Health anxiety help (heart)
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hey everyone!
So a little over a month ago I had what doctors say was my first panic attack. It sent me to the ER where they monitored me for the night and did an EKG, and blood work. I left the hospital with the diagnoses of anxiety but my symptoms got so intense over the next few days that I went back to a different hospital (stabbing pains in chest , dizzy, sore arms , numbness and burning ) . There they did another ekg , chest x day and more blood work. That doctor also said it was anxiety . I went to my family doctor who gave me meds (zoloft ) and I was in rough shape for about 3 weeks but I started therapy and acupuncture and started to feel SO much better.
I went off the Zoloft due to the side effects as they were causing chest pain /indigestion/diareah and muscle aches. Anyways , I can feel my anxiety/ panic creeping in right now and I don't know how to stop it . It's because I can feel a lump in my throat that makes me cough and I can feel my pulse at the base of my neck (between collar bones) my heart rate right now is about 80 which is normal for me , especially when my anxiety is peaked. I made a mistake of looking up the pulse symptom online and it said a healthy person should not be able to feel or see their pulse at the base of their neck . Now I feel like I am super hot and sooo sweaty and a tad shakey ..I'm trying not to panic but I have been so scared of heart problems since my panic attack.
My question is this : can anxiety be the reason I'm feeling my pulse there ..or should I haul my butt back to the doctor !? I don't wanna go through the constant state of anxiety and panic that ruled me for over 3 weeks but I'm so so scared of dying . Please help!!
Side note: I had an acupuncture session this morning where we did a lymphatic drainage ... do you think my increased anxiety /hot flashes could be a side effect of this ?
Thanks in advance
0 likes, 11 replies
jan34534 kaila12140
Posted
Kaila,
Sorry you are feeling anxious and scared. You were cleared by your doctor so it sounds like fear has taken over.
First, Do not look up symptoms. It just causes anxiety and panic and most likely doesn't pertain to your situation.
Anxiety can cause a bounding pulse or stronger beat. That may be why you see it and feel it.
experiment by calming yourself down and see if the beat settles down .
go to YouTube and search for "Mindfulness meditation guide 10 minutes".
or any meditation for anxiety.
A great one is called "Mindfulness breathing guided meditation 10 minutes."
These should relax you and any symptoms.
there are many more meditations to choose from.
Keep in mind that any symptoms related to anxiety cannot hurt you! Your heart is fine!
Of course I always recommend following up with your doctor if you develop new symptoms.
I highly recommend a book called Mindfulness which teaches you how to manage your anxiety and symptoms and give you peace of mind.
Relax and do slow deep breathing and focus on your breath. It keeps you in the present moment and not worrying about the what if's .
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
kaila12140 jan34534
Posted
Thank you so much for replying Jan ?? I am definitely going to look for that book ! I do meditations when I can calm myself enough to do them . Sometimes they make me more anxious which is odd . I'm feeling a little better now as I felt my husbands pulse in that same spot so now I feel like it's normal and I'm overthinking it
jan34534 kaila12140
Posted
Good! Yes, it is very normal to feel the pulse there. Try not to overthink symptoms. I did that for 20 years and I wasted all those years with worry and nothing bad ever happened. I can't get any of those days back. What if thinking is very destructive.
I wish you the best! ??
kaila12140 jan34534
Posted
It is such a terrible way to live! I try so hard to conquer my intrusive thoughts because I have a young son who I have to be ok for but it's hard when your a chronic worrier 😞. Sometimes I wish we could just turn my minds off ...and the symptoms that play up once you get a thought in your head is just cruel! It's like my mind is my enemy . I'm happy that you are now doing better ! It's extremely comforting to hear from people who have gone through this and overcame it, so I really really appreciate your responses ??
ashley1692 kaila12140
Posted
Paula! Your story almost parallels mine! In April, I went to the ER with my first panic attack thinking it was a heart attack. Same as you, EKG and blood work came back all good, chalked up to anxiety. Sucked for me because I don't have health insurance.
So $3000 later, I learned that apparently I have anxiety.
I was doing well for awhile after finding that out, until the anxiety came back, and with that, you start to question EVERY little pain, and you revert to your worst enemy, Google!
Thankfully I found these forums to see that I'm not alone and talking to people on here really helped me. After being able to calm down from my 3rd panic attack, I'm realizing more and more to not let this take me over.
For the past few days for instance, I've had dizziness and nausea, preventing me from doing normal everyday things.
Trust me, it IS anxiety and your mind playing tricks on you. It's scary and stressful, but it's just anxiety.
I got a salt lamp today and to my surprise, it actually seems to be working, and normally I don't believe in shanagins like that.
Trust me, I'm going though the same thing, almost exact, and the fear of dying.
You're okay!
ashley1692 kaila12140
Posted
kaila12140 ashley1692
Posted
Thanks Ashley !
It's so comforting /crazy that this can actually be anxiety when it truly feels like something horrible is going to happen to you ! I never even noticed my heart before that stupid panic attack (I was to fixated on the c word ) but at the hospital all the beeping and my heart rate fluctuating sent me into an even bigger panic 😭. Now it's on my mind all day and it's so exhausting .
My new symptoms are quick bouts of dizziness or what feels like a quick jolt or thud in my head . Lump in throat ..almost feels like something is pushing on my atoms apple & chronic dry cough . I think I have acid reflux but who knows ...
I'm thankful I'm not alone but so sad that so many people suffer from this !
I hope you are now doing well ??
kaila12140
Posted
ashley1692 kaila12140
Posted
My blood pressure was through the roof when I went, heart rate was 180bpm! And just like you, never even thought about the heart until that! Now I have the sudden dizziness and constant worry all day-everyday about this!
Just try to think of all the days you spent worrying, nothing happened right? If it were THAT serious, something would have happened by now where you would have landed back in the ER for more than anxiety. That's what I have to keep reminding myself and was given that advice by a friend who is a sufferer of anxiety for years.
I'm 27, and never had this before, it's all new to me and scary, in fact, I'm a little dizzy right now, probably because I'm thinking about it, but when I don't, the dizziness isn't there.
All mind tricks!
Another example, went to the mall today, saw 3 ambulances on the way, first thought? "OH MY GOD IT MUST BE A SIGN I'M GOING TO DIE"...
But then I thought, look how many ambulances have passed me in my life time, and I'm okay. Never even rode in one.
Anxiety has a wonderful way of ruining your day. Try not to let it, I know it's hard, trust me it is, just fight back when it comes on! Even mentally talking to yourself, give it the big "F-U" LOL!!
hope this helped! I honestly can't believe how parallel our incidents were! I feel you!💜💜💜
kaila12140 ashley1692
Posted
My blood pressure was high to! And now whenever I'm in Walmart I have to check it , if it's high I panic 😩. Vicious cycle isn't it . At the grocery store today I felt so dizzy but once I got into the shopping it completely went away until I noticed it went away and started thinking about it again .
I also get those same thoughts like you had with the ambulance ! I can't even watch the news or anything because I feel like all I see and hear everywhere is stuff about hearts and I think it's foreshadowing . Before the heart thing I was like that with cancer ..it's even hard for me to type the word . I also ended up with nocturnal panic attacks which caused me to fear sleep . It's just so awful but that has eased off thankfully . I'm 29 and have a 4 year old so I really need to keep it together for him . Everyone keeps telling me to get my thyroid checked so I might do that just to rule it out .
I always talk to myself too! It does help a lot .therapy is great , And this forum is a god send ! Anxiety sucks so bad !! If you ever wanna chat feel free to email me ! It's nice to have someone who understands exactly what your going through.
edwina97301 kaila12140
Posted
Hi kaila. The relief when you talk to someone who is going through the same as you is amazing. For years I couldn't I thought I was the only one who felt like this I was terrified to tell anyone as I wanted help but thought people would think I was mad. It's hard to believe there are so many anxiety symptoms and they come from nowhere and are so bad. By far the worst for me is the racing heart , and the negative thoughts that just won't stop, like you wish I could just switch them off. This forum is a god send, speaking to people who understand how this feels, Jan and others have great tips on helping ( with those negative thoughts. ) A lot of us have suffered for years and it's great to share how we manage to cope and reasure each other it is manageable. Life for me was desperate but now I reasure myself constantly I can get through my anxiety, it can get me down but always passes, and running your worries past people here always reasured, there's so much support and first hand experience of how to cope with anxiety??