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dustin_walrod
03-15-2015, 07:59 PM
Hello ladies and gentleman!

My name is Dustin, I'm a 30 year old male from Alberta, Canada.

I'm going on two weeks on the rollercoaster ride of anxiety and panic. Still not entirely sure what I'm experiencing. The terms "panic", and " anxiety" just sound so mild and understated.

It all began about 8 weeks ago. After some newfound chest pain, sleepless nights, and 7 visits to the Emergency Room, I do not ha e any specific diagnosis, but the doctors keep telling me that I am in fact, suffering from panic and anxiety disorder.

Explaining the symptoms is so difficult, and the severity is hard to put into words.....

I guess it all starts with chest pains. It feels like everything gets tight and tense, and as the symptoms increase, my heart rate feels extremely fast and heart feels like its skipping beats.

As I concentrate more and more on the symptoms,I fall into what I can only describe as a hole, a pit, and as I lose control over my mind, the symptoms take over, and I cannot seem to concentrate on anything else. The more I think about what's happening, the more it takes over my mind.

As things continue, I can get all sorts of sensations including numbness in my hands, arms, tingling in my jaw, head pressure and sometimes even blurred vision.

I begin to do numerous things to feel better. I rub tiger-balm all over my chest and neck, but sometimes the heat intensifies the feeling of chest pain. I try to sit upright, and crosslegged.

Laying down in any position intensifies the symptoms, especially on my back. Thoughts of heart attacks, strokes and other serious health problems take over my mind. Sometimes I even get dizzy and extremely light headed.

It seems since this started that I have completely "OVER-AWARE" of everything happening in my chest. Sometimes it feels like my heart skips beats, or my lungs are "gurgling". I can't make this stop much at all.

During these episodes, I have had chest x-rays, ECG , blood tests, all that stuff with results coming back completely normal. Recently I had an echo cardiogram, which also came back normal.

My chest pressure is unbearable sometimes, and I have even gone to sit in the emergency room at the hospital until I feel better, knowing that being triaged and admitted is almost completely pointless.

Doctors ha e prescribed Ativan numerous times, but they don't really help much at all.

Am I really having a panic attack? Is my mind really becoming my own worst enemy? Is it really possible that my brain is making me feel symptoms so severe, that aren't really happening at all?!

Please folks, any thoughts, ideas, or assistance would be so greatly appreciated during this dark time. I feel like just simply being convinced of a diagnosis would make me feel better.

Thanks again guys!!

gypsylee
03-15-2015, 08:22 PM
Hello ladies and gentleman!

My name is Dustin, I'm a 30 year old male from Alberta, Canada.

I'm going on two weeks on the rollercoaster ride of anxiety and panic. Still not entirely sure what I'm experiencing. The terms "panic", and " anxiety" just sound so mild and understated.

It all began about 8 weeks ago. After some newfound chest pain, sleepless nights, and 7 visits to the Emergency Room, I do not ha e any specific diagnosis, but the doctors keep telling me that I am in fact, suffering from panic and anxiety disorder.

Explaining the symptoms is so difficult, and the severity is hard to put into words.....

I guess it all starts with chest pains. It feels like everything gets tight and tense, and as the symptoms increase, my heart rate feels extremely fast and heart feels like its skipping beats.

As I concentrate more and more on the symptoms,I fall into what I can only describe as a hole, a pit, and as I lose control over my mind, the symptoms take over, and I cannot seem to concentrate on anything else. The more I think about what's happening, the more it takes over my mind.

As things continue, I can get all sorts of sensations including numbness in my hands, arms, tingling in my jaw, head pressure and sometimes even blurred vision.

I begin to do numerous things to feel better. I rub tiger-balm all over my chest and neck, but sometimes the heat intensifies the feeling of chest pain. I try to sit upright, and crosslegged.

Laying down in any position intensifies the symptoms, especially on my back. Thoughts of heart attacks, strokes and other serious health problems take over my mind. Sometimes I even get dizzy and extremely light headed.

It seems since this started that I have completely "OVER-AWARE" of everything happening in my chest. Sometimes it feels like my heart skips beats, or my lungs are "gurgling". I can't make this stop much at all.

During these episodes, I have had chest x-rays, ECG , blood tests, all that stuff with results coming back completely normal. Recently I had an echo cardiogram, which also came back normal.

My chest pressure is unbearable sometimes, and I have even gone to sit in the emergency room at the hospital until I feel better, knowing that being triaged and admitted is almost completely pointless.

Doctors ha e prescribed Ativan numerous times, but they don't really help much at all.

Am I really having a panic attack? Is my mind really becoming my own worst enemy? Is it really possible that my brain is making me feel symptoms so severe, that aren't really happening at all?!

Please folks, any thoughts, ideas, or assistance would be so greatly appreciated during this dark time. I feel like just simply being convinced of a diagnosis would make me feel better.

Thanks again guys!!

Hi Dustin and welcome :)

Well I can't really argue with all those results and doctors. I don't get as many physical symptoms as some people (I get racing heart and sometimes sweating) so I'm usually sceptical of posts like this being anxiety, but others will assure you it can cause all this. And as I say, those tests don't lie.

I do know how debilitating it is though - I've been unable to function normally on and off for decades because of severe anxiety. So it is a big deal and "normal" people can't comprehend how bad it gets.

Anyway welcome to the forum. It's a bit weird here sometimes lol but we are experts at anxiety (and depression). We can panic like noone else ;) So you've come to the right place.

Cheers,
Gypsy x

hannah0117
03-15-2015, 10:11 PM
Hey Dustin! Hate to say this but... welcome to the world of panic disorder... but, i'm sure after reading some of the threads here you would feel a little more relieve somehow...? At least you would know that you are not alone in experiencing these hideous feelings.
Anyway, my symptoms was like a mirror of yours...
Numbness of arms and hands, chest and back pains, headache, dizziness..
The doom feeling like you would just experience blackout, or would have a heart attack or a stroke...
I experience these symptoms almost everyday...
How do I fight it? Well, actually i dont know.. sorry..
But i experience less full blown panic attack lately. I experience my first panic attack last dec, it was hell everyday.. but going to the doctor and eliminating any diseases was helpful from time to time.
. Try drinking camomile tea... i find it really helpful.
Anyway.. you are not alone!! Hope OUR stay here would be short!
Always take care!! Stay calm(ironically) 😊