Is it really anxiety or something more serious?

[jlong329]

Hello All,

I am writing this to see if there is anyone out there with a similar experience to mine. Sorry for the long story, I just need to get this out there so please bear with me.

2011 was a horrible year for me. I lost my job in 2/11, feel behind on my mortgage, was running to financial problems and was unemployed for about 5 months. In June of 2011, I was blessed
to find a very good job and everything seemed to fall back into place.

In Nov 2011, after coming back on my lunch break, I started feeling a little dizzy so I started looking up the symptoms on webmd and to no avail, heart attack symptoms came up. At that time I felt like I ha to get out of there so I got up and started walking to the restroom, on the way to the restroom I started experiencing those same symptoms that I saw online. Crushing
chest pain, my whole left side was tingling, fast heart beat, hot flashes and just some other crazy symptoms. I called 911 the paramedics came and took me to the hospital.

I was in the hospital for 5 days, they ran every test under the sun. They did a cardiac cath, echocardiogram, EKG, X-ray, MRI of the brain, countless of blood test, and all of the test came back negative. That was Nov 2011, since that day, I have not been the same. I've been to numerous of cardiologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, I've been to the ER at least 7 times, have done additional testing for thyroid, parathyroid, pheochromocytoma, ultrasound of the carotid arteries, Lung VQ scan to check for blood clots, an again everything comes back negative.

All the doctors are telling me the same thing, that I experienced a panic attack and now suffer from
Anxiety from the feat that the panic attack will happen again. What I don't understand is the symptoms that I am feeling. From the moment I wake up till the moment I go to sleep, I feel tingling in my face, my right side of my face twitches alot, I feel flushed all the time and feel like I am sweating on my forehead, I experience chest pain and all sorts of crazy symptoms, but the constant tingling and constant ligheadedness is what gets me. I am always feeling like I'm going to pass out and die.

Sorry for this long entry, I just want to know if anyone has experienced this and if this is all attributed to anxiety. Can the doctors have missed something and I actually have something more serious? And if it is anxiety, how long does it take to get back to my pre Nov 2011 life?

I am 30 years of age. Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

Jorge

[Amy1986]

Hi Jorge :)

Welcome, my name is Amy.

This may sound weird but my mum had a lot of these symptoms you describe and she was told it was a mixture of anxiety and vertigo. I myself get the tingling down my arms and I too have had the heart attack symptoms a few times and I know it sounds crazy maybe but i manage to cause a lot of physical symptoms from my anxieties. The mind is a powerful thing. Have you been prescribed anything for anxiety? Or been offered alternative therapies?

[alankay]

Yep, it does sound like anxiety to me. I'd follow up with a pdoc or therapist and get started on real treatment. PM me any time. Alankay

[jlong329]

I am taking klonopin as needed I am also taking Zoloft and am doing therapy with a psychologist. I am doing better, some of my symptoms have subsided, but I am no where near 100% yet. The psychologist told me it could take a while.

It's just the constant tingling and lightheadiness that bothers me and the psychologist said that's a heightened sense of your bodily function that my body is in a heightened alert with the fight or flight response.

It's difficult to deal with

[rubyfall]

Hello,

I can relate to the right side of face tingle, I was diagnosed with neuralgia through anxiety and it comes back when im under high stress. I was in a car accident recently and it set it off again with a ear ache. I also get very dizzy, usually in the office when im super stressed. I get tight chest pains but I smoke so assume its from those, though I take good meds. Have they prescribed you any anxiety meds?

[kathf]

This does seem very much todo with anxiety Are u on medication if not I suggest u go on some to get through this rough patch do therapy especially cbt

[jlong329]

Yes I'm doing a combination of meds plus cbt. I've gotten better, but it's been 6 months since I've had these symptoms, just wondering how long it's gonna take to start feeling like I used to feel

[kathf]

My doctor keeps saying it can take sone time