HBKidJr
01-05-2015, 12:52 PM
For quite some time, I've been having issues, which may or may not be related to anxiety. I figure there was no one better to ask than the people that deal with this horrible condition every day.
About 10 months ago, I was offered a job with a place that was somewhat unstable, but promised me everything I could not have with my employer at the time. I was making less, but it gave me opportunities I didn't have. Obviously, I thought long and hard about it, but the night I was offered the job, I had a palpitation. My heart felt like it stopped beating and I even thought I was going to pass out. I haven't had one that bad since, but I have had them. I ended up taking the job.
Ever since that night, I've had anxiety symptoms. Almost every single day, I have chest pain. I go to bed at night fearing I won't even wake up the next morning, but I do, and when I do, I feel fine. Terrific, even. No pains at all. Obviously, the first thing I think about is my heart and chest pain. About halfway through the day, it slowly seems to trickle back. The pain seems to be located about an inch below my collar bones and almost makes an upside down triangle pattern to the center of my chest.
Anything that could make me anxious increases my heart rate. Example: I went to the movies after eating a heavy meal. Heart was already racing because of the meal. Intense action scene and I feel like I'm going to pass out. Heart pounding, lightheaded, the works.
Sometimes I have another symptom: lightheadedness. It's not really dizziness, so much as it's just "foggy". I just feel foggy, almost like it's the mildest form of vertigo possible.
Sometimes I feel like I have shortness of breath. It's never hard to breathe, per say, but it just feels like I can't draw enough air into my lungs.
Here's where it gets strange: I can rub my chest and the pain seems to lighten. I would assume that cardiac chest pain wouldn't do that. All the symptoms seem to get worse when I eat. If I eat light, it's much less severe, but if I eat a heavy, fatty, or salty meal, my heart pounds and the pain seems to get worse. When I get active (exercise, etc) and my heart rate speeds up, the pain doesn't get worse, and it almost seems like it gets better since I'm preoccupied with something else.
I know the best thing to do is to go to the doctor about it, but I don't currently have insurance (working on that), and to add to my stress, I'm deathly afraid of needles, and I know blood will be drawn. I freak out just thinking about it. I've already accepted that there's no alternative, but the apprehension is there nonetheless.
So what is going on with me? Last night was bad for some reason, and it really scared me. But I got up and took an ativan and it seemed like everything calmed down, but that could've just been in my head. But no matter what I do, I cannot stop thinking about my heart. When it's going to hurt, what's going to cause it, is it going to kill me this time, am I going to wake up, will I pass out and wreck my car. I'm even afraid to eat sometimes.
Thank you guys.
About 10 months ago, I was offered a job with a place that was somewhat unstable, but promised me everything I could not have with my employer at the time. I was making less, but it gave me opportunities I didn't have. Obviously, I thought long and hard about it, but the night I was offered the job, I had a palpitation. My heart felt like it stopped beating and I even thought I was going to pass out. I haven't had one that bad since, but I have had them. I ended up taking the job.
Ever since that night, I've had anxiety symptoms. Almost every single day, I have chest pain. I go to bed at night fearing I won't even wake up the next morning, but I do, and when I do, I feel fine. Terrific, even. No pains at all. Obviously, the first thing I think about is my heart and chest pain. About halfway through the day, it slowly seems to trickle back. The pain seems to be located about an inch below my collar bones and almost makes an upside down triangle pattern to the center of my chest.
Anything that could make me anxious increases my heart rate. Example: I went to the movies after eating a heavy meal. Heart was already racing because of the meal. Intense action scene and I feel like I'm going to pass out. Heart pounding, lightheaded, the works.
Sometimes I have another symptom: lightheadedness. It's not really dizziness, so much as it's just "foggy". I just feel foggy, almost like it's the mildest form of vertigo possible.
Sometimes I feel like I have shortness of breath. It's never hard to breathe, per say, but it just feels like I can't draw enough air into my lungs.
Here's where it gets strange: I can rub my chest and the pain seems to lighten. I would assume that cardiac chest pain wouldn't do that. All the symptoms seem to get worse when I eat. If I eat light, it's much less severe, but if I eat a heavy, fatty, or salty meal, my heart pounds and the pain seems to get worse. When I get active (exercise, etc) and my heart rate speeds up, the pain doesn't get worse, and it almost seems like it gets better since I'm preoccupied with something else.
I know the best thing to do is to go to the doctor about it, but I don't currently have insurance (working on that), and to add to my stress, I'm deathly afraid of needles, and I know blood will be drawn. I freak out just thinking about it. I've already accepted that there's no alternative, but the apprehension is there nonetheless.
So what is going on with me? Last night was bad for some reason, and it really scared me. But I got up and took an ativan and it seemed like everything calmed down, but that could've just been in my head. But no matter what I do, I cannot stop thinking about my heart. When it's going to hurt, what's going to cause it, is it going to kill me this time, am I going to wake up, will I pass out and wreck my car. I'm even afraid to eat sometimes.
Thank you guys.