PLEASE help with these symptoms!

[adambeard189]

Hello, this evening i keep feeling like i'm gonna pass out, weird feeling in chest/throat. and my pulse seems fast. i cant stop panicking or cant stop feeling my pulse!!! can anxiety really course all these? doctors done bloods and ECG last month and chest x ray all come back fine. Please answer!!!!! :( :( :( :( :( :(

[Carys]

Do you suffer from panic attacks Adam ?

[adambeard189]

i think i did once the other week, woke up in middle of night heart pounding away felt realy dizzy passed after 10-15minutes

[Carys]

Here's an article for you to read........

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/panicattack

I notice that you have had fears about breathing and your pulse over the last couple of weeks too.


How are you feeling now ?

[adambeard189]

still continue to check my pulse and sometimes it feels fast so i worry, other times . check and it feels normal but then speeds up as i'm checking it :( also shortness of breath still here. why does anxiety cause this? i just started escitalpram also hopefully this soon kicks in.

[Carys]

Fast heartbeat
Feeling weak, faint, or dizzy
Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers
Sense of terror, or impending doom or death
Feeling sweaty or having chills
Chest pains
Breathing difficulties
Feeling a loss of control

This is just some of the feelings involved in a panic attack, there are lots more which people can add. Panic attacks don't kill people, nothing will happen to you. Your body is producing adrenaline because it thinks there is a threat it has to deal with. The more scared you get of the symptoms, the worse the panic attack gets as more adrenaline is released.


also shortness of breathWith the fear your chest muscles get tighter, your breathing becomes more shallow and you are interrupting your natural breathing pattern. It makes you feel like you can't get a large enough breath, its a nasty feeling.

Lie down comfortably. Rest your hands on your stomach, just below your ribcage, so that you can feel it moving with breathing. Slowly inhale deeply through your nose, imagining the air going right to the bottom of your chest, hold for three seconds, and breathe slowly and fully out through your mouth. Feel your stomach area rising slowly and falling slowly as you repeat this pattern. Do this slowly and deeply, concentrating on your hands feeling that rising anf falling movement.

[adambeard189]

Thank you. i also hear that the medication can cause increased anxiety until my body gets use to it? is this correct?

[Carys]

I'm not sure Adam, maybe someone else will come along who knows this medication......have you felt worse since you started it then ?

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

Please also read this post:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239

[adambeard189]

only today. i normally take half a bill but look abit more today.

[somehelp2121]

I'm sorry you're feeling the way you do. Did you have anxiety and panic before you started taking the medication? Why are you taking it? Can you call your doctor to see if they are aware of the side effects?

It sounds like panic attacks and high anxiety to me. Search Dr. Claire Weekes on YouTube. She has some good advice.

Personally I feel like you have to get to the point where these sensations no longer scare you. I suffered with panic disorder for a long time. It certainly is a horrible feeling. Don't fight the sensations. Breath through them, not against them. Let the sensations wash over you. You aren't fighting them , you are just breathing through them.

Hope you get some relief.

[Carys]

People think I'm a real old fashioned person by still pushing Claire Weekes and her books....but nothing comes as close to me as her understanding of panic and how to deal with it.

---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:53 ----------

Adam......so, you've changed the dose today on the recommendation of your doctor? How long did you say you'd been on it now?

[adambeard189]

this is the 4th day

---------- Post added at 21:08 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------


I'm sorry you're feeling the way you do. Did you have anxiety and panic before you started taking the medication? Why are you taking it? Can you call your doctor to see if they are aware of the side effects?

It sounds like panic attacks and high anxiety to me. Search Dr. Claire Weekes on YouTube. She has some good advice.

Personally I feel like you have to get to the point where these sensations no longer scare you. I suffered with panic disorder for a long time. It certainly is a horrible feeling. Don't fight the sensations. Breath through them, not against them. Let the sensations wash over you. You aren't fighting them , you are just breathing through them.

Hope you get some relief.

Hello doctor put me on it after all my tests came back ok. so she said its more than likely anxiety.

[Carys]

Were you told to change the dose today ?

[adambeard189]

the doctor proscribed me 5mg, i took half a tablet as when i first took the full 5mg i woke in the middle of the night with chest pounding and dizzy ect, so thats why i now take half a tablet, felt this was doing nothing so today decided to take a little extra. still not a full tablet.

[Carys]

Hiyer, so these panics only started after starting the tablets? Look, can you call them tomorrow and see if you can get some 'out of hours advice' on if this is a response to the medication, or if it is anxiety and panic attacks. How are you feeling now anyway , has it passed ?

[adambeard189]

comes and goes, i seeing my doctor on monday for a review of the tablet

[Carys]

Ah ok good, they are keeping a good eye on you! I think this is a tough one, if you've never had panic attacks before, ever, and they have just started then they might be being triggered by the meds, but they might be being triggered by knowing you are taking the meds or even your underlying anxiety that led you to take them. I know nothing about the medication you talk of, but keep an open mind I guess until you see the doctor on Monday, and your review must assess this situation.

[pulisa]

Starting an SSRI can definitely make anxiety and panic far worse . You have been thoroughly checked out for any potential cardiac and respiratory problems. You could probably do with a short course of diazepam to see you through the horrible start-up phase of escitalopram and maybe you could discuss this with your GP?

You are fine physically. These are pure anxiety symptoms-horrible and frightening but you are not in any danger.

[adambeard189]

Starting an SSRI can definitely make anxiety and panic far worse . You have been thoroughly checked out for any potential cardiac and respiratory problems. You could probably do with a short course of diazepam to see you through the horrible start-up phase of escitalopram and maybe you could discuss this with your GP?

You are fine physically. These are pure anxiety symptoms-horrible and frightening but you are not in any danger.


Thank you all for your reply.

i will speak with my doctor on Monday about this diazepam also. Thank you!

[pulisa]

Believe me I've had the "experience" of starting meds and ended up in a pretty desperate state! It's absolutely terrifying but diazepam should make you feel a bit more human. I'd advice starting escitalopram on 2.5mgfor at least a week or two and then building up to 5mg once you feel comfortable on that dose. Go slowly and don't be rushed by the GP-they often aren't aware of the importance of a gradual introduction. I think a therapeutic dose is 10mg but I could only tolerate the 5mg dose-it's down to the individual.

[adambeard189]

Believe me I've had the "experience" of starting meds and ended up in a pretty desperate state! It's absolutely terrifying but diazepam should make you feel a bit more human. I'd advice starting escitalopram on 2.5mgfor at least a week or two and then building up to 5mg once you feel comfortable on that dose. Go slowly and don't be rushed by the GP-they often aren't aware of the importance of a gradual introduction. I think a therapeutic dose is 10mg but I could only tolerate the 5mg dose-it's down to the individual.

Thank you for your reply! :D i will continue to take half a tablet for the next few days see what my doctor says on monday.

[Carys]

I felt like I wanted to say that too, the same as Pulisa, but having had no experience of it I felt unsure to say it. If you felt you managed ok on the half dose, then there can be no harm in carrying on with that until you see them on Monday - you can slowly introduce surely if it suits you better?