New here! Are my symptoms really anxiety? Please help!!

[Kermitfrog]

Hi I really need advice! Sorry it's long but I need to talk about it!
Last September I developed heart palps that were with me ALL DAY EVERY DAY. Went to doc a few times but they were not concerned. A few weeks after palps I started to develop "additional" problems ( breathlessness & the feeling that I have to "yawn" to get a full breath, feeling like I'm gonna faint, flutters in chest & throat,heart feels like it pounds & beats irregular, shakiness & feeling of derealisation. Most of the time my throat feels like its doing "spasms" & i have a weird sensation in the hollow of my neck/ front of throat below adam's apple. It's there all the time! Sometimes I feel an "explosion" in my throat which sends my heart racing! Sometimes I feel so awful that I actually think that I'm going to die (I know it sounds dramatic) but I'm convinced that I have something dreadfully wrong with me. My hubby says if it was something "awful" I wouldn't be here now!
I've been "living" like this for 9 months & I don't know what to do. I've been to docs loads of times & 2 weeks ago I was put on Citalopram. I felt a bit better but these past few days my "symptoms" have gone through the roof. Before all this happened I developed awful insomnia ( 18 moths ago) & was given a very low dose of Amitriptiline for sleeping which I still take at night. I get around 5 hours but very disturbed.
Doc hasn't said I have anxiety & says I don't appear an anxious person but does think that I am showing syptoms of anxiety. I should point out that I have PCOS & I'm wondering if it could be hormonal? Doc says unlikely. I've had thyroid check & ECG!
Can anxiety cause you to feel like this all the time? Can syptoms last for such a long time? Can they be with you all day every day? I just can't accept that your body can do this to you!!
Also, sometimes my symptoms "intensify" & for about 30 mins I feel like everything is closing in, my heart pounds - can't breathe etc. Hubby says that sounds like classic "panic attack". But the feelings never disappear - it's just sustained - for the last 9 months!! (like one long drwan out panic attack!!)
So sorry this is long but I feel like I'm going mad 'cos I've forgotten what I used to feel like 9 months ago
Could this really be anxiety? I've started to worry all the time about my health & worry that I've got a terminal disease & that doc had missed something!!

[amandaj]

hi your symptoms of one long panic attack, sounds like something i could of written, i been like it since last august breathless, no sleeping etc , your not alone honestly its awful isnt it if you ever want to talk feel free to pm me

amanda xxx

[chalky]

Hi Kermit,

You are not alone!!
Have a look at the Symptoms pages in the Main Forum-see how much you have in common with people here.
Get comfortable here and join our family.
Best wishes,
Chalky

[helenclaire]

Hi,
it sounds like anxiety to me, i have had lots of the same symtpoms on and off for years, i know its hard to believe its anxietywhen you feel so bad, but the sooner you accept it the better you will start to feel, easier said than done i know i am still trying to accept it 8 years on.
Take care
Helen

[Patty]

"Can anxiety cause you to feel like this all the time? Can syptoms last for such a long time? Can they be with you all day every day? I just can't accept that your body can do this to you!!
Also, sometimes my symptoms "intensify" & for about 30 mins I feel like everything is closing in, my heart pounds - can't breathe etc. Hubby says that sounds like classic "panic attack". But the feelings never disappear - it's just sustained - for the last 9 months!! (like one long drawn out panic attack!!)".


Hi Kermitfrog,:)

I can really understand everything you have said above. I would feel exactly like that as well. I used to think that if it was really panic attacks that I had they would come and go and I'd feel 'normal' in between - I suppose that people experience anxiety/panic in different ways: some have the feelings that come and go while others have them more often.

I think that even knowing that it really is panic/anxiety that is causing the feelings is a relief in itself but it can be so easy at times for the old doubts to creep in 'What if it's this or that?'. At the moment I would also feel like I'm going to faint, derealisation, shakiness and fear that I'm going to die. Although, I have noticed improvement on the health anxiety over the last while - I would get numbness in my arms/legs & my eyesight would feel strange: floaters/blurred vision. I went to the doctors/opticians about these and they didn't find anything wrong. I have had the numbness/eyesight thing so often and nothing has happened that I think I am starting to accept that things are o.k.

I hope it helps you to know that other people have the same symptoms as well and that you are not alone. All the bestxx :bighug1:

[Kermitfrog]

Wow! I'm really touched that you've all been so kind to respond!:)
I'm so surprised to know that anxiety "syptoms" can last all day every day & be with you 24/7.
You really have made me feel like I'm not losing it it & that I'm not going crazy!!
I'm gonna stick with the citalopram & pray that it satrts to work. I Have felt dreadful most of today tho! Woke up with heart palps & shakiness that have lasted all day & felt I've just felt "off". My husband dragged my out for lunch & had a few glasses of wine which I know does no good but did "mask" the symptoms a bit!! I feel so breathless this eve & heart palps pretty bad. throat spasms/sensations with me all day too - I hate it!!
Thank you all again for your kind replies & will def be keeping in touch with this site - I realise now that I'm not alone in all of this xxxx

[chinagirl]

hi kermit i also 'live' with this condition every day of my life. its been almost 3 years now.... i get so scared and anxious, especially at night when i am tryin to go 2 sleep because it always seems worse. i wake up in the night feeling dizzy and have sometimes woke my dad up because i've been certain that i'm about to die.... but i never do....... i have been taking fluoxitine for the last 2 weeks but i dont think it has helped yet. i have had countless ECG's and they are fine everytime!!!! but i know what u mean when u say how can ure body allow u to feel this away. for me it seems like its never gonna leave!!! when i drink alcohol, it goes away, but after a heavy night my symptoms are 10 times as bad the next day...... which has led to many severe panic attacks.... i just cant ever seem 2 pull myself together!!!!! i had the spasms in my throat too, like im being strangled and constant dizziness like im gonna pass out...... and my heart just never feels like it is beating normally.......
i feel as though i have been cursed...... almost as though there is a demon living inside me and i just cant get it out of me. its hard...... and i feel so alone.

[lostsoul]

Chinagirl/Kermit

I've been having very similar symtoms to you both for the past four months now it really is horrible and so easy to sink into thinking 'why me?' God knows I've gone over that question a thousand times - unfortunately thats part of the problem the more negative thinking you do the worse tha anxiety gets and the more your body produces symtoms. trust me I've had them all :

1) Ringing in the ears
2) Derealisation
3) Strange tingleing sensations all over
4) Burning sesations when I wake from sleeping
5) constant aching all over
6) Dizzyness
7) Feeling like I'm being strangled
8) Pounding in the blood vessels in my head
9) Shortness of breath
10)Headache
11) Hyperventilation

The list goes on and on - unfortunately when you go on medication it can also produce some of these symtoms at first so only serves to re-inforce your anxiety more. But trust me the more posts you read on this forum the more comfort you will get in knowing that there are lots of people out there going through similar experiences.

You are not alone its a horrible thing to cope with but look on the bright side we still have a physicall health (hopefully!) all these strange symtoms are generated by anxiety and the more time you give to worrying about them the worse they get. For example I get chest pains alot - right over where my heart is, but I know I cant be having a heart attack becasue when I push my chest it hurts , hence it must be muscle pain where I'm so tense all the time.

Its easier said than done I know, and I'm just starting ti come to terms with my anxiety and I may never be the same person as I was before, but I'll never give up fighting it - you only have one life and its meant for living.

The longer you let the anxiety take over your life for the harder it is to recover, I've spent nearly two months locked away in my flat, couldnt be around anyone not even my girlfriend who I live with because of the constant anxiety. Its now become hard for me to even leave the flat and I've sunk into a depp depression as I'm not doing anything. Sp please dont make the same mistake keep going no matter how hard it is.

Sorry for the long post.

[goth]

hi ialso used to get those same symptoms as you with the palpitations that would last for days and the more i worried the worse they got. iwent to doctors and he sent me for a heart scan and had a 24 hour tape recording results came back as ectopic and i am taking propranolol which helps to sloe down the fast heartbeats hope this helps love lin x

[decca]

Same here I have exactly the same symptoms as you and I wouldn't have believed anxiety could do this until it started with me last October.
You've convinced yourself that there's something more than anxiety now you have to convince yourself that everything is fine, it's difficult I know but
your Docs have done all the checks and you're OK.
Go with your attacks don't let them rule your life and you'll soon recover.
God bless,
Decca

[pet]

i dont seem to have what you are describing.. it would just be minus the heart side i get panick attacks and feel i cant talk 2 ppl about it. am just checking out this sight its all quite new and im not really sure what to do

[tafflass]

hi kermitfrog
so glad you have come hear,:yesyes: ive only just found this site and it is fab, you will get a lot of support here.
i know that i have days were i feel like im crawling the walls hang in their chick you will be fine xtafflassx:hugs:

[trampslikeus]

i've been feeling just the same way for months now, and had just come to the conclusion that i was the only one feeling this way, reading this forum has made me feel better beyond belief.
it's hard to believe that all of these symptoms can't be something more 'serious' than anxiety but as others have said our minds have had the power to convince us that we're all on the verge of death so they certainly have the power to realise we're going to be okay.
it's a hard fight when it affects us everyday but looking back to when we first felt this awful, i know at least for myself, if i'd have been told i'd have lasted these past few months i'd have never believed it, but we're still here and we're still fighting. i wish that i had something encouraging to say but i don't, all i can offer is understanding for how you're feeling and a little advice that if you can learn to go against everything you're feeling, go against fighting it like we think we should we'll go a lot further. things get tough and beautiful things have to change, but we can't stop it so we just have to learn to go with it and appreciate the good in the new situation, which in this case doesn't seem like much, but i know that i can say in a weird kind of way living with this has made my realise just how strong i am, just how strong we all are, so much stronger than we believe.
take care
xxxxx

[Kermitfrog]

Havn't logged in for a while & feel much better for doing so as I've not been too good recently!
Been on Citalopram for a couple of months now and some of my symptoms have lessened but tonight I've been in tears! Heart racing all day for the past few days, had pains in shoulders & chest, trouble breathing, feeling sick etc. Felt so bad this eve - thought i as dying!! Husband must think I'm crazy!! Supposed to be going on holiday on Mon & the thought of me feeling this ill whilst I'm away terrifies me :( Wondering if need to up my dose of Cit? What dosage are other people on? I'm only on 10 mg but still have to take OTC sleep aids!
It's days like this that I really question that this is anxiety & convince myself that it's "something serious"!!! I just want to feel normal again :(
Sorry to rant on xx

[Cathy V]

Hi, it could be that you need to talk to your doc again about the dose, and i think also you are very nervous about your holiday which is prob making things worse. Im flying to uk on tues to visit family and i hate flying but i know ive got to do it. Try not to let the negative feelings take over. Youve been doing so well.

Best wishes and enjoy your break
Cathy xxx :)

[milly jones]

hunny im on 40mg citalopram, been increased from 10mg in last 3 months.

go back to gp hun and chat

as cathy says it may be due to the change in your circumstances too

take care, have a good holiday

milly xxx