PDA

View Full Version : Hello All!



JavaJoy01
07-03-09, 22:45
I joined this forum the other day but have not had the time to sit and post. I do now so here I am.

I found this forum doing some research on anxiety and have been coming for a while and reading. I found this place to be very helpful to me esp during my rough days.

I'm 35 from the United States, married with no children.

I developed panic attacks a little after Christmas. It all started when my Husband and I went out to eat at a restaurant we like and I ordered a usual favorite. That night I laid down in bed and got this rushing feeling that shot from my head to my chest and sometimes to my feet. The only way to make it go away was by sitting up. I thought maybe I was having a reaction to the food but after a week it was not going away. Then I started to get pains on my sides my my chest, almost a sharp pain that also caused me to feel ill along with pressure in my chest. Feeling it was my heart I had my husband take me to the Emergency Room. They took me right in since I was having chest pains and they ran some tests on my heart. They hooked me up to to a monitor that recorded my pulse and blood pressure.. That's the night it all began. I was watching the monitor and saw everything stop for a few seconds and start back up again. Next thing I know I'm watching my pulse shoot up and I freaked out screaming for my husband to go and get the nurse, as I felt my heart race faster and harder. The nurse came right in took one look at me and said "You're having a panic attack", laid me down and told me to calm down. I calmed down, but I'll never forget that feeling. They gave me some Ativan and sent me home. That began my journey with Anxiety.

The next day I went to my cardiologist since the ER picked up an abnormal EKG and I wanted to have him look everything over. I went through the tests and he said my heart was fine. I went to a doctor ( Could not get in to see my usual one) to get more Ativan since the ER only gave me a few days worth. I was feeling worse and got to the point where I stopped eating and sleeping and I was missing work. I made an appointment with my regular doctor because I felt I was going crazy. He put me on Zoloft and changed me to Xannex. Sometime after that while at work I had another panic attack (nothing set it off) and it brought on a whole new set of symptoms. This time I got the tingling in my body (Like electric shocks), felt my whole insides burning, and I started to shake. This time I ran to my gynecologist and told him what was going on. He agreed with my doctor that I was having anxiety and agreed with how I was being treated.

Now I'm frustrated because everybody is telling me it's anxiety but I'm not convinced. From there I developed health anxiety. I freaked out over every little pain, feeling and sensation in my body.

Since that night I have had the following symptoms:
Rushing feeling from head to chest
Heart palpitations
Pressure in chest area
Sharp pains on the sides of my breasts
Shocks or prickling in my arms and legs
Internal trembling and shakiness in chest
Falling sensations
Feeling lopsided
Headaches
Lump in throat
Turning pale
Dark circles around my eyes
Jaw pain (This actually started last year and went to a dentist who told me it was TMJ from stress)
Dry mouth
Feeling of wooziness in head, but the room does not spin
Insomnia
Leg weakness (Feels like my legs want to go out from under me)
Floaters in my eyes

Some come some go. The worst I have now is the internal trembling and the tingling. After a month on the Zoloft I was still having attacks so I got switched to Celexa which I have been on for a week now. The Xannx helps me out a lot, which I take 2x a day. I hate to say I'm addicted to it, but I think I am, I'm lost with out it.

I was calling the 24 hour nurse line several times a night and calling my doctors on a daily basis driving them crazy as well as my mother who lives in New York.

I'd like to say I'm better, but it's an everyday battle. I'm still learning to cope and trying to allow my medicine to work with me instead of me fighting it. What I think is most important is to know that I am not alone in this. I'm not the only one who keeps running from doctor to doctor refusing to acknowlege that it really is anxeity and not a brain toumer or a heart attack.

jm2009
08-03-09, 14:34
hey i am also new to this forum. I agree with you completely it is so hard to accept that nothing is wrong with you. I think this is just are body's defense mechanism in overdrive. I have had all those symptoms that you listed and I am starting to realise that accepting them as panic/anxiety is important others these symptoms will just get worse.

I am glad that you posted this to be honest because I was feeling quite lonely being new!:unsure: I feel like I can relate to what you are saying and jsut want to say congratulations for taking this major step to your recovery.

Veronica H
08-03-09, 18:20
:welcome: Javajoy. It is difficult to accept that we are generating such a powerful response in ourselves but I assure you that there isn't one symptom on your list that i have not had since i was first diagnosed with panic anxiety. It was absolutely terrifying at the beginning and i could not imagine moving forward. Eight months later I am about 80% recovered and steadily improving. There is a brilliant book called 'self help for your nerves' by Dr claire Weekes available from the NMP shop and also free downloads to your MP3 of her work. I cannot recommend this enough as it really explains what is happening to us and how we can recover.Glad you have found us.

Veronica

sunshine-lady
08-03-09, 21:31
Hi and welcome to NMP

So pleased that you have found us. I am sure you will like it here as there is so much help, information and support. There is a chat room which is a great place to make new friends

Take care xxx

kittykat
09-03-09, 08:52
Hi there and :welcome: to the site, a lot of good advice on here that really does help us through the worse, take care xx

weeble40
10-03-09, 10:56
Hi and a big welcome to NMP its great to have you here, hope to see you in chat sometime,

Take care

Emma xxx