Can I be certain that I'm suffering severe anxiety?

[Daxter]

Like many people with health anxiety, I tend to fret about every symptom I get when it comes to my overall health. Right now I'm worried about the following things:

- Tight throat and breathlessness/dizziness after speaking for a while

- Nausea and belching or trouble belching. A feeling from the centre of my chest when belching or swallowing water/food.

- General loss of appetite

- A tight chest. No pain, just tight, like it's being sucked in. And this happens ALL DAY.

- Occasional chest and back pain, that can last between 10 and 120 seconds.

- Heart rate that switches between pounding and weak

- Occasional heavy left arm

- Uncontrollable shivering

The worst of it is, a lot of this occurs when I'm at rest and not even 2.5mg of Diazapem is helping right now. I did the absolute worst possible thing and googled some symptoms. That long-term pain and tight chest sound more like heart symptoms, and I heard people who can't belch with symptoms like mine are suffering blockages.

Furthermore I have had 3 ECGs and blood tests recently, all of which came back clear except for occasional Ectopic beats (every 20 seconds). I have low blood pressure, even when I get riled up and the GP says my heart rate appears normal. I just can't believe them though when I can't get referred to a cardiologist. I even read that 25% of ECGs are wrong, and that was the final blow - I broke into tears and kept telling myself "I'm going to die of a heart condition nobody could find."

Am I truly ok? I'd just like to know if anyone else has these things and how I can be certain I'm not going to drop dead at work or anywhere else. It's so hard to accept it as "all in my head" when this has all been happening for a month.

[Hidden]

Oh Boy, Daxter, you could write a book on health anxiety! You have just described ALL the classic symptoms. You must believe your GP and any other health professional you have been to. Mistakes are very, very rare contrary to what you read or see on TV. You are really worrying yourself so unnecessarily and making yourself more ill. You are caught up in the vicious circle of FEAR-ANXIETY-FEAR. It is no use me telling you to stop because at the moment you can't. But I will suggest that you go along with the feelings however hard that may seem. Now you know you are OK physically. 2.5mg. of diazepam is not a heavy dose. Your doctor must feel you do not need more, so there cannot be a lot wrong, can there?

You will not banish these feelings overnight but you can ACCEPT how you feel at the moment and do your best to see and feel that you are OK physically. You are you know! Where on earth did you hear that about ECG's? Its news to me. You must stop Googling on meds, which I think you may be. Any newly qualified doctor would be able to tell if a heartbeat was abnormal let alone an experienced GP. Daxter, I have been there so have half the people on this site, so give up the struggle and accept how you feel for the moment. You will NOT always be like this, I can assure you. Good luck and let us know how you get on. jonathan.

[Mrshoff]

Snap, I'm in your world, also had 3 ECG and my chest is constantly like it for days but it does wear off, im new on this site and I wish you wasn't going through this but it's good to hear when someone else has the same symptoms, I could have wrote exactly what you have just put xx

[lisabunny44]

Hi Daxter..... ive had health anxiety for nearly four months now and i can completely understand how you feel just the slightest niggle or head ache would spiral out of control causing hightened anxiety the bad thoughts of brain tumours ,Ms strokes going blind leaving my children you name it i thought i had it the only way i can describe how i felt was like being stuck inside a ring of fire and not being able to escape sounds odd but thats how it was i was trapped!!!!.... Now i am so much better you have to change the way you think johnathan has given you the same advice as he gave me listen to his advice and accept how you feel its not going to go overnight its a slow process i have now escaped i no longer fight the anxiety.... Lisa x x

[lisabunny44]

and remember you are not alone Lisa x

[stewartmays1]

have you tried to do something about all of your symptoms?

i had a lot of shit going on over the last few years and i learnt to take them on and today i feal really good considering im unimployed and dont have any friends anymore.

[Hidden]

Hi daxter, yes I have felt exactly the same for about 6 months! The one thing I can say is that in the beginning u thought I was going to drop dead every second of every day, now it's only every few days I think/feel like I'm going to. But I haven't yet lol so it's very likely that this feeling/thoughts are in our heads and it's the shit anxiety that's doing it!!!

Hope this helps! Any questions please ask I can go into more detail if u don't mind me boring u lol.

All the best

[slj2012]

Hi,

I have just posted a question which is very similar to you and your symptoms. My chest is really bothering me but unlike you i am absolutely petrified of docs/hosp etc so wont get checked out. I have been told previously by my doctor that i have anxiety and i am having therapy for it. The thing is i have had anxiety for many years now and usually just get the dizziness and spaced out feelings when i am out the house. However, this is my fourth week indoors and i really feel like i am going to die with these symptoms.

Like you said, alot of these feelings seem to be with me all the time at the moment especially my chest and the tight feeling in my throat..it feels like my heart is in my throat or something its vile. I am also struggling to walk because my legs are that weak and i feel as though i will collapse because of being weak as well.

It helps knowing i am not alone but i am still scared there is something more wrong with me.

[Daxter]

Thank you everyone. Some new symptoms have popped up which I have just posted 2 questions about, but thanks to all of you I won't fret about the symptoms I mentionned in THIS question again.