Refuse to believe it’s anxiety

[JNM566]

Helloo everyone, so The last 6 months I’ve developed what the doctors say it’s physical anxiety. My friend passed away too and my job was making me miserable so I’ve changed to a low stress job and it’s been 2 months now. I don’t feel anxious yet still I feel palpitations all day every day, it skips beats, goes fast and slow and just feel horrible and the days where it’s really bad I can hardly function and if I try any exercise I feel like I’m going to pass out. I’ve had my heart checked and they say there’s no issue but I can’t help feel they are missing something.

I can barely eat, I feel sick when I try to eat or I feel full really quickly, my hair is falling out big time and my skin is terrible. I have ringing in my ear all the time and feel dizzy. I wake up through the night feeling like I’m going to pass out.

I can’t help feel there is something else going on, I don’t understand why I’ve just all of a sudden got this? I went from going to the gym 5x a week, 10,000 steps a day and eating 6 meals a day to barely eating 2 meals, never going to the gym not doing steps other than my job. I’ve lost about 8kg so far and I’m just convinced I’m going to drop dead at some point.

Am I in denial? Is anxiety making me feel like it’s not anxiety. I refuse to take medication and I don’t want it to mask a problem that is there. I took a sleeping tablet one night and my heart rate went into the 40’s and I was dizzy all night it was awful so I have the fear to take propranolol that they prescribed as well as setraline and I fear my heart is going to stop

[Hidden]

Your heart rate went into the 40s, what rate should it be?

Take small steps and do a bit of exercise once a day and build on it. The 10000 steps per day thing is a myth by the way so don't aim for it, 7-8000 steps will do you just as well.

Are you doing any physical stuff at all?

[JNM566 in reply to Hidden]

My heart is usually in the 60’s sometimes lower 50’s but that’s when I can usually feel every heartbeat. Feel hyper aware of everything, I get dizzy often too!

I am a dog Walker so I’m active the first half of the day until 2 and then I feel really tired and can’t bring myself to do anything else. Any form of cardio makes me feel horrible and my heart feels like it’s going too fast so now I have the fear and I do weights but haven’t lately. When I do weights I can feel my heart skip beats or again just really strong beats,

[Hidden in reply to JNM566]

It's natural for your heart to beat harder and faster when you exercise.. The sleeping tablet probably slowed it down.

Your heart rate changes throughout the day if you are doing different things.

Have you had a recent check up?

[JNM566 in reply to Hidden]

I know that but it’s the fact I can feel it all the time and the days that I have palpitations everything feel a lot harder than normal. I just can’t help feel it’s something else, I never used to think twice about my heart and now it’s constant!

[Hidden in reply to JNM566]

Go see a doctor again, if you are afraid of the meds they gave you ask about any alternatives that their might be.

I hope things work out for you.

[Sapphireblu in reply to Hidden]

Hello, i to have palpitations a lot sometimes i cant breathe it is scary.they found after various tests I have angina .My doctor gave me setraline for stress but to be honest i had a severe reaction to them and ended up in hospital.Ive had IBS for over 20 years coupled with this last couple of years have had a lot of family related stress.

I decided to have hypnotherapy, who gave me a relaxation cd and although sceptical about it , it does work, took a while but better than tablets. Distance yourself from bad situations and try to turn off , find a place thats just for you even a seat in the garden and switch off.

Hope you are managing your stress so its not too bad. I know how helpless it makes you feel and can relate but the secret is to learn to switch off your brain and try to relax. Create a room and go there in your mind just a question of fooling your brain to think everything is hunky dory.

[Hidden in reply to Sapphireblu]

My stress is OK, has been for years. I built a gym in my house and I use it, it helps with ibs etc.

After a workout I feel extra relaxed.

Thanks for your reply.

[Agora1]

JNM566, I would have your heart rechecked maybe by a Cardiologist.It is not unusual when someone has anxiety issues that it comes along with

all the symptoms you are having.

If your heart rate went into the 40's, I would talk to your doctor regarding

taking the Propanolol. I was on it at one time and couldn't handle the low

h/r, dizziness accompanying it. It's a blood pressure pill very often used for

anxiety, however when the heartrate may be low to begin with, it just makes

you feel worse.

I think you need something to take that will help with those erratic heart beats.

Once that is taken care of or even lowered in number, so will your anxiety go down.

I've been through this at one time so I know what you are talking about and how

it makes you feel. It's okay to get a second opinion. Your body, your life xx

[Hallyhooyou]

Look up the term psychosomatic if you haven’t already. I have had extremely real symptoms for years, including the heart palpitations. I finally just stopped chasing a diagnosis after like 20 doctors and some very unpleasant tests and let death come for me. Obviously I’m still alive 😀. I just KNEW it was something bad. I was picking out caskets and preparing what I would say to my family. If you haven’t read Claire Weekes’ book on anxiety, get it right away. I was shocked to learn of her patients who had anxiety so bad they couldn’t walk and other crazy things. The mind is extremely powerful.

[daisyngo]

First of all, big hug to you! I have been going through all of physical anxiety symtomps you have described so I understand what you are feeling now. I am terrified of mental health medication, so I was firm on not taking it for 3 months until I got a panic attack. Now I am on 3.75 mg of mirtazipine for 5 months already and just started tapering off- took it every other day. I still had high anxiety but at least I have learnt how to deal with it through breathing technique.

[Alice_86]

This might be a silly question but did you get blood tests done? I was suffering with similar symptoms only to find out that my iron levels were really low. That, combined with anxiety, was making everything worse. I'm not saying you could be in the same situation but sometimes it's a mix of anxiety and something else. Issues with your heart can be related to thyroid, hormones, blood count, nervous system and so on. It's a good idea to do a general health check! By personal experience though (been suffering with palpitations for 7 years now) anxiety does exaggerate your heart skipping beats lots more, so try and take a walk, practice mindfulness, take Epsom salt baths or anything to help you relax while you get to the root cause of it

[DaveSpice]

The death of your friend is a good place to start, people grieve in many different ways and it is always stressful, especially if you keep it to yourself. Worrying about your heart will greatly effect your heart too, so you need to break this cycle and learn some relaxation techniques.

Have you recieved any berievment therapy, official or unofficial?

It gets better...

[Dell12345]

I feel for you, my situation was very similar. I went from no anxiety to maximum over a weekend, it was very strange. However medication has helped me a great deal, and I feel mostly back to normal.

Don't be afraid to take it, it can really help.

[Sparrow58]

My father in law was sick and passed away just before Xmas. I suffer with mild anxiety but this sent it through the roof. I have heart palpitations and my limbs ache and I am tired but have restless sleep. Anxiety seems to creep into all your body, well I wish it would creep out again. Take care x

[Leon1991]

Hi I can relate to all of this and it’s horrible!!!

My palpitations are really awful to a point I had to take medication for them. I’m on beta blockers and they did hell at the start but I’ve been on the dot so long they kind of don’t work as good. Maybe you could try a small dose and take them as and when instead of everyday. They won’t make your heart stop as that was my worry have you spoken to a physiatrist? Anxiety and depression are really hard and effect people different I have manic anxiety. Panic attacks, social phobia, panic disorder, ectopic heart beat irregular heart best, palpitations, I could go on I feel I’m constantly diying. Physically I’m here but mentally I’m not. I had to leave my job years ago as I can’t handle being around people and in places for so long. So I decided to work for myself and that in itself has made me I’ll.

It’s hard and to live with it you can’t mentally process or accept this is anxiety! I’ve been to every shrink doc, hospital, therapy cardiologist etc and yet I still can’t accept this is anxiety it don’t feel normal. Yet I’m getting worse but like my doc said I’m wired different, it’s hereditary my mom had it that bad she killed her self! But he said medication will help ease some of the symptoms and in return give you more to live for instead of suffering and being suicidal.

It may be worth getting a physiatrist, well it will be you need one and maybe some therapy to help you as you don’t want to take medication. I didn’t wish I never did but I didn’t have a choice.

Inbox me if you need to chat. Your not alone! Just feels like no one can understand how you feel. Drives me crazy

[groundhogmama]

Have you been checked for Potassium deficiency? The first time I had palps I was low on Potassium. But.. then my thyroid went crazy and I had a lot of palps and lost a bunch of weight. Might want to check on both.