anyone have symptoms every day? am I

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2005
anyone have symptoms every day? am I
5
Sat, 09-24-2005 - 6:40am

alone/normal. I just found this board and I am hoping you can give me some insight. Around Aug. 9th after my nightly bike ride (time alone) a few hrs later I had an attack went to the hospital via ambulance. EMTS think panic, dr. in ER had no idea. Well ever since that day I've gotten worse. I saw my dr. a few days later for a follow up he says SVT (heart condition) sends me a week later for an echo. In btw those days, I had symptoms every day if I rolled over in bed my heart rate would increase, immediately my stomach would flip flop, and I had diarrhea. About a week after seeing my dr. I continued to burp almost all day long so I asked to be put on some nexium, which seemed to have helped, but I continued to feel disconnected to my environment. Every day I wake up feeling off, just not right, out of the blue I will get light headed (which usually stays most of the day) difficulty swallowing, shaky, clamminess symptoms go on and on, most don't occur together. I have had 2 major "episodes" one lasting 2 hrs. where I have all the symptoms at once. I couldn'ttake it anymore so I saw my dr. again, he now says panic attack disorder !! even though 3 wks ago absolutely not !!. I have been wearing a 30 day heart monitor to rule out SVT, but now he says no it's not my heart.

He has put me on Xanax for 2 wks to see if it helps. It does help with the nervous stomach, I can now actually eat, but I continue to have symptoms every day. I am not sure if the Xanax is working or I am getting use to having symptoms that I just sit and breath through them. Got some advice from my uncle. I now have burning below my sternum and some times btw my breasts, which comes and goes. THe nexium was working but lately doesn't seem to be working as well as before.

I don't know this is a long story, wanted to give you a littel background. I go back on Mon. tos ee if the Xanax is working.

I guess what I want to know is does this sound like panic attacks? or something else. I am trying to get my dr. to test me for acid reflux, ulcer, my uncle was diagnosed with acid reflux with vagalvaso spasm, (had exact same type of episode, but not symptoms every day). Of course now I am panicking b/c I feel a loss of control I feel like I am dying. Which hasn't help I seem to be dwelling on that also, probably b/c of I really don't know anything. I am a SAHM with a 3 year old and feeling horrible every day, not knowing when and what symptom I am going to have. The Xanax side effects are inconsistent so I can't really rely on taking them during the day.

If anyone can give me some insight or peace of mind.

Karyn

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-17-2001
Sat, 09-24-2005 - 12:34pm

Hi Karyn,


I am happy that you found us. I am not a medical professional but it does sound to me that you have anxiety/panic.


I had the same symptoms in the beginning. Heart racing and such, I was also taken to the ER.


The disconnected feeling you talk about is NORMAL for anxiety/panic. It is actually my worst symptom.. after I had my 1st panic attack I ve had it for about 3 weeks straight and it has slowly gotten better and I have gotten better at controling it. It is the most scary, just remember that it WILL NOT hurt you.


I am in thearpy and I see a psychiatrist for my medicine. One of the best things you can do is just use positive self talk.. and belly breathing where you breath in so that you stomach goes up. Its very good at calming people down.


I am on an anti-depressent that helps with anxiety and klonopin which is on the idea of xanax.


It is very hard in the beginning to accept the diagnosis and realize that its not something more. I am still struggling with that.


It has been since April since I was diagnosed and I still have some very bad days, but I also have more good ones.


I am also a SAHM and it is hard to wonder each day how I will feel but I assure you

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Sat, 09-24-2005 - 7:35pm

Hi, Karyn! Nice to have you here. You are NOT alone. Hopefully that knowledge will give you some peace. It's very difficult to have such scary symptoms & find out that there is nothing medically wrong. It is a good thing that you are having testing done. This will put you in the best posistion to accept the anxiety diagnosis that your dr. has given. Many of us have faced the very same doubts. It might help you to know that I come from a long line of family members with SVT. My mom had laser ablation @ the age of 71 to correct hers. The rest of us are being treated with meds. I have had panic attacks much like what you describe for 35 years. It is not related to my SVT. But, everyone is affected differently.


I can assure you that many of us have the unreal feeling & fear dying. It is something you can learn to cope with by relaxation, positive thinking,

 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 05-12-2003
Sun, 09-25-2005 - 10:46am

Hi Karyn,


none of us are doctors so we can't diagnose a panic disorder for you. However, i can tell you from my experience that I've been where you are right now. Last time it happened to me was about 4 months ago. I got into a slump, it was about a 2 week period that I couldn't get out of bed without having panic symptoms. it was terrible! I couldn't eat, I lost about 10 pounds (which was not a good thing), I could barely leave the house...the moment I would approach the front door my heart would start racing and my legs would get all wobbly. and I would have a panic attack every time I took a shower.


I now how painful it is right now, but I just wanted to reassure you that you're not alone. Hopefully the xanax will work for you. It will at least help you calm down a bit so that you can get through the day a little easier. Are you currently seeing a psychologist, for talk therapy or anything like that?


I wish you the best, please keep us updated on how you're doing

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Sun, 09-25-2005 - 6:05pm
Welcome Karyn!! I agree with the responses you've
gotten Keep posting someone is here usually!!
I would also like to say when I started taking xanax
I took it off and on! My doc said it will not help doing
that so I took it more consistently and sure enough it did help!!
Try it out and see if this helps you too!!
It is scary having a panic attack but remember it is
not life threatening!!! Even tho it seems like it should be!!
The articles on ivillage are excellent to read!! TAKE CARE! Judy
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2005
Tue, 09-27-2005 - 8:48am

Hi everyone thank you for replying to my message. I am sorry I didnt' get back to the board sooner. As you all can understand it's hard sometimes to get through the day, on top of taking care of my 3 year old son.

I just wanted to update you all. I had another dr. appointment yesterday to see if the Xanax is working. I was taking it off an on only when needed as the dr. said, but the side effects were very inconsistent I was on a very low dosage .50 but taking only half a pill. The xanax was helping me in the sense I was staying relaxed, but would continue to have the lightheadedness, chest heavieness etc. The dr. has now put me on Celexa 20mg right now but he thinks I might need to go to 40 eventually. Unfortunately one of the side effects which I got to experience this morning out of the blue is sick to your stomach. Dr. said it only lasts for a few days. I am still taking the Xanax but he dropped it down to .25mg I can take a half of pill if I want to, but if it's not working to take a full pill along with the Celexa, until the Celexa kicks in which is about 3 wks.

He has also referred me to a gastro enterologist, b/c I continue to have a lot of burping with my symtpoms, I now have discomfort and sometimes burning just below my sternum. I am still taking the nexium and now popping tums every couple of hours. Dr. thinks that b/c of the panic attack, might have thrown off my digestive system which is now irritating my vagus nerve giving me the symptoms like a panic attack.

I just never heard of someone having symptoms all day long every day, not associated with anything in particular. I was sitting in a chair during my yard sale out of the blue I got very dizzy, lightheaded, chest heaviness and then I continued to burp for the next 3 hrs.

Thank you all for the advice.
I am trying to keep my emotions in check when I feel a sense of panic. I guess I am afraid to die, having symptoms every day with no real answers for 2 months has really put me on edge.

No I am not in any form of therapy as of yet. My husband works for a mental health department and one of the dr. there has suggested a dr. for me to talk to. So I will see how the meds are and what the gastro dr. says.

Thank you again,
Karyn