I Had a Severe Anxiety Attack Yesterday (I need help)

[Brandon]

First of all, I am a 21 year old male and I do not eat very healthy. I work online and don't get exercise like I used to. I haven't been to the doctor since I had a physical about 3 years ago. but all in all, I've been a pretty healthy boy throughout my life. Working online has been stressing me out, so has my girlfriend. Although I don't do much, I'm still stressed.

I've never had a panic attack or anything along those lines in my life. My mother used to have attacks and thought she was dying and would go to the hostpital. Yesterday I was on ebay looking at an item for sale when I suddenly got REALLY dizzy and light-headed. I got up and walked to the kitchen where people were talking and I was kind of out of it. My grandmother asked what was wrong but I couldn't talk very well. I was shaking and my voice shook everytime I talked. My chest got tight and felt like it was burning. I also broke out into a weird cold sweat.

I layed down but didn't want to be alone. I had this feeling of "doom" I thought I was having a heart attack and I really thought I was going to die a young man. I was scared.

So I was taken to the hospital. In the car ride there, I got really tired but still felt uneasy. After I got to the hostpital and tests were made. ( They did an EKG test, checked my blood pressure, blood test and chest x-ray) Everyting turned out to be normal, the doctors said. They put me on an IV and put fluids in me. They didn't say what was wrong. I didn't even know it was a panic attack until my aunt mentioned that's what it had to be.

So now it's 10pm the next day and I STILL feel very uneasy. My breathing doesn't seem as natural and my heart feels like it kind of hurts at times and I find myself rubbing my chest where my heart is. I just feel like I'm in a steady state of anxiety! I play guitar, watch a movie, play with my dog zoey, I can still laugh at stuff but I still have this feeling thats been with me since yesterday, and I don't know what to do to feel completely normal again.

[northstar]

brandon, i'm sorry to hear about your trouble. anxiety attacks can be really scary and i know how you're feeling now, the uncertain feeling deep inside like you're different somehow and shaken right to the core. the day of my very first panic attack i felt the same as you, i wrote in my diary "today everything changed".

the problem with anxiety is that it feeds off itself, it feeds off that uncertain feeling you have, making you worry more and more and sending you into a cycle of stress. so the best things to do are to check out what methods you can use to reduce the stress and anxiety.

the first advice i will give to you since you say you do not eat very healthy is to look at your diet. feeling really dizzy and light headed may have had something to do with low blood sugar. if you've been eating lots of sugary and processed foods, and drinks like coffee, tea, sodas and alcohol it can have a major effect on your system. foods like these send your blood sugars on a rollercoaster of highs and lows, causing your body to release adrenaline and other chemicals that can result in panic attacks. similarly if you haven't been eating enough it will make you feel terrible too.

if your body is drained of nutrients from a bad diet it can have a major effect on your nervous system. a healthy nervous system is vital to feeling good again :) if you've been sick and unable to eat correctly this can also be a factor. start taking a vitamin B supplement, it really helps to soothe a stressed out nervous system and often people with anxiety are deficient in it. make sure if you're taking a supplement that it's compatible with any other drugs you might be on.

the next thing is that exercise can really help. it promotes hormones in the body like seratonin that help you feel good. if you're not getting much then you're not going to feel very well.


here is a link to some videos and articles nutrition and anxiety that may help:

http://www.anxietynetwork.com.au/Treatm ... atment.htm (http://www.anxietynetwork.com.au/Treatment/Nutrition/treatment.htm)

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/ ... ycemia.htm (http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/hypoglycemia.htm)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN-Cf2HGl9c

http://www.anxietypanic.com/nutrition.html


the other thing you should do is go speak to your doctor. it's good that you got your heart checked out so you know everything is ok, but it's also a good idea to rule out any other problems that may cause a random anxiety attack.

i hope some of this information helps, i'm sorry if it's a bit rushed but i don't have much time today yet didn't want to leave your post unanswered :) let us know how you're feeling and if any of this helps!

[Carla]

Northstar, I just wanted to say you give really good advice. :goodjob:

[Brandon]

Thanks northstar, for the advice and the links. :)

I guess what I'm scared of, is that I'm still wondering if it was a panic attack or if I actually have a heart problem that the tests didn't pick up. That's what scares me. And this is probably what's triggering these chest pains. There's sudden little sharp pains right under (or) right above my left nipple. Also I think I feel the pains to the right of my left nipple sometimes (from my angle looknig down). I've had an upset stomach since the attack as well.

I should also mention that I'm online all night working, and pretty much sleep most of the day. I got a new bed about a week ago, and ever since I got it, I haven't been sleeping as well as I used to. I been waking up with bad headaches ever since I got this bed. I've also had some weird dreams. Such as my dog dying in my dreams. (I love my dog). I also worry alot about my grandparents. I just want them to live long lives and I pray for their health every single night. My grandfather is my best friend in this whole world.

To me, it looks like all the signs show that this attack happened due to lack of exercise activity, not getting good sleep, and just all around stress from life and worrying.

The question that is burning me the most right now is.. Is it normal for it to feel like my heart is literally aching for DAYS after an anxiety attack?

[northstar]

Northstar, I just wanted to say you give really good advice. :goodjob:

awwww thanks carla :blush: that's very kind of you to say!

i have been through so much with anxiety, and yet have managed to make a great recovery thankfully. i was deeply affected when i saw that so many people have the same problem all across the world, it feels so bad i just want to help where i can. when i was suffering my doctors didn't really know very much about how it can be treated without drugs, and the food thing was never ever mentioned to me, even simple things like avoiding coke & coffee no one knew to tell me about! there's so much we can do to help ourselves, but the knowledge is just not widespread.

the discovery of a healthy diet and positive lifestyle change, changed my life completely, i'm a much happier person now! and i have learned so much on my journey so i share what i know when i think it's a good idea :) i only hope i'm helping!

[northstar]

Thanks northstar, for the advice and the links. :)

I guess what I'm scared of, is that I'm still wondering if it was a panic attack or if I actually have a heart problem that the tests didn't pick up. That's what scares me. And this is probably what's triggering these chest pains. There's sudden little sharp pains right under (or) right above my left nipple. Also I think I feel the pains to the right of my left nipple sometimes (from my angle looknig down). I've had an upset stomach since the attack as well.

I should also mention that I'm online all night working, and pretty much sleep most of the day. I got a new bed about a week ago, and ever since I got it, I haven't been sleeping as well as I used to. I been waking up with bad headaches ever since I got this bed. I've also had some weird dreams. Such as my dog dying in my dreams. (I love my dog). I also worry alot about my grandparents. I just want them to live long lives and I pray for their health every single night. My grandfather is my best friend in this whole world.

To me, it looks like all the signs show that this attack happened due to lack of exercise activity, not getting good sleep, and just all around stress from life and worrying.

The question that is burning me the most right now is.. Is it normal for it to feel like my heart is literally aching for DAYS after an anxiety attack?

brandon, to be safe you can always ask your doctor to do some tests, it's very important to be sure, and never feel like you're asking too much, your health is incredibly important.

i also had those chest pains, mostly after an anxiety attack or right in the middle of one. sometimes they lasted for days and days afterwards. a pain that felt deep in my heart, sometimes stabbing, sometimes just there constantly like a muscle ache. but my heart is fine. you might be interested to hear that these chest pains are often another symptom of the low blood sugar/hypoglycemia problem. once you start balancing out your diet they should go away, mine have disappeared completely. i think in my first reply i pasted a link to an article on hypoglycemia, it should give you a clearer idea of what i'm talking about (i'm a bit all over the place explaining it!).

so it is possible that those chest pains you're getting are the same kind as mine, in which case they should balance out with a more regular healthy diet. but just to be sure you should ask your doctor.

did you know that it's also common for people with anxiety to think there is something wrong with their hearts? so you are not alone :) it's usually because of pains like those and palpitations (where your heart pounds really hard or irregularly). but with lots of tests their hearts proove to be perfectly healthy. i'm not certain, but i think i may have read that the pain can be attributed to the extra adrenaline that's running around your body when you're feeling anxious - i'm not certain about that though, you'll have to look it up. also, being anxious puts you in a highly sensitive state (again, i think because of the adrenaline) so you'll feel any tiny pain in your body and notice it much much more than you would in your normal calm state of mind. and so the cycle continues, when you feel the pain you'll feel anxious but the anxiety will make you more conscious of the pain.

an upset stomach may be a sign of a bug of somekind. if you're ill your body will be under stress and naturally anxious. again you can check with your doctor about that. on the other hand it could also be the diet thing, your stomach giving out about what you've been putting into it ;)

bad sleep is definitely a big factor on levels of anxiety. is your new bed wooden? is it possible that the varnish on the wood is fairly new and perhaps it's effecting your sleep & dreams? you could try opening a window and letting in some fresh air a couple if days in a row to see if it helps? i'm just brainstorming here lol. i just wrote a reply on a recent thread with advice on sleeping problems, you can take a look if you like :)

i hope i'm not being too overbearing here, i'm kinda rushing cause of work and want to make sure i get everything in lol!

i totally understand the worry of your grandparents, that's totally natural to want to take care of the people you love. that only becomes a problems if your worries about it are irrational, if you can't let it go and it takes over your life in ways. people with anxiety of have problems with irrational worries and worries that circle round in their heads that they can't forget about. if you are having those kinds of problems then the best advice i can give is going to talk to a counsellor about it. i went to see a psycotherapist about the same thing and it helped me majorly! i can tell you more about it if you like :) but i think i've written enough here already, i really just wanted to tell you that stuff about the chest pains and here i've gone off on a big tangent lol.

i think you have it right when you say that the anxiety may be from the way lack of exercise, no proper sleep and stress, it sounds like a recipie for disaster, but all those things are easily solved if you're willing to make the changes and begin to reach out for the things you need :) i think you made a good step coming here to ask about it, gathering knowledge about your situation is a great way to begin.

[northstar]

i just wanted to give you a quick link about chest pain:
http://www.panic-anxiety.com/articles/chest-pain/

and please be aware, that this link does not mean that you have an anxiety disorder!!! i just wanted to use it to illustrate the fact that chest pain and anxiety go hand in hand. lots of people have panic/anxiety attacks in their lives without ever having an actual disorder, i just want to make that clear!

[Brandon]

Once again. thanks northstar! Good info. You don't have to reply to this right away if you're busy :)

I actually don't have a doctor. I'm self employed, no medicaid or anything like that. Last time I had a physical was when I went to work offshore in the gulf of mexico about 3 years ago when I was 18, and the company paid for it. The emergency room bill from the other day will most likely go unpaid for a while :(

This is just all weird to me. I've never had an anxiety or health problem, then out of nowhere I have this attack. I'm also pretty darn happy throughout the day when I'm awake. I'm never really sad or depressed. But stressed, I guess I am. I've always been the kind of quiet one, and my mind is always running 200mph with thoughts.

The chest pains aren't so bad right now. Hopefully it blows over soon. It's been about 2 days now. I'd really like to see a doctor to be further inspected but don't know how much it'll cost.

Anyway, I'll stop whining like a big baby now! Thanks for the advice and tips :)

[northstar]

hmmm i'm not sure how things work where you are, here health insurance is optional, you can still get treated without it, but things can be slower if you go public and expersive if you go private. also i can just go see a doctor when i'm ill, i just have to pay for it. it's usually about €55, but it's money well spent if you're sick :)

but i don't know how that works for you, if you can just pay to go see a GP and have them check you out. it's probably a good idea to look into it, or even to look into insurance, your health is totally worth spending money on!

the fact that you've never had an anxiety problem before points even more to the fact that it's probably a combination of your current lifestyle and stress levels that caused the attack. but your mental and physical health are not infallible, just because you've never had any problems doesn't mean that you won't ever have them, so you should be careful to take care of yourself and get the right treatment you need if you're ill in any way.

it may be a good idea to look into managing your stress levels. you can try joining a yoga class once a week? or trying meditation. basically, be good to yourself, give your body and mind the chance they need to relax :) anxiety can often be a state of mind, you can choose to be that way if you want, or you can choose to live how you want to and start making the changes that you need.

anyway, i don't think you need to get too bogged down in all this stuff at the moment. it may be the only attack you'll ever have :) i would just take it as a hint to start taking care of yourself and see how things go from there.

[northstar]

Anyway, I'll stop whining like a big baby now! Thanks for the advice and tips :)

you're not a baby!! i know only too well the need to vent and seek out reassurance, and that is exactly what forums like this one are for! never feel childish when you're genuinely worried about yourself, you're allowed to be concerned. share as much as you need to ok? :goodjob: