Pain in leg-anxiety or not

[tooyoung99]

I am totally having a panic attack right now and need to talk to calm down.  For the past 6 months I have had this pain in my left calf that comes and goes.  It feels like my whole muscle tenses up and it hurts really bad.  I have convinced myself that I have a blood clot in my leg and that it is going to rupture and kill me.  I have been to the doctor and he said that it is not a blood clot, but in my mind how does he know that.  It seems to happen for a few days and then be gone sometimes for weeks at a time.  The doctor said that if it was a clot the symptoms would not go away, is that true?  He also said that it could be a pinched nerve in my lower back.  I am freaked out because I take birth control and have high cholesterol.  The doctor just keeps telling me that it is the anxiety getting the best of me, but how do I know that?  I am only 26 and have no family history of blood clots or heart problems, but how can I convince myself that I am not going to die?

[Kundalini22]

I have similar symtoms and have been diagnosed with vascular disease,  that is, varicose veins.  I am convinced the varicosities were brought on by stress--i feel all my emotional stress in my legs--but developed into a real issue.  Burning, itching and throbbing are symptoms.  An ultrasound can reveal if there is veinous reflux (i.e varicosities) or a blood clot (but as others have said, a blood clot's symptoms would not come and go.). Honestly, it seems all due to stress, but it will lead to something physically real if you do not manage your stress.  It did with me and I'm sorry I didn't deal with my stress sooner.

[Jikan]

Ithink you need to see a specialist that deals with nerve pain(i.e. a neurologist).  If the sensation is burning or tingling, it could be related to your nerves, such as a pinched nerve, which was mentioned or neuropothy.  I experienced a similar problem and after I stopped taking a certain medication(I'm sorry I don't remember which one) the pain went away and I haven't had it since. Good Luck!

Michael

[kristine9190]

A DVT is another word for a blood clot, it stands for "Deep Vein Thrombosis". In other words a clot in the deep vein of your leg. They can be caused by an injury, a surgery, or sometimes you can be predisposed to them through a blood coagulation disorder. I have what is called Factor V Leiden, and I was on the birth control pill, so those two risks together, caused mine. They are no fun, that's for sure!

[mrworryguts]

Leg pains are one of my main symptoms and they come and go on a regular basis. I've being having a spell of them for the last four weeks, but previous to that i did'nt have them for a few months. The pains range from stiff feelings in the calf and up the back of the legs to slight cramps. They never seem to go abpve a certain level and if i do a lot of walking they don't seem to get worse. I've been having these pains off and on for well over a year now and if it was blood clots i think i'd be dead by now.

I get this in both legs so i think it's probably a pinched nerve in my back or something similar and sometimes it can become activated through stress.



Coincidently, a friend of mine just got a blood clot in her leg and it was much more painful and it swelled right up. If there's no swelling then that's probably why your doctor said it was'nt a clot.

[Charlotterose]

what is a DVT??

[kristine9190]

Unfortunately, I suffered from a DVT in my left leg in February, the pain DOES NOT go away. I suffered with it for 3 months, because my Dr. told me it wasn't a DVT, it went on for so long it turned into a Pulmonary Embolus. I can assure you that if the pain goes away, than it is not a DVT. Also, my leg was purple and swollen. Is your leg discolored? My pain also, went from my calf, to my knee, to my thigh, until the pain was everywhere. If if would make you feel better, ask your Dr. to send you for an Ultrasound? Would it relieve your anxiety to rule out a blood clot??

Maybe try going to a Chiropractor, if it is a nerve, they should be able to work that out. I saw my Chiropractor a few times during my issues. As well as a Podiatrist, often times, foot problems can cause calf pain.

Take Care!
Kristine

[nursegirl6572]

You're certainly welcome.

Yes, it's very possible to have pinched a nerve that is causing the pain.

I'm glad to hear you're feeling a little bit better!

[tooyoung99]

Thank you for responding.  I have posted a couple of other times and you have been one of the first people to respond and I really appreciate that.  The doctor told me that I may have pinched a nerve in my back which may be causing the pain.  Is that even possible? I think the major part of the panic attack has subsided for now, but thank you again.

[nursegirl6572]

Yes, the symptoms you would have from a blood clot in your leg would not just come and go.  There are pretty clear symptoms with a DVT.  

If you read the latest thread by "base"...him and "Emma's Mom" are discussing this very thing.  I think you may get some reassurance from reading that other people are going thru the same type of thing.  Anxiety causes very REAL physical symptoms.

Hang around here....you'll be surprised at how much in common you have with other people going thru the same thing.