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Posted 1/25/2013 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
I am a 28 yr old female. 6 months ago I was healthy with low anxiety...and then I went to the dr. for my annual well woman check. Bad idea. When I was there my blood pressure was high so they had me come back everyday for a week to check it. I have extreme anxiety over going to the dr and having me go everyday just made it worse, so of course, my bp remained high. My dr put me on bp meds and said had an echo, 48 hour halter monitor, a renal test of my , and several EKGs done and everything came back normal on all tests except that I had high bp and a high pulse rate. Since all of these tests I have started having panic attacks at night and feel like im having a heart attack I check my pulse constantly and my bp. I have been to the ER twice with this and both times they tell me to go home and relax and stop worrying so much. Yeah...when you're heart feels like its about to beat out of your chest its not so easy. Fast forward a couple of months and I started having extreme pain on my right side and burning in my back and front. I thought of course it was something like a kidney infection. I went to my dr. and he had me do an abdominal CT scan and blood work...and everything came back normal besides slight inflammation in my intestines and minor hardening. He said these are classic symptoms of colitis or Crohn's diease, but I have other symptoms that occur with either of these things. So I am being sent to a GI specialist, and guess what, the panic attacks are back! Yay for me..... It's so frustrating to feel sick and in pain and go to the dr for them to tell you it's all in your head or it could be this or this or this. I just want my life back!
Posted 1/25/2013 4:57 PM (GMT 0)

While it is wise to be aware of how you are doing physically, it is actually not helpful to pay close attention to your body at all times.  This is because your body naturally fluctuates during the day and at night, and overtime.  Thus noticing every little change provides very little useful information. And worse - any change that is noticed is worried about, and as worry increases, physical changes and symptoms tend to get worse, and as this happens, checking and monitoring increases even more.  In other words, checking and monitoring your body feeds into the vicious cycle of health anxiety.

In your case I am glad you are seeing a GI physician as he can do test to confirm whether or not you have any inflammatory bowl disorder and than you can deal with it.

I would also suggest you consider seeking out the help of a therapist.  That has helped myself and many others here in the forum.

Do keep on talking with us and know we care.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 1/25/2013 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Asarah and welcome!

I am sorry that you are going through this fear at the moment.:(

I know how miserable this can be. You have received great advice by Kitt, so I will just add one thing that may be of help to you in handling this rough spot.

Our Resource Guide (main page, 1st post) is full of self-help ideas that could be beneficial to you. The links to the instructive videos for breathing, relaxation and stopping a panic attack are awesome, and the breathing can be practiced everyday as part of a very effective anxiety management!

I hope that you get the answers and help that you need soon, both in terms of your physical health and the anxiety issue.  You are taking the right steps, so I am sure you will...and we will be here alongside to support you on your journey to wellness.:)

Scaredy Cat
Posted 1/27/2013 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Asarah,

I have health anxiety as well. It first developed in high school (I am 28 as well, but male), and it took a long time to get a hold of. Then a few months ago; BAM! It is back. This can be insanely frustrating to deal with, but you are not alone. It is amazing all of the effects anxiety can produce! Often it makes me want to cry. Just know that all things do pass in time. We will have happiness and peace again, and, you are not alone.
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