Hi, Ana and all,
I, too, have lived with health anxiety and stress for much of my life with symptoms including, nerve tingling all over my body including my face, heart palpitations, burping, gastrointestinal issues, neck and shoulder tightness. for me this lead to depression simply because I thought I was losing my mind! No doctor seemed to know what might be going on and, in fact, it wasn't until many years ago on this very sight, I found my people. The thread was called something like "trembling at night" which is when I first noticed the tingling/rumbling in myself, at night when I was going to sleep. It was so good to know that I wasn't alone! What I have found since then is that I had stored up childhood trauma and was stuck in Fight, Flight, or Freeze mode and, that my vagus nerve was stuck! It was not being activated. I found all sorts of great information on line about the vagus nerve and how to stimulate. I use a variety of things like meditation, breathing, an electric transmitting stimulator, and Qi Gong to mention a few. These things combined seem to have helped. I am also connecting with a Functional Health Physician today who will be running a more complete blood panel. I'm hopeful that this will help to connect the "health" dots of all my underlying concerns, especially relating to my anxiety and Thyroid. I've taken Levothyroxine for YEARS which has a whole set of side effects, (including heart palpitations). There are more natural supplements available now that I am hoping to change to.
Ana, you are not alone. This is yucky stuff to deal with, but there is help. I also suggest reading: Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen.
Shelley
@sjholden
Hey Shelley,
Thank you so much for sharing your story — it really means a lot. I can totally relate to what you said about the “trembling at night.” The same thing happens to me — just when I’m about to fall asleep, I suddenly wake up with that weird jolt or shaking feeling. It’s honestly one of the scariest parts for me.
Reading your post made me feel less alone. It’s comforting to know that someone else understands what it’s like to live with health anxiety and all those physical symptoms that make us doubt ourselves. I really appreciate you sharing what’s helped you — I’ll definitely check out more about the vagus nerve and that book you mentioned.
Thank you again for your kindness and encouragement. Wishing you continued healing and calm nights ahead 💜