Is this really just Anxiety? Help!

Hello all, im new here and have been reading through the forum and it seems like a really great place to find some support and find out more about anxiety issues. If you could take the time to read my post I would be so greatfull.

A little bit about myself; I am 23 years old, male, I would class myself as reasonably fit and healthy, i have had no major health issues and go the the gym around 3 times a week.

For the past 6 months or so I have been experiencing  different types of chest pains ranging from a dull ache to sudden sharp stabing pains all usualy around the left side of my chest. This obviously started to play on my mind so I went to the doctors and they told me it was likely to be muscoskeletal pain and was nothing to worry about. The pains continued for the next few months untill 1 day while at work they got more extreme and i started to feel breathless, dizzy, sweating and the empending doom feeling. I really thought i was going to pass out and die. I went to the hospital where they did ECG and a blood test and they came back normal, I was having heart palpitations but the doctor said this was down to anxiety and my heart was fine. So I assume what had just happend was my first anxiety attack.

Ever since that day whenever I get a chest pain or feel slightly breathless the same thing happens. I start to pace around I feel like im going to pass out and die, nothing seems real i feel like i am in a dream world, I go pale white and start sweating and struggle to breath properly, this can go on for up to about half and hour untill i eventually start to feel normal againg for a few hours untill the cycle starts again. I am on the verge of losing mhy job as I cant get through the day without having a panic attack. It is geting worse and worse and i am starting to feel like i cant leave my house.

I went back to the doctors and they perscribed me Beta-blockers 80mg slow release. I tried taking these and they just made me feel 100 times worse. I was still having the same symptoms but feeling ill, drained and sick at the same time. I could hardly sleep or eat on them either. I have stopped taking these

The last few days have just felt like i am in a black hole, i feel so strange all the time, I feel like i am going insane. I get a few hours or the odd day where i feel normal for a while. I just want to feel normal again and get on with my life.

Sorry about such a long post, I just needed to get it out. Also sorry about my poor spelling and grammer.

Do these symptoms sound like they are anxiety or could they be something more serious?

What do you suggest i do, is there any medication that you think could work for me as the beta blockers didnt help. Maybe i need anti depressents im not sure? Or is counselling a better option?

Just need some advice and help

Thank you so much for reading my long post and any replys will be much appreciated.

Post Edited (Beatthis) : 7/22/2012 4:20:20 PM (GMT-6)

Beatthis

I am sorry that you are dealing with the anxiety problems, but you have found a great place for support and information! We are here to help and cheer you on, as you go about finding what works to ease your fears.

Self help books are great.  You can find many at your library as well as buying your own from sites like Amazon.com Keep reading as many as you can get your hands on. You can take what works for you from each one, and you never know when one sentence/paragraph/chapter is going to 'click' and be that light bulb moment that really helps.

CBT is an effective and popular treatment, and can be highly recommended by many here. It helps you to change the negative/ fearful thinking that causes anxiety, into positive/productive thought processes. I am going to post a link to a free online CBT program that you may want to try from home.

Free on-line CBT programs

http://www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome

This next link will give you access to worksheets you may want to print out that will help work through the CBT program.

Therapy Work Sheets

http://www.get.gg/freedownloads2.htm

 

Joy also had a good suggestion - follow up with a pulmonologist. 

Post anytime with questions, sharing, or when you need some support, and you will always find somebody who will respond to help...we are a community of friends who understand and take care of each other:)

 

Kindly,

Kitt

 

For myself, this whole situation I am in now all started with chest pain. Even from a small muscle tear in the pectoral region can cause sharp and dull aches, but of course being in that area, automatically you will think it has to do with your heart.

If you have googled chest pain, and read about heart attacks, heart disease, your subconcious mind could be causing you physical anxiety. For me, if I look at anything, I get all symptoms. This is called Hypochondriac. If you had an EKG and blood work, you are fine. EKG's measure everything in your heart and one abmormality would show, and levels of bloodwork would be off as well.

Don't let yourself fall into anxiety, try and keep your mind off of it by doing something you enjoy and surrounding yourself by people you can easily be able to talk about it if you aren't feeling fine. They will reassure you. Anxiety can do crazy things. I have had 5 EKGs, bloodwork and a chest x ray and I still am in dissbelief. But know you are fine. I always get dizzy and ill because my mind doesn't stop racing and I worry.

You will be fine, just try and keep your mind clear and don't pick your body apart.

Thanks for the input people. Ejanones no i dont seem to get pains anywhere else its always somwher around my chest but I just had a look at fibromyalgia like you said and it is a possibility, the symptoms do sound like mine.

I Couldnt make it through the day at work today again, I think im on the way to losing my job. I have a new pain that has started at the bottom of my sturnum which gradually got worse during the day and in the end caused me to start the panic cycle. I just cant beleive these physical pains I feel are caused by anxiety.

I just want to feel normal again.

Thanks Troubleshootn. Well i did workout but I havnt been recently as im to scared to put my heart under any stress. What did this pain you had from GERD actually feel like?

I though I was starting to feel ok again and then I just had some dinner, went upstairs to lie down and watch tv then a start getting a constant dull ache in the left of chest and im convinced its my heart again. While the other sturnum pains r still there but they feel different.

I feel like im going insane, I want to ignore these feelings but I just cant.

Post Edited (Beatthis) : 7/25/2012 12:50:09 PM (GMT-6)