Since my hysterectomy I have severe anxiety and panic attacks. The doctor put me on Ativan for the anxiety and Lexapro for the depression. I do feel the same as you chest heaviness and shortness of breath. I also have a lump in my throat from the anxiety. I am starting to feel better since I've been taking the Lexapro I'm hoping I will be able to stop the Ativan soon and i will be back to normal.
Since i was 17 i have had anxiety and for the past few months my anxiety has been so bad, i have it everyday almost all day. I do not take anything for mine because i do believe the best thing is to fight it without meds. Because once you get on meds you will probley go through many before finding the right one. Which that can make it so much worse on yourself sometimes. And then if you ever want to stop the drugs it will take a toll on your body. If you find there is no way that you can do it without then i suggest seeing your dr, but if you believe you can do it then take it one day at a time. God will guide you and one day if you faith in yourself everything will be ok. Its very hard, i know that all to well. But just use your best judgement on how to handle this, you know what you need. I hope everything gets better for you and just never give up.
Good Luck and keep us updated.
yep pretty much everyday...somedays better than others its a struggle....stay strong..I wish you the best
i have anaxiety and depression i also have a very tight chest feeling as well as shortness of breath yet i dont want to take my anti anaxiety meds 3 times a day as they say i can(due to the meds being habbit forming ) i have enough problems with out it turning into an addiction to meds) yet i fear my meds, at times they wican cause the same side effect to happen so i only use my anxaiety meds if i really need them but there are certian depression meds out there that will make your anaxiety worse and give you the same symptoms i recently got off my depresson meds and since then my anaxiety has felt worse but not as bad as when taking the new pristiq for depression made me get panic attacks which i never had prior and elevated my blood pressuer so high i ended up in the emergency room feeling like i was having a heart attack and all it was was extreme anaxiety this has happened twice now so sorry to ramble but be carefull and check your side effect of each med your on does help in advance of what may be a side effect or just the meds in general just recently i started to research adverse effect of the meds im currently taking and that alone is alarming be carfull and concious of everything keep a journal so you can track symptons
have a great day
Theresa
Hi I just had my first panic attack the other day and have had tightness in my chest and I can't stop thinking about my breathing. I went to the doctor to get checked and it is normal and it completely caused by anxiety. The doctor prescribed my xanax and at first I didn't want to take it but when I feel myself worrying and feel anxious I will take a very small dose and it makes me feel much better. Its amazing it just makes me feel normal. I was having a hard time sleeping and just by taking a half a xanax it calms me down just enough so I can sleep well. I don't think you should just rely on meds but just knowing I have them just in case makes me feel better. I have a cousler appointment next week and hopefully the combination of both will help. I have talked to people who have had the same expirence and it seems to help them get back to feeling normal again. Hope that helps.
hey i have the same symptoms everyday unless im having a good day, its horrible.
i take beta-blockers but im not sure if they help or not cause i still have the tightness etc but my panics have more or less gone??!! i have therapy which helps a lot
I was on effexor for about a year and slowly weaned myself off. It really seemed to help me. Everyone is different though. I have been off it for a year and I am starting to have some anxiety issues so I might go back on it!!!
I have! Some days are better than others! Hang in there!
Shortness of breath and chest heaviness seem to be two of the most common symptoms of anxiety. I had both pretty badly, but luckily the symptoms have whined down. The best advice I can give is to practice deep breathing techniques where you breathe from your diaphragm. Here's a good Web site that gives you some simple instructions:
http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/shbreathing/ht/breatheproperly.htm
Also, I recommend the book "The Relaxation Response" by Dr. Herbert Benson. This helps you understand exactly how to evoke a sense of relaxation and the benefits it holds for your health (both mental AND physical). You should be able to find it at any bookstore (I got mine from Barnes and Noble).
Hope this helps!