so many symptoms help!

Hi everyone
I really need some advice!!
This may be long winded but I wanted to know if any of you could shed some light on this for me.
Here goes, in december I hurt my back which resulted in sciatica, I was prescribed tramadol, one evening I got real bad palpatations an thought it was down to the tramadol, I went A an E an they gave me steroids to take instead, I went back the night after and had a ECG which was fine and a blood test which was slightly high in white blood cells but they said I was fine that was january,
Now since then I've had loads of different Symptoms with my breathing, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, what also seems like trapped wind all the time, indegestion, an I'm very emotional, I've been prescribed citalopram which hasn't agreed so I now have been prescribe Sertraline, which I'm afraid to take, they think it may be anxiety but I'm scared something terrible is wrong with me! :( this has all come from nowhere can anyone help! X

---------- Post added at 09:35 ---------- Previous post was at 09:28 ----------

I also feel like I cnt swallow properley and my throat feels restricted and tight :( mainly in the morning

Hi Paula, reading your post it could be that you've developed this fear after your experience of palps that took you to A&E. Even though the ECG showed nothing bad, you got yourself so worked up and worried about it that you're now more or less producing symptoms of fear which produces adrenaline and that affects everything....heart, digestion etc. Remind yourself of the fight or flight reaction. Fear gives us a rapid heart-rate, overbreathing, dry mouth and a multitude of other sensations as your body prepares to either bash somebody or run for your life! But because you're not doing any of that it feels overwhelming. We then start doubting the doctors and think they've missed something because we feel so bad. But adrenaline can affect us more than we realise. I take propranolol which blocks adrenaline so my system is much calmer these days. Even in small doses it can help and it can also be taken on an 'as and when needed' basis too...might be worth having a chat to your doc about it. Hope this helps a little.

Hi thankyou for your reply, I have propanalol here prescribed to me they said a beta blocker may be good for me, although as soon as I got them I stupidly googled them an realise that one of there side effects may be that my breathing may suffer from taking the med, an that is allready one of my worse symptoms :( oh it is awful I feel like I have something stuck in my neck and throat too! I oddly have this sensitive aching pain all around my ribs and breasts its so uncomfortble I really need help but feel like I'm stuck with what the doctors are telling me, when I speak to them they all seem uninterested and just say oh right well here's some meds not one have them have actually confirmed anxiety to me :( x

Try to stop reading the info leaflets that come with any meds, they will make your anxiety worse and could stop you taking something that could be beneficial. All meds have a listing of possible...that's possible not definate...side effects, even paracetamol, and when was the last time you looked up the side effects of normal pain relief tabs? yet they're there. Yes some people experience side effects, but then others don't. Propranolol slows your heartbeat down and that means slowing your system down a little too. It depends on how your system handles any given medication, everybody is different.

I would tend to agree with your doc to be honest, as what you describe sounds like typical physical reactions to fear. The fact that you have so many differents meds tells me that you are in a circle of being scared of the symptoms but more scared of the meds that may help you. I guess only you can decide if you are strong enough to accept your fear and handle it without meds or give them a try and see if they help.