Lightheadness and tingling sensation through my hold body? It’s hard to describe.......is this from anxiety?

[Jones567]

Hi, I’m 32 year old female. I have been having panic attacks for about 6 months now. I’ve been to ER twice and been told it’s anxiety. I’ve had ekg and stress test done. Doctor says everything’s normal. My doctor referred me to cardiologist he look at my blood work, ekg, stress test and said there’s nothing wrong with you heart and sent me on. How rude! Anyways, I live in constant dread. Fear of I’m dying. I don’t know where all this came from. I have chest pain, tingling feeling through out my body, lightheadness, feel like something stuck in my throat, heart beats really fast. I have constant lightheadness. And the symptoms goes on. I’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure about 6 months ago and I haven’t been compliant with meds. It makes me feel horrible. My systolic blood pressure be ok most of the time. But my diastolic pressure ranges anywhere from 76-95. I’m just so overwhelmed. Is this anxiety that’s causing all these problems. I was fine a year ago perfect blood pressure and all?

[Agora1]

Hi Jones567, I understand how overwhelming the feeling of anxiety can be. Going to the ER and being told it's anxiety and sent on your way doesn't make us any more assured. The higher diastolic reading is just an indication of your arteries not relaxing. It's not caused by your heart but by your anxious and overstressed body.

The other symptoms you are experiencing are all a part of improper breathing. Seeing a therapist to address the issues causing the anxiety is the first step in reducing the symptoms. Using other methods to reduce the adrenaline can be found on YouTube with Meditation and Deep Breathing Audio Videos. Listening to this several times a day morning, midafternoon and night can allow your body a respite from anxiety. It is still important to address the root of the anxiety so you can work through that. Breathe xx

[Jones567 in reply to Agora1]

Thank you so much for your input. I have been so overwhelmed for these last couple of months. I stop eating much. I have lost so much weight. Well once this started happening I thought I had a disease. I went to get check. I had ketones in my urine and protein 30. So now im thinking kidney disease yet the doctor haven’t mentioned anything about these levels. I’m thinking I have health anxiety now because now I’m always worried I’m dying or looking up every symptom I have. But it’s odd that once I saw my levels. Two days I started having flank pain. I don’t know why. I have to do something soon about this anxiety because it’s driving me crazy. I’m starting to accept the anxiety part but I’m worried my doctors are messing something especially with me having that much protein in my urine. But once again thanks for your advice. I do feel a lot better.

[Agora1 in reply to Jones567]

Jones567, The one thing about this forum is that you know we understand all too well how our minds think. I spent years thinking the doctors must have missed something along the way. Teams of doctors and specialists, as I kept looking for an answer other than anxiety. I wore myself out and still do at times when a doubt enters my mind. The mind/body connection of anxiety is powerful and can overwhelm us with negative thoughts. It's true that you do have to do something about the anxiety because it is very wearing on the body as well as our mind. Acceptance of Anxiety is the key that will unlock the door to your mind and allow you to go forward. it's not an easy step but an imperative one to take.

I'm going to ask you now to reread Jeff1943's response to you once again. He speaks the truth through his experience with anxiety over the years. Listening to his words of wisdom can shave off many months that you would be left to worry. Using the forum as support and advice will hopefully comfort you in knowing you are never alone. xx

[Jeff1943]

I'm no doctor but it sounds like classic anxiety to me. And that's better than all those symptoms being physical/organic because anxiety is easier to fix.

Just to take one of your symptoms, something stuck in your throat, it's called globus hystericus and it's a classic anxiety symptom. I had it 20 years ago, had a barium meal procedure which found nothing, I knew it was anxiety all along so I forgot about it and it went.

You have had the proper medical tests and attention, I suggest you must now accept their diagnosis that it's nerves and not question it.

You must have gone through a difficult time and when that happens it can cause our nervous system to become over sensitised. Trouble is, this causes symptoms that mimic real organic illness and this causes fear: we start pumping out adrenaline and fear hormones which keep our nerves sensitised which causes more symptoms which causes more fear and so the vicious circle continues.

The chest pain by the way is caused by muscular tension in the chest, another of anxiety's little tricks.

Jones567, you are not going to feel like this for ever, you are not going to die before your time (anxiety also takes small worries and concerns and exaggerates them tenfold into major crisis and dramas).

You can recover and you will recover. Medications can mask the anxiety but can't cure it. But through self-help you can bring about your own recovery in time.

First, don't fight the symptoms, fighting causes more nervous tension and that doesn't help.

Second, frame your mind to accept all these symptoms, accept them calmly and with minimum fear (after all they are not real, they are fake symptoms caused by glitches in your nervous system). Accept them all for the time being, symptoms are not important, instead concentrate on the cause: your over sensitised nervous system. If you accept the symptoms you stop frightening yourself half to death, the flow of fear hormones ceases and you recover and take back your lufe. Not tomorrow, not next week, it takes patience and practice but in the fullness of time you will recover.

[Wrinkledpetals]

I cannot relate to this more, I’m so afraid of dying yet live in absolute misery because of the physical symptoms that my anxiety cause, at this point death would probably be a relief. Sending healing vibes, you will over come this. So sorry to see you’re not doing well, always remember that you’re not going to die and anxiety can do SOOO much to affect your bodies physical health.

[Hidden]

I was so light headed Friday that I thought I would pass out but I didn’t. My blood pressure was very high —so high that my doc doubled my blood pressure meds but I haven’t been taking double yet. What kind of blood pressure meds did you get because some of them have calming properties in them and may help you.