Need help please!

[Suzzy]

Hi,
Apologies in advance that this post mihgt end up rather long.... I REALLY need some help/advice. I dont know if what im experiencing is all down to anxiety or not and im totally panicking and freaking out!
Firstly, let me say i am a VERY anxious person in general and have suffered with anxiety for a few years now. The problem is that if i suddenly get new symptoms i dont know if they are caused by anxiety or whether there might actually be something wrong.
It started last monday when i went shopping with my sister. I was in a shop getting a few bits wehn i suddenly felt really hot and dizzy and was sure i was going to faint! I panicked big time and managed to get out of the shop and felt a little better once out in the fresh air. I managed to recover slightly but still felt pretty bad, and drove home. I hoped once i was home i'd calm down a bit and feel better but i just couldnt stop worrying/panicking about that feeling and i still felt VERY light headed, wobbly, was physically shaking etc. I went from being really hot to freezing cold and started shivering. By the end of the day i felt quite a lot better. But ever since then ive been feeling light headed almost constantly and at times its worse and at other times it seems to go away for a while. Last night, whilst just lying on the sofa i had another 'episode' where i suddenly felt really dizzy and like i couldnt hold my head up! Again, after a couple of hours i felt better again. Ive also been getting really bad palpitations which i suffer with quite a lot but these are worse tha normal. I went to the doc on friday and he checked me over a bit and said he couldnt find any real cause but if it continued then to go back...
Basically, i just need to know if im causing these symptoms due to my anxiety levels being so high or could there really be something wrong? I just cant calm myself down and im always thinking about it which makes me wonder if im causing it all myself! Sorry its so long but im desperate for some help so if anyone out there can give me some reassurance/advice then i'd be REALLY grateful... Its scaring me now!

[loveandfireworks]

Yup, that's anxiety....I have the same symptoms. I still struggle with worrying about new symptoms or how to know the difference between an anxiety symptom and a cause for concern. However, I am beginning to get a bit better. It's a slow process for me because I have struggled for many years but have finally enlisted the help of a counselor and psychiatrist. If the doctors can't find anything wrong, then it is anxiety. That's good you got checked out, I did too. Did the doctor suggest anxiety? You are not alone.... Also make sure you find a good support system among friends and family as I have found that really helps....and think about speaking with a professional such as a counselor or psychologist. As I said, you are not alone.

[alotofants]

Allmost same symptoms here, chill, do what u like the most, and avoid tablets..

[Sunny Days]

Suzzy you are not alone. I could of written your post! Same exact symptoms here...and like you, the main thing I struggle with is second guessing if it is just anxiety every time. I think we have to realize it IS anxiety. Millions of people have the same thing you described. I've had so many of these "episodes" you'd think it wouldn't phase me anymore. Like the above poster I am getting better about it, but it's never pleasant. By any chance could your blood sugar level of dropped? I ask because I do get low blood sugar if I wait too long to eat in-between meals and it can bring on similar symptoms.

[Suzzy]

Thank you so much everyone for replying to me! It makes me feel a bit better instantly knowing that im not alone.... I think deep down i know it is just all anxiety and i have magnified it into a massive thing!

'loveandfireworks' - Well in the past my doctor has suggested anxiety a few times, and this time he said it could be caused by drop in blood pressure which can be due to...anxiety! Although this seems a bit odd to me because my BP is always on the high side so i'd be surprised if that was the cause. I have tried seeing a counssellor but he was so completely useless that i gave up. He described to me how i should feel when i have a panic attck and when i said i didnt feel like that he said ' well i hope you do because otherwise my theory is wrong'! Thanks for the vote of confidence!! According to him i should feel short of breath and be hyperventilating but weirdly thats one symptom i dont suffer with! I think i might try and see if i can ask to see someone different though and hope that they might be better. Cant afford to pay to see someone so its whoever the NHS allocate to me! :-/

'alotofants' - Yes, im desperate not to go on tablets. Really want to try and crack it without the use of them.... plus i worry about the side effects! haha. Is there no end to the worry?!

'sunnydays' - Thank you! Its so nice to know that others feel the same.... not that i'd wish it on anyone but just feels better knowing you're not a complete mental case! :-) Yeas, i've had so many 'heart attacks' that you'd think by now i'd know that actually its nothing to worry about but every time the symptoms crop up the same thought patterns emerge! Its so frustrating. And no, i dont think its blood sugar as i eat lots! hehe. And whenever i've had this light headed/dizzyness i can find no relation to whether ive eaten or not.