About 6 years ago I NEVER even knew what "anxiety" meant...seriously. Then one night, after taking a doctor prescribed pain killer for my herniated disc, my chest tighten up and I thought I was having a heart attack. It was a REAL physical symptom. I called 911 and was rushed to the hospital. Needless to say, it wasn't a heart attack but a reaction to this particular pain medication. After this "life changing" incident, I have been suffering from "Health anxiety". To make a very very long story short...during the next several years the anxiety would come and go. And when I had an attack - if I didn't have my Xanax, I would then drink a few shoots of alcohol - which I found to almost instantly calm me and make the anxiety go away. I then said to myself, hell I can take myself off "drugs" and just have a few belts that will calm me and make the anxiety go away. THIS WAS IN FACT CAUSING MY ANXIETY and I never even knew it. The alcohol was making my heart palpitate (this is a very common symptom) and then the heart palpitations caused the greater anxiety - and it would be a vicious cycle. I FINALLY connected the dots. I stopped drinking completely - and guess what the palpitations have decreased SIGNIFICANTLY and also my general health anxiety!!! I then went to a top heart hospital for a complete work up - and all came back perfect! Actually even better than perfect - the doctors said my "heart plumbing" and al blood tests and cardia calcium test were awesome for me at 47. The bottom line is for those that are drinking to help suppress your anxiety - THIS IS ONLY ADDING TO IT!!! Stop it completely. And when you do - go back on Xanax for the short term until all the booze is out of your system and you are in a better frame of mind.
Anxiety Brain Fog
panic attacks 
starting Sertraline (Zoloft)
increase in medication 
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