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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 2/5/2015 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
OK so now for the last 6 years I've had generalised anxiety and panic attacks but for the last 3 months its getting the worst it's ever been and it has been bad before this time I have a gut feeling I'm going to die 24 hrs a day it feels so real I'm so terrified I dot know what to do I also wake up in the middle of the night with severe chest pain I always think imbhaving a heart attack like I really beileve I am orbi feel I'm going to drop down dead any minute of cardiac arrest I'm so scared I just don't know what I can do my doc put me on citalopram and bruisprone but do sent help citalopram helps my depression but not this feeling I have been refers to a physciatrist and just waiting appointment my heart always races I get the bad feeling even worse I get cold sweats short of breath dizziness but I have been to the er and had ECG blood test 24 hour monitor and all fine but the chest pain the cold sweats arm pains its so upsetting I just feel like I'm gonna die any minute its a bad gut feeling it comes with or without panic attacks is this real am I going yo die or is this my anxiety out of control please help!!
Posted 2/5/2015 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Caitlin,

I went through an episode of something like this and there is hope so hold on to that. Firstly calm down, the anxiety will only worsen if you stress over it, just work to find something which works for you and keep at it. Have you visited your doctor about the cold sweats etc after the bloods, and asked for more investigation? seems like there must be something underlying. For me a range of different things helped, I found this blog which was very helpful http://insidehealthonline.com/?p=4 . There are millions who go through something like this and there will be something that helps. I hope you get better soon...
Jess
Posted 2/5/2015 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks so much for replying yes I've been to doc about cold sweats had routine bloods took everything fine he puts it down to anxiety :(thanks so much though um just really loosing all hope ATM I'll have a look at that blog just now thanks again xx
Posted 2/5/2015 10:38 PM (GMT 0)
First of all Welcome, secondly, STOP and BREATHE!!!!!!! Relax, you are NOT dying. You have been to the dr and had all the normal test done, they tested your heart and told you it is healthy. So you can be assured that this is anxiety. As bad as it feels, it will not kill you. I'm glad you have made an appointment for counseling that will help greatly, stick with the meds the dr gave you, they take a few weeks to get into your system before you really start to see improvements.

The very first thread here on the forums , is titled Anxiety-Panic Resources check it out, it has great resources to help with health anxiety.
Posted 2/5/2015 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
So sorry sweetie. It is an awful feeling and most of us have been there. Like Aangel Lisa said. Stop and breath. The resources on here are great. I have just started using them but they are helping. Good luck sweetie it will be ok
Posted 2/6/2015 7:37 AM (GMT 0)
Did they check your blood sugar ? I think most of it is anxiety but my husband had anxiety pretty bad. He won't admit it. I think he feels bad to say I have anxiety he likes to say (yell) is there something wrong with thinking ahead and being prepared for what's coming. ( the end of the world , or a boogy man under our bed that sits all of 5in off the floor) smilewinkgrin I am not down playing anxiety it is a very real medical problem. But you may have more than " just anxiety" example my husband had problems with his Retinas call CSR ( not going to spell it) but when the csr ( like blister on his retina ) attacks his anxiety levels go interstellar. He can't see as well and it scares him to having a " heart attack " to which I have to dose him with his Xanax and a baby aspirin ( just in case ) so is there something going on maybe that is a trigger point for these attacks. I have had mild panic before I don't know what it feels like but I have to try and calm my honey and sometimes it takes hours sometime days what you are feeling is real it is never just anxiety. I think just try to use your coping skills and see the psych. It is a good idea to write down what you are feeling. Even just random words it's called free writing but these random thoughts can help your doc to know what level of panic and maybe even an under lying cause ( if you read between the lines ) I wish you well. Try to get some lavender on your pillow. Try to get 8-10 hours sleep. Eat right , and take care.
Posted 2/6/2015 11:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

First of all welcome to the forum I am pleased you have found us.

Sorry to hear you have been having anxiety and depression I know how hard they are to live with but the good news is lots can be done to help. I would suggest you go and speak with your doctor firstly about your medication as you may need an increase in dosage to help get your symptoms under control and secondly speak with them about getting a referral to do some talking therapy such as CBT or Mindfulness Meditation.

In the meantime have a look at our resources thread which you will find on the main page first post for some useful links to self help guides and keep posting here we are here to support you and understand what you are going through.

Hibee
Posted 2/6/2015 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
Question for Pain$herlock--you mentioned your husband having a problem with his retina....I too have a diagnosed problem and it has caused me a lot of anxiety. That is probably because it took a long time to get real answers and all the doctors told me it was anxiety.

He's not alone on eye problems and anxiety. I'd love to hear more about it.

I too recommend therapy to help you deal with anxiety (for Caitlynxx).
Posted 2/6/2015 4:42 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I think they are directly related even though your dealing with a microscopic tissue paper thin part of the eye. He has ( hope I can spell) centralseriousretinopathy an idiopathic condition that is way under studied because it happens to very few people. The worst is it mostly happens to men 30-50 ish once in a life time in one eye. But for my husband it is a re occurring if not constant condition that sometimes hits both eyes. Because of the cycle of anxiety then vision loss and vision loss = more anxiety it has been hard to find out which came first is the anxiety causing the retina problem or is the retina problem causing anxiety and because you have different schools of thought in medicine ( treat the retina ) or treat the cause
He has been on Zoloft which has helped he doesn't see it but for myself who doesn't feel the anxiety but lives with someone struggling I can tell a good day from a bad day & he has had more good days and needed Xanax less since starting the Zoloft. He has a follow up the the opthomology at LLUMC soon but this is like chasing our tail. I wish doctors could like get together and study inter discipline and maybe be able to better correlate symptoms. It's hard. But you have to just keep putting-one boot in front of the other.
Posted 2/6/2015 4:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Caitlin and welcome!

I am sorry you are going through this awful fear currently.:( I know how miserable it is.

I am glad to hear that you have an appointment with your p-doc coming up however...as at this time you can discuss treatment for your health anxiety issue. Therapy (CBT) can be really effective in treating this concern, and helping you to manage your symptoms and worries.:)

Until you can get in....here are some GREAT self-help links for getting started on your own!

 

Health Anxiety - A Self Help Guide:

 

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypochondria/pages/introduction.aspx

Helping health Anxiety

 

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_id=53

Health Anxiety- The Super Scanner

 

http://www.get.gg/docs/SuperScanner.pdf



Let us know how you are doing soon...and post anytime. Support is key!

Scaredy Cat

Posted 2/6/2015 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
Pain$herlock, I'm not sure if I am misinterpreting what your saying, but your statement "what you are feeling is real it's never just anxiety" struck me as something that I wouldn't say to someone with anxiety.

If someone comes here with physical symtpoms, and has been cleared by a doctor, in most cases I think it is safe to say that these symptoms ARE caused by just anxiety.

Catastrophic thinking is something people with anxiety do pretty often. If I had written this post and read a response telling me that what I was feeling was not just my anxiety, I would probably read way too much into that, and end up being even more scared that the doctors were missing something (they usually arent!)

Anyway, I just wanted to point that out and see if maybe I just missunderstood what you meant by that.

Post Edited (Cianna) : 2/6/2015 10:31:09 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/6/2015 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
I think that P.S. was trying to say that the physical symptoms of anxiety are real...not just in our heads.

She makes the point of getting other physical issues eliminated as well before assuming all symptoms are anxiety related...but I give the same (good) advice.

I do think this may have been a misunderstanding...

I don't think she in any way meant to say that Caitlin's symptoms were due to a physical issue...the sentence just was written in such a way that it can be intreretted this way...

S.C.
Posted 2/6/2015 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
I have ADD so sometimes the words and thoughts don't always agree it sounded much better in my head I promise. But yes what I was trying to say is that there are people even in my husbands family who say it's just his nerves. And no it is never just anything. It is as real as the blue sky outside. ( and it's hard to touch the sky and some of the doctors in the past /15-20 ago didn't believe if something wasn't tangible then it was in your head, like fibromyalgia in the 80's we were labeled hypochondriacs ) I was trying to say that some people do try to down play the symptoms of anxiety. So unless you have felt it your self or like me have a very close loved one who has it then you may not quite get what anxiety means. It not just butterfly's in the tummy before a test. No it is something way different. I am very sorry if I sounded wrong. I really do hope for the best for everyone because I love someone who is struggling with anxiety everyday.
And see it makes me so happy he is having a good enough day to describe the blue sky and the mountains that is the view from his work on lunch . My heart is happy. These are the moments we strive for. :-)

Post Edited (Pain$herlock) : 2/6/2015 12:17:06 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/7/2015 12:12 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for all the helpful and lovely comments there much appreciated xx
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