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can anxiety come on for NO reason?

About a year ago I had a couple panic attacks one night out of the blue.  Since that time I have been battling anxiety.  After lots of doctors (convinced myself it was a heart issue) and lots money spent on them, I am still trying to find the "root" cause or any triggers but can't.  Being COMPLETELY honest, I can't find not one.  The feelings (I've been told are anxiety) come on for no reason and are getting worse.

I did try Lexapro for about 8-9 nine months but never thought it was helping....at least until I went off of it.  I continued to have chest pain during this time but not the anxiety to the extent it is now.

I guess I am just wondering if anxiety/panic can happen for NO apparent reason and if so, will it ever go away??  I know this forum is a support forum and so most people on here are struggling with anxiety too but is there anyone that knows of anyone that has had anxiety/panic at one time but now is anxiety "free"??

Also, has anyone attended any support groups?  I am wondering if that would be helpful.  From reading the posts I see a lot of similarities in symptoms with other people but I still question it.   I know the symptoms from other websites too but does anxiety feel like a soft motoring running in your chest?  Does anyone ever have horrible burning in the chest (that isn't relieved with tums and is unrelated to food)?        

This just seems crazy to me.  I know my thoughts are irrational but the physical symptoms are so real, the "what if" is driving me insane!  

Thanks for letting me ramble-it's been a rough week.

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Avatar universal
So many people are having anxiety, pain and sleep issues. Doctors put them on medications and don't test blood levels for vitamin/mineral deficiencies. If they do test, lab ranges are set too low and patients are told the results are normal.

Vitamin D must be at least 59ng/mL or 125nmoL
Vitamin B12 must be at least 500, closer to 1,000 is best.

If you're low in Vitamin D, magnesium and or Vitamin B12 so many health issues will occur. By raising levels symptoms can ease up.
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Avatar universal
Hey guys

I'm new to this anxiety. It started a month ago.

Backpack
Upset tummy
Head ach
Hot flashes
Lots of bathroom breaks

I ended up with an rx for lorazapan. I took it for 3 weeks then forgot 1 day and the symptoms came back. Are these really anxiety things? Or do I have an underlying factor. I haven't take the rx in 5 days. How long does it take to be hooked on the stuff 1mg once per day was what I was taking?
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Avatar universal
I have been having anxiety for 14 months now. I was on medication  but now I am managing without it. I still have dull nagging sensations especially when I wake up. I don't know what to do about it and how to resolve whatever issues I may have. My buddhist spiritual practice helps and meditation too if done regularly. I hope we all get better and strong. Do we find reasons for our anxiety and does it last forever? I have generalized anxiety.
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Avatar universal
I've never had any issues with unexplained anxiery until just the other night, and indeed my chest felt very tight almost to the point of pain. Fortunately I'm familiar with tension and racing heart being associated with worry, but I have always had a reason before and never felt it so strongly. Also fortunately I've had a fair amount of experience interacting with people close to me who have anxiety and depression, so I eventually figured out what was going on.
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Avatar universal
I've started taking them too and i also worried it was cardiac episidoes. I had my heart checked and all fine. Then the other night i got a strange flash of light when i blinked and the thought of a stroke popped into my head and i began feeling The same feeling. I then immediately recognised it as a panic attack and the root cause is my extreme fear of death which annoys me on a daily basis and must always be in the back of my mind ready to pop up anytime i feel a little funny
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1 Comments
Hello Rmsssey I have the same problems as you. Always afraid of dying, never knowing when the anxiety is going to hit and if this time you'll black out.Afraid to go to sleep at night wondering if I'll wake up and then panicking causing my heart to go up to 140-150 beats a min. Between the chest pain headaches and fearfulness that comes with anxiety life can be pretty unbearable. It took about 2 years for me to be finally convinced that I'm not going to die. I have a small cardiac issue which is totally benign. I frequently have PAC's (skipped beat or flutter) that sometimes hurt but increase panic attacks. Rest assure you are not alone. No one is and it gets better just remember it will be over in a min. Try breathing techniques praying and getting your mind off things. If you have a good Dr try small doses of clonopin or ativan.
Avatar universal
Hello, I just recently saw ran onto this thread and it is first very encouraging to see that this particular thread has been running for quite a while now.  I just want to tell all of you as an individual who has had anxiety/panic issues for most of my life during these 33 years on Earth so far that usually anxiety and issues are actually part of life.... EVERYONE has something, Anxiety issues runs on the Father's side of my Family and it is something that can be managed, there have been literally years when I didn't have any issues and then BOOM! They would hit me all of a sudden, but some of the great news is that it doesn't last always and like anything else, it truly does come to pass!!! I'm a true believer, I have bouts with Pure O (OCD) Severe Anxiety, have had some Severe Depression issues, Hypochondria, and Turret Syndrome. I will honestly say that I've never taken any meds, only seen a Counselor three times and even during my worse days/moments, one has to realize that it is "Anxiety" and it is truly in the mind.... the mind is indeed a powerful device within us, but we must say to ourselves that we are "Okay" and that our thoughts are simply thoughts and we have to face our overall fears/phobias/etc. head on.  We are going to live long and well; with patience, prayer, self-control, etc. we are going to be fine in due time!!!!
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Avatar universal
I totally agree. If substances (in anyone sometimes) and genetics can cause anxiety, then your thoughts are likely not the cause. I believe it is often caused by an underlying biological issue.
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14424975 tn?1434458411
One day I was just about to eat some dinner and watch a bit of TV when bam anxiety just hit me out of nowhere. I felt sick to my stomach and didn't want to eat anymore. I thought that I was gonna die. I'm only 15 years old and this is happening to me. I now have to force myself to eat, because every time I try to eat I always feel as though I have to vomit. But I don't. So I force myself to eat because I need to keep my strength up. I have shortness of breath and sometimes my chest and shoulder would ache. One night it even caused me not to sleep that well at all. I was so stressed. My heart was pounding and just would not slow down and my brain just could not calm down and try to stop worrying so much. I think that it is caused by stress. Stress with baby sitting, and family. my mother said that she was gonna take me to the doctor. But I will not allow this bad anxiety to take control of me. I am strong and still and always believed that god will get me through this. No matter what. God Bless you all. Thanks.
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Avatar universal
Hey guys i am an eighteen who suffered from anxiety/panic attacks. My first experience was when I was eleven or twelve my vision kinda went funny and weird and everything felt off. So I started panicking and told my parent which I  went down to the doctors to get prescribed medication ( don't remember the name of medication) but I had it or for a few months and it went away because I was in primary at the time and it kinda got it off my mind. Then when I turned sixteen I remember I was watching a movie which i didn't like and I got a fright and ended up getting the anxiety back which left me stuck in the house for three months over i had a fear of going out and felt like I was dreaming the whole time and my eyes felt weird too but than i went back down doctors for the second time and I got inderal 80mg which kinda helped me and I went back to secondary after my summer holidays and from there took only 2 months to be back normal :). Now I'm eighteen finished school and doing a course and I got my anxiety back which I was only listening to a love song ( Which I've crush ) and started feeling weird and got another fright thinking I got it back which made myself worse to believing it! I got the inderal again but I felt it was not working and went back down to doctors which she told me about lexapro which i did not take at the time because i didn't know the details of it and i am still taking the inderal for another week to see if anything has changed if not I will try the lexapro and see if it work. People always tell me anxiety isn't nothing but in my mind i have a fear of it and thinking it will never go away which i managed 2 time to get rid of it. I hope there will be a cure one day to treat the anxiety and get rid of it like it never existed.
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11799581 tn?1421179138
I also have anxeity and panic problems which started in 2002  I also went to ER and dr's all the time just to be told it was anxiety or panic.. But was recently diagnosed with a-fib, that is what was causing my heart to race and the chest pain and dizziness and shortness of breath., I still have the anxiety and panic attacks sometimes, but I feel better knowing my Problem was not in my head. I had to wear a heart monitor for 30 days for them to catch the a-fib. I have had 2 Heart Ablations, and continue to have palpitations and other symptoms as well. I also have a clotting disorder, where my body makes clots for no reason. I will be on blood thinner the rest of my life, which causes more anxiety! Good luck!
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Avatar universal
Anxietycentre.org helped me a lot. They have several counselors who went through anxiety themselves.  I spoke to my therapist over the phone.
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Avatar universal
I suddenly feel anxious if I have to take something out of my bag or if someone calls me and I turn my head, or if I have to rush somewhere, it gets me so anxious... and gives me a slight dizzy feeling
Or If I'm alone with my friend and there's an awkward silence, or if she is following me in the mall, I hate that feeling so bad.
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Avatar universal
HI Justlooking

The fast racing is the adrenalin rush your getting and the more you think about it the more it happens. I have studied this for 45 years and fond that yes it can come out of the blue for no reason. Don't spend your life wondering about things you cant change. When it happens just stop relax and let it happen if your healthy nothing is going to happen to you.

The more you panic the more adrenalin you produce the more intense the panic... just stop let it happen and in a few minutes it will  go away... once you see this you will understand what is happening to you but you must practise and learn from it.

there are a lot of chemicals other than adrenalin released but the adrenalin rush you feel is from that.
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Avatar universal
I came across this forum today after doing some research on anxiety. At the start of this week I all of a sudden started feeling anxious and having what I assume to be mini panic attacks. I have never felt like this before and it's really throwing me for a loop as I am usually a very happy-go-lucky type of person. I have felt like this for five days now but today was definitely the worst, I just started gagging and almost threw up. Has that ever happened to anyone before? All of a sudden (the day this started happening) I felt like I started questioning my sexual orientation and I don't know if all this just stems from that or vice versa. Can the whole sexual orientation thing cause all of this? I feel like I just constantly have a million thoughts going on in my head and I can't turn them off and I feel like I have a constant beating in my chest. All of a sudden I just started feeling indifferent about things, whether it be a tv show, something I'm reading, whatever, and I don't know if that is all anxiety related? I'm also wondering if this could all just be hormones in that I am starting my menstrual cycle at the same time all of these symptoms appeared? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Avatar universal
I would love to join this group.I do ave phobia and its taking over my life.I do not leave the house,dont see my family,they live an hour away,and I have a omfort zonr in town.If I get out of my one,i panic.This has gone on for years,i really need some help with this..please,i would love to join this telephone group..Cant get to a therapist because of this terrible phobia.I WANT MY LIFE BACK.PLEASE
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Avatar universal
I am currently experiencing the same feeling. Sometimes it slightly comes and goes. However, I've been feeling constantly stressed and worried and I don't know why. I find it hard to concentrate and sometimes my body temperature can make me feel like I'm burning up and I start sweating. My body temperature also has the tendency to rapidly change. I just want it to go away, because it makes me feel like I'm not in control.
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1211508 tn?1343079605
It's AMAZING this thread is continuing some 7 years later!  Wow.  

Short answer:  yes.  Unexplained anxiety/panics can come out of nowhere and hit you like a ton of bricks.  

There's some underlying reasons, however, that brought about the manifestation of your sudden anxiety.  In my case it dates way way back to the way my mother put fear about things in me at a very early age, and for years.  Why it came out years later at a specific point in my life?  Who knows?  Probably many variables such as where I was in life, certain stresses, etc.  
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Avatar universal
Ask your doctor about Ativan
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Avatar universal
Hi I am 61 years old and when I was in my mid 30's I had an anxiety attacks for what I thought were for no reason. After trying meds which only made me feel like I was having a heart attack, I started having counselling. She just talked to me and asked questions about my life. Over weeks this carried on and suddenly one day I just started crying during one of these sessions and I sobbed and sobbed. It actually hurt. Over the weeks I came to realise I had always tried to be strong and look after others. I hadn't looked after myself and asked for help. The problems hadn't been big but had built up over the years. I didn't think they were big because I was used to helping others. The best things I learnt was to stop feeding my sub conscious with negative thoughts. To try and have a good cry now and then and to tell myself that when I am feeling bad, that  I am allowed to feel like this. (Because there is usually a reason)
For 30 years all of the above has worked.
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Avatar universal
I suffer too. Have suffered from anxiety since my first born child who is almost 13 now. I'm only 33 and don't want to continue this way. I was doing really well for months and now I'm back down. Eating not well, not sleeping good. Wake up jittery. It's so hard. I just ordered the two books susyq said. I'm looking forward to reading them. Going to church helps me too had in the pFrom: Kara
Date: July 8, 2013, 6:15:37 PM EDT
To: Kara , Timast but I'm so bad now I haven't gone. I need to get going again along with exercising too. Thanks for posting your stories it has really helped me.
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Avatar universal
I am in the EXACT same boat as you right now. :( You're not alone.
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Avatar universal
Become FRIENDS ?? with ANXIETY??  OMG..this illness/disease has been eating my soul for years..that would be like making friends with Satan cause he won't leave you alone..I would have lost it if my doctor ever suggested that !!.....most meds don't work for me ...or I am allergic to them.
The only things that help me are constant movement ...exercise...music, and massage/rubbing my diaphragm...and these are things you can't do everywhere...lol.....or constantly..... I am praying for something that is non addictive and helps...you can only take so much xanax and still function..or become a drug addict....HATE ANXIETY !!
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Avatar universal
I like what you said, can I ask what you have to do to practice? I have been going with this for some time, since I was maybe 8 but than it was only depression. Started getting worse when I was 15 with the panic attacks, didn't want to go out. Now I am 19 much prefer all the crying and can't breathe than this horrible ball lodged in my belly, that makes me feel desperate with fear, which I can't really find reason too. Unless it was the factor of being sexually abused when I was 8, and most of my young childhood bullied by kids, and older adults who maybe were suppose to make feel safe. What I'm trying to say is that sometimes I wish I was normal. even though that sounds selfish and I should be thankful for all the good things in my life.
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Avatar universal
'WHAT IF" the anxiety phrase...When I was going through my worst stages of anxiety the "what if" would also drive me crazy...actually I feared I was crazy or going crazy. I learned to quieten my thoughts and this took PLENTY of concentration and practice. It also gave me brief periods of peace which gave me inspiration to continue practicing ..
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