do i have anxiety attacks?

[kerby's mama]

i was working as a waitress in a restaraunt for railroad men when i found out that i was 4 1/2 weeks pregnant. I was harrassed so much by a few of the men for months that i couldnt take it anymore. one day i left work early not feeling well and by 9pm my husband was taking me to the hospital. I had shortness of breath, my left arm went numb, my chest felt like i had 100lb weight sitting on it, and my blood pressure was 167/121..i thought i was having a heart attack at 21 years old. The docs couldn't do much but give me blood thinners in case i had a clot somewhere and keep me for observation. Since my son was born i have had 3 episodes. Could this be anxiety attacks??

[kerby's mama]

the doc's at our local hospital wouldn't run any tests on me except ultrasounds on my legs, and give blood thinners...they said they didn't want to compromise my pregnancy. This hospital here sucks...they sent my son home with an extreme case of a sinus infection and sent him home with medicine that he wasn't able to take even after i told them he had allergies.  I recently found out that my dad has the same problem and he is on about 5 different medications....that's kinda scary cause i hate to take medicine of any kind. i never had BP problems until my grandmother passed away and ever since it's been high. right now i have to get a new doc because mine retired so i'm in the process of trying to find the best where i live.
     Thanks for everyone's advice..I will defintly keep the advice in mind!!    :)

[Barbarella]

Everybody reacts different when having panic attacks. My BP always went way over 200 when I had a panic attack.  One time at the doctors office I was worked up over the outcome of a test result my BP jumped to 255/160.  They rushed me to the ER.  All tests including heart tests were normal.  I saw a Cardiologist and a Hypertension Specialist and both told me that anxiety indeed can raise your BP to extreme levels in "some" people.  The Hypertension Specialist explained to me that some people react hypertensive when having a panic attack, others react with diarrhea, stomach aches or even racing heart, and chest pain, but their BP stays in the basement.  

However both the Specialists I saw urged me to go on BP meds since we don't know if my BP shoots up under other stressful situations.  The Hypertension Specialist also told me that if you have extreme anxiety or anger (some peoples BP shoots up when very angry) all the BP meds at that time wont help you,  but suppose to keep it from going to the extreme as almost off the machine as it was in my case.  My BP used to go way over 200 when in suspense or during a panic attack.

[debaser23]

It's certainly possible, but as others have inferred we cannot diagnose that.  A visit to the cardiologist is recommended.  It's rare for young people to have heart problems but certainly not unheard of.

Good Luck,
D

[legs333]

i suffer from anxiety as well.  i take medication for it, and still have attacks.  i would say that you should have extensive tests done by your doctor to make sure there is nothing very serious going on.  once you are physically cleared, than i would take a look at your attacks.  try to write down whats going on with your body as it is happening.  the thing about panic attacks is that although it feels like your going to have a heart attack....your not.  your body is basically playing a trick on you....or better, your mind is!  people dont realize how much the brain controls the body.  do you suffer from depression too?  the two usually go hand in hand.  i would also suggest testing if there is a chemical imbalance in your brain.  good luck!!

[Mark TX]

In my case at least, while I may feel like my blood pressure and heart rate are about to explode during a panic attack... they don't.  In fact, I've rushed to the ER on more than one occasion only to discover my BP and HR are perfectly normal.  If your blood pressure is way out of whack... my guess is there's probably something more going on than just anxiety.  Did the doctors tell you they suspected anxiety?  What was their opinion?  Are you getting follow-up evaluations of your BP?

[suzi-q]

What kind of tests did the doctors run?  Did they do blood work?  Did they give you a cardiogram or an echocardiogram?  Did they say anything about a stress test?

It can be related to anxiety, but more tests would have to be run in order to rule out the heart.  If the tests were completed and everything was normal then it is related to anxiety...it can do that.  It is a terrible feeling.