Couldnt take it, went to ER last night!

[Dazo]

So, after some days with bad chest pain, stabbing pain in my heart, feeling faint and dizzyness, naussea and a terrible feeling of not getting air i went to ER last night.

I met a great doctor, he was the head doctor at the hospital for neurology and internal medicin.
He did alot of test, blood samples, EKG and test for my breathing.

I calmed down when i met him and after some hourse at the hospital i felt ok.
He reassured me that i have NO illness and this my symptoms is from bad anxiety and lots of stress.
I told him i was afraid for the future and that i am scared to have some illness and he said that i have the same future as any healthy 35 year old man.

So, i went back home and later it hit me again:mad:

He was great to me but i am still scared and my mind keeps spinning.
There seems like no end but at the same time, today i dont believe its an illness i am mostly scared for the anxiety and panic today.
And the feeling that anxiety will stay at this high level.

I hate the feeling of not getting air and feeling faint.

Best wishes to all

Daniel

[gypsywomen]

so sorry you had such a bad night at least you got reassurance it was just anxiety ,,i wonder why we don believe when we are told we are ok ,,it must be our brains that wont believe it ,,i do hope your symptoms calm down ,, try and relax keep telling yourself i am fine i got the all clear x

[Dazo]

Thanks gypsywoman, its been awful lately but now i am telling myself that i am healthy despite the bad anxiety.
Its strange that our brains can make us like this, totaly stressed up.

I will take a really slow day, relaxing and telling myself the same things the doc did.

[darrenc]

It's easy for me to say this, when I'm feeling fine at the moment, but you have to stop the cycle of seeking reassurance that you are ok.

Try some activity that will take your mind of your troubles, and if you can ride out the tough times.

But I understand exactly how you are feeling. I had a major attack about 4 weeks ago now while in my car, and drove to the nearest hospital. At the hospital I calmed down and felt ok, but the next day I was feeling terrible again.

I haven't been back to hospital or my doctor since (except for some more citalopram), and slowly I feel I'm better each day.

Hopefully you will start to feel better soon as well!

[Cell block H fan]

So, after some days with bad chest pain, stabbing pain in my heart, feeling faint and dizzyness, naussea and a terrible feeling of not getting air i went to ER last night.

I met a great doctor, he was the head doctor at the hospital for neurology and internal medicin.
He did alot of test, blood samples, EKG and test for my breathing.

I calmed down when i met him and after some hourse at the hospital i felt ok.
He reassured me that i have NO illness and this my symptoms is from bad anxiety and lots of stress.
I told him i was afraid for the future and that i am scared to have some illness and he said that i have the same future as any healthy 35 year old man.

So, i went back home and later it hit me again:mad:

He was great to me but i am still scared and my mind keeps spinning.
There seems like no end but at the same time, today i dont believe its an illness i am mostly scared for the anxiety and panic today.
And the feeling that anxiety will stay at this high level.

I hate the feeling of not getting air and feeling faint.

Best wishes to all

Daniel

I think you did the right thing going for reassurance. Sounds like the doc there was good.
Its definately amazing how we can get ourselves in such a state about a particular thing.
I hope seeing that doc can break the cycle for you. Sometimes being tested & speaking to someone in that particular field of meds can be enough to do that. Then its onwards & upwards!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Anxious_gal]

aw chest pain is scary! anyone with chest pain would be afraid! and any one without anxiety would go to the ER if they had chest pain!
I think you did the right thing and I'm happy that your ok and it was just anxiety after all.
it must have been pretty hard on you having all that chest pain and not being able to breath.

[Going home]

Hello Dazo, hope you don't mind me joining in your thread since i only joined nmp yesterday, but reading this I can understand your fear. The feeling of not having enough air to breathe is one of the scariest symptoms, and of course when we get scared our breathing alters anyway. But its caused through having tension in the chest wall muscles, and also that not many of us know how to breathe properly, using all of our lung capacity.

Anxious people tend to breathe very shallow and it upsets the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide which is why sometimes, people in panic mode are often told to breathe into a paper bag to restore the balance. Shallow breathing is one of the first symptoms in our flight or fight mechanism, the other main one being a pounding heart as your body gets ready for action. Its only when you're not in any danger that these symptoms of too much adrenaline become noticable, and that's what you're experiencing with all of the symptoms you have at the moment.

Your body is actually getting it right, its reacting to the adrenaline in the right way, so learning not to be scared of the feelings, uncomfortable though they are, and trying to relax would help to break the cycle. Don't try too hard to relax though as this will only cause more tension if you see what i mean.:)

from Going Home xx

[andrea thompson]

hi hon

i recently had a really bad do through the night and i knew it was a panic attack but i couldnt calm down... it got to five am and i decided to ring the out of hours dr... he asked me some questions and gave me the reassurance that i needed... he also told me to have a warm drink and a hot bath... on speaking to the dr i instantly fealt a load better... when i had a bath i fealt all the anxiety leave me... i went to bed and fell asleep... woke up an hour and a half later and fealt dreadful... the good news is i have since been to the drs and discussed my problems... he has put me on citalopram and gradually i am getting back to my old self... each day seems a little easier and i am generally very positive about the future.... i am sure the dr you spoke to at the hospital would have reccomended you visit your g.p. if you havent already then get yourself there... you will find lots of reassurance on this site... it always makes me feel better... the symptoms are returning because you need to give your body time to destress... high stress triggers these symptoms so give yourself time to recover... have some time out... do things you enjoy and get lots of reassurance from here, from friends and reletives, from your dr... if you are really bad at any time you can ring the samaritans... the number is in the phone book...

please take care

andrea x x

[Dazo]

Thanks everyone!

My breathing is messed up and that gives me bad headache, naussea and a strange feeling inside my body.

This is so hard to overcome, tried to go out for a while but that was really hard.
I guess i have to use the diazepam to break this cycle, even if i am scared of it.

I just wonder how it comes that the breathing rhytm gets out of control?

[june]

:hugs:I can't give you any help:blush:because i am (yet another person) going thro the same symptoms.:weep:
THEY>>>>> keep telling me to get my breathing under control:scared15: HOW?????
take nice slow calm breaths - listen to relaxation tape etc etc
As soon as the tape says "breathe innnnnn slowly and now out again"" i am already on my 3rd or 4th breathe in......:blush:
A couple of years ago i got the chance to do Tai Chi the class only lasted 6 weeks it was tooo slow for the other people.
I WANT the airy fairy type Tai Chi that show nice easy movements (NOT the martial arts type.) ONE day i might find it.
Hope you feel better soon
June:hugs:

[Dazo]

:hugs:I can't give you any help:blush:because i am (yet another person) going thro the same symptoms.:weep:
THEY>>>>> keep telling me to get my breathing under control:scared15: HOW?????
take nice slow calm breaths - listen to relaxation tape etc etc
As soon as the tape says "breathe innnnnn slowly and now out again"" i am already on my 3rd or 4th breathe in......:blush:
A couple of years ago i got the chance to do Tai Chi the class only lasted 6 weeks it was tooo slow for the other people.
I WANT the airy fairy type Tai Chi that show nice easy movements (NOT the martial arts type.) ONE day i might find it.
Hope you feel better soon
June:hugs:

I try and try and try to breath ok but i have no idea how to do it, we both seem to have a big problem here.
Thanks for your input June

[Dazo]

Just a short while after i wrote this thread i got big, no HUGE panic and fear attack.
I was dripping of sweat, almost had to vomit and even i was sure it wouldnt harm me i was terrified.
I was terrified by the thoughts running through my head.

I thought that this is my life, i wont be better, scared if i do something stupid to myself all kinds of weird thoughts.

Anyway, i have taken 2,5 mg diazepam and right now i feel a bit better.

[NeverRelaxed]

Dazo, im going through a similar thing so i can really relate and empathize with you here.

The heart doc who looked me over said tht the chest discomfort/shortness of breath could be due to mild asthma?

Its hard to accept that symptoms so intense and frightning are caused simply by stress/anxiety!! the doctors know their stuff though!

[Veronica H]

Hi Dazo

'I thought that this is my life, i wont be better, scared if i do something stupid to myself all kinds of weird thoughts.'

This is an illness of how we think and not how we feel, although it is hard to believe that.There is a brilliant book by Dr Claire Weekes;SELF HELP FOR YOUR NERVES ISBN 0-7225-3155-9.This is available from the NMP shop. Dr Weekes was a physician and scientist. She was a fellow sufferer (nominated for the nobel prize for medicine) and really understood this illness. She took the mystery out of it, and devised a simple programme for recovery. I can't recommend this enough. This will get better.

Here is a link to her site;

http://www.drclaireweekes.co.uk/

Veronica

[Dazo]

Thanks Veronica!

[Dazo]

Dazo, im going through a similar thing so i can really relate and empathize with you here.

The heart doc who looked me over said tht the chest discomfort/shortness of breath could be due to mild asthma?

Its hard to accept that symptoms so intense and frightning are caused simply by stress/anxiety!! the doctors know their stuff though!

Sorry to say that it feel good to know that i am not the only one, i really dont wish this to anyone.

I am so glad you wrote that doctors knows their stuff, i have had so many doubts about all this.

Thank you vey much.

[BKF1515]

Dazo, I read your post but didn't have time to red all the replies.... But I wanted to let you know in case it might make you feel a tiny bit better, that I was on a MUCH higher level of constant panic healthwise about 2 years ago - living day-to-day feeling like I was and thinking about dying constantly (and having all sorts of symptoms that made me imagine different ailments on a daily basis). I saw a pysochologist about it for a few visits (refered by my GP). He was okay but couldn't answer me when I kept asking him if I would always be this way. I wanted some hope for the future that the anxiety would pass and that my quality of life would/could improve over time. He basically said that my anxiety would always be there.... Well, I just want you to know that I have recovered greatly. I am not living with that level of anxiety at all, and it just took time and patience. A lot of it was probably caused by constant stress which has lessened over time. Now I do worry a bit but don't have sleepless nights anymore and feelings like I need to go to the emergency room daily. SO THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU. Do you have a lot of work or family of relationship stress? Be good to yourself, give yourself a break, and good luck!

[Dazo]

Dazo, I read your post but didn't have time to red all the replies.... But I wanted to let you know in case it might make you feel a tiny bit better, that I was on a MUCH higher level of constant panic healthwise about 2 years ago - living day-to-day feeling like I was and thinking about dying constantly (and having all sorts of symptoms that made me imagine different ailments on a daily basis). I saw a pysochologist about it for a few visits (refered by my GP). He was okay but couldn't answer me when I kept asking him if I would always be this way. I wanted some hope for the future that the anxiety would pass and that my quality of life would/could improve over time. He basically said that my anxiety would always be there.... Well, I just want you to know that I have recovered greatly. I am not living with that level of anxiety at all, and it just took time and patience. A lot of it was probably caused by constant stress which has lessened over time. Now I do worry a bit but don't have sleepless nights anymore and feelings like I need to go to the emergency room daily. SO THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU. Do you have a lot of work or family of relationship stress? Be good to yourself, give yourself a break, and good luck!

Thank you so much for this!
SO you had awful symptoms all day long for a long time too?

Its so easy to feel hopeless and that it wont be any change.

Do you take any medication for the anxiety?

I so much long for anxiety and panic free nights, to go to sleep without worry and wake up without thinking about anxiety and fear.

Hope you get a nice Christmas!

[june]

I have copied this small section from 'Symptoms' 5th down under Problems and Issues left of screen.
There looks like an awful lot of reading - BUT there is also a lot to ease your mind.
As you have said - just knowing that others are having the SAME problem gives you a little hope so (i hope ) will reading this.
Quote ""Hyperventilation is not a serious medical condition as the body will automatically readjust when you let it. However, the sensations are extremely unpleasant and frightening. In many cases the sufferer has lost the ability to control their breathing correctly and this can be remedied by re-learning a correct method of breathing , from the abdomen and longer the out breath (count of 11) than the in one (on count of 7) and as slow as you can make it. """End
When i first saw the full version of this i printed it out = now if i am out and about and get fearful - i take it out and read it - just the action of getting the page out of my bag starts the distraction.
June
:hugs:

[Dazo]

I have copied this small section from 'Symptoms' 5th down under Problems and Issues left of screen.
There looks like an awful lot of reading - BUT there is also a lot to ease your mind.
As you have said - just knowing that others are having the SAME problem gives you a little hope so (i hope ) will reading this.
Quote ""Hyperventilation is not a serious medical condition as the body will automatically readjust when you let it. However, the sensations are extremely unpleasant and frightening. In many cases the sufferer has lost the ability to control their breathing correctly and this can be remedied by re-learning a correct method of breathing , from the abdomen and longer the out breath (count of 11) than the in one (on count of 7) and as slow as you can make it. """End
When i first saw the full version of this i printed it out = now if i am out and about and get fearful - i take it out and read it - just the action of getting the page out of my bag starts the distraction.
June
:hugs:


Hey June, i will try to breath like this. Will take a time soon to do it, so maybe i get a bit better for later today.
Thank you very much.

By the way, i need to ask you!
Do you feel nausea too?

Daniel :hugs:

[june]

ALMOST CONSTANTLY
j

[Dazo]

ALMOST CONSTANTLY
j

Just as i am:lac:, feeling sick most of the time.

[Chrissie21]

Hi Dazo,

Good for you for facing the fear and going to the hospital. I think that is part of the anxiety process to feel helpless and alone. The fact that you braved it to the ER is good, because you were looking for a solution to the problem as opposed to just suffering in silence. How about you turn it around and say to yourself' every time I feel ill, if I feel bad enough I will go to the ER' I dont care if the same doc sees me every time, If it makes me feel better I will do it'

Try and take the pressure off yourself. I am in a situation where my partner is sick and tired of my anx. and quite impatient. I always feel that if he said to me ' i will take you to the ER anytime you want, if that is what you feel you need' I would feel better. it is that feeling that I have to suffer and not bug anybody that makes me feel worse...

Have a good christmas.
X

[Dazo]

Hi Chrissie21;

I really feel a bit of shame going to the doctors, they look in their computors and see that i have been there alot so i feel embarrased.
At the same time i am so full of fear i dont know what to do or i cant think properly.

I agree totaly with you, to have someone beside that can tell you that they take you to ER anytime feels better.
Anxiety is hard to understand and very fearful

Have a good christmas you too

[dizzyma]

hi all..I too suffer terribly with my chest pains which has sent me racing to casualty and doctors 3 times in the last 2 weeks!!!I constantly get myself worked up thinking ..THIS IS IT!!,...it is awful and im petrified that im going mad!!!just keep telli ng myself that the propranolol will stop me from having a heart attack!!!You have my full sympathy and understanding!!!

[Dazo]

Thanks dizzyma, its awful, the feeling of "this is it", i have felt it so many times and still dont learn anything about it.
Will try to read the Claire Weeks book again.