Hi new here

[Lilchic586]

So I'm new here and I've been reading a lot of your stories for a while and I decided to write my story myself and hopefully get some feedback. I just turned 28 years old and I'm a female. I guess u can say I had some minor anxiety issues throughout the years but it was never anything to serious. When I was 21 I was getting papa thought I had heart issues, had every test under the sun and was cleared. Went away expect for the minor ER visit like once year where I was told I was fine and I didn't think about it again. Fast forward to now about a month before my 28th bday I started feeling kinda tired and achy but just chalked it up to my lifestyle which truthfully isn't the greatest. I am a smoker, started young, And was pretty heavy smoker until about the last year or so when the majority of my smoking took place when I was drinking. was binge drinking a lot. No drugs. No exercise though, not that it matters but I'm not overweight. Blood pressure is usually very low like 90/60. Usually had slow resting heart rate, in the 60's sometimes even a little lower. I don't eat the greatest either but I do try sometimes. No sweets and stuff like that but ate out a lot, fried foods. Anyway one day after a night of drinking I was lying bed and all of sudden this intense feeling came over me. Thought I was gonna die. I called 911 firefighter came and ambulance. My bp skyrocketed like I've never seen it was 140/80 I think which prob isn't that high but for someone who always had low bp it scared me. My hr was at like 140 bpm. I really believed on my way to ER that I was gonna die. My hands esp my left got numb to the point I couldn't even move my fingers. Nothing calmed me down until finally I was given a Xanax for the first time and finally began to relax a little so they sent me home. I was still terrified though and when I got home I felt nervous, but not as bad as earlier but I subsisted my father drive me back which he did and again everything was fine. I was just exhausted at that point and finally slept. First thing I did was go see a cardiologist. Who for one I didn't feel take me seriously at all bc of my age. But regardless I had tons of ekgs, and echo, regular stress test and holtor. All came back normal I think they mentioned some PVC but said it was nothing to worry about. Still not convinced so I instisted on more testing and they gave me a event monitor. I have not felt the same since. All I wanna do is sleep, I haven't been to work, barley leave my house been to the ER at least 5 times. Other then mild anemia and like 1 time low potassium and another time my bp was crazy low like 85/47 I was fine. I had lung function tests. Ct scans on my chest, and brain. MRI on brain. Millions of blood tests. And I'm still not done. And now I wouldn't really say I get chest pains but sometimes I feel like I'm being smothered, yawning a lot, burping, my appetite isn't as big as it used to be. Sleep to much but then always waking up. Feelings of weakness down my left arm and pain sometimes in my right. I did get a X-ray on my neck which showed I had no curve in my neck so I gotta go for MRI for that. Seeing a new cardiologist mon and getting a stress echo as well as results from thyroid ultrasound and blood tests. I just can't live like this anymore. I dunno if it's real or anxiety and depression. I just need help. I wanna begin to live a healthier lifestyle but I'm scared to even exercise bc I walk up the stairs and my heart is pounding. I don't wanna be on meds. Has this happened to anyone else? And why so out of the blue. It's over a month now since I've felt like myself

[Lilchic586]

My blood test actually showed lyme so I got be tested for that again they said in a couple weeks

[Lilchic586]

Thank you all for the great answers!! I hate this so much! It's craZy bc my heart will be super high but when I'm resting sometimes it goes down to the 40's and that scares me too!! Lol I'm a mess

[LPNGirl07]

Your symptoms definitely sound like anxiety. I am 33/female. I get anxiety attacks and my BP and heart rate sky rocket during them. My HR can get up in the 140s when I'm anxious easily. I also have genetic  high BP (my heart is fine just the high BP and heart rate, I see a cardiologist), but take medicine for it. I have tried all of the SSRI medicines, and they don't work for me. I am seeing my doctor tomorrow to discuss a different anxiety medicine. Anxiety can be debilitating.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

hi, i do not take it but know lots that do and they love it, they have their life back

i have anxiety have for 30 years , it can house bound you as you see, i have health anxiety i have lots of heart flutters. skipped beats etc, and i threw myself into anxiety, you have to get control of it no one but you can do that, the pills will help you get back on your feet, but unless you take control your in for a ruff time

our minds can do many strange things with us not even knowing it, even though i told myself i am not worried about my heart , was not even thinking about it, deep down i was,  

try and get back out there, take a friend or whoever you feel safe with and live your life

keep in touch we are here to talk , been where your at

p.s with all your test its not your heart its your mind

[Lilchic586]

The psych also prescribed me Zoloft. I'm kinda scared to take it. Has any of u taken it? Do anti depressants really help? Am I gonna become a zombie?

[Lilchic586]

Thank you all so much! It def helps me feel a little better. I actually spoke to a psych yesterday and he told me that I describe all the symptoms of depression. Pretty much everything points to that, the only symptom I don't have is suicidal thoughts. If anything I'm terrified of dying that's why I keep going to doctors lol. U know Im kicking myself bc when I heard of people saying they have depression I would think ah it's all in there head, mind over matter. I realize now how wrong I was. That what people with depression and anxiety go through is truly a terrible thing. I wouldn't wish it on anyone and I hope and have to believe that we can get better from this. I've prob been depressed a lot longer then my symptoms started showing but I just masked it with alcohol until one day my body and mind couldn't take it anymore and then I had my first panic attack about a month and a half ago. I wanna get better and I wanna take care of my body and appreciate it bc I have dragged my body and mind through the mud for a long time and it's put up with a lot and now it's time for me to take care of them back.

[nursegirl6572]

Hello and welcome!  You've already received great replies.  I'm sorry you're struggling so much!

You describe textbook anxiety, and you've had so many tests and thorough medical work ups, that it's safe to say that a medical issue has been ruled out.  Anxiety causes very REAL physical symptoms, and yes, they're terrifying, but once you start accepting that your symptoms are related to anxiety, you can start accepting that you're going to be fine.  You're not going to die, you don't have a serious medical condition.  At some point, you have to try to accept that, rather than chasing your tail continuing on with all of the medical work ups.  

The next step for you should be to ask for a referral for a mental health professional.  A psychiatrist isn't a bad place to start, as he/she can discuss with you your treatment options, which usually include therapy, and possibly medications to help control the symptoms of anxiety.  While I usually recommend that people try therapy first, before meds, in some circumstances, if anxiety is severe, near constant and debilitating, I think using a medication to help control the symptoms is warranted.  You definitely fit that bill, as you've withdrawn from a good portion of your normal daily life.

I know it's scary and frustrating, but know that you're NOT alone.  SO many of us have dealt with anxiety, and rest assured it IS possible to get through it and learn how to manage it.  It will take some time, some work and some patience, and most definitely some professional help, but it's 100% doable.

Keep posting, let us know how you're doing.  Make scheduling the appt with a mental health provider your top priority.  The sooner you can do that, the better.  Hang in there!

[ThePinkFloyd]

Mind is a very powerfull trick. If you think something for long enough the chances are that you are going to feel it.If there is a real health problem it will be there all the time and not go away untill you do something.So if doctors can not find anything you should propably look in to your self and find the reason you start thinking all of this.

[Arecae03]

You've got to stop with all the medical exams. You are chasing after a diagnosis and nine times out of ten what ever they find is what you already had when you were feeling great. So It's not what's causing the symptoms you feel now. Just remind yourself as I did that a medical issue in your body is consistent. It doesn't move around , like chest pains one day then stomach  pain the next day. Many times that is anxiety brining attention to stuff that you probably used to ignore.Anxiety can affect your body in different ways at different times.

[zyacee_earl]

Hi, like you im also a 28yr old female. Life used to be perfect too but now i feel like im a diferent person. I also had a lot of test done because of this odd sensations, diziness in my head but tests come back normal. Because of this, i am considering going to a psychiatrist or psychologist as what im feeling maybe anxiety or depression. Sometimes, negative thoughts would just come suddenly and i would cry. It felt so bad. Do you experience the same thing? Hope to hear from you.

[Lilchic586]

I def plan to reach out to people on here
More. It seems to help a lot. Thank you so much

[Lilchic586]

Thank you for your reply. It means a lot. Even if I just got one lol. I was afraid no one was gonna reply. I usually keep things bottled in and don't talk about my issues but I feel it's easier to talk to people going through the same thing. And today I just reached my boiling point, not a panic attack but some anxiety and I just lost it and couldn't stop crying and kept saying I can't do this anymore and that's when I decided to finally write on here. I do feel a little better but that scares me to bc everytime I think I'm feeling better it happens again. Anyway my friend took me today to go get this wheatgrass shot, I dunno if it's in my head or what but I actually feel a little better energy wise. I just wish I could figure out why all this came on.

[Mozxanax]

It sounds you are experiencing what many on this forum do. Epstein Barr can exhaust you as can anxiety and produce even more anxiety. Taking vitamin D is good. Ask your doctor about the B vitamins as well...they're known to be important for stress, and I believe the immune system. Most importantly as you can see here, you are not alone with these issues. Nothing you mentioned sounds unfamiliar. Hang in there, believe that you're now on the path to getting this under control. Doctors can sometimes seem to not understand and that makes us feel even more helpless. Don't give up. Part of your path to feeling like yourself again can be reaching out, including to people on this forum. Lots of knowledge and experience here. You can end up feeling stronger having been through this.

[Lilchic586]

I just wanna be myself and have fun again. I really hope somebody answers me. Sorry I know it was a long read but I'm desperate!!!

[Lilchic586]

Oh and in my physical only thing that came up was the epstein barr virus and a big vitamin d definicay which I'm taking d3 5000 mg for and a b complex

[Lilchic586]

I feel like a crazy person. Im also going for a mammogram Monday bc they felt a lump in my breast and my mother had breast cancer young

[Lilchic586]

I just always have this feeling of scared and doom. I just don't know anymore. Please help