relapse - always seem to have new symptoms

[distorted reality]

Hi.. I'm new here. I've suffered with undiagnosed GAD for around 8 years. On october last year I had my first panic attack and ive been in hospital countless times with HELLISH symptoms. My Doc puts everything down to anxiety but I can't see it. i've had many ECG, Heart trace, 2 holter monitors, 2 chest x-rays, loads of blood tests and echocardiogram. My symptoms weren't present at any test and I'm convinced there's something wrong with my heart or nervous system and the docs have missed it.

I've decided to start a log when i have episodes. I'm gonna do it for 2 weeks and include my diet then visit a new doc for a second opinion.

This is what I've written tonight. Can anyone else relate to these symptoms without anxiety or emotional factor?

PS. sorry it's so long but i'm sure you can relate to my reasoning. Thanks for any advice/ help.

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I've Had 2 weeks of very little/ manageable symptoms. I think this is due to me giving up the car and now walking 10 miles per week and also trying to eat as healthily as possible.

Decided to log new episodes and list symptoms. I'm considering seeing another doctor for a second opinion as I can see no link between emotional distress and my symptoms.

Current symptoms include:

-Slow HR
-irregular HR
-rapid HR
-skipped beats more frequent and now also during day.
-shortness of breath now daily
-tightness in chest now daily
-creeping sensation around rib cage both sides and front
-fresh blood in mucus (prescribed antibiotics)
-More frequent central chest pain
-strange (heart?) discomfort leading to tachy (can feel when it's coming on).
-Daily nausea & vertigo
-get very tired usually around lunch time to the point where i feel i may pass out.
-noticed squishing in pulse?? (as opposed to the usual bump, bump)

-Increasingly stiffer neck which causes dizzyness when moving head quickly
-Constant tension headache progressively worse (now all over head but most prominent at base of skull)
-new stabbing head pains
-vision disturbance (inability to focus momentarily)
-insomnia more frequent
-sensations of momentary loss and regain of consciousness.


I'm now frequently taking time off work after bad episodes and being paid SSP. I'm also taking pain killers every day for my headache which i don't think is a good idea.

current Doc puts the lot down to anxiety although I still cant find a trigger and never feel anxious unless symptoms have lasted more than an hour or are particularly severe. stress doesn't seem to bring on my symptoms.

CBT helped me to rationalise and counselling is just a nice, relaxing passtime with little to no other benefits as yet. I do enjoy it and can see it may help me to get over past issues.


GAD Log
wed 19/08/09 1am

fullness right behind the base of breast bone. bordering on moderate pain accompanied by rapid HR. I let my guard down and got very anxious because of it. I took antacids to check if it was indigestion but it didn't cease straight away. I exerted some energy to use the adrenaline which seemed to slow my HR but make it stronger. sitting in lounge until it passes.
I ate spinach & ricotta pizza at about 8:30 then bed just after midnight.
- still a little tense, HR normal, chest wall a little stiff now 02:26.
- chest discomfort retuning 03:00

[distorted reality]

Anyone?

I know it's quite a long post but can you relate to as many symptoms without feeling any anxiety or extreme emotion? It seems my condition is only physical symptoms.

I booked into a new doc's for a second opinion today. No doubt i'll be shunned again.

[SocialTool]

I am going thru this right now. I seem to be having all of these "weird" symptoms and my doc has cleared me several times, but I keep going back to the whole "well it's just my anxiety". What if it ISN'T? I feel like it's a constant struggle with my health. When do I describe symptoms? Will my doc take me seriously? Which symptoms are real? I definately have some issues with my heart. I have PVCs, but thanks to this site, I am no longer thrown into anxiety because of them. I see my "symptoms" as a big picture. Let me explain:

PVC happens --->"oh no what if it's my heart giving out?"---->all the symptoms of heart attack start happening (left arm pain, chest tightness, feeling of impending doom)---->Oh my I AM having a heart attack! (begin to feel even worse)

If we head the anxiety off at the inital event, none of the other symptoms have a chance to happen. This can happen subconsciously too. I talked to my therapist yesterday, and she said that anxiety can happen and we don't even feel scared. So even though you don't see a trigger, it could be your programmed subconscious mind just naturally reacting.

Try to break all of you symptoms down into "things". My PVCs for example. I used to call the "missed beats", "heart flutters", "extra heartbeats". Now, to me they are just PVCs. Three letters. I have had them for 10 years. I'm still here. The more methodical you become, the less your mind has to drift away about. Sorry this was so long, but I know where you are at because I was there months ago. You will be OK hun. If you ever need to talk PM me. :hugs:

[marcc64]

WOW, you pretty much listed every symptom i have now or had, defo the blood in the mucus (that one scared me) but i told myself "marc you had a chest x-ray, blood tests and an ECG so don't worry" but i did lol if you had named muscle twitches and some difficulty getting words out at times you would of listed all my symptoms 100%.

Anyway i can defo relate to this.

[distorted reality]

Thanks. It's great to know it's not just me!

@SocialTool -
I've had CBT, Linden Method, Claire Weekes books, Meditation and Relaxation and I've learned how to stop an attack in it's tracks by not fearing it and even encouraging it by hyperventilating (with someone there). I've had 2 weeks of blissful normality by not fearing and the symptoms are almost forgotten. However, My sensations seem to evolve like a virus so they change, catch me off guard and they've just gotten the better of me this time.

@Marcc64 -
I get muscle twitches all of the time!! They generally don't bother me unless they're right in the center of my chest but that's quite rare. The blood in my mucus was diagnosed as a chest infection... Twice! (I smoke and had a recent cold) and if you've not been diagnosed I'd suggest your doc confirms the same - although it's prob nothing to worry about it's worth getting checked out or at least getting antibiotics prescribed.

Difficulty, eeerm, eerm, sorry, erm.... getting words out = yes!!!

I didn't realise that was a symptom of anxiety? I'm a musician & dj and so i'm generally quite confident. Most of the time I can talk to anyone and be completely comfortable but every now and then it's almost like my vocabulary has disappeared. It's like I just can't find the words and I lose my train of thought, I can completely forget what I'm talking about! I also have a problem taking in information now. Everything goes in one eye/ear and comes straight out of the other.. It's so frustrating - and yes, I thought it must be some brain disorder!!!

Thanks a million for your replies. Its such a difficult condition and so debilitating. To beat this we've got to be truly fearless - Imagine how good life will be when we've faced and conquered our ultimate fears... I think we'll look back at this as a blessing. My battle with myself resumes.....

[den68]

ok i have read your post. I really have had all the heart things you describe. Like you i had the ecgs but not echograph and they told me i was fine. It took abit for me to believe them as i thought i wasnt stressed when it happened,but once i convinced myself that these horrible things are anxiety they bagan to get less frightening and over time they got less frequent. You say things like hr rapid, squishing in pulse by this i guess you are taking your pulse all the time. I did that and it just makes things worse you start thinking im sure that missed a beat and then the chest pain starts and your on a roll of telling yourself something is wrong. I made my self stop checking by distracting myself and now hardly ever do it and if i do i slap myself and shout at myself. You need to try to keep telling yourself that you have had so many tests if there was something they would have found it. It is your anxiety and the fear that there is something wrong with your heart that is causing the symptoms. If you can learn not to worry about them they will go away as they will have lost there power. Good luck

[marcc64]

DJ you say?? me too :D

Thinking about it now the blood in my mucus was probably the roof of my mouth because at the time it was saw and felt bumpy so i put it down too that considering i had all the tests done. Speaking is the one thing that annoys me the most at the moment, because it's one thing other people can sometimes notice and it's embarrassing if your talking to someone you've just meet lol you can be saying something then all of a sudden you forget what to say next. :blush: