Feeling anxious and panicky

[Jude65]

I was diagnosed with heart failure 18 months ago and had an ICD inserted under my skin this April. This came on top of numerous other chronic health issues. I am 80 years old and have had to learn to accept all these difficulties. But last week I started with a bug (not covid) which has given me an horrendous cough, fever, loss of appetite and this has affected my ability to sleep. Last night I didn't sleep at all because of the cough, feeling breathless and panicky. I tried special breathing techniques, changing my thoughts to more positive ones and also reading in bed but nothing worked.

I'm interested in hearing from others who might experience something similar. I'm new to this forum