I'm 24 and Ive never had any major problems with my health but recently Ive started to doubt my health, this all started one Sunday evening I was lying in bed when I felt as though I was forcing myself to breathe, my body went really heavy, I was shaking and my heart felt as though it was going to jump out my chest, it made me feel like I needed to be sick and empty my bowels aswell as constantly needing a wee it lasted for over an hour, i phoned the non emergency medical line for some advice and they got a doctor to call me back and she said because I wasnt having chest pains that I didnt need to go in but to book an appointment with my GP, that i tried to do but to no joy ended up just seeing the nurse who told me to see how i got on. Wednesday I was in work when again i felt as though I couldnt breathe again and was shaking, I ended up going home and managed to see my GP who said it was Panic Attacks and gave me citalopram 20mg to take once a day as well as diazepam to take as and when needed or if an attack came started. I ended up getting chest pains, tingly hands, feet and mouth, burning sensation all over body as though I had vapour rub on, I went to the walk in center to be told by the nurse there she didnt know what was wrong with me but did I want a prescription. I wasnt happy and later that evening I went to A&E still experiencing the above pains and that my heart felt like it was missing a beat they did an ECG said my heart was fine and that they was side effects to my medication and it was upto me to not take the medication or go back to my GP to get medication changed, I stopped taking the medication after that and went back to my GP and explained everything and was told to no longer take the medication and asked if I had chest pains whilst I was there which I didnt. As soon as i left I got a feeling as though I was being stabbed at both sides of my heart and that went on for a few hours, I went back to my GP a few days later and explained everything again as all these signs and symptoms are making me edgey and I'm afraid of going to sleep at night and being alone, plus im not sleeping or when I do attempt to sleep I get this sinking feeling in my chest like ive just been told something bad and my heart is sinking, I am constantly looking up symptoms because I am petrified of having a heart attack. Most of these symptoms passed for a few days but Friday night I started feeling like my body was heavy and i couldnt breathe so i tried not to panic hoping it would stop after 10-20mins but it lasted for over an hour before it calmed down. The same happened again last night to the point it actually made me be sick and again it took a while to calm down, When i managed to go to sleep my sleep was broken, when i woke up this morning i felt sick, like i needed to empty my bowels but couldnt and like a burning sensation in my stomach and all over my skin aswell as back ache and generally feeling unwell that lasted for about 3 and a half hours before most symptoms started to ease up - my vision keeps going blurred and I havent slept properly for over 3 weeks.
My doctor think its panic/anxiety attacks but im not 100% convinced
has anyone any advice?
Much appreciated
I forgot to mention that when these 'attacks' have happened I havent been worried about anything they have all come out of the blue - And ive started to get very fidgetty
Hi laurajayne
im sorry to hear your suffering with these attacks it sounds as though they are really causing you concern.
Although I'm not medically trained the symptoms you have explained do sound like panic/anxiety attacks, I experience the same symptoms when I'm having a panic attack. Like you the attacks used to strike out of the blue and generally start with me feeling like I'm unable to breathe. The panic then sets in causing other symptoms like needing to go to the loo, dizziness, pins and needles, hazy vision, heart pounding and of course hyperventilation. The attacks are just so frightening I literally used to feel as though I was going to die.
My experience with panic attacks started out of the blue too, but at a time in my life where I had been through a lot and looking back I was stressed but didn't realise,
My GP did prescribed me 10mg of amitriiptilin but when I read the long list of nasty side affects it scared me and I didn't end up taking any. I then went back to the GP and he referred me to CBT
I found that cbt really helped me to stay calm during times of panic. It taught me how to prevent other unwanted symptoms from kicking in by rationalising my thought process ie (it's only a panic attack which can't harm you, you've had them before it will pass quickly if you don't allow yourself to get worked up).
The he only thing I would say is that my GP referral took a few mths to come through which dint help me, cos by that time I was having panic attacks daily.
I would ask your GP to refer you for CBT and in the meantime download the stress and anxiety app from this patient website ( ive found it useful ). I have also found that when an attack strikes rather than sitting there worrying/waiting for it to pass get up and do somthing. Washing up, take a walk, tidy up whatever but for me by just sitting there that would allow me to focus on me too much, allowing me to notice other symptoms and feel even worse. Most of all whilst these attacks are mad frightening you have to remember that hey can't harm you and you mustn't let them get the better of you.
Good luck Laurajayne there is light at the end of the tunnel, I've gone from having attacks a couple of times a day to not having one now in about 6 mths. oh and you being fidgety is anxiety, your on edge probably because your subconsciously anticipating or frightened of having an attack.
x
Thanks for your reply vanessach - Luckily i remembered I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow morning so will explain everything thats been going on. I still have the chest pains and pounding of the heart aswell as back ache and other aches and pains that keep coming and going, basically all the things i mentioned in the above post but a panic attack doesnt always happen is that normal?. Since the begining of this week i have lost my appetite and dont feel upto eating, i'm making myself eat though even if its just a little bit of something.
When I visited my GP last they gave me a leaflet with different websites to visit that could help, ive googled them but havent really found them useful they also mentioned a counselling group but it was self referall- is that what CBT is?
I just want to feel normal again