Anxiety comes and goes

For the past two monthes i have had extreme heart pains. I went my doctor and had an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram and they found nothing. They told me i had anxiety problems. I have been having extreme anxiety or (heart pains) for two monthes. The anxiety is non stop. I can't concentrait on anything. I can't even watch TV. I've tried klonopin and xanax and nothing seems to work. Within these two monthes i had a random whole week where I felt great, no anxiety. And then it came back for another week. I went to a psychiatrist and he said I have depression and generalized anxiety disoder. He gave me lexapro. I hate the side effects. The last two days i've been having anxiety all day but at night it completely disapears.  I keep putting off using the lexapro because i keep feeling better at times. Is it normal for generalized anxiety disorder to come and go like this?

[Haych22]

oh yep!! my heart pains been happening for 3months plus a whole lotta other symptoms...done all the tests, seen all the specialists and its all normal...its a horrid thing this anxiety and only us sufferers really understand it but i can assure you what your feeling is anxiety related. i too have good weeks and bad weeks...atm-bad week, so i feel your pain...i hope you feel better soon

[chrsaaron]

Yes it is that's why it's called general anxiety disorder, and not panic disorder...in other words you have anxiety all the time..but to a lesser degree, and have moments of extreme panic but not panic all the time. I'm not down playing your situation what is probably occuring is this. You recongnize the panic as anxiety during the day, and when your not in a panic state you feel like your not havning any anxiety. You have become used to the general anxiety, feeling. Also stimulation is a huge factor, by stimulation I mean activities of daily living. During the day your mind is alert, and your working doing things etc. more stimulation more anxiety. At night you feel like you can relax, anxiety goes down...Although I think for you it hasn't gone away. Chest pain is very common with anxiety and panic for many many reasons.....vasoconstricion with the release of adrenaline, for one. This causes chest tightness, increase heart rate, that lump in throat feeling. Then you hyperventalate, and bam all this makes you panic...you get shaky feel like you might pass out, your mind races with q's about what to check where, what should you do now......aaaaaaaahhhhhh... and your off and running in panic. It's terrible, I've been there I don't know how many times. The first step is to admit you have a anxiety disorder...and I mean really adimit it. Not yeah I have panic attacks but I think there's somehting wrong with my heart, Thinking.....I mean really own it..." I have a Panic disorder" This is part of cognative behavioral therapy.CBT. Your brain gets set in it's pathway, you feel chest pain you panic. Thats a choice, I'm up during the day I must panic. We must try and retrain your brain. I would encourage you to look into these devices, therapy will help, medication may be needed in addition to CBT so you can function. I find that depression comes along for the ride because we loose our Identies to the panic life style...but this isn't the case for eveyone...any q's shoot me line.....hope this helps keep your chin up...and remember your not going to die, YOUR NOT GOING TO DIE...ok..your not alone in this, millions of us are..here, and that doesn't mean I'm playing your situation down....it scary really scary...ok..but your going to be ok...

[misty_lee]

I know u posted the  comments 2010 but am reading it now, 2012... I actually laughed cause I could identify with you completely. I know I have an anxiety problem, also panic attacks. Yes at times I am sure I'm having a heart attack. Yes once the panic has gone I feel stupid. Lately I've fought off panic many many times and happy I didn't rush off to the ER cause how many times a week/month can you go to the ER with the same problem? Silly huh? Latest panic that won was about a month ago...I for whatever reason took my blood pressure reading at 1am..was 189/90 and to this day no idea why. So I tried to relax and waited 5 mins to retake..was even higher..paced the kitchen asto what I was to do at now 2am.. so by now I was pacing,heart racing,called a cab and yes went to the ER.. Time I got there, it was 198/98...was told to wait for the doctor.. finally at 4am got seen.. bythen it had dropped to 155/85 which was much better then earlier...PANIC.. had blood work done plus a ekg..all normal...so I wonder how high a blood pressure can go due to a panic attack without really having a heart attack!  Thoughts?