they keep saying it's anxiety

[markshark]

Let me give you all some back story and why I'm certain I'm on the verge of a sudden heart attack or stroke. I'm now 30 and newlywed. Currently in addicted to suboxone and benzodiazepines. I've been on them three years and before that I took opiates everyday for 2 years. Along with taking up to 300mg of oxycodpne per day, I took large amounts of a supplement that contained dmaa (1,3 dimethylamine hcl) everyday as well alongside the drugs in high amounts. Literally everyday I did this. Now it gets worse. Between ages 20-29 I did large steroid cycles at least 15 times for upwards of 20 weeks at times. Now I'm paying. On October 15th my heart started pounding and didn't let up for four hours. Since then the symptoms have worsened to the nth degree. I began having pressure behind my left jaw and breathlessness for four months. Its now turned into shooting pain down my left arm, swollen hands to where I can't get my wedding ring off coinciding with being unable to catch my breath. I always feel as if I'm not getting enough air, and when I try to exercise the jaw pressure and chest pressure become so bad I can't handle it and quit. I'm dizzy as well and get NO Sleep! I went to a cardiologist and he gave me a stress test in October before my symptoms got stratospherically worse. Since then I've been to the hospital seven times in one month and another cardiologist and they all tell me its anxiety. So I've been seeing a psychiatrist and they say that because of my age a cardiologist won't give me a Doppler or nuclear test. Please everyone, I'm lost, terrified and on the verge of losing my wife. I can't do anything amymore
please give me advice. Thank you so much.

[skydnsr]

I have another question that you don't have to answer.  Really, I just want you to think about it.  Is your psychiatrist a board-certified addictionologist?  Because I believe your ultimate road to mental and physical health is going to come from being on the least medication possible and not from continually adding medications to try to level you out.  Your chances of having a psychiatrist who understands addiction will be better with a board-certified addictionologist.

[achillea]

Once again:  Did your current doc prescribe these meds, and does he know you are taking them?

Whatever your answer, I think you need to call him to report these symptoms.  As I mentioned, it is possible that you cannot tolerate one or both of these drugs.

[markshark]

Just two mg under the tongue. Today my hr while walking slowly was 216
#

[markshark]

No I've never shot ir or anything
I put two mg under my tongue a day. Today I tried to workout and my heart rate went to 216. I had to stop. My hands and feet have been freezing.

[achillea]

You say "Currently in addicted to suboxone and benzodiazepines. "  I have a couple of question that might be relevant:

1. Are you putting the suboxone under your tongue or injecting it?  The reason I ask is that a lot of your symptoms sound like withdrawal to me, and if you shoot up suboxone, you can get withdrawal symptoms.  Same if you chew the stuff instead of just letting it dissolve.

Also--and unfortunately--even if Suboxone is taken correctly, you can get these side effects from it:

dizziness

headache

pain

problems sleeping

nausea

sweating;

stomach pain

constipation

Do any of those sound familiar?

2.  Next,  were the benzos and the suboxone prescribed by your shrink?  I don't think they are often prescribed together, for safety reasons.  Anyhow,  if he knows you're taking them, you should report these symptoms to him.  Even if he does not know, you should tell him, because docs cannot do their job if their patients are not straight with them.

It's possible you are having a bad reaction to this particular drug or to this particular combination of meds.

[markshark]

Thank you all for the advice. Today I've begun experiencing chronic nausea and can't eat. A week ago my psychiatrist gave me seroquel to help with sleep alongside my klonopin. The first four days things were going well and suddenly two days ago the breathing got worse with the nausea. I called the doctors but they said go to the ER,so I did last night and all they did was give me another ekg and sent me home. Nobody will help me and I'm so scared.

[skydnsr]

Again, I'd like to second ireneo.  Drug use can affect not just your heart rhythms, but every symptom that you mention -- possibly even the swollen hands.  Anabolic steroid abuse can weaken the heart muscle and reduce it's pumping capacity, which in turn could cause fluid to back up into the extremities.  I'm not a doctor, and I don't know that that's what is happening.  I'm just saying I don't think it's impossible that you may be experiencing some issues with your heart, especially if you have not yet had an echocardiogram or if it was not completely normal.  Obviously, you do have issues with addiction and anxiety, and those are going to have to be addressed.  It's going to take some very expert medical help to sort through all of this.  You need good doctors.  Don't lose faith.  Just do the next right thing, to the best of your ability.

[ireneo]

One more comment: an EKG is only good if you're having symptoms at that moment. And most EKGs done in an office last about 15 seconds, seems even less than that. There are electrical heart issues that can cause some pain at times but they need to be recorded while they're happening.

Again, I'm not sure if that's the problem but drug use could affect the rhythms easily. I have a few different types of arrhythmias and I know there are plenty of cold medications I can't use and I can't drink alcohol except about 6 ounces of beer at the very most. Even then, my heart will act up a bit.

Someone mentioned you had all the tests but I didn't see you mention an echo.

[skydnsr]

I agree with ireneo that anxiety doesn't make your hands swell and that an echocardiogram seems like a logical test to do.  You have some very complex issues going on.  I wish you the best of luck and help in resolving them.  

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

ok if you have had a stress test, eks, echos than sounds to me its not your heart. it sounds like anxiety to me also.  if your not happy with the results go to another dr get them to run the test over it all is still normal its anxiety.

yes this can take your life away if you let it. you have got to stop and get control, just as i did.
you have to belive the drs your going to or you will not get better , soon you will be house bound to scared to go out, i know been there .

dont let this control you. get help now and know its in your mind not your heart.

[markshark]

Thanks for your reply. They've done ekgs everytime and blood work. I don't know what they looked at. They also all did heart x rays and wheni asked the doctors if they would check the pressure behind my jaw they all said no.

[ireneo]

I don't know if it's your heart but if they know your history with medications and your symptoms have gotten worse, my thought is they might want to take another look. I know anxiety/panic attacks can cause some of those symptoms but they don't cause swelling of the hands. Perhaps you could get a different doctor to take a fresh look. You said you had a stress test and passed but they did no echo? Hmm, an echo is so easy to do and less time consuming than a stress test. Another thought is wearing a monitor so they can see what your heart is doing electrically when you have those symptoms.

I hope you can find someone to check it out again. If it is anxiety, then knowing for sure that your heart is in good shape will go a long way to easing that and you should feel better.

[markshark]

Its now turned into severe nausea alongside everything else.