another anxiety symptom???

[justlookingforanswers]

Hello.  I have written a couple times on this forum and am trying really hard to accept anxiety as my diagnosis.  My symptoms, after my initial panic attacks and few month afterwards, have almost always been chest pain related.  I have had very thorough cardiac workups.  My cardio is 99 percent sure it is NOT my heart.  

I was at a friends house today and we walked into another room and as I walked I became really light headed and then started seeing "sparks".  It is the only word I can think of to describe them.  Almost like if you were bent over and then stood upright too quick.  Like flickers of light EVERYWHERE I looked.  I had been standing already and had not just stood from being seated.  It just started after a little bout of the light headed feeling.

I was wondering if anyone had had that happen or been told that it could be anxiety related.  I know that dizziness can but this was very weird to me.  I don't want to go searching online because then in addition to my cardiac neurosis, I will self diagnose myself and end up with brain neurosis too!!


And on the subject of cardiac issues--does anyone have chest pain that precipitates the anxiety, jittery, low engine humming feeling?

[Mamma1972]

I used to suffer from sever panic disorder and the "sparks" you are describing used to happen quite often with me.  I was treated with Xanax - .25mg, twice daily.  I had a rough two years, but eventually felt a hundred percent better.

As for the "floaty feeling", yes, this was a part of it too for me.  I also used to get a feeling of "numbness" that would take over my body...felt weak...  Then the panic would kick in.

I hope you get some proper treatment & can overcome this disorder.  Anxiety really stinks!

Best of luck

[ccpeterson72]

I have had those "sparks"....I tend to describe them as little rockets flying every which way...they are a silver/white color. I have recently figured out that they are "eye" related.........not anxiety, faintness, etc.  I think they are "floaters" in the eye. I've had them off and on for years.

[DION44]

Hi there I am wondering if anyone with aniexty feels like they are walking around in a fog like not really here floating feeling?  I have been experiencing this for quite some time.  Also is there anything that can help.  Thanks

[JAGERSMOM]

Hi Just looking.  When you walked from one room to another, was there a change in light?  I am with the consensus that it might be light induced migrane.  Several times in the last few months I have had vision difficulties, arcs in the vision field, wavy lines that remind you of heat coming off a freeway etc. , then 20 minutes later the migrane comes.  Talked to my eyedoc and family doc and they both confirm that bright light can trigger this.  One time I was driving my car with the top down, the other I simply went from a dark room in my house, to the kitchen to wash dishes in front of the window.  My doctors suggestion is that you down a coke or mt dew(caffeine) to constrict the vessels of the brain to reverse the vessel dialation.  HOpe this helps!  SGJ

[jojo604]

From my knowledge and experience, mild anxiety can be caused with breathing incorrectly or even forgetting to breathe. Yes, we do forget to breathe as human beings.  There can also be a reverse affect, anxiety can cause you to breathe incorrectly as well, such as holding your breathe when you feel worrisome.  Your sparkling sensations or sensations of wanting to faint may be caused by lack of oxygen circulating through your body to your brain which causes dizziness.  What helped me was taking deep breaths when I noticed those feelings. I would take 10 deep breaths or more until the feeling dissipated and it helps to be sitting down and focusing on an object while you clear your mind or lie face down and when your done get up slowly.  If it takes you 5 minutes then let it take you five minutes.  You may just need to retrain lungs.  Jogging for 20 minutes a day has helped my breathing.  

Hope this helps!

=)

[Pum]

I'm not sure that sounds like an anxiety symptom unless you were hyperventilating.  Did you have tingling fingers or around the mouth?

There are still many many minor things that could cause that though, with Migraine being the most common and  most likely.  Dehydration is another possiblity.

I had an aura without headache when pregnant.  Half my vision went like looking through a stained glass window and lots of sparkly lights.  Lasted about half an hour and no pain.

The chest pain is most likely muscular from tense muscles.

Good luck.

[worriewort]

you mentioned you think your anxiety was from birth control pills.  That may be very true.   I had taken the pill maybe 15 years ago and stopped because I was starting a family. I was given the pill in dec 2005 to help with my PMS,heavy bleediing etc.  I was on it for one month and had extreme anxiety from it. Seriously, I would worry about dying, a sniffle caused me to think I was dying. I couldn't breathe, my heart would pound. I had EKG, blood work, etc. everything came out fine. So, I quit the pill.  It's been 1 year. I still have some anxiety, only around my period, which leaves me to believe it's hormones. The pill isn't for everyone. My sister & friend had same experiences.

I have started yoga, excercising, eating right and seeing a therapist...it really helps.

[Nissigus]

I think a lot of us have the same problem accepting anxiety is our only problem. It is for me, but what I am starting to figure out in my case is that I may have some minor problems, not life threatening, but in my mind I believe the cause must be something major which causes anxiety and magnifies my minor problems that much more.  I get migraines that are occular in nature, they affect the eyes.  Sometimes you see waves of light, or get blind spots before a migrane as another person suggested already.  I've noticed the "Sparks" as you called them-(to me they are like seeing multiple shooting stars)when I have rapid fluxuations in my blood pressure.  If I climb the stairs too fast, sit to stand, get out of the car too fast.  Have you had you BP checked? Are you on any meds for BP?   Are you feeling particularly stressed before you noticed this, like something occures to make your BP change? When you have an anxiety attack it's all about your body's fight or flight response, that means your Bp would go up rapidly too...just some ideas...

[justlookingforanswers]

Today it was just like that.  It was a very brief light headed feeling and then the "sparks" for maybe 20-30 seconds.  It happened once last week where the "sparks" were longer but not really a strong light headed problem.  I don't think there were any blind spots but I was so focused on looking around to find an area without those flashes that I'm not sure I would have noticed.

Thanks to both of you for your quick replies, this site is such a help on the really scary days and today is one of those for me.  I was already dealing with chest pain induced anxiety and then the "sparks" happened.  

[Ms BW]

In regards to the "sparks" you see, do you have blind spots as well?  How long do the "sparks" last?  This could be a prelude to a migrain without actually getting the migrain pain.  This has happened to me for years.  Usually some lightheadedness will occur before the "sparks" or "light flashes" as I call them and then I will see these weird flashes.  Does this sound similar to what you're experiencing?

[torque]

I am new to this site and seen your comment. I wanted to let you know I have had similar weird things happen that I feel were from anxiety. I have had electric shock feelings throughout my body in the morning, I have had chest pain, palpitations, lightedness. I went for bloodwork, ekg, ecg- and they found nothing. THey didnt even tell me it could be anxiety related. I just figured it out for myself. I found this website that is great for anxiety. It explains alot of symptoms. Try this and see if it helps put your mind at ease at all. I think my anxiety is caused from birth control pills, so I am stopping them and giving it a couple of months. If it doesnt clear up, then I am going to see my doctor about maybe getting on a light drug. Good luck!

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety_symptoms.shtml