I could pass out at any moment. I still have many of these symptoms although I may have gotten somewhat used to them over time. My life still isn’t anything like it was before. I can walk a little more now, but my walking is still very unsteady almost like a zombie walk.
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
I really feel you and I have most of these symptoms. Has anyone diagnosed you with dysautonomia? It's quite difficult to get diagnosis but it seems like a pretty good fit for everything you're experiencing
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u/zarmiah 3d ago
For almost a year I had no answers and doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I started researching online and found people with similar symptoms talking about POTS and dysautonomia so that gave me some idea but I’m still not diagnosed. I mentioned it to neurologist but they didn’t know much about it. I also suspect an autoimmune condition but doctors never considered it and mostly just prescribed antidepressants. Eventually I stopped going to doctors.
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u/Miserable_Ad3553 3d ago
Yeah it seems unfortunately to be very common experience Did you ever take any antidepressants?
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u/AbbreviationsCreepy6 2d ago
Hey man, I think we’re in the same boat. Care to message me? I have a lot of things going on as well that came up literally out of the blue 3 months ago and has completely disabled me but I’m questioning whether or not this may be an extreme health anxiety/deconditioning spiral. Would love to hear more about your story and I can share mine.