racing heart , nausea sweating can’t breath young female

[CopingwithEx]

called an ambulance for the first time today. What was either the worst panic attack of my life or a cardiac episode. Went to hospital this morning and had multiple ekg, chest X-ray and bloods. I’m a young female. Blood test showed higher than normal Troponin but after the 3rd blood test in 9 hours my Troponin levels decreased which “rules” out a heart attack. I am a wreck. Heart pounding and burping acid from my stomach with so much discomfort. I got send home from hospital after 14 hours with a clean bill of health but I physically cannot shake these symptoms. So so scared

[MaxxRLS]

Can’t give you any magic bullet advice but really do sympathise. I managed to go 67 years without experiencing anxiety and really thinking (like I think anyone who hasn’t had real anxiety) thought it was just being a bit ‘extra nervous’. A situation occurred 18 months ago (and still ongoing) that made me completely re-evaluate that.

It is the worst physical/mental state I have ever experienced and the ‘so so scared’ comment really resonates. It’s so much more but that is the key I think.

I don’t know your experience with your GP but mine continual wanted me to go on SSRI anti-depressants. I did, on 4 occasions, 3 different ones. First 3 times I came off 3 days later as the initial side-effects were horrendous (they do warn you that you’ll get worse before getting better and that can last 3-6 weeks. I did go back on one, rode out the first few weeks (which were bad) but just came off those a few weeks ago (gradual reduction) as didn’t think they were helping .. and for me, they weren’t

I’ve always had periods of anxiety sometimes what I’d call ‘severe’ but other times felt reasonably ok (no need for medication).

What has helped me, especially when I get similar to your latest experience is very short and low dose ‘pams’

Initially very low dose, 3 days of diazapam.

They ‘worked’ but took the full 3 days to really help.

Now I have a some Lorazapam which I’ve been given as a ‘emergency when “really”needed’ - it works really quicky (feel at 30mins but full effect 2 hours).

Mine are 1mg tablets and I chop them in half (so .5mg) If I take .5mg on day one I feel so much better, sometimes I need another 0.5mg the next day but after that I’m normally back to a good level and that’s it for a few weeks until, for whatever reason the ‘severe’ symptoms come back

GPS are generally very reluctant to prescribe them, or any ‘pams’, They will often be ok with 3 days of diazapam as that’s often used for ‘event’ anxiety , exams, public speaking or operations/dental work.

I think I’m only ‘allowed’ these (very very occasionally) as I’ve proven to be very sensible over many years with my GP

They can be very addictive so you HAVE to be sensible and realise that they are for ‘emergencies only’

The purpose of writing all this was to prompt you to talk to your GP about your severe attack of anxiety and what they would recommend as an ‘ice-break’.

The issue with anxiety (at least for me and others I’ve spoken to) is that once your anxiety reaches a certain level it tends to snowball as you feel ‘anxious about feeling anxious’

I’m all for trying to ‘manage your anxiety’ via non medicinal means but in order to do that I feel you need the backup of an ‘ice-break’ to prevent it getting out of control

Good luck and I wish you all the very best

[glenninindy]

If you still cannot shake those symptoms, I advise asking your primary care physician to do further testing. Panic attack symptoms usually subside within a few hours.