Help Please!!!

[NoMoreAnxiety1030]

Do anyone else get a sudden, short lived, warm/hot flush in upper breastbone/shoulder area followed by fear and shakiness? I also feel dizzy on a daily basis and feel off balanced. I fear for my life every single day. I had to leave WalMart yesterday because I felt as if I was about to faint with every step I took. My chest is sore daily, and I also get sharp shooting pains along with spasms pretty regular. My right ear is always making a clicking noise and my left shoulder and arm always hurt. Can anxiety/panic really cause so many physical symptoms? A little about me. I am 27 years old 5'2 and 160lb. I have No family history of early heart disease, but cancer does seem to run in the family. I've had a full blood work up. 27 ekgs (been to the emergency room countless number of times), 2 24 hour heart monitors, a treadmill stress test, and an echo of my heart, and a CT of chest and brain Everything came back normal. But daily I feel bad physically. Some days all I can do is lay in bed and wait for some of the symptoms to pass. I just want my old life back. I am so tired of this anxiety or whatever it may be crap. Do anyone else here get all of these symptoms?

[rhiannon87]

Hello my dear,
You are OK and totally normal in our anxiety world. Our brain is the most powerful organ in our body. It can create all of these symptoms. I experience dizziness everyday but it does not give me anxiety anymore because I know what it is. It's my allergies that has caused my ears to fill up with fluid (nothing life threatening, just a part of living with anxiety) and sometimes I need my neck to be adjusted by my chiropractor and that helps. When I am extremely anxious, the dizziness increases. It can be caused by hyperventilating and not even realize you are doing it.
Are you on medication for anxiety? If not you should consider it. I know that sounds scary, but it seems that anxiety is running your daily life and you must be exhausted and terrified by it. I just started my medication again, which is ok...sometimes we need a little help and a break. If you have a phobia of medication like I do, you can try vitamins like 5HTP and B vitamins. I know you have probably heard it before, but yoga, practicing mindfulness (google it), and meditation can really help decrease anxiety.
I hope you find some comfort in this. You're not alone friend!

[NoMoreAnxiety1030]

Thank you rhiannon87. And yes there was definitely comfort in what you said. What B vitamins do you think I should take or do you recommend B complex?

[NoMoreAnxiety1030]

And yes I have tried several of the SSRIs but I did not like the terrible side effects I had nor did I want to become dependent on any of this medication. I have been suffering with this since August 8, 2015 when I had my first full blown panic attack in which I though I was having a heart attack or stroke. It's crazy how anxiety can produce so many physical symptoms and I have had them all. The ones that I am suffering with today being the worst. I can't get out of my head that there is something wrong with my heart or I have a tumor on my brain although the test shows otherwise. I wish this will all just go away so I can live a normal life again. I pray that we all get well someday.

[rhiannon87]

5HTP will have more of an effect on you because it is a natural mood enhancer. I dont like SSRI's either and refuse to take them. I take Buspar. It doesn't have side effects and isn't as strong. I take several supplements. Omega's a multivitamin with B complex, Probiotic and a cleanse. Mostly because my anxiety causes stomach issues, which I have convinced myself is liver failure or appendicitis.

[NoMoreAnxiety1030]

Ok. Thanks so much. What type of medication is Buspar. Is it a Benzo?

[Anne1221]

No,Buspar is not a benzo. It's in a class of its own, and is an anti-anxiety drug.

[NoMoreAnxiety1030]

Thanks Anne1221

[cloudy black]

5HTP will have more of an effect on you because it is a natural mood enhancer. I dont like SSRI's either and refuse to take them. I take Buspar. It doesn't have side effects and isn't as strong. I take several supplements. Omega's a multivitamin with B complex, Probiotic and a cleanse. Mostly because my anxiety causes stomach issues, which I have convinced myself is liver failure or appendicitis.

5HTP had a quick look just now and it seems to be for depression only. i have both anxiety and depression so i guess it wont help me then?

also have a look at http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/09/13/low-serotonin-levels-dont-cause-depression/
is this the same for 5HTP?

[Anne1221]

I find the Buspar works best when I take it 3 times per day, because it has a short half-life. You have to decide to either always take it on an empty stomach, or always take it with food.

[Nowuccas]

Hey NoMoreAnxiety1030,

"There are some differences between anxiety and panic attacks. While books are written on this topic, the following will attempt to summarize some basics here for a brief overview.

Anxiety Attacks:
An anxiety attack, sometimes referred to as a panic attack, is an unforeseen periods or incidents where there is a sudden fright or fear of intense proportions. These attacks focus on fears that are most often not rational; however the person with the disorder believes he or she is in terrible danger or at extreme risk. Most often these anxiety attacks occur all of a sudden; i.e. they are not planned nor do they come with any type of warning mechanism built in for advance action. Results are that
the person suffering the attack will feel about to faint or near death's door. People who suffer anxiety attacks report the following symptoms, listed in no particular order:
Discomfort or pain in the chest Vertigo or
Dizziness Upset stomach / Nausea Loss of
Control, Loss of Mental Stability Stress
Cold or hot flashes Heart palpitations or
near heart attack Shallow breathing Shakes / Trembling
Anxiety disorder is characterized as having anxiety feelings that are "always there / all inclusive," make people want to isolate themselves from society and hamper everyday activities with others.

Panic Attacks:
On the other hand, a panic attack does not carry with it that "always there" association. In fact, panic episodes generally burst forth, peaking after roughly 10 minutes or so, then ending after about 25 minutes. During a panic attack, 4 of the symptoms listed below (in no particular order) generally make an appearance:
Hyperventilation, Shallow breathing, even to the point of
suffocation sensation...
Increased heart rates Tightness of chest, Chest pain or discomfort
Shakes / Trembling / Sweating Choking
sensation Upset Stomach / Nausea Vertigo
Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
Surreal feelings Loss of Control, especially
of mental faculties Death coming on Numbing
Cold or hot flashes

The Difference:
The main difference between anxiety attacks and panic attacks is in the duration of the attack and how intense it is for the person with the affliction. While anxiety attacks are less hi-stress, they tend to last longer than the power-packed panic stressors".

Advice from a clinical psychologist about panic attacks is to breathe in to the count of 3: ( count: one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind, and out to the count of 3. Keep repeating this until the panic subsides, (up to 25 minutes) which will deal with the hyperventilation aspect. Learn to recognise the thoughts which trigger attacks; challenge and reprogram as shown in my second post at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?33197-Do-I-have-anxiety-disorder-or-something-worse&p=220006#post220006

ANXIETY.

There are natural treatments.

(FROM: www.drweil.com "there are natural substances that you may want to try. Spearmint and chamomile teas are both mildly relaxing, and you can drink as much of them as you want. A stronger remedy is passionflower, made from a plant (Passiflora incarnata) native to southeastern United States. Passionflower products are available at herb and health food stores. The dose is one dropperful of the tincture in a little water or two capsules of a standardized extract up to four times a day as needed. Passionflower is not sedating." Note that from my reading of books about herbal remedies, spearmint should be avoided by women who are pregnant, trying to be, or breastfeeding. Always Google the hazards of any treatment being considered.

5-htp; take with a very low protein meal, to maximise the amount crossing the blood/brain barrier, with no, or extremely little protein 2 hrs before, to 2 hrs afterwards.

I suggest beginning with 50 mg on the first day, and if no adverse reaction, keep increasing it until reaching the desired level; say 200 mg, to let your system accustom itself to it gradually. Google maximum safe dosage, but don't exceed 300 mg daily without medical advice.

Alternatively, use SAMe (S-adenosy-L-methionine) but nothing else. Use only the butanedisulfonate form in enteric-coated tablets, or in capsules. Try 400 -1,600 mg a day on an empty stomach. Begin at 400 mg.

St. John's Wort also has anti-anxiety effects; (take with meals to avoid possible stomach upsets) Perika, Jarsin, or Kira brands are recommended; others may have insufficient hyperforin to balance the hypericin content. It may take up to 4 weeks to begin reaching full effectiveness.

L-theanine, and ashwagandha are some others worth considering. More info may be found at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34269-5-Powerful-Tools-You-Probably-Haven-t-Tried-Yet&p=225415#post225415 and http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34327-Need-so-much-advice-Have-so-many-questions&p=225657#post225657

Give the Meridian Tapping Technique / EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. YouTube: "EFT". Google: "Progressive Muscle Relaxation". Use whichever is most effective for you.

Relevant reading: How to Control Your Anxiety before It Controls You, by Albert Ellis, & Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression, Joseph J. Luciani Ph.D., & Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Edmund Bourne, & Natural Relief for Anxiety: Complementary Strategies for Easing Fear, Panic & Worry by Edmund J. Bourne, Arlen Brownstein, and Lorna Garano, & The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques: Understanding How Your Brain Makes You Anxious and What You Can Do to Change It by Margaret Wehrenberg, & Managing Anxiety. Kennerley, Helen., from your bookstore, Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com


If considering Buspar, first check out http://www.drugs.com/sfx/buspar-side-effects.html and read the questions and answers. I note it is has a user rating of 6.5 /10

Usually I recommend trying natural treatments and techniques, because they carry less risk, and fewer, milder side effects. 5-htp can be used as an anxiolytic / anti-anxiety supplement; see https://www.google.com.au/search?client=opera&q=5-htp+anxiety&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

It seems to polarise users in their reviews on anxiety at http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientreview-794-5-HTP.aspx?drugid=794&drugname=5-HTP&sortby=3 but has an effectiveness rating of 4 / 5. Anxiolytics such as Buspar will still be around if the natural treatments and techniques prove insufficient.

I'm unable to tell if the following applies in your case, as I don't know your vitamin D levels, but most people have insufficient levels, which can also cause secondary deficiencies of B group vitamins that cause anxiety, or panic attacks. There is a long thread about it here, at
http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?12695-Vitamin-D3-Cured-my-Anxiety-Depression-and-Panic-Disorder&highlight=vitamin

My post on it is at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?33197-Do-I-have-anxiety-disorder-or-something-worse&p=220006#post220006 and on GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER is at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?33964-New-to-the-site-and-looking-for-help&p=223989#post223989


From http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Handout+on+Vitamin+D+%28Hormone+D%29+and+sleep+-+Gominak+2012 by neurologist, Dr. S Gominak:

"If you have a neurologic problem that is severe enough to see a neurologist, you probably do not heal your body in sleep as perfectly as you once did. Most of us who have headaches, tremor, balance difficulties, vertigo, (dizziness) burning in the feet, depression, body pain, or memory loss have abnormal sleep and, surprisingly, fixing the sleep can fix the neurologic problem. From 2005-2009 I performed sleep studies on most of my patients and used medications or sleep masks to try to help their sleep. In 2009 I accidentally discovered that most of my patients had abnormal sleep because they were vitamin D deficient". View the webpage if you think it may apply to you.

[NoMoreAnxiety1030]

Thanks Nowuccas.