Health anxiety, general unwell feeling
Hi all, 47m
Just needed to vent and let it out.
I've been dealing with panic and anxiety for over 20 years. For the most part it's been somewhat under control with medication and some therapy. I don't do so well with therapy unless is just talking and letting it out like I'm doing now. My anxiety is focused on my heart and having heart attacks(never had one). I've had my ups and downs with it and currently I'm on a down swing. I also have pvcs that were pretty much under control but last summer after a mild bout with covid I noticed they started getting worse. My primary switched me from atenolol to metoprolol ER. Didn't feel much relief. At the same time I had a new psychiatrist and she started weaning me off of a benzo I've been taking for a few years because "it's not good long term" and their office doesn't prescribe them long term. She prescribed me gabapentin instead which did absolutely nothing. Fast forward to April/May, I was starting to feel burned out and didn't pay much attention but my anxiety was creeping up on me. I started to get panic attacks while driving to work, fatigue and general malaise. I also noticed I was having stomach issues and loss of appetite. My anxiety and depression was getting worse and I told my psychiatrist so she added buspirone to the mix. That seemed to help ever so slightly for a little bit but I was calling out sick from work because I couldn't get out of bed in the morning. I've lost a little over 20 pounds since May. Eventually psychiatrist took me off of paxil and buspirone and switched me over to Lexapro. I found another psychiatrist that doesn't have a problem prescribing benzos as long as it doesn't go over a certain dose and I'm fine with that. I don't abuse drugs and I always follow the doctor's direction. I'm 3 weeks into Lexapro and I feel slightly better. I still have anxiety and fatigue but not as bad. I've been to the cardiologist and had a 7 day monitor and it did show pvcs but not enough for concern. I also had an echo of my heart and that was ok. Im still concerned with my heart, I still get anxious and restless about my heart. I'm constantly checking my pulse ox and doing research on my symptoms. I'm just to the point where I don't know what to do. I feel desperate for some relief. I keep feeling my pvcs and have all kinds sensations and feelings. Anyway, sorry for the long rant.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.
Thank you. I have had my D checked and it was extremely low. I have been supplementing but I stopped a few months back.
I had the same thing. My father died of a heart attack, and also had anxiety.i ended up with the same thing. Panic and anxiety certainly makes it worse. It like the fight and flight. When you get anxious you get the adrenaline going in to help in case a lion is chasing you. lol. The best you can do is believe the
Doctor, and reliese that you have no control over what’s going to happen. Live life each and every day, and stay calm.
Thank you
I can totally relate to the anxiety. I had a ventricular Tachycardia incident 4 years ago and had to get a defibrillator implanted. This past Easter i had another incident with my implant needing to shock me 6 times. I was afraid to go to sleep for fear of not waking up. I was off work for over 3 months. I've been back to work 4 weeks but feel myself slipping back. I freeze up when I feel the pvc's. Trying to make myself relax. I wish you and everyone else the best of health
Thank you so much for your reply. Have you noticed if your pvcs get worse after eating? That happens to me even if I eat very little.
I’m sorry to hear that you're feeling unwell and dealing with health anxiety. It's a tough situation, but you're not alone. Many people experience similar feelings, and there are ways to manage them. Here are some steps that might help:
Understand Your Symptoms
Track Your Symptoms: Keep a journal of your symptoms, noting when they occur, their severity, and any potential triggers. This can help you and your healthcare provider identify patterns.
Education: Sometimes, understanding the nature of anxiety and how it manifests in physical symptoms can alleviate some of the fear. Resources like the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) can be helpful.
No they don't. They actually seem to calm down some or perhaps it's the eating that's calming me down. I'm not sure 🤷🏾♀️
Yeah, it's so weird and worrying at the same time.
Does anyone have feelings that their heart is beating so hard and fast that it's going to burst through their chest? Also have beat skips during the episodes. Last night lasted for an hour. Occurs periodically. Taking metoprolol daily for high blood pressure which is normal except during and after episodes. Have had thorough heart exams which appeared normal except for the skipping of heart beats.
Is the Lexipro still helping?