Questions about anxiety and other strange stuff

[SpeckInChina]

Hey everyone, to start this off I am a fairly healthy 24 year old man. I am currently living in China studying my master's degree. I work out 3-5 times a week. 10-20 min of cardio before lifting weights.

To give a bit of back ground, about 6 or more weeks ago I had a bit of a throat and sinus problem. I'm fairly used to these kinda things, so I did what I usually do and just waited it out. Just as it went away I was hanging out with my friends and one of them mentioned someone got put in the hospital with acute miocarditis, which he got from a sinus thing.

Now this did freak me out a bit, I looked online for the symptoms. I started having more trouble sleeping (as long as I can remember i've had trouble sleeping), some chest pains, slight pain in my left underarm, tightness in the chest, slight trouble breathing, etc., and a day or so later I worked myself into a bit of an anxiety/panic attack. I was sitting at my computer talking to my girlfriend, she's still in America, and I suddenly it felt like my heart stopped beating. After about 10-15 seconds it felt like it restarted, I got a massive adrenaline rush, I got light headed, nasua, hands started shaking a bit. After a bit I calmed down, I went straight to the hospital.

They ran all the standard checks, ECG, Holter Monitor, Sonogram to check my organs and heart, they drew 4 vials of blood and ran all kinds of tests. Everything came back fine. They said I was actually very healthy. I didn't feel fine, though. I stayed in the hospital for a few nights. The doctors put me on Betaloc and Flupetixol & Melitracen. I didn't like how the Betaloc made me feel and I didn't feel the F&M do anything. I have since stopped taking the medicine and it has been about 2-3 weeks since I have taken any medicine at all.

For these past weeks I have felt just fine. Most of the time I feel perfectly fine, but occasionally I have a strange feeling which makes me kinda anxious/nervous/scared.

One time I was in the bank and I had a slight pain in my left underarm and part of my left side of chest. This did worry me a bit, I admit. And right after I got this very, very strange feeling in/on my head. I'm not too sure how to describe it. Almost as if something on my head was moving around? All of the top of my head, like where I have hair, felt really warm. Not really tingly. More like fluid. That's the best I can really describe it. When I got that, my heart started pounding very quickly and very hard.

And again just earlier today, I was sitting in class, I had just give a presentation about 5 min prior, and it felt like something entered my heart from below, I got the same strange feeling in/on my head, and my heart beat hard and fast again.

Sometimes I'll get acute head aches or pain in the back left half of my head or neck. I also get the headaches, head pressures, faint feeling, and strange feelings often associated with anxiety. I have read some peoples' descriptions of them and they fit almost perfectly.

I have no idea what is wrong. I don't know if this is just standard anxiety or what. Since my Chinese isn't amazing, sometimes I just feel like going back home and having doctors there check me out.

I really don't want anything to be wrong with me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[nursegirl6572]

I agree with JGF completely. You describe textbook panic attacks IMO.  I also agree that you've developed health-related anxiety as well.  It's not uncommon to have an onset of anxiety and panic after a major life change.  You're halfway around the world, and while you may have been excited and not at all anxious about it initially, sometimes there is a bit of a delayed reaction.  I've always been anxious, but my panic disorder emerged officially when I was away at college.  I was away for months, and did fine, not anxious at all, and one day, BOOM!  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  The onset of an anxiety disorder is also most commonly seen in people in their late teens, early 20's, so you fit the bill pretty well.

A few things...while panic attacks are terrifying and while the symptoms are very real and very scary, in those moments, you have to try very hard to remind yourself that FEAR IS NOT FACT.  

Remember that you've had a very thorough medical work-up that came back perfectly fine.  Remind yourself that you're 24, and healthy.  Major, life threatening heart problems are super rare in people your age to begin with, let alone in someone who is healthy.  Also, if there was something big and bad going on with your heart, it's almost guaranteed that the tests would have showed SOMETHING.  Don't focus on the symptoms and how you feel, or the "what ifs", but rather focus on the FACTS, what you KNOW to be true.

Anxiety and panic actually cause some benign cardiac symptoms, and I would bet that's the weird sensations you are feeling that's causing you to worry about your heart.  One is palpitations, where your heart will race and pound,  the other is PVCs, or premature ventricular contractions.  PVCs are basically an "early" beat, and it's completely harmless.  I've had them too, so I know how unnerving they are.  It does feel like you're heart has either stopped or WILL stop.  I would bet that that's what you have experienced, PVCs.  Did the doctor mention anything about that?  The medication you were put on will help with those kinds of symptoms, but I think you also need to formulate a more comprehensive anxiety treatment plan that would involve mental healthy professionals.  

You need to schedule an evaluation and discuss treatment options.  Therapy is very helpful to start with, as it will teach you not only ways to cope with panic when it hits, but also how to change that "what if" thinking cycle you get stuck in.  There are also many different kinds of medications that can be helpful in managing the symptoms and panic attacks while you do the work in therapy.  Being oversees, you would benefit from ordering a few self help books to educate yourself about anxiety, and doing some work on your own.  The one book I recommend people start with, it's been a bestseller for YEARS and is very helpful is "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" by Edmund Bourne.  There are TONS of other books out there as well.  Anything by Claire Weekes is great.  Here's a link to a resource page I compiled with many book suggestions.  Browse through it and maybe order a few:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Mental%20Health/Anxiety-and-Panic-Resources--Books--Websites--Self-Help-Programs/show/1285?cid=60

You also have to help yourself as well.  Like mentioned above, there are lots of self help books and websites geared to helping you learn methods to address anxiety.  Also, you have to start avoiding the activities that you know are worsening your anxiety...do not search the internet for health information, symptoms, diseases, etc.  That will fuel your anxiety terribly.  Also, steer clear of anything that may trigger or worsen your panic, like stimulants (caffeine), alcohol, etc.  Alcohol is AWFUL for anxiety, so if you drink at all, I would recommend cutting it out completely while you're working to get your anxiety to a better place.

I understand the urge you have to come home to be evaluated by doctors without the language barrier, but my honest opinion is that that will actually be more harmful than helpful.  One, for the obvious reason, it will interrupt your academics, which you will have to then work to get back on track, and two, the simple act of "fleeing" to a more comfortable, "safe" place will reinforce negative thoughts to your mind.  It will basically send the message to your brain that you're not safe and healthy in China, which can (and probably) will lead to you fearing going back, which would be a hinderance in a big way to your future goals.  I think it's AMAZING that you're studying in China!  What a once in a lifetime experience!  What are you studying btw?

I would recommend treating this as anxiety where you're at.  At this point, from what you've described, it's my opinion that you don't need any further medical work ups as it relates to your heart.

I wish you the best, please keep in touch and let us know how you're doing okay?  Hang in there, and know that you are far from alone.  Here, you're among people who understand and have gone through the same thing you are going through.

[JGF25]

Hi there.

Stress makes anxiety worse and you more than likely were under some stress when the statement was made and boom next thing you know you are at the hospital.  

It looks like you had a complete work up and you are fine physically.  Panic attacks are pretty scary and let's face it, nobody that experiences one wants to experience it again.  It seems that you have developed a bit of health anxiety and when you start to over-analyze what you are feeling body-wise, you start to panic.  Panic as you know can lead to your body feeling all kinds of different sensations.  

So here is a breathing technique to try the next time you start t think about something going on with your body or you start to feel like a panic attack is coming on.  Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for 5 seconds and count this out in your head, then let it all out through your mouth.  Practice this lying down at first with your hands on your stomach.  Then you can do it anywhere at any time and nobody will even know you are doing it.  It is possible for us to hyperventilate without even knowing we are doing it and this is going to slow your heart rate back down.  

You can also use some self-coaching statements.  Such as when you notice a tingling in your arm, say to yourself "NO, ENOUGH, I"M NOT GOING THERE AGAIN."  And then distract yourself with something.  if you are in a classroom, pick something to look at and think about.  Maybe what somebody is wearing or read your book or your notes.  Anything to take your mind off of the thoughts that bring on anxiety.  

It is fear that leads to panic and we need to learn to take the fear out of the equation.  Even with a panic attack, you don't die.  Yeah you don't feel comfortable but the bottom line is if it happens, breathe and know that it is just uncomfortable and it will go away.