Does or has anyone ever feel this?

[CarlJUK]

Has anyone ever had anxiety or panic attacks too much you know what it feels like? I use to sleep with amxiety i'd have a racing heart, and thumping on the chest, sweating of hands. Recently sleeping has changed for me. What I mean is my heart will be beating fast, sometimes it will slow down, sometimes it will skip a beat, also I don't feel the thumping on the chest anymore? It's worrying I think am goibg to have a heart attack. i recently went for an ECG resting test, results will be given in 10 days time. I've also got a minor cough... :( what's happening?

[JamesHerriot]

When I had my first panic attack I did not know what it was. This was more than 8 years back. It has been a part of my life since then. It was very disturbing and stressful to go through almost every night. It also disrupted my day time routine, sometimes making me almost inactive and depressed. The experience is very personal and almost impossible to explain what you are going through to even a loved one. The sudden grip of fear, sinking feeling in the gut and losing grip over life even for those few moments are scary, but also life changing.
The first positive reassurance I received was from an article on panic attacks on the web. It assured me that I won't die although it was so intense a feeling. However it is important to manage this recurrent disruptive experience both mentally and physically. Confront the fear. Do not fight it but allow it to flow away by breathing slowly and deeply. If possible hold a loved one's hand or get a hug. Put on the light and look yourself in the mirror. Or get some fresh air. For the religiously inclined say a prayer or think of your favorite God or guide or angel.

In the daytime prepare yourself with enough knowledge to root out irrational fears and anxieties that trouble you. Practice calmness and mindful awareness. Let go of things that you cannot control. Remember that you are not alone in anything or anywhere. Gentle medication for a period of time is sufficient to manage the physical symptoms. The real remedy is within you.

Seek therapeutic help to build that initial strength and courage to fight this. After a while you'll observe the intensity of fear and frequency of attacks reduces. It is much like a rehabilitation program. One step at a time with consistent effort will definitely release you gradually from this panic attack and you can sleep peacefully.

[AnimalsQueen]

It's just who you are, having these worries. Never will you be able to fully shake off these feelings naturally but there is something you can do--believe that this is NOT how you want to live your life and this is NOT a monster I am going to let take over it. You only live once, is that one life only going to be highlighted with anxiety? Of course nor! Dont let it hold you back, go out live life WITH it :)

[ldh12470]

I am so glad to know that I am not the only one that experiences panic attacks. Mine started May of 08 right after I lost my dad. I didn't know it then, but I had one on the way to work. I am a nurse and didn't even know what a panic attack was, how crazy. Then, I had a second one in January of this year. It was the mother of all panic attacks. I was so scared that I called EMS. Now I look back and feel very stupid for calling them, but at that time I still didn't know what a panic attack was. When I went to the doctor and she told me that it was a panic attack, i felt offended. I felt like she was calling me crazy. I finally went to a therapist and she explained it to me. I have learned how to manage them when i feel them come on, but I still have this constant fear of dying. Every time I get an ache or pain, I think it's something deadly. I constantly feel like I am just going to drop over dead. I guess that stems from how my father died, but he had serious heart problems. Plus I have a 5yr old daughter that I have such a tight bond with, and I am afraid of dying and leaving her. I wish I could get these thoughts out of my mind. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[br2509]

Well honey i am with you.I have had these anxiety attacks they are scary they do make you feel like you are going to have a heart attack sometimes at night i just feel like i am going to stop breathing..But i have calmed down alot i got so bad i went to the ER and they did a EKG on me which everything came back fine i got blood test..Which everything came back normal thank god but anxiety attacks will do some weird things to your body..U just have to stay calm and tell yourself i am fine nothing is wrong bad..Which its hard to do because i still fear but if you have a love one to be there with you and help it really does a justice...

[RubyWitch]

Honey, you're on the Anxiety Forum............every single one of us knows EXACTLY what you're feeling! We've all been there and the vast majority of us STILL are. What you describe are really classic symptoms of anxiety/panic attacks. Since you have seen your doc and had an ECG, you can pretty safely rule out the heart attack business. But do understand that the fear of having a heart attack is probably the #1 fear for those of us with panic. So you're very "normal" in that respect and very much not alone. (I don't understand why you must wait 10 days for the results tho.....that seems horribly extreme to me) Must be the difference in health care on your side of the pond, eh? But if the docs thought there was a chance you'd had a heart attack, you would NOT have been allowed to leave. Did they discuss anxiety with you at that time? Did they give you anything to calm you down? When is your follow up appointment?
Fear produces adrenaline, which is the nasty hormone that will speed our heart rate up, cause the thumping and bumping, the sweating..........and a whole bunch of other symptoms you apparetly didn't experience. (Lucky you!) That skipped beat you spoke of is called a "palpitation" and while they are quite alarming, they are harmless. If your heart were to begin palpating and NOT stop, that would be a medical emergency, but you DIDN'T have that, so don't obsess over that. All of us have palps and if we're lucky, we sinply learn to live with them.
Don't know what to say about your cough. It's not a typical anxiety symptom. Sounds more like you may just be coming down with a cold, but do mention it to your doc, especially if it gets worse. But I think it is just a coincedence. Once we get on the health anxiety bandwagon, every single tweak, twinge, ache, pain or fart becomes some dreadful disease. Now is the time for you to nip this in the bud. Once your docs have ruled out any heart problems, and at your age, I'm sure there won't be any, it will then be time to talk about your anxiety and get into some talk therapy to understand where this fear has come from, and it had to come from someplace, so find that place and deal with it. Trust me, you do NOT want to spend the rest of your life dealing with this disorder. It literally runs (and ruins) your life. You've made an excellent start by seeing your doc. Don't stop there. In this day and age, we must all be very pro-active in our own health care.
Spend some time reading the posts on this forum and you will see that you are not alone and along the way, you will garner some great and reassuring advice. Feel free to ask questions and join any thread you want. You may also want to visit the Heart Rhythm Forum, those folks know the workings of the heart better than many cardios and they are very comforting to talk to.
Try to relax. You have anxiety, you need to figure out why and once you do, you'll be on your way to recovery.
Peace
Greenlydia