They say it's just Anxiety, really?

[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!

[Kathryn313]

I think if you read through many of the experiences on this forum, you will see you are very much not alone and what you describe is classic of health anxiety.

[Barnabas75]

Hi, I had the same thing you mention a few years ago. There is nothing more frightening than waking up in panic. I too have had many medical exams and they keep telling me its anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety does some really strange things. I would not wish it on anybody. I still dread the nights even after not having a night attack as I call them for years. The build of anxiety does strand things to our bodies.

[Rosanna]

This could have been me writing this. I've had loads of tests in the past, but it's over 7 years ago now, but I never had an echo cardiogram as you've had. I'm currently worried that there are some heart issues with me as a result of the beta blockers. My friend has just had a heart attack as well while away from home.

I will be travelling by train tomorrow and staying in a hotel and I struggle with this too, sometimes worse than others, depending on how well I've prepared and I don't feel prepared for this at all.

But getting back to you, your tests have all come back normal, this is really really good news. I would be the first person to say be careful because I witnessed my dad die of a heart attack....but I honestly do think that if you've just had those tests done, your risk would be very small....

You know what helped me for quite a while was beta blockers, they did take the anxiety away. But if you are ever put on them don't make the mistake I did of letting the dosage be raised too much and if you find you can't exercise on them, lower the dose. I'm just wondering if your symptoms are due to adrenalin surges. I almost thing the beta blockers have 'taught' my body not to do that all the time, but it happens if Im challenged by a trip away or something still , but usually (not this time) the anxiety is much less.

By the way I used to wake with a racing heart which I was told was panic (I'm still not convinced of that), but the beta blockers did stop that....not pushing beta blockers, but they worked for me up to a point, just have to keep the dose low and get off them if you find you can't exercise or you end up putting on loads of weight. I wish you well!

[AlwaysOnEdge]

Thanks for all the feedback and comments all. It is good to know that others experience the same things.

It's just so hard to make the connection that anxiety can be the cause of such physical reactions. When I have my panic attacks I shake uncontrollably, I woke my wife one night because the whole bed was shaking.

It's terrible to take what would be a normal feeling to someone else and run with it to the point you think you're having a medical emergency.

Just an example, ears clogged up as if I was flying in an airplane, had a bit of pain in the forehead area - thinking am I having a stroke?

Why can't it just be a small headache and whatever for the ears- it really is terrible to think this way

As far as medicines, I tried Paxil and Zoloft- both either the first dose or second made me feel worse and almost as if I was losing control of my thoughts. It scared me and I stopped. I'll get through this somehow on my own. I'm going to a CBT but it just seems like all we do is chat, no real help.

This comes and goes, I've had 5 year periods with no issues at all.

[Rosanna]

This is what happens to me, my brain jumps to the worst case scenario. When I was first offered beta blockers I didn't think they would help because they influence the heart, as my doctor said they just mean that the heart doesn't respond to all the adrenalin running around the body.

I couldn't see how they would help my mind, but strangely the heart influences the mind as much as the other way around, and they did really help. I still have episodes because I have PTSD, but when these happen a beta blocker does actually help. They took a while to help in the beginning, about two weeks, but now they will help within minutes. I think my brain gets less panic signals from the heart and as a result it is 'trained' to be a little less anxious.

I sound like I'm into drug approaches but I'm not, just felt a real benefit from them in my case, and I can see similarities to me in what you've said.

The other thing that has helped is mindfulness, but the one that's outlined in a website called Get Self Help....it is slightly different to all the other approaches I've tried and I noticed a difference. It's something along the lines of observing how you feel, observing your thoughts and then sort of 'drilling down' (and it was this bit that seemed to magically switch off the anxiety albeit in the short term, but helpful in the moment)....drilling down by observing how those thoughts make you feel, how you think about how you feel and then how those thoughts make you feel, and so on....at some point my brain just stops with this, it can't do it....but the anxiety grinds to a halt with it! I would recommend the article they have on mindfulness at that website if it's there (sorry if not, I think it's there)

[AlwaysOnEdge]

I will check it out, thanks! Currently I'm focusing on the buzzing type sounds I've had in each ear, going to the doctor tomorrow. Also through my chest and shoulders the last week I've had this constant soreness like I've done 100 push ups. I guess it's from stress and anxiety?