Questioning if having anxiety

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2006
Questioning if having anxiety
4
Sun, 05-28-2006 - 7:44pm

Hello,
I've never posted to this board before but I thought I would just throw out some of the symptoms I've been having and see what people think. I'm 24 and have a lot of stress in my life. I've always considered myself to be a rather anxious person and a worrier. Lately I've been experiencing what I would consider a lot of feelings of anxiety. I didn't go to work one day last week because I felt so overwhelmed and anxious. I started crying and my heart was pounding. I've found that I'm having a lot of difficulty managing stress at work and at home and feeling overwhelmed easily. Recently I've been feeling a pressure on my chest like I can't breathe and that my heart is pounding. I even went to the emergency room last night because I've been having these kind of panic attacks several times a day and waking up at night with them. The doctor prescribed me pain medication that seemed to calm my body down and I didn't wake up with a panic attack last night. I've had these kinds of attacks before where my heart starts to beat quickly and I become dizzy and panicky. I spoke to my PCP the other day about the anxiety and he increased the dose of the Wellbutrin that I take. I'm not sure if that's supposed to help with anxiety though. Any thoughts?

Amanda

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Sun, 05-28-2006 - 8:07pm

Hi, Amanda! Nice to see you, but wish it was under better circumstances. You are NOT alone in having chest heaviness, a pounding heart & breathing difficulties. These are classic symptoms of anxiety/panic. But, you need to get a confirmed diagnosis from a health professional. We can't do that for you. It would seem that you're @ home now & if you had a true heart problem you would have been kept @ the hospital. Do you know if other tests were done? Have you had your thyroid checked? Even low blood sugar can cause symptoms that you have described. It's best to be sure & get the proper treatment.


I don't know why you are on wellbutrin. There are some folks who take it successfully for anxiety. However, there are many other antidepressants that work as well, if not better. Many of us have found that the first med prescribed doesn't always work the best for us. Perhaps you should have a good heart to heart talk with your PCP & see what he recommends. Research indicates that for treating anxiety/panic successfully, meds & therapy work the best. Have you considered that option? It can be very helpful to have an outside observer help you in identifying stress & new ways to deal with it.


We have a *coping tips & tricks* folder below with alot of things you can learn on your own to get through an attack. I swear by the belly breathing & positive thinking. I used to go to the ER alot with what I was sure was a heart attack. It's been 36 years & I'm still here:) Post anytime with questions or concerns. bookmark us to your favorites. Join in our twice weekly chats. We'll be glad to support you in anyway we can. We care. Good luck & GBU! (((hugs))) jan




 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Sun, 05-28-2006 - 8:17pm

Hi Amanda & welcome!

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2006
Sun, 05-28-2006 - 8:19pm

Thanks for the reply. They did an EKG at the hospital which was fine. I did't think it was anything related to my heart but wasn't sure where else to go. My PCP actually ordered blood work and my thyroid level came back low. I had blood drawn again to see if it's still low. I'm on the Wellbutrin for depression and have tried other antidepressants in the past but with Wellbutrin I haven't had the side effect of decreased libido. I'm not sure if Wellbutrin is supposed to help with anxiety or not. I know that no one can diagnose me here but I just wanted to hear the possibility that it could be anxiety. My husband swears that I'm having panic attacks. I'm hoping it gets better because it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to function. I'm a professional and am attending graduate school as well to receive my master's in social work. I need to get this anxiety under control because it's starting to affect other areas of my life.

Amanda

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2006
Sun, 05-28-2006 - 8:31pm

The doctor attributed it to a pocket of air underneath my diaphragm which could cause pain. Even if that causes pain I'm not sure why that would make me feel like someone was sitting on my chest, causing my pulse to race, and feeling like I couldn't breathe. My doctor actually increased my Wellbutrin on Thursday but I don't know if it would be having an effect this soon. Thanks for the welcome!

Amanda