i dont know whats wrong with me

[lukas89]

Hello first of all i would like to introduce myself to this fantastic forum, im Lukas 19 and currently at university

I had a panic attack last week monday which was a horrific experience and ended up in hospital because i was scared that im having a stroke however i found out it was an anxiety attack which puzzled me as im not stressed about anything at the moment

Anyway, ever since then ive been not feeling 100% always feeling dizzy/lightheaded, a weird headache which i never had before a sort of tingly sensation which moves around, i get it on the left side of my brain/head, back and middle top area. Its really awkward and sometimes gets a bit painful as its so annoying! My right arm sometimes feels weak as if no blood is getting to it - could be the fact that i spend a significant time on the computer but its been fine up until now.

Often my cheeks feel numb, or one side of my face and i get parnoid that im having a heart attack so im always looking in the mirror examing my face checking if i got blue lips etc. I will like to add to this that i did have a cold for quite a while and recently been sneezing like 15 times in a row randomly at times which has never happenend to me before so maybe i could have sinus problems or something?

I often get palpitations and sometimes skip beats (1-2 daily) which doesnt feel nice, if i get it when im sitting down i often get up or lean forward and place my hand on my heart.

I often find that its worse after a night out drinking, as im a first year student i do go out 2/3 times a week and normally drink around 8pints when i do go out along with a couple of vks, shots etc. But i dont understand how suddenly this Anxiety can kick in, 2 weeks ago i was fine now im a complete mess, i just want to be back to my usual state.

There is another thing, around a month ago my friend visited me and we went on a huge drinking marathon, drank for 48 hours constant only with around 4 meals, the next day i had realllllly bad palpitations i had it for a good 4/5days and ended up going to the Walk-in clinic at 3am on like the 2-3rd day as i just felt really bad, they took my blood pressure and it was fine. Ever since then ive been worried about my health and i realised that the palpitations happen when i drink, but never ever before did it happen to me...so i dont understand why now :/

Sorry about the essay i just wanted to get everything out

Thank you in advance

Lukas

[CharlesLinden]

OK. Here is my take on this:

1
Alcohol exacerbates anxiety - it is a stimulant and it contains high levels of sugars. Sugar is controlled by insulin released by the pancreas and the pancreas is linked to the adrenal gland's function... low blood sugar can cause adrenalin release as part of our 'self preservation' reaction.

2
Anxiety causes a contraction of the muscles in the neck and shoulders. All blood vessels and nerves to the face and scalp travel from the base of the neck, up and over the scalp to the face. This restriction caused by these muscles applies pressure to the nerves and blood vessels and causes thee pains, numbness and sensations in the face and head.

3
The arm is also caused by confused nerve impulses and muscle tightness and nearly always affects the left arm but can affect the right as well.

4
The dizziness and the other sensations, including the racing heart, are all very common symptoms of high anxiety!

What you describe is typical of the vast majority of the people we see Lukas! You do need to address the anxiety at its root though and PLEASE just stop drinking for the time being!

Charles

[CJH86]

Hiya....im in my 3rd year at uni now, i discovered very abruptly in my first year that excessive drinking causes palpitations and anxiety! avoid the caffienated VKs at all costs....i think they are the blue ones

I was ok for a year or two then my anxiety attacks where triggered out of the blue by a cold in december, literally overnight i went from normal to a wreck. Some of these colds/flu bugs which have been about over the last few months have really messed with a lot of peoples heads as to speak. It is entirely possible that the facial numbness you describe could be down to sinus congestion....although i myself get it due to stress/anxiety.

Ive spent and do spend a lot of time hunched up on my computer....you can only do that for so long before you start to suffer, as i know too well! it is likely some of these twinges and aches happened before, even tho they seem new....but with associated anxiety you are 100 times more likely to notice them.

Also (i cant take the moral highground here!!) binge drinking....after you've done it for a while you start to notice ill effects with your body that wern't there before....when i first got to uni i'd wake up the next morning after a heavy night and feel all fine and dandy, now i feel rough for days...achy joints, sickness, headaches, lethargy, mood swings, bad skin the lot! x

[lukas89]

I've been feeling like this for around 10 days now, light headed, dizzy, 'fuzzy' vision, face going numb feeling as if the side of it is going down like in that NHS stroke advert

When will i feel normal again?

[hopeseed]

Hello first of all i would like to introduce myself to this fantastic forum, im Lukas 19 and currently at university

I had a panic attack last week monday which was a horrific experience and ended up in hospital because i was scared that im having a stroke however i found out it was an anxiety attack which puzzled me as im not stressed about anything at the moment

Anyway, ever since then ive been not feeling 100% always feeling dizzy/lightheaded, a weird headache which i never had before a sort of tingly sensation which moves around, i get it on the left side of my brain/head, back and middle top area. Its really awkward and sometimes gets a bit painful as its so annoying! My right arm sometimes feels weak as if no blood is getting to it - could be the fact that i spend a significant time on the computer but its been fine up until now.

Often my cheeks feel numb, or one side of my face and i get parnoid that im having a heart attack so im always looking in the mirror examing my face checking if i got blue lips etc. I will like to add to this that i did have a cold for quite a while and recently been sneezing like 15 times in a row randomly at times which has never happenend to me before so maybe i could have sinus problems or something?

I often get palpitations and sometimes skip beats (1-2 daily) which doesnt feel nice, if i get it when im sitting down i often get up or lean forward and place my hand on my heart.

I often find that its worse after a night out drinking, as im a first year student i do go out 2/3 times a week and normally drink around 8pints when i do go out along with a couple of vks, shots etc. But i dont understand how suddenly this Anxiety can kick in, 2 weeks ago i was fine now im a complete mess, i just want to be back to my usual state.

There is another thing, around a month ago my friend visited me and we went on a huge drinking marathon, drank for 48 hours constant only with around 4 meals, the next day i had realllllly bad palpitations i had it for a good 4/5days and ended up going to the Walk-in clinic at 3am on like the 2-3rd day as i just felt really bad, they took my blood pressure and it was fine. Ever since then ive been worried about my health and i realised that the palpitations happen when i drink, but never ever before did it happen to me...so i dont understand why now :/

Sorry about the essay i just wanted to get everything out

Thank you in advance

Lukas

Thank you so much for posting. I think it reall is anxiety. I would really like to talk sometime, you just wrote my story almost exactly. I've been trying not to freak out becouse that did make it worse. Let's talk sometime through email. I have all the same symptoms and am trying to figure out how to cope too. I think it's not as common to have all these symptoms the same way, so it's been hard to find others who have almost the same combanation. Hope to talk soon.
Thanks

[AntiLove_SuperStar]

You really are drinking far,far too much. Please visit the drinkaware site or something because although it seems "normal" in student culture, it isn't and you could really really suffer from this. Please stop drinking so much! You ought not to drink more than 4 units a day - thats something like 2 pints.

[CJH86]

Definately Agreed, i think the case with alcohol is it can be a build up and flare up thing...especially with the mental symptoms. Its very hard not to go along with it at uni though i will say...and theres not as much education about the effects of drinking as there is say smoking/illicit drugs.

Im a heavy drinker...I drink 7-10 units a day most days (which is a lot for somebody my size) And as i mentioned i get the numb face and palpitations on top of that im on edge 24/7, feel hazy, have frequent panic attacks and im convinced im dying of every illness in the book....heart attacks, strokes, neurological disorders you name it really. Last night i developed a bleeding type rash and freaked out and went to hospital where i was given a rather blunt lecture and told to stop drinking, so thats what im having to do.

Its hard to say when you will feel ok again....unfortunately theres not an answer to that. Its possible that you may wake up tomorrow and be ok, In my experience it can take a while...sometimes months to recover from a 'bad episode'. At the start it seems everyday is bad but then you'll have a good day and feel ok, but dont get disheartened if it is followed by a bad one as that is the nature of anxiety....and as you learn to cope more good days come.

Do see one of your university GP's if you can....they have a lot of experience with this kind of thing and ive found they are very helpful

[lukas89]

Yesturday I drank around 8pints and this morning i woke up 9am with a pounding heart found it hard to go back to sleep but after an hour i managed so, now its 2:40pm and im getting slight titghtness/pain around my heart, i have a normal pulse of around 80, do you think this is just down to Alcohol Withdrawel and Anxiety?

[CJH86]

A resting pulse of around 80 seems a little high, saying that anything between 60-100 is pretty normal. Are you a smoker out of interest? Id think at your age its just the anxiety and dehydration/hangover from the alcohol, but if you are worried about the racing heart your doc can do a simple ECG to put mind at ease....normally theyd notice anything major from listening with a stethascope, which i gather they have done. Does ths happen when you dont drink for any period of time?

[snowdrop]

HOW MUCH?????

I know you are very young and i liked a few at your age but do you think your body might be telling you something?

Maybe try cutting your amount by half or drinking more slowly then see how you feel?? If you're not dependant on it this shouldnt be a problem

x