They say it's Anxiety, hard to believe that's it

[AlwaysOnEdge]

Hi everyone. I am 41, male, 6'0 203 lbs and active. Nothing for me to walk 10 miles in a day. I do however suffer from general anxiety with occasional panic attacks.

I've ended up at the ER 2-3 times over I'd say 8 years because of what was likely a bad panic attack. This last time I got up and went to the bathroom and just had the worst feeling I've ever experienced- BP was 190/110 but I think it was a bad reaction to my first dose of an anti depressant, which I stopped right away.

I can usually just deal and get through them, easier when I am at home with my family. However if I'm traveling and alone in a hotel then I have a much harder time dealing with it. When I do have one they are nocturnal. So I'm sleeping and wake to already being in the throws of a panic attack. I have severe tremors and a feeling that I am dying. Is it a heart attack? I can't breathe, etc.

I was very concerned about my heart so in the last 6 months I've had multiple EKG'a full blood work up (total cholesterol is 155 and everything else in range) stress test with ekg monitor (doctor said once a year he may see someone who does as good as I did) and also had an echocardiogram done (no issues found)

So I've had a pretty good work up, doctor said go run a marathon you are healthier than 80-90% of people your age. Cardiologist said not to worry. But yet I am constantly worrying. I think, maybe I have MS?

I'm constantly running a self diagnostic scan in my head of any sensation in my body wondering if something's wrong.



Do you all experience anything like this? With all my testing I should have piece of mind but I don't . I'd love to hear from you!

[Lily777]

I have had panic attacks before, and I can definitely agree with you that it feels like something is serverely wrong with your heart. Anxiety really can make you feel like you're dying. If you have had a cardiologist, who specializes in nothing but the cardiovascular system, tell you that your heart is okay, then you are okay. Those tests are very specific, and can pick up 99% of heart issues. Also, MS does not present that way, so based off of what you have posted, I don't think you have MS. I truly do think this is anxiety related. I know that is hard to accept because I have been in your position before, but i do believe your doctors are correct. :hugs:

[AlwaysOnEdge]

Thank you for your response. I really do want to trust what the doctors tell me, I just can't seem to stop over analyzing any little physical feeling lately. Even tonight, clogged ears like from flying- with some slight pain in the forehead and I jump to "what if it's a Stroke I need to be worrying about?" Because someone I know recently had one

[Lily777]

A stroke does not present that way either. I completely understand what it's like to interpret every little thing that your body does as catastrophic. I also understand not being able to trust your doctors. You feel like a complete idiot because one part of you is saying, "They went to medical school and have years of experience; they know what they're talking about." The other, less-rational part of you, who has read too many horror stories on the internet says, "But what if I end up being one of those horror stories I read about on the internet? What if they're wrong and misdiagnose me?" It really is a nightmare, and I understand. We both need to learn that doctors know way more than we ever could, have seen the things we've come in for many times, and are right 99.99% of the time. :)

[AlwaysOnEdge]

Thanks Lilly, I do t want to continue to make these A to Z leaps of what I think could be wrong - it sucks 👎🏻 I do still have the buzzing in my ears though 😬