panic/flutters/tight chest

[lajjj]

ok just looking for some reassurance! for the last 2 weeks i have had a cough just a tickle which has been preventing me from sleeping well. then one night when i switched off the light and lay down my heart started to feel like it was doing somersaults it was a horrible feeling i told my self it was just anxiety and managed to drift off but then i was suddenly jolted awake feeling like i was about to choke! ever since then my anxiety has gone through the roof my whole upper body feels tense and stiff which i am not sure is because of the coughing or just tension. i am still getting the odd flutter and i am very jumpy and hyper sensitive to noise or movement ect has any one eles experienced this? thank you x

[lajjj]

thank you paul i think i am holding tension in my chest its so hard not to panic! i have noticed when i am ill etc my anxiety always gets worse its just the whole heart thing that freaks me out i am not exactly sure what the real fear is with this i am not afraid of dying from a heart attack or anything i think its more of a discomfort thing!??? anxiety seems to try everything to freak us out just when u think it cant get any worse it does! xxx

[Alex33.33]

May not be relevant, but i've found that the non-drowsy flu medicines can quite often make me feel a hyper and trigger a panic attack, so i tend to go for the drowsy ones...which almost make me feel normal! also some of the capsules contain E102, which is tartrazine, and that can trigger hyperactivity. If you were taking medication for a cold or flu, this may have been a contributing factor, if not, please ignore!