Am I having a panic attack?

Mental health
1

Tonight about 30 min ago I think I might have had a really bad panic attack. I haven't felt this way in a couple of weeks so I wanted to type down the symptoms I had tonight and that I've had in the past. I've had EKEG's done, blood works done, X-rays and everything came back normal which is why SEVERAL doctors have told me it's probably anxiety/panic attacks. I believe them but any times it starts to happen, I doubt them and feel like something serious is going on.

Tonight my chest felt tight. Like when I breathed in too deeply it hurt; like a sharp right pain. I tried to ignore it and not breathe too deeply because I don't like the tight, sharp feeling. And when I breathed in, my lungs made this weird sound or feeling? I don't know how to explain but like coffee brewing, or if mucus was stuck there; I'm really not sure. (It did it on my left side.) My heart was pounding very fast. I tried to ignore the racing heart and the chest pains but they wouldn't go away. Lately when that happens I just ignore it and calm myself down and it works but this time it didn't. I started to feel very weird and scared. I felt scared especially when I started to feel dizzy and maybe I was going to pass out. I was scared maybe I really have something seriously wrong with me and I might pass out and my boyfriend would see me like dead or something. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. It felt like nothing was working. My heart was pounding and it felt like I couldn't breathe although clearly I was. I kept thinking "just calm down". My stomach started to feel weird. Like I was going to throw up but not quite. Then my stomach started to make me feel like I was hungry. When you're super hungry and you get that almost empty feeling. I asked my boyfriend if he could make me a sand which but the thought of it and eating it made me want to puke. It made my throat tense up. As of right now my heart isn't racing anymore but my chest does still hurts a little. I feel like I could sleep if it was just that but I feel so hungry and it's annoying. I can't eat. Also when I was laying down trying to calm myself my body got hot. Like when you get embarrassed or you get nervous to talk up in front of people. Just a super warm feeling. And then sometimes cold, like a cold sweat. Then my body would twitch, and I would sort of shake like I was cold but I wasn't cold. My jaw felt really clenched too. And sometimes my nose all of the sudden gets clogged or something and I feel like I can't breathe out of my nose. (Sorry for saying "like" so many times. I'm just trying to describe everything and it's hard)

So I guess I'll list my symptoms

Chest pain

Tightness in my chest

Heavy feeling on my chest

Anxious feeling

Feeling like I can't breathe or shortness or breathe

Nose feels closed off

Sometimes my throats feels closed off

Hungry feeling

Loss of appetite during the hungry feeling

Feelings hot all over

Cold sweats

Jaw clenching

Numbness in my face and fingers (only when extreme feelings of the panic attack, didn't happen this time)

Shivering/shaking feelings

Twitching

Almost a nauseous feeling

I'd also like to point out that I wasn't feeling anxious before this. The heart racing and chest pain was what made feel anxious. I wasn't stressing or having anxiety about anything when the chest pains started happening; It just happened. I was just sitting with my boyfriend and playing with his dog when I started to feel this way. I still feel hungry but I feel alright compared to how I felt a little bit ago. The hungry feelings has died down a bit but is still there and my chest still feels weird a little bit. I feel like I could sleep but my mind just keeps thinking about all of this. I hate this feelings and I feel like it'll never go away. I guess if it was something super serious like a heart problem it wouldn't go away and I would be in a lot more pain. I'm sure it's a panic attack but then it happens and I think "is it really?" I know I should just trust my doctors but maybe someone can reassure me and tell me they have the same symptoms? Or tell me it's something serious and my doctor doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't know. All I know is that I'm scared and tired of this happening.

2

All normal feelings emotionally and physically of a panic attack . Most often it just hits and you were not feeling anxious . What is so hard is those physical symptoms are real and it is hard to believe a panic attack could cause you to feel like you are having a heart attack or something medically wrong . It sounds like your doctor has done tests and your body is fine . I know that is hard to believe when you feel those symptoms . Were you put on any medicine to help with the anxiety ?? Take care!

3

I haven't been put on a medication just yet. I go to a therapist tomorrow and I see my doctor in three weeks for another check up. Thank you for commenting though! It's nice to have someone other than a doctor say it's real and normal.

4

HI Madison

I couldn't believe it when I read your post, I just had this happen today and have had it happen over the past 3 months.  Its like once a week, I have been keeping notes on it.  I had an EKG done about 3 weeks ago because it worried me but the doc said the EKG looked real good but if I wanted to do 30 day event monitor I could, but my stupid thought was if he thought I needed it he would have made me do it,so I didn't.  

Anywho...I get these same chest feelings and it scares me death, I will suddenly out of nowhere and having no anxiety get this second where I feel like I can't take a breath and I need to breath deep, then I feel this weird not sure how to describe it feeling in my chest on the left side, like it feels tight/full and this nerve pain goes through it,not a bad pain just there, then I immediately push on the left side and start to worry, then I will feel sort of nauseas but not, if that makes sense and then almost hungry, a bit dizzy from fear and sometimes warm.  Of course then I spend the rest of the day feeling this phantom feeling in the left chest and not wanting to move my chest because it may cause something, I know that sounds stupid but true, I feel almost like I'm keeping it tight so it doesn't move.  All I can do is think about it the rest of the day and worry and keep feeling not real pain but like it there on the left side.  Its very hard to describe, it happens so fast and out of nowhere.  Does this sound anything like what your having?

Its awful to have things like this happen out of nowhere, then we spend so much time thinking about how it happened, what is it, why is it.  I've had anxiety for many years but when new things happen, it can go on for months.