Is this anxiety?

[Mike_lfc_92]

It started in august 2010, i was having a shave then all of a sudden i had pains in my chest and i couldnt breathe and it scared me quite abit as i was wondering what it was. So 2 days later i went the doctors (i should have gone the hospital really) and they asked if i drank pepsi or coca cola, which i replied yes to. But then a few days later i ended up in hospital as the pain was too much, i stayed in there for a day had blood tests done and also an ECG and all they said was my heart was abit quick and it was nothing to worry about, but i still have the pains in my chest now and i just want them to go!! Also i have drank pepsi and coca cola all my life and why would it effect me at that point in time just 2 months after turning 18? I have also had other things wrong with my like headaches, leg pain and dizzyness but i think i have a brain tumour or something else, now i know thats anxiety but im not an anxious person im calm all the time and nothing phases me but recently i have felt really depressed because of it and its runing my life. Any suggestions on how i can get past this?

[Ratzinger]

Mike, How much Pepsi do you drink? A lot of my anxiety came down to caffeine reliance. I was on coffee, but soft drinks can be worse as there is more sugar in there, which can cause even more anxiety. Anything more than one can a day is probably bad news, if you are suffering from anxiety. Drinking it for years makes no difference - I have been drinking coffee solidly for six years, yet this year it helped cause my anxiety out of the blue. Caffeine intake will be one of the things that are making you anxious, but probably not the sole cause.

The golden rule in these situations is to trust the doctors. Pains in the chest are a common feature of anxiety, and if you are anxious, your brain will make more of various symptoms than they usually would. So a chest pain becomes a heart attack in ones mind, and then one panics and the chest pains get worse! If your doctor says that there is nothing wrong, then it is safe to assume that what you are suffering from are anxiety/panic attacks. Remember as well there is a difference, an anxiety attack does not mean you have to be "feeling anxious" - I have been quite calm and an anxiety attack has crept up on me even when watching a show on TV.

What would suggest to me that you do have anxiety is your description of the symptoms, and your conclusion. You have suffered headaches, leg pain and dizziness, and concluded - brain tumour. The fact that you jumped to that conclusion suggests anxiety! :-) I do it too - I twist a chest muscle and think I have lung cancer! People get headaches, people get pains in their legs, and people feel dizzy from time to time. Also, these symptoms may be exacerbated by your anxiety - so, if you get a headache and convince yourself that it is a tumour, you will quickly worry yourself, and that will cause you to feel dizzy. Anxiety can spiral quickly if you don't get a grip of it.

The golden rule is that if you are really concerned, then go to the doctors, even just to put your mind at rest. But don't let your anxiety allow you to second guess the judgements of professionals. I would recommend you have a browse round this forum, and you will see that your symptoms are very common amongst anxiety sufferers, and that is much more likely than something outlandish like a brain tumour. Hope this helps, and welcome to the forum! :-)

[Mike_lfc_92]

Lol, its really weird and i cant belive it has happened to me:O. I drank ALOT of pepsi and coca cola. The chest pain and not being able to breathe are the worst parts of it because it scares me quite alot and my heart is pounding out of my chest all the time now aswell. Also i havent drank pepsi or coca cola since september