Panic During Doctors Visits

Okay I just want some feedback. I was told that I may have mitral valve prolapse so I went to see a cardiologist last week to have a ekg done which was normal. Well when I got to the doctors office I started feeling bad and I had to fill out some paper work. Well I was in and out of panic mode, trying to stay calm, and I felt like I wanted to just walk out of there because I felt like something horrible was going to happen to me. Well  when I saw the doctor, it made me so nervous where my heart would beat fast and I had no control over it. I actually had a mild panic attack during the visit.  Well I go to the doctor in a couple of days to have an echo done to determine whether I have mpv or not. I hope I dont. I hope everything will show up good and then I will be at a lot of ease knowing I have a healthy heart. But my main question to each of you is, like before a doctors appointment, do you anticipate the visit and cause yourself to freak out about the visit? I felt like the doctor was going to find out something was seriously wrong with me. I try to block out this negative but sometimes it seems so hard to do. I hate getting so upset about things and being so scared. The doctor told me that my body produces this adrenaline due to emotional responses and it causes me to be alert and causes my heart to race and then what happens is that I begin to get upset and start feeling bad like something is seriously going wrong because my heart rate is up and I make it even worse. HE said it may even happen while I sleep. He said I was going to be just fine. I told him things I do to deal with it like breathing techniques and going to a queit room and trying to block out all the negative thoughts. He said I was doing all the right things. He said that many people deal with it naturally and get along just fine. He also told me there were medicines if it was affecting my life to where I needed something. He prescribed me some medicine that lowers the heartrate and builds a wall against the adrenaline called beta blockers but I want to handle things naturally. The only thing now is that I am nervous again because I know I have to go back to have a echo done. So I do plan to take a pill before I go to keep me calm. I want to try and overcome this somehow someday. These panic attacks are more than scary and it sucks at the time of them but I will keep my hope that things will get better. And another thing, when any of you have a panic attack or feel bad anxiety does it make you not want to talk and sick to your stomach. Sometimes do you feel as though you dont know what to say or how to say it because your thoughts are all tangled up and you think you may pass out? Just some positive feedback please.

HI Anastasia,

Yep I get panic attacks before, during, and after doctor visits. For me its the fear of bad news. I always assume the worst. My most recent one was last month when I went in for some pains in my head, chest, back. I wanted to just run. Felt better when he came into the room. But all before I could of just left. I have to have someone take me so it makes it much harder for me to just run. I will have anxiety and panic attacks the week before the visit and am ususally up the day before until after the visit. So I am going in with little sleep anyway.

I hope things get easier for you with the doc visits. And the next one be good news.

Remember your not alone

Hugs
Cary-Ann

Anastasia

 

Good Morning !  You are very normal as many people have anxiety and panic attacks re physician visits.  I know I am always anxious the dates of my Pdoc apointment. 

You may notice that people get very concerned that their BP is up at the physician's office and are convinced they have hypertension,  generally it is anxiety kicking up their BP but now they become anxious about the increased reading.  It becomes a viscious circle.

I take my  med for anxiety before I go to Doctors appointment and mostly I fear that again they will not find anything wrong so I go home telling myself fine, I will not return with any concerns as I am always just fine............and it is pushed off onto my anxiety or depression.

I have actually got up and walked out on a physician's appointment when I had been waiting sooooooooo long that I could not  stand to sit in anxiety any longer but I was charged for the visit so I have learned to deep breathe and stay in the moment remembering that by dinner time it will all be history.

Take care and stay in the moment.

Gentle hugs

Kitt

I just had a doctor appt today myself. I did not feel anxious at all, but everytime I go in they have to take my BP twice because its always high the first time. They take it a second time and its ALWAYS lower. I don't understand why that happens but almost everytime I go it does that. Maybe some subconcious worry???? I have a chronic health issue so have to go to the doctors all the time, so I no longer get the anxiety going to the doctors. Wishing you good luck on your tests.

Hugs
Gail*Nanners*

ANASTASIA

 

I am so glad to hear your physician's visit went well.  I too hope your anxiety will quiet down now that you know your heart is ok and healthy.

Thank you for reporting back.  It is always good to hear the outcome of our members issues.

 

I wish you peace,

 

Kitt

 

Belablue

Thanks bunches for your writing me this about your doctor visits. I am glad that I am not the only one. I hope that I can learn to control my thoughts better. Do you know some good ways to control negative thoughts that try to scare us. I have to get it under control.

These techniques sound great and I will start practicing them just in any situation when I get negative feelings and thoughts. I already do the deep breathing and I think it does calm my body down. Yesterday when I had an echo done on my heart I saw that when I breathed deeply the pulse would go down. But when I got a little bit scared it jumped back up. Thanks for your help.