Anxiety changed from heart Issues to dizziness

[DaisyFay]

Hi everyone

Anxiety never fails to surprise me!

I recently had what my doctor said was either an SVT or a panic attack. I then had an abnormal ECG showing two downward T waves but my doctor said don’t worry, he’s not concerned so come back if something happens again... My heart anxiety went through the roof so I had to do something to get it under control. A combination of finding a good therapist and taking magnesium taurate and I have maybe one skipped beat a day on a bad day. The results, particularly from the magnesium taurate, have been AMAZING. So I thought that was problem solved after years of heart worries and carried on with life without horrible heart worries for the first time in years. I was so relaxed and happy.

Then boom, anxiety has learnt a new trick! Everyday this week when someone has been speaking to me I go incredibly dizzy. No palpations for the first time in a decade! But the dizziness is horrific. I then start to panic I will fall over, it feels like the world closes in on me and try to dash off away from the conversation. I start to shake, want to cry and feel like I can’t breathe. I now feel like dizziness and feeling like I can’t breathe are taking over my life just like palpitations did.

I genuinely thought I had my anxiety under control.

Does anyone have any tips for dizziness or any experiences of anxiety shifting shapes like this?

Thanks so much.

[ankietyjoe]

The symptoms and side effects of anxiety can come in a thousand different ways.

The trick isn't to focus on the dizziness, it's to focus on your catastrophic reactions to it.

It's just a bit of dizziness, but this is your reaction -

"But the dizziness is horrific. I then start to panic I will fall over, it feels like the world closes in on me and try to dash off away from the conversation. I start to shake, want to cry and feel like I can’t breathe. I now feel like dizziness and feeling like I can’t breathe are taking over my life"

Seems a bit dramatic, no?

[Dee62]

Hi DaisyFay

I went back to work on Monday and was fine, but on Tuesday I went in as usual but within the hour had to get my husband to pick me up. I had exactly the same thing happen as you with the dizziness. There was no way I could stay there, I just burst into tears and had to go and sit on my own for a while.

I completely sympathise with you, but keep telling yourself that it IS just anxiety. I know it's had to rationalise with yourself when it hits, but it will pass.

Take care, Dee

[DaisyFay]

You’re totally right. I was hoping you would post haha. I hadn’t actually paid any attention to the fact that I am having catastrophic reactions to it. Saying about the reaction rather than the symptom is a good way to put it. I was too quick to fall back into my old ways when the palpitations eased off, completely forgetting the anxiety was still there so I guess it’s just bubbled back up in a different way. I’m annoyed that I’ve thrown myself back to where I was a month ago, back to working on getting this under control.

[DaisyFay]

Hi Dee, thank you. It’s nice to just hear someone else gets what it feels like. Although I’m sorry you have to experience it too.

I’m due back to work tomorrow and I am worried although I’m trying my hardest not to be. People I work with have recently been off of work with stress and so has my daughter’s teacher, so it is a particularly hard time for mental health at the moment but I always forget loads of people experience this and feel like no one will understand and I must keep it secret, which makes me panic more when I feel like it as work.

Thank you so much. Take care too.

[ankietyjoe]

Don't be too hard on yourself, anxiety can be brutal. As long as you recognise the behaviour and treat the behaviour, you'll be good.

For the record I have experienced dizziness on and off for years. It can be scary at times, but it's almost always muscular. Neck and back tension cause it for me, but you can get used to it.

Being eaten by a shark is 'horrific', dizziness....not so much.

[Kuraimoar]

Wow you sound exactly like me. Had heart concerns for awhile. Got checked out with a clean ekg and put those to bed. I get dizzy and feel like I cant breathe ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I am good about recognizing the anxiety. Other times I go full blown panic. I think its all down to tension for me but it's still scary in the moment. Unfortunately I don't really have any tips for you, but I can definitely sympathize.

[DaisyFay]

Thanks for the tips about muscular. I think now lockdown is easing here, I might book myself in for a distressing shoulder and neck massage. Hopefully it will also calm my nervous system a bit!

[DaisyFay]

Thank you so much. I’m the same, I have days of recognising the anxious feeling coming and that I tense up etc, other days I’m utterly convinced something is wrong and don’t recognise the anxiety. I’m having a “I have heart disease” days today. It’s easy to slip into the thoughts without realising I’m doing it.
This dizziness caught me off guard as I thought palpitations would be the worst anxiety symptom but this dizziness felt like it came out of nowhere and really scares me.
I’ve been seeing a therapist who suggested I see my anxiety as part of myself that is protecting me, who doesn’t trust me to do the job just yet so keeps ringing the alarm. She suggested I be more loving to this part of myself and listen to it (but only during our sessions!) so that it calms down. I’m going with it to see if it helps the root of the anxiety,
I’ve tried CBT before so this is totally different. Meanwhile I’m trying to find something to help the dizziness. I did think a bottle of coke would help but that caused palpitations! Definitely not doing that again!! Haha.

[Dee62]

Hi DaisyFay
Hope you're doing OK. It's a real nuisance isn't it? My Dr signed me off work for a couple weeks. This dizziness is no joke. I was just outside painting a wooden planter and started to feel spacy but no idea why. Maybe it's the muscle tension thing because I've been extremely anxious about having my second AstraZenica jab. Who knows? Anyway, I hope you're OK.

Dee

[DaisyFay]

Hi Dee62

That’s good you’ve got a couple weeks to hopefully feel a bit better before you go back to work.

I know with my palpitations I tried to do things to calm my nervous system down and within a few days my palpitations would follow. Relaxing baths, relaxing music, trying to save my “worries” for a worry hour in the evening so I don’t think about them in the day. I’m going to see if doing those things help the dizziness. I’ve also been reading Dr Claire Weekes Self Help for your Nerves. Very dated but what my therapist recommended as it cured her anxiety problems years ago.

I have my first jab next week and I’m anxious about it. We probably have much more on our minds than we realise and I imagine we have done so for a while.

Make sure you take care of yourself and prioritise feeling better the next couple of weeks x