Hi everyone. Like my username states, my name is Jake. And, I apparently suffer from anxiety and panic attacks with the rest of everyone here. Let me introduce my history:
1)For about the past year I have been experiencing weird heart beats.
2)December 2012 - January 2013 I notice frequency of weird heart beats increasing.
3)January 2013, after coming home from work, eating, and relaxing on the couch, i experience a pain in my chest. I jump up frightened upon which time I felt like I was going to pass out and that there was an elephant on my chest. I told my wife that I think i'm having a heart attack and we need to go to the hospital now! The ER discharged me after taking a blood test, ekg, and chest x-ray. No sign of a heart attack.
4)February 2013, saw a cardiologist who performed a stress test and echocardiogram. Both results were fine. Doc says lay off the coffee and stress. Heart is fine. The weird heart beats are diagnosed as PVCs.
5)June 2013, New symptoms. Constant pressure in my head and dizzy every time I am on my feet. After about 18 hours I go back to the ER. ER hooks me up to ekg and says my heart is fine (I never complained of my heart not being fine this time!) and sends me home with advice to follow up with my primary care provider.
6)June 2013, PCP tells me I have classic anxiety symptoms and gives me Rx for Celexa. Day 5 of Celexa I had to go to medical at the construction site I work on. 5 minutes before quitting time my chest up to my neck including my arms, and my thighs feel like they are on FIRE! And I felt very light headed. Doc says quit taking Celexa and sends me to the Behavior Health Dept. of the hospital. And gives me Rx for Klonopin 0.5mg to take up to three times a day as needed.
7) June 2013, the Behavior Health Dept CNRP tells me I have ADHD after asking me about an hours worth of questions. She gives me a Rx for Strattera. Supposedly a non stimulent, after 3 days I quit taking b/c it made me sweat and gave me the jitters. Behavior Health Dept CRNP tells me to just keep taking the Klonopin.
8) June 2013 - Aug 2013, experience symptoms every day ranging from anxiety feeling, sharp stabbing pain in chest, numbness in face and chest, dizzyness, a foggy head, etc. Taking at least 1 Klonopin a day during this time and up to 4 a day. Also have missed lots of days from work because I just feel horrible.
9) Last weekend, read the book From Panic to Power after seeing it discussed on this forum. The book made me feel much better. Monday and Tuesday I took no Klonopin. Tuesday night I got into argument with wife, and Wednesday felt horrible, lots of PVCs, spacy head, etc. Broke down and took 1 Klonopin.
10)Today, was doing fine this morning. But ever since lunch have just been feeling bad. Chest pains, upset gut, numbness in head, anxious feeling in chest, tense neck, etc. But i'm resisting taking the Klonopin b/c I don't want to form a dependence on it, and I don't like to feel drugged at work.
My symptoms seem to increase after a stressful previous day. Or if I drink alcohol the previous day. Also, I get very fatigued some times. To the point where it feels like my body is shutting down. I am 33 years old. 6'-1", 240 lbs. Up until this point in my life I have considered myself bulletproof. I'm married and have a 4 year old, a 2 month old, and a 15 year old step-son.
I've had the heart work up, and blood draws from my PCP. They both say i'm fine and just "stressed out". I don't feel stressed though. The only stressful thing in my life seems to be my health. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and see what anyone has to say about my symptoms and medical work up.
Thanks
Jake
Richland, WA