Is there a blood test for anxiety?

[tanns]

I posted this in the anxiety forum but I thought I would post it here as well considering so many people are suffering with anxiety here as well.

I was wondering if anyone knew if there was a blood test or something similar to test for a deficiency in neurotransmitters?  I was just thinking if anxiety was caused by a decrease in the transmitters that maybe there would be a test that would show that.  I think it would really help me understand what was happening to my body to see something CONCRETE??  

It is crazy that anxiety (me) can cause the left side of the chest to hurt and ache so bad and also cause pain down the left arm!!  I swear last night that I thought it would be my last.  Totally irrational thinking, I know, but yet--there it is.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

[Barbarella]

I don't know if there is a blood test for anxiety, but if you have physical pain as in left side chest pain going down your arm you have to have that checked out by a doctor to make sure there is nothing physically wrong with you.

As for anxiety, sometimes people have a chemical imbalance which causes the anxiety.  There might be a blood test for that, ask your doctor he/she should know.

Good luck!

[tanns]

Thanks so much for the reply.  I have seen a doctor (a few actually) for the past year for chest pains and they all come up with nothing!  That should be good thing but the physical pain is still there.  I have an appointment next week at the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville.  I am hoping that if I am cleared there I can move on.  But the physical pain is very real and very scary.

[Carrie41]

Hi Tanns.  I know you had said you tried Lexapro?  Did it help you with the anxiety about your PVC's??  I just started it and have been on 5 mg for a week.  I go up to 10 mg starting tomorrow.  I still feel totally anxious about my heart though!  Did it help you???

[kitcurious]

Maybe they will find another cause at Mayo, but anxiety can cause symptoms that are very physically debilitating.

Good luck to you at Mayo.

[tanns]

Carrie:  I have PVC's, they were caught on a holter, but I don't know that I've ever felt them.  I had, according to my holter: above average PVC's.   I have chest pain, discomfort and now shortness of breath and as of last night, pain down my arm.  I don't know anymore what is first, anxiety causing these symptoms or the symptoms causing anxiety.  I thought I knew, now not so sure.  The Lexapro helped with the craziness that happens when I get the chest pain and "weirdness" in my chest.  I didn't realize that until I after I got off of it.  I was on 10mg for one day and went immediately to 5mg.  I am very sensitive to medication and had a hard start with Lexapro.  I stayed at 5mg for six weeks (a month longer than my doc said to) and then went up to 10mg.  I never thought it was working because my chest issues were always around.  I see know that they were less than now and also the anxiety over them was much less.  I hope it works for you.  I know the best way to come to terms with the skipped beats is to acknowledge that they can't hurt you-if you've had the okay from your doc.  I read alot of these posts and that's the one thing I hope I can do if and when I ever start to feel the skips.

Kitcurious:  I hope Mayo can help too although I certainly don't want a bad diagnosis.  It is really a double edge sword with me.  I don't want something seriously wrong, just answers for the pain.  Thanks for your kind words and encouragement.