Do you experience this in an anxiety attack?

[reinagrace]

Hi, these scary symptoms came out of the blue a half hour ago as I was eating dinner. As often as this has happened to me , I still wonder each time, is this anxiety or is something wrong ? (Like since I was eating I wondered if the food was doing something to me) . I'm not at that point yet, but if this gets worse i might call 911 like i have in the past but i always feel stupid bc they come and tell me it's a panic attack. I'm trying to do breathing, praying, calm down. Does anyone else get these symptoms? ----throat feeling like it's closing up, stiffening limbs that start to feel heavy,kind of shaky hands (it's a bit of a struggle to type this now) , lightheaded dizzy , vision blurring, and just overall feeling disoriented? I'm trying to not let it turn into an actual panic attack, by telling myself, this has happened before, it's just anxiety, just relax watch something funny-- and hoping that if others tell me they get these symptoms also in anxiety, i can stop worrying if something is physically wrong with my body. Blessings to all

[20Voices]

Hi,

If you are truly worried call for help. I am just an ordinary person and not medically trained so I cannot tell you what is causing this. I have had panic attacks with my anxiety which has caused shaking and breathing issues, but there is always a cause of these for me.

If you haven't spoken to your doctor about your anxiety I would say that you should as they will be able to advise you on the best thing to do for you.

You may want to consider if what you are feeling happens at the same time of day and what have you been doing through the day. Also being aware of what you are eating and drinking and what you have being doing differently might highlight a possible reason for it.

I hope you feeling better now.

Take care.

[Bekay in reply to 20Voices]

Good advice,

Bekay, thanks.

[reinagrace in reply to 20Voices]

Thank you 20Voices I am feeling better now. I do keep a journal and just didn't wanna write a super long post that might bore people, but i know i'm overwhelmed from all the calls i've been making all day long to Colorado (doctors, apartments, businesses) as i'm planning to move there from TX in a few months and i don't know anyone there, it's bc i believe i'll have better help , as there's better mental health care there. My psychiatrist here is good though, as well as my primary care dr. but there's better programs there. Tonight was an anxiety attack that thankfully didn't turn to a full blown panic attack. that is great advice and something i've told people also, bc in journaling we might see patterns and i write what i eat, smell, watch on tv, songs i hear, anything so i might see a pattern, but since today was obvious- all the calls to CO and the anxieties that go along with planning a major move,also I'm PMS-ing, always high-anxiety time, i figured it was that, and tried my best to distract myself with TV and deep breathing. Take care too

[20Voices in reply to reinagrace]

I have found that my journal has allowed me to go back and see that my bad day today is what I would have referred to as a good day 6 months ago and when I started the journal I could only dream about having a day as good as that day.

So well worth doing. I also found that how much I wrote and about what has changed as I have gone on and learned what I need to record. I used to write pages and pages, but now Short quick notes are what most of my entries are. I also focus more on positives, gratitude and improvements any issues do get a mention but not the long winded rants I used to write.

Moving house is really stressful and moving to somewhere away from friends and family is even more so. Make sure you have a list of organizations and groups you can contact when you get there and maybe even reach out to them at the moment. There might be someone in them willing to meet up for a coffee and a chat when you get there.

Don't worry about being long winded. You will have seen from my posts that I can go on a bit at times.

Strange thing is I am a shy person, but get me on to a subject I am passionate about and there is no shutting me up at times.

I do have a suggestion for your busy days those. Why not make a little laminated card card that you can attach to a key ring, security pass or something that you can keep with you at all time when you are working. On this card have a word like, breath or chill or relax. Something that you can use to remind you to take a few seconds to catch your breath and pause when you are feeling overwhelmed. Also maybe having a task list and scoring each task you complete that day will also help you to see how much you are accomplishing and also how much more you've had to add to your task list for the day if you keep getting more and more tasks piled on you.

Take care.

[Traversijess in reply to 20Voices]

People like you make me happy to have found this group. I cherish your insight and what you have to offer in order to help others! Thank you

[kathyncoke]

20 voices has some good advice. Especially making note of when they happen and keeping a food journal. I also agree with seeing a doctor. It may be time to get a complete physical. I suggest seeing a family practice doctor over seeing the ones at the ER.

The symptoms you described are similar to what I have when my blood pressure gets too low. I had congestive heart failure just over 3 years ago and had no idea I was having heart issues. I just chalked the symptoms up to asthma (recovering from pneumonia), anxiety, and menopause. But I followed up with my doctor, because I was still feeling cruddy. He took 6 vials of blood When my doctor called me two days later and told me to get to the ER, my heart was only pumping at 15%. If I hadn't of followed up, I would not be here now.

[Bekay in reply to kathyncoke]

Scary, maybe I should do that.

[reinagrace in reply to kathyncoke]

Thank you kathyncoke I'm glad you got thru your experience and are well now . i experienced all these symptoms but even worse a year ago- tonight was an anxiety attack that thankfully didn't turn into a full-blown panic attack- when i get those my body almost goes into a seizure. Anyway when it happened last year i did get myself/my blood checked over and over and over and when everything came back normal i finally believed my psychiatrist that it was anxiety. at one point the panic attacks got so bad i had to check in to the hospital. the thing is, EACH time, it still feels new and scary so it's hard to talk myself out of the fear, when you're right, sometimes the symptoms can also be something physically wrong. but it's embarrassing when the local medics know me and recognize me when they get to my apartment after calling 911 , and tell me it's another panic attack. I did read somewhere that all humans experience changes in their body for reasons such as heat, exercise, eating, whatever,, but while a normal person doesn't think at all about these subtle changes in blood sugar, heart rate or blood pressure, a highly anxious person is hyper-aware, since we are always in fight or flight mode, and that super-awareness of what's going on in our bodies, can trigger these changes to become even more pronounced, till we get an anxiety attack. i'm not suicidal, but depressed enough that i welcome the thought of death anyway so it's not that, that i'm afraid of, i guess i'm afraid of living in some paralyzed or handicapped state (in one panic attack that i called 911--i didn't know it was a panic attack- i thought it was a stroke bc i felt bugs crawling all over my body especially my legs, but there was nothing on me when i looked- and my limbs were convulsing and stiff so i thought i was going to be paralyzed for life or something)-- so anyway i just tell myself, if i die i'll finally be with Jesus, what is there to fear, but it's the scariness of the symptoms that make me reach out to people as they feel horrible when it's happening. i don't feel 100% clear for the night as it really was an overwhelming day, but i'm thankful for the support here and if it gets bad again i'll just take a pill later- those are just my last resort though .Blessings

[20Voices in reply to kathyncoke]

I finally had to get medication for high blood pressure when I went for my regular 2 yearly eye test. They explained they had seen evidence in their checks that suggested I would be advised to go and see my GP. I thanked them and said I suspected to was blood pressure related as I had been getting my blood pressure monitored for over 15 years and that is what it was.

It is always good to go to the same doctor all the time if you can as they get to know you. I kept going back with various issues which were all assumed to be viruses when the blood tests showed noting or came back with borderline results. That was very frustrating. Now I am going for all the regular monitoring tests they advise because it does help. My liver is back to healthy as I had a fatty liver. My bone density is being monitored as I have osteopenia, so at least some good has come from my anxiety and depression issues.

Take care and keep looking after yourself we owe it to ourselves to stay healthy.

[gibss]

You are not alone! I have experienced all of those symptoms during really bad anxiety attacks (or maybe they were panic attacks). Power through it I'm here for you !

[gibss]

But if it's not something you've experienced in the past please seek medical attention )-:

[reinagrace in reply to gibss]

thank you gibss i think it was an anxiety attack that has for the moment calmed down and didn't turn into a full-blown panic attack . if it gets bad again tonight i'll take a pill, but i like to save those for urgent situations as a last resort. i thank you for support and i'm here for you too!

[kathyncoke in reply to reinagrace]

I often take just half a pill (Xanax) as I don't want to get "hooked" on them and only take a whole pill when it's really bad. Could that be an option for you? Another thing I do when it's 2 in the morning and I've been trying to fall asleep since 10, is drink about a half a can of Coke and eat a Pop Tart. Most people think it's crazy, but I sleep like a baby afterwards. I should add that I am ADHD so the sugar and caffeine may be just the right amount of stimulant my brain needs to relax. My psych said if it works (and it's not a daily thing), then he saw no reason to not do it.

[Bekay]

You know since I read your post I can identify with tour symptoms although mine are not that intense, but when I am sitting down for a meal it seems as though the food I am eating is giving me this energy, I know I don't have good eating habits, but when there has been a nice balanced ,nutritious meal that has been prepared it seems my heart rate increases ,that's when I just think to myself its just my body receiving needed nutrition and that's the effect it has,I can seen how it could get out of hand and become something else but so far this is as far as it gets increased heart rate, maybe sweating, if I am having a problem already with my anxiety I probably won't eat any way but i am trying to work on myself, anxiety and depression suck. Good luck ,try to settle down ,take a deep breath, relax.sorry, I wish I could be more helpful, your situation sounds very intense.

[reinagrace in reply to Bekay]

thank you Bekay i had a more overwhelming than usual day today. i read somewhere that all humans have body changes due to heat, sun, eating, exercising whatever-- but while a normal person thinks nothing of these subtle changes in heart rate, blood sugar or pressure-- an anxious person-- since we are hyper-aware--will notice each change in the body, which can provoke an anxiety attack to make these changes even increase. For example being in the sun and heat will cause someone to sweat and their heart rate will increase as their body is adjusting to the temperature, trying to cool itself. To a normal person it's nothing. but an anxious person remembers on some level that increased heart rate equals anxiety attack so he will get anxious and make his heart race even more till he finally gets an anxiety or panic attack. So that can apply to eating or anything. it's just in the moment it's so scary that even if on a logical level i know this stuff, on a visceral level i'm so terrified and just want help when i'm going thru the scary body symptoms. So you did help me by your response, thank you. Blessings

[Bekay]

Excellent, I feel good about that, oh ,ya hyper aware your right ,intensely aware, I just say to the average person that I'm sensitive, sounds a little funny coming from a man.

[Bekay]

That hyper aware reminds me of a reoccurring dream I used to have as a kid ,it was like that volume got turned up all the way everything in my dream was loud, and my body just felt everything like intensely , I would wake up and ma and dad would ask me and I just could not explain it they would just say go back to bed meanwhile I just felt everything was intense. Boy I would like to know what was going on back then.

[lostgirl75]

I use to get that way but it went away I would be sick every time I ate. I lost alot of weight but it was horrible to go through. But anxiety tightens all muscles even your ability to swallow can be effected. So many people don't get physical symptoms but they are real and there. Just keep remembering if it feels the same then you know it's anxiety.

[reinagrace in reply to lostgirl75]

Thank you lostgirl75 sometimes it's hard to know if it's exactly the same. I did end up having to take a pill today which i had held off on doing the other night when i posted this. but i dislike how i feel after a while, when I resort to pills. It sucks for all of us I'm sure...sigh.... Blessings to you

[shannon_nicole777]

yes, I've had all those symptoms before during a panic attack and often have wondered the same - like is there something actually physically wrong with me or is this just anxiety? so you're not alone. it helps a lot to know that. I recommend this book: My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel. I've been reading it and it has helped me a lot. It helps so much to know about other people's experiences with this and know that you are not alone or crazy. Best wishes to you! I hope you are doing better now. BTW, I kinda wonder sometimes if I have ADHD because caffeine has never seemed to give me trouble sleeping.... It actually seems to calm me too. hmmm...

[reinagrace in reply to shannon_nicole777]

thank you shannon_nicole777 i will look into that book. Blessings