Strange Anxiety

[WestonThomas]

Hello Everyone.
I've been dealing with the anxiety and panic disorder for about about 2 months now. I'm only 19 and this is really starting to bug me. But things have gotten strange.
So about 2 months ago I had a panic attack at night while with my friends, i didn't think to much of it until it happened the next night. Then I was constantly worried and
had no idea what was happening. 2 Months have gone by and i'm feeling a bit better. The strange thing is that about two weeks ago i took an Ibuprofen and all the feelings i was having
in my chest went away. They have been almost non-existent. Now instead of getting a racing heart when i try and go out, I just get extreme head Pressure. i've had head pressure for a while now, but
it only gets worse when i go out to drive somewhere.it concerned me so I went to the Dr. and he told me it was just from the anxiety. Does anyone else have this happen to them? I've also been taking Zoloft for the past week it helps the head pressure while i'm at home, but not if i go anywhere. Any suggestions or input? I just want my life back.

[GeneralWorrier]

Hello Everyone.
I've been dealing with the anxiety and panic disorder for about about 2 months now. I'm only 19 and this is really starting to bug me. But things have gotten strange.
So about 2 months ago I had a panic attack at night while with my friends, i didn't think to much of it until it happened the next night. Then I was constantly worried and
had no idea what was happening. 2 Months have gone by and i'm feeling a bit better. The strange thing is that about two weeks ago i took an Ibuprofen and all the feelings i was having
in my chest went away. They have been almost non-existent. Now instead of getting a racing heart when i try and go out, I just get extreme head Pressure. i've had head pressure for a while now, but
it only gets worse when i go out to drive somewhere.it concerned me so I went to the Dr. and he told me it was just from the anxiety. Does anyone else have this happen to them? I've also been taking Zoloft for the past week it helps the head pressure while i'm at home, but not if i go anywhere. Any suggestions or input? I just want my life back.

Totally understand with the fed up bit, I'm 17 and have had anxiety for 3 years now. Certainly getting frustrated at myself but hopefully things are going to get better soon. It will have gone away with the ibuprofen because the whole anxiety thing is inside our heads, once you've taken something you believe will make it go away then effectively it will, and we start to ease up and calm down.

Head pressure is also horrible, it's something you've got to figure out how to control as much as getting rid of it. Some people listen to music or try and do something to distract themselves. However when driving this is probably not the best thing to do haha! In that aspect I'm not sure but certainly try and find things that will take your mind off of it aaa the more you think about it the worse it will get. Maybe visit your GP again and explain how much this is affecting you and see if they can give you anything for it or refer you anywhere, sorry if I'm not much help!

Take care x

[manz82]

I suffered a lot with head pressure for a while, as well as dizziness. It used to freak me out. Thankfully, the head pressure is rarely a problem now - it's the dizziness that still gets me. I find that deep, even breathing works most of the time - especially when driving and in crowds. X

[cloroxidized]

Hello Everyone.
I've been dealing with the anxiety and panic disorder for about about 2 months now. I'm only 19 and this is really starting to bug me. But things have gotten strange.
So about 2 months ago I had a panic attack at night while with my friends, i didn't think to much of it until it happened the next night. Then I was constantly worried and
had no idea what was happening. 2 Months have gone by and i'm feeling a bit better. The strange thing is that about two weeks ago i took an Ibuprofen and all the feelings i was having
in my chest went away. They have been almost non-existent. Now instead of getting a racing heart when i try and go out, I just get extreme head Pressure. i've had head pressure for a while now, but
it only gets worse when i go out to drive somewhere.it concerned me so I went to the Dr. and he told me it was just from the anxiety. Does anyone else have this happen to them? I've also been taking Zoloft for the past week it helps the head pressure while i'm at home, but not if i go anywhere. Any suggestions or input? I just want my life back.

GeneralWorrier is quite right about the possible placebo effect from the ibuprofen, but it's relatively harmless so if it helps, there isn't any reason to defer.
I would give the Zoloft another week or up to four total before deciding about it (assuming you don't have bad side effects, dr is on board, all that). SSRI's like sertaline (Zoloft) can require up to four weeks to reach maximum effectiveness and there may be the need for some dose adjustment, so don't give up hope on that having a further positive impact.

The head pressure could actually be high blood pressure associated with an anxiety response. When it occurs do you feel anxious or have any awareness? And is it always similar situations?

[WestonThomas]

When i feel it i only get anxious Because it feels like my head will explode. I went to the ER because i thought i was dying or had some brain injury, I'm extremely healthy and blood pressure is fabulous as the tests tell me.
Thanks for replying too, good to hear i'm not alone in this.

[cloroxidized]

When i feel it i only get anxious Because it feels like my head will explode. I went to the ER because i thought i was dying or had some brain injury, I'm extremely healthy and blood pressure is fabulous as the tests tell me.
Thanks for replying too, good to hear i'm not alone in this.

I'm definitely sticking by my thinking that it is blood pressure. You're certainly not hypertensive but anxiety directly affects blood pressure in a short term (and sometimes long term sense). I went to my drs appointment 10 months ago (first time at the doc for anxiety) and it was 190/110 and they were concerned I was abusing cocaine or other stimulants, I was simply very anxious and panicy. You may consider talking to yor doctor about PRN use of a medication called propranolol. It's a beta blocker that prevents your heart from racing and helps reduce andrenergic symptoms of anxiety. Stage performers often use it for performance anxiety.

It helps to realize there's some thoughts about whether the mind causes the physical changes or if the physical changes actually alter the mind. It's likely a two way street so many find that when they control the physical symptoms (through meds like propranolol) it also affects their thinking.

[Lin]

Weston Thomas - understand totally about your feeling of head exploding as i have got it all the time at moment.
Mine is not physical but purely anxiety and depression and the head gets so bad because it just goes round and round about what wrong with life at moment, so feels like exploding.
Physchologist been trying to help me stop this vicious circle and ruminating which is what they call it, but it is really hard to stop it.
So you may find that your head pressure is same as mine, and it is anxiety and depression making your head bad, rather than something physical like blood pressure.

[cloroxidized]

Anxiety manifests both as psychological phenomena and physiological phenomena with varying degrees of conscious control. In this case blood pressure increases and tension could be created by that vicious cycle so controlling the physical phenomena responsible may aid in reducing or eliminating the associated psychological phenomena.