Heart racing/dizziness need help asap

[momof2now]

Hi I am a 28 year old female and am having the most terrifying heart palpitations. I have had what I let go as panic attacks for the past year. Not too many but each one a horrible experience that included cold sweats, being freezing, racing heart beat, feeling as though I was dying. These usually occurred during the day but occassionally I would awaken at night with a racing heart beat and being completely out of it, not even knowing where I was. I could manage these although I never went to the dr for it. This past week has taken a turn for the worst. It began one night a week and a half ago when I was casually walking around my house when i felt a tremendous amount of pressure on my head followed by a dizzy spell that i told myself to walk off, I have kids and had to pull thru it. Later that night i was awoken to the same feeling, terrifying especially for it to wake me up. The rest of the week leading up to now, I have had a dragging feeling that my life is about to end, that Im about to keel over. I have had dizzy spells which ive never had before, along with the massive heart racing and feeling like im having a heart attack, no chest pressure but cold sweats and little pains in my left wrist and forearm. slight pinching in my shoulder blades but im hoping thats because of my crappy sleeping and my back feels tight. . im going to the dr now that im pretty sure its not anxiety attacks anymore. PS i am the last person to be stressed, i have no worries, except for now every second im thinkin when the next episode is going to occur. I have also had not really numbness but a feeling of not being attached to myself, kind of spaced out. my visoin has gotten kind of blurry especially as the day wears on and headaches every now and then. i keep telling myself if it was a heart attck i would have been dead already but maybe its taking its time...any advice/experience? the dizziness is really a concern as it also hit me while i was driving and when into a full panic. im actually spaced out right now, but trying to stay focused to type this.

[Rich99]

First you always want to have a complete physical exam to rule out anything in that category.    If you get a clean bill of health then it appears your panic attacks are building like a small snowball down a hill that reaches a big size as it picks up more layers of snow while spinning downhill.    You said that......."i am the last person to be stressed, i have no worries, except for now every second im thinkin when the next episode is going to occur"...You now have anticipatory anxiety adding more symptoms.    When the brain senses danger,  adrenalin is released caused many symptoms including a racing heart.    When you begin to fear the symptoms,  it just keeps going.      The dizzyness could be the result of hyperventilation (breathing too heavily due to the fear).      You certainly should seek therapy to beak the cycles.

[mammo]

You truly need to seek medical help with this. Anxiety can present with many symptoms, but always get other causes ruled out first!  Some of your symptoms are concerning and I wouldn't delay this any longer. We can have anxiety even when we feel we have no reason to, so this is a possibility. But you need to get a very thorough check-up, and if need be, go to the ER where you can be evaluated right away.  You can't care for your children like this so seek help and keep us posted...OK?