Just had an anxiety attack

[raggamuffin]

So i'm getting chest pains of varying degrees daily. Sharp sudden pains lasting barely a second and dull to moderate aching pains that can last up to 48 hours. I made my first hot towel compress today. mainly for a chalazion i've got on my eye but then I tried using it on my sternum when the chest aches flared up and it seemed a nice distraction that helped alot. About an hour later I cam across the weirdest and most potent abdominal pain. I've never really had this from anxiety, i've had all kinds fo chest pains around the heart, sternum, under armpits, lower side ribs etc. But this was slap bang in the middle of my upper abdomen. Epighastic region (its on a diagram on wikipedia can't link but check for abdonminal pain section)


It was so intense I felt like someone was kicking me, or as if my organs were shutting down. I panicked. I opened the window but the weather is warm and it wasn't windy so I rushed to get my fan and switched it on. The pain subsided after a couple of minutes if that. but i'd never experienced it before, it was new and terrified me. I then tried to tell my parents about it but I became more and more worked up and a panic attack ensued with chest pains and reocucuring strange feeligns in my stomach. It's hard to describe the pain it felt like. I just didn't feel real. Every pain I get everyday (which is a lot I can tell you) I feel like "This is it" whether it be my constant fear of a heart attack or some other self diagnosis i'm living in constant fear.

I started citalopram 4 days ago so i know it'll be another 14+ days till I see an effect. I rang the NHS hotline and spoke to a doctor. He didn't seem worried, this makes 9 doctors now chalking up all my symptoms as anxiety. I've had a chest xray, ecg, blood tests, blood pressure etc when I visited hospital and they're all fine. I did ask to see a cardiologist but the local GP's said i'm too young (25) to really warrant needing one.

The doctor I spoke to 10 mins ago said i'd probably sent my stomach muscles into a spasm with all this excess adrenaline in my body and that's why i'm feeling bruised and aching now. But i'm scared and on edge it'll happen again. Still i've been prescribed various pills from the doctor over the past months, none of which I took. But tonight I am. Diazepam 2mg which the dr said would help relax my muscles and propanolol to help relax me further and prevent another anxiety flare up. I guess i'll wait and see. My abdomen sides ache, I really feel like i've strained something.

I know anxiety causes no end of aches and pains and I knew abdominal must've been one. it's just it never happened to me and this evening was a terrifying eye opener. I hate feeling so alienated from my own body. I just got to be strong till the citalopram starts to kick in and in the mean time start looking into getting on the NHS waiting list for CBT as I simply can't afford to pay for private sessions.

Thanks for reading.

Ed

[ez86]

Sounds awful! There are some good books out there on cbt. Maybe you could check one out while you are waiting? Good luck. Pm me if you want to talk

[ladywillow]

Ed, I'm so sorry to hear you are feeling like that. Anxiety can do such horrible things to you physically, and it's so difficult to have to go through it. If it makes you feel any better, I too get bad abdominal muscle contractions and it feels like I have pulled something.

Keep going with the meds. It will take a while for them to kick in, but when they do I'm sure you will feel much better. In the meantime, take a look at getting Hope and Help for your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes. It's a great book that will explain to you why you get the physical symptoms.

Hope to hear you are feeling better soon!

[liveitup898]

I've suffered from anxiety/panic and depression since i was 22 years old. I am turning 31 this year and i can definitly tell you that i have seen a wide spectrum of scary symptoms that anxiety has brought on.

I have so much going for me......good family, friends, relationships, job BUT i am sitting here scared of life and have been in a daily frenzy of anxiety and panic. sadness comes over me when i am not having anxiety/panic.

I was on effexor xr for 8 years but have finally gotten off it for the past 4 months.......

I do not want to get back on the medicaiton however its been tough lately........I am scared/sad........

anyway i wish you all the best.

continue to fight this and move forward in life.

[raggamuffin]

Hello

Thank you for your prompt replies. It's a big help to me and has cheered me up no end. I believe the tablets i've taken have started to take effect, my whole body feels a lot less on edge now, it's quite a wonderful feeling. But I know to be weary of diazepam and it's addictive nature. Thankfully the doctor only gave me x6 2mg tablets in case I was overcome by a very acute panic attack.

I must admit i've spent far too long trawling through various internet pages self diagnosing yet this doesn't help it only hinders. I've become a hypochondriac and constant worrier it's a hard cycle to break. But it's even harder still to admit to myself it's anxiety when the pains come a knocking. In fact I often think I invoke them. I wake up and i'm just anticipating the first pain to come along. Then it does and i'm shocked and overwhelmed. It's strange, almost like my mind is egging my body into doing something and then when it reacts my mind doesn't know how to process the pain other than worrying and blowing things out of proportion.

I'd be very interested in any books people could recommend for me. I just need to alter my train of thought I suppose, as I have a tendency to blow things out of proportion and since health anxiety has taken over my mind's certainly working against me at present.

Thanks again for the replies they mean a lot.

Ed

[Jemk85]

This may sound ridiculous but humor me, there is an amazing book of zen, I'll find out the author for you. It teaches you how to change your thought process that will change your life. I'll write back when I can :-)

[raggamuffin]

Thanks, that'd be very helpful. I do need to change my thought process as it's overwhelmingly panicky and melodramatic at the moment. i'm blowing every ache and pain out of proportion but all the doctor's have said my mind and anxiety is causing them all too. On the whole when i'm busy and fully engaged in something it takes my mind off of it. But that's often so hard to do, to completely delve into something. Often at work i'm on edge and the same at home, nowhere is really safe anymore other than sleeping.

Ed

[Jemk85]

Book:
Zen: and the art of happiness
Author: Chris Prentiss