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Thanks @Iugrad91 Als worries are hard to break. The ALS forum is toxic. I promise. You think it will help but it hurts. You really have to stop going there. If the people on the ALS forum says no and to go away.. listen!!!!!!!!!!! They know what they are talking about. You have zero symptoms. I had a sweet yet firm man on the ALS forum tell me he wished Google wouldn't put twitching as a listed symptom he said it should be paralysis only. You have to get your mind on something else. It's hard but that's how I recovered. My husband actually took WiFi off my phone so I couldn't Google and boy did that help! I read books I enjoyed to keep my mind busy and I walked twice a day and rode bikes to keep my mind clear. Try a week cleanse from Google. Hugs. This worry will ease. But you have to work at it.

I do talk therapy. You should try that maybe start twice a week then tapper down. I do mine once every two weeks now. I also feel lost Bec my schedule is all over the place..you aren't alone. My therapist said that's expected right now. As far as your job. I just started a part time bookkeeping job before all of this started. I've started using my job as a break from any virus worries. Once I get on my computer I just focus on work only. You are very fortunate to have a job right now plus have them let you take some time off... So I would definitely give it your all when you go back. I really think the therapist will help you so much. I like hearing how even my therapist is floundering right now. I thought I was the only one.. Hugs. Hope you feel better soon..just know you aren't alone and your feeling a are valid.

I’m so sorry you had to experience what you did. Thank you for the thoughtful responses you’ve given me. I can remember probably 1.5 to 2 yrs ago that my foot hurt so badly that I felt I could barely take it. I seriously thought I had an injury from my workout class, so I just pressed on. The foot issues got better after months, then my calf became affected on the same side of my body. In your opinion, would I be seeing more symptoms of ALS by now? So engulfed right now and no apt with neurologist yet.

Oh Yes!!! It's the old journalist's phrase that comes to mind. 'Good news is not news' !! We rarely hear of the thousands of good results from the medics who perform some often miraculous operations, but when something goes wrong it's all over the front page. We are a funny old lot and no mistake.

I appreciate your input. No ALS fears. I kicked those long ago and realize how stupid they truly were. My worries are more cancer of the mouth. The funny thing is I have literally no symptoms. I feel like I am grasping at straws for "white sores" when really this is likely just normal abrasion from my teeth on the back of my tongue. If there was something there though I assume the doctor, who looked at my throat and tongue, would have noticed something and pointed it out. In fact, she said "it looks fine, I don't even think it looks more red than it should." She wasn't looking at these spots specifically but would have seen them if there was a concern. I will try to ignore it and see if I can just find peace again. Funny thing is that as I have focused on the back of my tongue, (which I can't feel by the way, I just see it in the mirror and started freaking), the inflamed feeling on the tip of my tongue is mysteriously absent. I HATE ANXIETY.

I've been doing a good job of squashing my ALS fears these last few months as I've noticed very occasional breathing/speaking/swallowing issues, but it's just exploded for me in the last 24 hours and I spent all night crying and refusing to speak. I think I can feel soft palate inadequacy. It's called velopharyngeal dysfunction and it's really just associated with a few structural issues that are much more common in kids and motor neuron disease. I am beyond panicking. I am crying for my son who won't have a mother and fearful because I won't let anyone spend money on my care. Help. I appreciate anything anyone can contribute. I have a background in ALS fears and spent a very long time convinced I had limb-onset ALS, until a clean EMG showed I did not. I am a teacher and have a lot of stress about next year, both for me and my son. I generally feel ok and everyone I know says I am not slurring my speech at all, but I can feel it.

We are not symmetrical. Just because you can’t feel it on the other side doesn’t mean the right one is abnormal. Four ultrasounds in eight months should be enough to reassure you. I would not push for a biopsy. Your doctor would know if any follow up was warranted. Trust them.

My wife has had TMJ and she was advised to wear a mouth guard, avoid chewing gum, do light jaw exercises and take OTC pain medicine as necessary. The ENT physician also told her that stress can make TMJ worse.

Thank you Holls! I’ve been lingering in that dark place in my mind.. literally watch the seconds on the clock to try to get time behind me so I can be that farther out from 7 days ago!!! Feeling a little better about things.

Thank you so much @Holls and @jonathan123!! I so appreciate your feedback. I got my neck adjusted today and it feels better, but tingles are still in some areas of my left side of body. I just don’t know how much longer I can chalk this up to anxiety?! But if you both think MS is unlikely, that helps my nerves tremendously. Obviously still disconcerting to be having these feelings at all. Should I give it a couple more days? Should I contact my primary doc? Or am I again letting my health anxiety get the best of me? Sorry to keep reaching out. I’m just scared.

Hi. Gia. You are in the old spiral of fear/symptoms/anxiety/fear. It's a never ending loop. Because you add fear to fear it just goes on and on. You can try and distract yourself in many ways, but inevitably you come back to you and the problem. You are NOT going Crazy. Get that idea out of your mind once and for all. So many of us feel that way at first. Anyone who has not been there with HA would they understand, how could they? Because it can't be seen it's not there. Physical illnesses they can understand, mental ones, no way! You are far from alone. Everyone on this site knows to a greater or lesser degree how you feel. Now there is a book I suggest you get. (Yeah, I know, another book!!). It's 'Essential help for your Nerves' by Dr. Claire Weekes, available on Amazon. No longer with us sadly. She was considered an authority on nervous disorders. She talks about acceptance, not fighting or struggling with 'IT'. You constantly add 'second fear' to the original fear which causes the loop. Don't try to 'turn it off' that's just not possible. TOTAL ABSOLUTE ACCEPTANCE of all the awful symptoms. It's not easy by any means, but it can be done given the will. Deep breaths when you feel anxious. This is not some 'thing' trying to get at you. I hope the new therapy and medication will help, but it still comes down to you and your attitude to the problem Beat wishes.

I've had this before...several times. It HURTS! Doctor never said much and it went away. I was never even told what to do. My sister has had this...also several times. Like you she say the cardio and was told it wasn't her heart. He gave her some stretching exercises to do and they helped. Seems like as long as she stretches and stuff it keeps it at bay.

Muscle twitches are AFTER clinical weakness. They are very fine and often are not seen.

Thanks everybody for your replies. I’m baffled at how many other people feel this way and it’s always so helpful to hear about how someone else managed to move on from their fears of this. Some days I can be rational and tell myself I’m perfectly fine, but other days I’m consumed by these thoughts. I try to test my strength constantly with my right arm in comparison to my left. Just last night I felt so worried as it looks as if my right arm is actually thinner than my left although I use this arm to write etc. I’ve had nerve conduction studies, MRI, EMG and bloods to which all have come back all clear, which I am so thankful for. I just don’t know how I can move on and put these awful thoughts behind me. I was taking medication for anxiety but didn’t feel they helped me in any way and I just want more than anything to fight this myself without the use of medication. What tips did you find helped you to get your mental strength back and fight these negative thoughts/feelings?

A number of years ago I had a swollen lymph node on my neck below my ear. I got nervous and called my physician. He examined me and thought it was nothing but ordered an ultrasound of my neck. The ultrasound was negative and it went away in a couple of weeks. He attributed it being swollen because I cuf myself shaving and the lymph node swelled because of the cut.

Hun if this has been going on for a yr you would have paralysis. I wonder why you think pain is an als symptom? On the ALS forum it states in the stickies that pain is not a symptom.. it's not, twitches are AFTER muscle death . This took me a long time to comprehend .... Twitching in als is not a first symptom. It comes after the death of the muscle which means paralysis.. Take some deep breaths... You are okay. Please stay off Google

Damn so much for the positive thinking I was trying to have.

This is obviously your go to fear when you get triggered with anxiety. Anxiety is the culprit. Have you done any type of therapy? I would treat the root cause and not more Neuro tests. I do therapy and it has helped tremendously!!!!!!

I hear ya. I'm sorry. All I can do is say "me too."

You are exactly right it has everyone second guessing but if you already have that nature its worse I did short my Dr a message that I need something mild and fast acting to go with my buspirone and how I was feeling. He said i could schedule a video appt.

I am starting to look at articles too every time you get online that's all you see on the scroll by thingy. I have to stop. right now my eyes ears and mouth and nose are itchy so its allergies and it comes and goes but nope I catastrophize and assume the worst

I know it has a lot to do with stress and now that there is this virus going around doesn’t help so it’s like I mix of everything at once and I can never pin point the root of it.

Great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just found an old article back from September 11, 2009, which said the Swine Flu could infect half of the U.S. population and learn to establish a readiness plan. The article warned that companies, schools and organizations of all sizes would likely face closures, suspension of public services and frightened employees which may lead to overwhelming worker absenteeism, as well as possibility of shortages of crucial materials and supplies.

That makes sense, and I think it's pretty common for those of us with multiple forms of anxiety disorder. I personally deal with a bit of social anxiety, though nothing too severe, alongside health anxiety. I *think* that's really all I deal with. My social anxiety used to be significantly worse, but I fixed that myself before I even started experiencing health anxiety.

From experience, if you are showing symptoms that could be colon cancer (or crohns/irritable bowel disease/ulcerative collitis), they'll send you for a colonoscopy. If you've have pretty severe IBS - colonoscopy to make sure its nothing else, since there is some crossover in the symptoms of IBS and crohns. Even if they are 99.9% sure that your symptoms are not crohns or colon cancer, they will send you for a colonoscopy. That is likely how people in theres 30s got a colonoscopy. I had one when I was 21 for that exact reason. My GP was 99.9% sure that I did not have crohns, but he did not want to risk the chance that it was. The colonoscopy itself is not particularly pleasant, and so I would not go for one unless there is a medical need to do so. But if you are showing symptoms, and you are concerned, yeah, you can try and ask for one, but I wouldn't do it for the sake of it.

What was wrong with the replies here? Just curious, since the post is nearly identical.

When I had my basal cell carcinoma removed by the Mohs surgeon, I asked him to look at a few other spots while I was there and he said they all looked fine. I then apologized to him if I seemed a bit paranoid. What he then said in response to me I will never forget. He said to me you are not being paranoid at all. In fact a little paranoia can be good as it may one day safe your life. Enough said.

Hi penny, I’ve also had this, I don’t remember how long it lasted, I honestly forgot about it, cause lately I move from one thing to the next

It may not be the chicken it may be a seasoning they are using on the chicken. Or they may be cooking it in peanut oil and he could be developing a peanut allergy.

Jets and Amy Lee does it for me.:)

I forget the medical term for it (and I know better than to google it 😉) but my sister had the same thing. She also is a hypochondriac and ran to the ER. The doctor there said that sometimes your lungs can stick to your ribs and cause a sharp pain that last for a few seconds and then go away. It would hurt her so bad she couldn’t breathe so she would hold her breath for a few seconds and then it would go away. If you had a blood clot in your lungs you would know it. It would be excruciatingly painful and would not come and go.

I was the exact same. My son had a cold and I constantly was yelling at him to wash his hands. I worried for days adter

I love a good epsom salt bath.

My ulcer was uncovered by an EGD. I was put on Nexium and I had another EGD six weeks later and it had healed. I still take Prilosec to this day and I also have a small hiatal hernia which does not help matters.

For me personally, magnesium helps my anxiety. I drink the Natural Vitality "Calm" drink (warm) and it seems to deliver a calming effect. I also have taken magnesium oxide (under doctor supervision); and have had mild muscle, migraine and anxiety relief. Taken in too big dosages can cause upset stomach or GI issues! So be careful! It doesn't seem to work on a daily usage. It's something I use as a PRN soothing cycle.

Hey everyone. I'm suddenly feeling anxious tonight. I've been feeling a bit on edge this week, so I'm not really surprised. I just figured I'd jot all my thoughts down here, as that tends to help. So here it goes. I don't know how to describe exactly how I feel, to be completely honest. I can just say "I feel anxious / panicky." I thought earlier that my chest felt tight, but then I realized it's classic tension - I can feel the outer muscles burning. This is quite common when I'm stressed or panicking. I keep feeling a burning sensation in my left shoulder, presumably from mild injury or overuse. Again, not unusual. My heart rate and rhythm feel normal, and my blood pressure is normal as well. I know I probably shouldn't check these things, but I occasionally check them when I feel panicky. It seems to make me feel a little better that at least my heart doesn't seem to be having a real problem. I guess it helps me accept that it's only panic, but I also know that I should ultimately remind myself in other ways that don't involve self testing. That's something I'm working on. I haven't had a panic attack in a long while. Maybe a mild one here and there, short lived, but nothing severe. Even this is not severe, but it felt like it was working toward that point. Many of you have learned through therapy (I did as well) or through others here that we should learn to welcome the anxiousness or the panic attack in order to cope with it. I felt that way about it earlier. I sort of felt like "bring it on, I'm ready for the energy boost!" Haha. But now that I'm sort of in the middle of an attack, it's really difficult to maintain that attitude, but I'm trying. I'm also experiencing other symptoms I tend to get with anxiety: a bit of reflux, a runny nose, a tickle in my throat. I've not found any solid answers as to why anxiety can cause the allergy like symptoms, but some things on Google suggest that it's just another physiological change the body experiences with anxiety, and that makes sense to me. I don't like this feeling, but I'm doing my best to push through it. This is no different than any other panic attack I've had in the past. If anything it's much less severe. That's not something to complain about, right? LoL! I'll be okay. I do feel a little better just typing this out. I'm going to continue practicing the breathing techniques and other techniques I've learned on my own and through therapy. Thank you for reading this far, if you made it. 😛 I hope you all have a good evening. Take care!

i have to see an allergy specialist because wants to know what my allergy triggers are and how i can avoid them. she prescribed amoxicilin and epi-pen if however i am severely allergic to something. i should find everything out but. my ears were red and inflamed my throat was inflamed and they did a spit test and a nose and throat swab to check for any viruses or bacteria's.however these allergies are bothersome. i told her about the rashes and how my skin gets prickly and she rather me be safe than sorry.

Those kinds of days are definitely hard. It can feel like things just pile up. It seems like you have a lot on your plate. Are you able to compartmentalize your day? That often helps me when I'm feeling overwhelmed. It also helps to break down the day into smaller portions: minutes, hours, and so on. I focus on staying positive for an hour or so. It makes the day seem less oppressive.

@bin_tenn sorry about your dad, i lost mine to throat cancer (spred into his lungs). I understand @sTeaLth when he says your post is "scary", but i guess your main point was that he was an heavy smoker and drinker and that those seems to be general caractheristics of almost all esophageal cancer victims.

Awwww. I hope you feel better soon!!! Don't feel like you can't come here for support during set-backs. This site is for support and it sounds like you need it right now *hugs*

thank you, i just hate when anxiety takes over and makes me start thinking things.. the tight back muscles and neck muscles, and the shortness of breath feeling feels so uncomfortable... even my head muscles get tight and feel yucky..

Lymph nodes can also enlarge for ANY sickness in your body. Whether you are sick or not. I have had them get hard and swell for as much as a few weeks at a time before going back to normal. Also not an abnormal thing to happen.

Bfs recovery facebook is administered and run by the same people u saw a lot on aboutbfs.com. It is great talking to them. Really do join, even if temporary. It helps!

I think maybe seasonal changes, some people are quite sensitive to the seasons changing...isn't that funny! I have always had a change in health through Fall and Winter think I need to hibernate ike the animals do 🙂 There have been studies done on seasonal changes and how they affect people...interesting

I get all kinds of weird sensations in my legs and back, I have for probably 20 years. Of course in my mind I’ve gone through all the horrible possibilities for why these happen, but I have to be sure to remind myself a lot of it is “normal” and nothing has ever progressed. I think it sounds like yours is definitely posture related- if it gets worse, sure see your doctor, but I think the fact that it comes and goes should be reassuring to you that it isn’t anything sinister 😊

I second what Bob said. Also, realize that doctors are very good at what they do. If they didn’t find anything then there is a GREAT chance you really don’t have anything to worry about. 😊

Yay, glad to see this place back

The one thing that most of us find difficult is to understand that anxiety can cause REAL physical pain. It's why we Google because we just don't believe that fact even though told by the medics we are OK. People can become paralysed when there is no evidence whatsoever of a physical problem. The mind is powerful and suggestion can play all sorts of tricks. That's why it's unwise to Google. I wonder if none of us had heard of any disease and had no knowledge of physical problems would we worry? We are bombarded with all sorts of negative news about illness. My doctor's surgery has it all over the walls. 'Do you have this or that symptom'? No wonder the surgeries are full! Now I am not saying all physical illness is anxiety related. But if you have been checked out and found to be OK then believe them. No second guessing and certainly no Googling.

You are fine.One single chip won't cause a tear and after 2 days you would have had symptoms. Stop.