Looking for advice

[fut125]

I had anxiety issues that were diagnosed 5 to 6 years ago. I had anxiety when I was younger but it was not diagnosed. 5 years ago several things went bad in my personal life...son had a seizure..I had an acl tear...etc etc .. I then thought I was having a heart attack. I went to the hospital and they admitted me to the telemetry floor. While there they first diagnosed me with a blocked artery. I am currently 37 and was 32 then. They then realized it was a false positive and kept me there for 3 days checking everything to be sure. They then released me and said it was anxiety. I started on Lexapro and it seemed to work. I went off Lexapro and then back on 3 years ago as I was having anxiety again. I went off in Decemeber and was doing well aside from low level anxiety. Then 3 weeks ago had a panic attack. At least I hope it was a panic attack.. I had a racing heart felt foddy and had major fear and jitters. Felt as if I may pass out. I almost stopped a cop to bring me to the hospital. I drove home and paced...as that is my normal routine...Then I asked for re assurance from my friends and brothers which I always have done in the past. They all said sounded like everything that has happened for me in the past. I then continued to have some anxiety from that point on and today it was worse when I found out a friend died from a stroke today...he was 52 a smoker and he drank...but immediately I had increased anxiety and had the thoughts of hey maybe that is what is happening to me and that I should go to a doctor because they were wrong.....

I called my brother who is a PA and my mom who is a psycologist and they both said sounds like anxiety and most of me believes that then part of me thinks what if........and then it just spirals from there. My brother and mother do not think I should go to a doctor and think I should see a psycologist to discuss since I was already diagnosed with anxiety

Does anyone else have extended periods of anxiety with physical symptoms like chest tightness(not severe) tingly hands, lump in the throat, soft cough because you feel you have too, and foggy head ?

Should I go back on Lexapro?

WHy if I mostly know it is the same cycle and had a full cardiac work up 5 years ago I am in decent shape(ride my bike swim play soccer when not anxious) do I still question my health to the degree that I get anxious?

My symptoms almost disappear at night after work and when I am just hanging out..does that happen to anyone?

Thanks

[jusroc]

sure. I sometimes suffer from phantom heart attacks.
(sharp pain in the chest that i think is a heart attack).

Don't worry, This is just a symptom of anxiety.

When I first had this happen to me, i went to the doctor really worried.
She asked me what the pain was like. I explained.
She told me that a heart attack would feel completely different.

A heart attack gives you a dull pain across the chest and is very unlikely to happen to someone of your age unless you have a biological abnormality such as a weak heart.

If I were you I would take the following supplement before any intense exercise: Solgar phosphatidyl serine (PS).
as, if you have a hard work out, this can cause you anxiety and can make you aggro (this is what happens to me).

The supplement blunts the cortisol receptors in the brain which ultimately means that you wont get stresses due to over exercising.

I would also advise you to get back on lexpro or another anti anxiety med.

If you dont want to go to doctor, then consider L - Theanine.
this is an amino acid found in green tea.

Cammomile tea is also quiet relaxing.

Get rid of coffee and cola out of diet. (caffeine is a killer!)

Consider taking up tai chi / yoga / meditation / relaxation techniques and perhaps even get some cbt.

tai chi etc must really be done every day though if you are going to reap the benefits as you ultimately have to retrain your mind and body to work in a different way.

ps. stay away from illegal drugs as almost all of them will make your anxiety worse.

[Charmbracelet81]

I have heart skips that started when I was pregnant..they never went away! one day I had what I now know was a panic attack, thinking I was having an heart attack. That was 6 years ago for me. Still 7 years after my 1st heart skip and every heart test possible done that came back ok, I still battle the thoughts that they missed something and that I will have a heart attack at any moment. I am in cognitive behavioral therapy and my therapist tells me the main thoughts we with anxiety have are that of a heart problem and death/dying. It has helped me tremendously. I do recommend it since all the medical tests came back ok.

[fut125]

The rational me know this that I am probably fine and if I wasnt I need to be sold to science because of the number of times I have had anxiety/panic attacks. Then I question that my cardiac work up was 5 years ago, but the symptoms are the same...So then I spin myself into this cycel of anxiety. I was just looking up heart attack on the computer and of course I could say that everytime in the past five years that I was in a cycle of anxiety that I felt those feelings...tightness of the chest. shortness of breath..but more because I am shallow breathing..but I do not have tiredness while climbing stairs etc and I am still here so rational me says that if it were a heart attack I would not still be here given the frequency of times I have felt it the looking for reassurance when it is going on and the fact I can feel myself tensing my shoulders...All is probably caused by the adrenaline being released into my body but the fear of not knowing for certain is what spins me around. Like I said yesterday was awful I went through my day hiding that I was anxious and worked all day if it were really a heart attack it probably would have gotten worse but it did not. Today better than yesterday, but still the what if thoughts....sucks because I was free of this for a few years until 3 wees ago.