constant attacks

[UnIvErSiTyChIcK]

Hey....Just wondering if anyone else has anxiety attacks that last all day for days on end. I almost constantly have the feeling that my heart is beating either too fast or too slow or even both at the same time, like all uneven and stuff. I also constantly feel like I can't breathe. I've been to my doctor and was on Paxil for a brief period and he says that nothing is wrong thats it is just anxiety. Then I'm stuck wondering, well how do you know....you didnt test for anything, which gets the anxiety going even worse.
But yea, I got a little off topic there. Does anyone else have these constant attacks? I find it really hard to believe that I can be having an anxiety attack all day every day even when I dont feel all that stressed.

[scatmantom]

well in my experience i can be feeling anxious all day long...and hav several panic attacks thru out a day. Like my first day moving back to uni this summer i moved into a house with complete strangers....and had to start a new job the next day...so that wasnt alot of fun i can tell you :( . All day long i was extreamly anxious....but i dont think a person can hav a constant panic attack all day long....altho it may feel as tho you are. I think wot u describe is general anxiety...but im no doctor so I may be completly wrong there.

[anangel4me]

You know what universitychick, I can relate to that. I have been feeling that way lately. And I really don't know why. Maybe because I just had a birthday.......hehe. :)

[UnIvErSiTyChIcK]

Thank you for your replies. I believe what I have is generalized anxiety.....half the time I dont even know why I feel so tense. I just think it sucks feeling this way all the time, and wondering....well, what if there really is something wrong and the doctor just didnt notice. I feel like I'm only 22 I shouldn't feel this way...I should feel good and healthy....Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get back into these relaxation techniques, maybe they'll help. :?

[Vikki]

Early this year I would go to work and be short of breath, I would wake up at night gasping for air. My heart would race and then skip beats, I went to the emergency room because I thought I was having a heart attach. They recorded some really high readings on my blood pressure, my standing heart rate, they did blood test and then the wonderful Dr. told me ...it won't kill you. Never told me what it was other than I had high blood pressure.

So, after my visit to the emergency room my Dr. sent me for many test and we found out that a valve in my heart doesn't close all the way and causes the thumping and skipping that I feel. It's not life threateneing and can be treated with meds. I also sleep with oxygen, because I don't take in enough oxygen at night. Now I don't have those breathless days...like you mentioned.

I do have the anxiety tho....have you tried any other meds? I started a low dose of busparone four weeks ago....took a long time but I finally feel like they are working.

The relaxation is also helpful...very. I would suggest finding a Dr. that is willing to look for possible physical problems and then find a good therapist who understands anxiety.

Once thing I tell myself when I am anxious is to ....just breath. I heard Golie Hawn say that in regards to her anxiety problems.


Best of luck
Vikki

[babycristy]

Hi Universitychick. This might not be your answer to your worries about a possible health condition you feel you might have. But...when I have anxiety attacks, I always feel like my heart is racing faster. I have realized that it is a misconception of mines. When I feel like my heart is racing fast, I always check my own pulse to see how it is beating. So far, I have realized it is normal.

You don't need to be a doctor to check your own pulse. There is a spot at the end of your throat, In the middle of your clavicle. Like a little space where your neck begins from your body. Well if you press lightly on that spot, you can feel your heart beat bc I assume there is major artery in that area. When I realize my heart beat is normal, then I can calm down about "having heart attacks and thinking there is a problem with me".

It helps for me, so maybe you can try this to make yourself calm down as well. However, I also suggest that if you feel it to be abnormally fast (or slow) have it checked out by a specialist.

[UnIvErSiTyChIcK]

Hi Christy, checking my pulse seems to be a problem of mine. I am almost always checking it. Most of the time it is pretty close to normal, but sometimes I feel like it is too slow, or is beating unevenly. I think I am just being paranoid, but it all comes back to the fact that my doctor has never really done any tests to see if there actually is a medical problem. Sure, he has listened to my heart and taken my blood pressure, but if its not happening at the time I always wonder how he can tell...There probably is nothing wrong though. Thanks for your reply.

[babycristy]

Oh by the way, there is something that can check it for at least 24 hours. When I was younger, I used to faint constantly. The doctors thought I had something wrong with either my brain or my heart. Eventually, they did not conclude any problems, just fluctuation of sugar level.

The heart monitor was for 24 hours and its a little machine that looks like a recorder with wires that attach to different pulse points on your chest. That way they can see any irregularity in your heart beat. You should ask for one of those if you really feel worried. No one knows you more than yourself. So maybe you are right..

[UnIvErSiTyChIcK]

Thats true, I know myself and the way I feel better than anyone....BUT...I would feel really stupid asking for that. He would probably tell me that I am crazy or something. Its at the point where I dont even want to go to the doctor's anymore because I've been so many times, and every time he tells me its just anxiety. Don't get me wrong, I have a great doctor, but i feel like if I keep complaining about "imaginary" problems, nobody will take me seriously if and when something is actually wrong.

[babycristy]

Dont think that way. I know how stupid you may feel but switching doctors, or going to another one for a second opinion won't hurt. If its someone new, they won't know about your previous "questions" and they won't think your crazy.

I just think sometimes doctors overlook symptoms and blame things on irrelevant things. What does your heart health have to do with your anxiety? And if indeed something is linked, shouldn't he check since it is altering the "normal behavior" of your heart? You know what I mean?

When I was younger, I started having back pains and I was also standing a bit "crooked" so I asked my dr. to check my back. Immediately he was like "oh its bc you are carrying heavy books on your back." I was like "okay..So what can I do about this?" He just told me to not carry as many books at once. It turns out that I had developed scoliosis. Which is painful and can lead you to have a "hunch back" when you don't take care of it. Thankfully, I took care of it.

And another time was about 3 weeks ago when my boyfriend started having killer migraines. The doctors told him, its just the stress of the military and school. So one day he could not bear the pain and he went to ER bc he thought he was "going to die of pain". It turns out he had a damaged nerve on the top of his neck which caused his unbearable headaches.

You see what I mean about knowing your own body. It may indeed be you anxiety, but what if your anxiety was affecting your health as well? I don't trust drs. opinions for more than those stories I shared with you. But I don't want to bore you here lol... If it continues to worry you, get a second opinion on it.

[scatmantom]

Maybe u could ask to see a psychologist. They are used to dealing with people with our exact problems all the time. I find that GPs I have seen in the past havn't given me much advice other than you hav to eat ( i only ever went to the GP if anxiety had stopped me eating for more than a few days). Now i see my psychologist once every few months (even if im havin a good few months)...and he provides on going support....and as im in the UK this is all free on the NHS. Ive definatly made progress since i started visiting him. I get like 40 mins with him and we talk about wot ive been thru and wot i want to achieve b4 the next session. I recommend it to every1.

PS a psychologist, its very differnt to a psychiatrist. psychiatrists deal with people with mental disorders ( NOT WOT WE HAVE)
Just thought id say that as im ashamed to say i didnt know the differnce 12 months ago.

[shoe]

Anxiety disorders and mood disorders fall under 'mental illness', 'mental disorder', and even under 'abnormal psychology' categories. But they are just labels... no doubt they come with stigmas attached but they are just labels the world of psychology uses.

Psychiatrists are physicians who have 'enough' psychology exposure to diagnose & treat mental disorders. All other mental health issues are beyond their scope. And most psychiatrists that I've been to are useful only as far as medication prescriptions go (my experience anyway).

Psychologists are better trained and more suited for treating your anxiety disorder through cognitive and behavioral therapy and other therapy types that either can work alongside of or exclude medications that a doctor or psychiatrist prescribes for you. And, they are also able to handle all other mental health issues.

Both psychologists and psychiatrists use the DSM-IV TR manual to assist in diagnosing mental disorders, which isn't perfect. (see the links at the bottom of this post for info on that manual: http://www.anxietyforum.net/forum/about113.html) Psychologists should theoretically have a better understanding of the disorders, but there are a lot of lousy therapists out there so its important to find one who is experienced in treating anxiety disorders.

[shoe]

RE: Heart Issues..

Doctors will sometimes check for a condition known as Mitral Valve Prolapse which can cause panic attacks and irregular heartbeat and other issues... thats probably why a doctor would do such tests.. here's a few links on this condition:

Information from 'THE SOCIETY FOR MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE SYNDROME':
http://www.mitralvalveprolapse.com/INDEX.htm

MedLinePlus - MitralValve Prolapse links:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mitralvalveprolapse.html

Also, it is normal for a persons heartrate to increase during an anxiety attack - this is a normal part of the 'fight or flight' response initiated by the sympathetic nervous system (part of the autonomic nervous system).

An article on the nervous system response can be found here (Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_or_flight_response

[scatmantom]

cheers shoe...interesting read!

[shoe]

np =) I'll be making another resource post in the resources section regarding 'related conditions' soon. (including mvp and personality disorders and dysthymia etc, which might help). Do you think an article on differences between psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, etc should be added? Maybe that could help.. I'll have to reference my Psychology 101 textbook to get help writing that hehe.

[scatmantom]

i think it would...i was very reluctant to get any sort of help....mostly because i didnt understand wot the help would be like, i thought they would think i was a nutjob and lock me away ( i know im not now tho!!!!!)