Panic attacks and anxiety

[ronnoco7]

Hi,

I am new to this. About 2 years ago I felt like I was having a heart attack I went to A&E and after spending the night there I got a clean bill of health. The doctor said I was over doing things and it was anxiety. Since then if theres a serious medical problem, I assume I have it. I get worried about doing the smallest tasks and worry about doing things in advance and build my self up to think that there impossible to do. I have been to doctors and hospitals since. I have had every test under the sun and nothing was found (thank god). But still as time passes i feel like im starting to worry again. I used to not have a care in the world and was easy go lucky person. Here are my symptoms:

Heart palpatations ( my stomach moves in sync with my pulse)
Feeling like I have a brain tumour
Pain in head and neck
Tinggling sensations
Feeling unsteady on feet
Feel like im going MAD!!!
Muscles just move when ever they like but never when i am exercising!
I hate the feelings of queues and places where I have top wait around.

If you can help shed any light on this I would be really gratefull.

Regards

[njmom]

The only thing I can assure you is that all of these symptoms can definitely (and most likely ARE) related to anxiety. If I went down the list of physical symptoms I had, it definitely resembled a horrible disease. Medication had helped me tremendously, but most people on here will tell you about cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). I suggest one or both. I haven't started CBT yet as I am pretty new to my meds, but plan to in a few months once I get leveled out a bit more. My vertigo, skin sensations (tingling, numbness, tightness), heart palpatations, head and neck pain, muscle twitches, and most other symptoms have gone since I started the meds which really proved a point to me. Sometimes I still have a mild attack but it is MUCH more manageable mentally and only takes me seconds or minutes to get out of it now. When you are ready you will do something about it, but only YOU can make that decision. If you start meds or therpay you need to take a positive perspective and realize it takes time to see improvement, but KNOW you WILL see improvement eventually. The meds can make you feel worse for the first few weeks but if you can get through that, it's a really nice feeling. I am actually happy again. I forgot what it feels like to be happy and smile!! I suggest starting with your regular physician and getting a bunch of tests run so they can come back normal, and that will help you. Since starting my meds it has been much easier to get back to doing things I used to enjoy and that is also an huge factor. Eating right and exercise are also key to improving anxiety. Anything helps. I started with a short walk everyday, and have been doing intense yardwork for exercise now since I enjoy that. My anxiety symptoms are usually delayed and won't feel it until the day after, when I can actually relax. Hope fully you find something that will help you.

[ronnoco7]

Thank you very much for the quick response. I have had all the tests under the sun and they all come back normal apart from by blood pressure which I can attribute to feeling anxiety therefore it increases. My main issue is that once I got the all clear ( they focused on my heart and lung area) i convinced myself it was a brain tumour. It sounds very silly I know but I can't help feeling it!

Do you think that meds are essential or a can do attitude will sort it out?

ps' I was taking herbal remedy valeria but I think it only worked as a placebo affect because when I would take it I would get a sense of relief straight away.

Thanks again

[njmom]

Thank you very much for the quick response. I have had all the tests under the sun and they all come back normal apart from by blood pressure which I can attribute to feeling anxiety therefore it increases. My main issue is that once I got the all clear ( they focused on my heart and lung area) i convinced myself it was a brain tumour. It sounds very silly I know but I can't help feeling it!

Do you think that meds are essential or a can do attitude will sort it out?

ps' I was taking herbal remedy valeria but I think it only worked as a placebo affect because when I would take it I would get a sense of relief straight away.

Thanks again

I definitely think an attitude alone can straighten it out... CBT therapy is a good way from what I understand, and it usually takes about 4 or 5 months to finish the therapy. It is very structured from what I understand and has an end point. Its not ongoing. Depending on what kind of time you are having, the meds can help as well and are usually used together with therapy and can be very effective. I was having an extremely hard time and was basically incapacitated for days after a bad attack (my worst are at night or after a nap, always revolving around sleep). I was having physical anxiety symptoms even when I really didn't have anything going on to cause it. Anxiety can be very subconscious and can be a very hard thing to break out of once it starts and you will be prone to it from now on most likely. You basically have to retrain your brain. The meds are really good for me, but I was at a point of desperation to get out of this and feel normal again. The meds can play tricks on your brain and there are days where I wonder if I am sane, or why I am thinking things, and my mind is going a thousand miles an hour for no reason. Alot of things we go through are completely normal, we just have a bad way of reacting to them. When you have anxiety your senses are much more in tune with your body and everything else around you, and thats where most of these physical feelings and thoughts come from. The meds have made it very easy for me to make sense of these things and get past them without causing more anxiety. I am on lexapro and is mild compared to other SSRI's on the market. I also have xanax but have never taken it. Xanax has a short term effect to get you through attacks, and the lexapro is a long term drug. I started at a very low dose and gradually increased it. This made my adjustment period all that much longer because everytime I increased it, I would have to adjust all over again. I kind of wished I had just started at the higher dose, even if the side effects were worse. Just something to know in case you do want to try meds. Also, if you do start them, you need to wean yourself off when you stop them, so you should be dedicated to taking them once you start. Having someone to support you through the adjustment period is something I suggest. My husband was great support for me and I was lucky to have him.

[Kryztina]

Hi ronnoco. i have had every symptom you describe and as it turns out, they were ALL related to my anxiety :cry:

With meds and therapy I was able to get things under control and before I knew it all of these syptoms evaporated... :D

Is there something specific that triggered your anxiety to reach these levels?