How long can symptoms last?

[New_2_Anxiety]

Hello,
About two months ago, I was rushed to the hospital thinking that I was having a heartattack. I was hooked up to an EKG and had chest x-rays and blood work. Guess what I was fine, well at least that's what the doctors told me. However, I kept getting symptoms which are classic signs of anxiety. My one question is how long can these affect me? Two months later and I still get dizzy spells almost daily, chest heaviness, a cloudiness to were I can't concentrate on anything and digestion problems. Will these eventually go away? I've been to my Primary Care about 4 times in the last 2 months. If I don't have a sinus infection or something then these must be caused by stress? Are these purely psychosematic? Mainly, my question is am I ever going to feel normal again? I'm 26 years old by the way, I don't know if that matters.

Thanks,

[daffysoundz]

im the same age an im going through the same thing.im now on xanax witch helps alittle an now in seeing a shrink,i only had one session so for but talking to poeple that went through it before really helps,sometimes i have those same symptoms for a hole day then sometimes it gose into a panic attack.your not alone trust me

[yatta07]

Hi New 2 Anxiety,

Let me start by saying I know exactly how you feel because I too am new to anxiety and it's awful symptoms...My story is very much like yours...2 months ago I was rushed to ER in fear of an heart attack, I took every test under the sun, EKG's, Chest x-ray, Cat scan, even an heart echo to rule out all possibilities. It all bold down to be anxiety/panic attacks due to stress and overwhelming issues in my life. Now, here I am 2 1/2 months later...experiencing chest discomfort, stomach and gas issues, dizzy and light-headed spells, chest pressure (always on my left side) and mild shortness of breath (which is the most annoying). Don't get me wrong, I've come a long way from the beginning of this dreadful disorder and I'm actually feeling 95% better....but the left over symptoms that's hanging on is so annoying. To leave you with some advice, I'm taking on the accepting approach to recover from this...and it works! Learn about your symptoms and why they exist, learn what they are...2 great books that explain them in great detail are "Hope and Help for your Nerves" by Claire Weekes and "The Anxiety Disease" by Dr. David V. Sheehan, these to readings has helped me tremendously about my symptom concerns. I know deep down inside that this will soon vanish but it's extremely hard to see while you're still suffering...don't worry, it will end, I've met witnesses that proved it! That's what gives me hope...please write me anytime if you need to talk, it helps when you have someone to vent to that completely understands....:) Good Luck!

[New_2_Anxiety]

Thank you for your replies. Just the idea, as awful as this may sound, that I am not the only one going through these symptoms brings me some comfort. I'm was just getting nervous that there may be something medically wrong with me. Thank you both for your quick responses and I hope you both can beat this awful anxiety soon.

Do either one of you get the head numbness symptom? Almost like you can't concentrate, feel like your going to pass out, just weird can't really describe it type feeling? That one scares me the most.

[yatta07]

Absolutely! Head numbness sensation and head fog! Sometimes it feels as if you're in some sort of dream or you're going to float away...definitely experience that! The passing out sensation is very scary as well, however, it is very rare that u will actually pass out...so don't let that get to you! Also, I know it may be difficult, but try not to add too much of your on fears into this disorder...this is what feeds it! Break the cycle by focusing on getting on with your life...yes it's hard but to me acceptance is the way out of this! :)

[momotar0o]

hi im new to the forums and i had just posted a questions similar to this and am still waiting for responses.. but i just want to say im having the same problem and honestly im not worried about anything, as a matter of fact im pissed off and annoyed. the only symptoms im having is abdominal pains but its been about a whole week and its not going away! and hearing you guys going through this for a couple months now is just making me worry even more.. i went from perfectly normal, to disturbing abdominal pains.. my doctor told me to take benedryl when i need to, but im hearing that benedryl can also cause more anxiety or even addiction. so im trying to stay away from it but i swear, if this continues im just going to pop benedryl all day.

[scaredjo]

you dont have to be anxious for the symptoms to happen cause ya brain is already tuned into the anxiety so even if you dont feel anxious its still there lurking in ya brain, the key is to train your brain to accept the symptoms ARE anxiety and NOTHING serious, especially if tests have proven nothing wrong

[slim76]

I am going thru this spell also. I started w/ a trip to the ER, thought I was having a stroke. CT Scan, MRI, Bloodwork all came back good. And I'm still on the hunt for a doctors cure. The truth is I am starting to realize thru therapy that I am a Hypochondriac. We all have this disease called Anxiety in us, and our minds are powerful enough to bring out physical symptoms in our bodies. Any new diseases out there? Cause I think I've got it... Hang in there.

[AcWhite]

I'm also dealing with anxiety. Right now I have had chest pains for 3 days. I have looked up symptoms for every heart related issue you can imagine but the reality is that I'm feeding my anxiety. I had my first panic attach at 25, same story as everyone else, thought I was having a heart attach and went to the ER just to find out I was fine.  I still kept searching for answers because I wasn't stressed, I'm happy, I'm optimistic and I love my life so how can I have anxiety?  I know I'm a hypochondriac, I always think I have something but its due to the physical symptoms I deal with connected to my anxiety.  What I have realized is that the disorder causes anxiety in me and I think I'm going to die. I hate it! I hate not feeling myself. I work out, yoga, meditate, hike, you name it and I still have these issues, it's so frustrating.  I wish you all well and it is important to know you are not alone. Thank you for sharing.

[Alfiev24]

Hey everybody..I hope everyone is recuperating well. I am also new to this. I see that some posts are a bit older so if you guys can let's know how everything is working out would make me feel a bit better.

[gino692009]

I been dealing with anxiety for the last year and its been a up and down road, some day are good for example this past week I have felt great but today I feel not so great a little off and what not, everyone says the anxiety comes and goes with a new face you have to tackle.

I to wonder what can be causing my anxiety I have no issue with my wife we are both happy and our kids are just amazing, im not stressed out or anything and i have the classic symptoms of anxiety, Dizzy 24/7, WAY off digestive system, chest pains every now and then (kinda like the anxiety is trying to get me to think more of it) the list goes on.....

Today was not so bad as I can deal with the feelings I am having right now, I just hope the dizzy feeling stays away cause that is the worst one to have I think.

[adeljohan]

hi
for the first time i dont feel so alone someone understands,i was also rushed to hospital ECG was done xrays blood tests ENT specialist nothing and then they said its anxiety well its better but the phycical symtoms remains chest pain battle to breathe its been a month i hope this goes away i am 35 years old

[JenC45]

I never realized how common my situation is: mistake anxiety for something awful (heart attack, stroke, etc), get rushed to ER (probably multiple times), have a plethora of tests, and be told that, physically, you are healthy. I've been to the ER at least five times due to anxiety attacks, had visits with a cardiologist (including an echo cardiogram, stress test, and 24 Holter) only to be told that there is nothing wrong with me. I'm glad I'm not the only one who experiences such intense physical symptoms from something that originates in the mind, but I wish we could all get over it!

[miladys2210]

Idk whats wrong with me. I went into the doctors because I had chest pressure and i couldnt breath as well, i mean i was able to breath normally but kept having to take deep breaths and whenever I took a deep breath it felt as if my lungs werent getting enough air, sometimes when i yawned i would get a good deep breath but that was every now and then i went to the ER they hooked me up to a heart monitor took a chest x ray blood test and everything came out fine. So he let me go but i still didnt know why i was breathing/ feeling this way, I sleep completely normal its only when im awake. I then noticed myself worrying alot which cause the deep breaths to happen more frequently so i try to stay calm but ive been like this for about 4 days and idk how to make myself feel better. Its too the point where im scared to sleep alone cause i think i may not wake up or something. I dont knowhow to relax myslef.:/

[miladys2210]

Also im 19 years old.

[Joshy67]

Hello, bring back this thread. I'm 22 and I'm dizzy and this will not go away. Gets worse if I think about it or something else that is health related. Also very tired all the time. Is this anxiety as well? I do panic very easily with my health and my ct scan went good I have a MRI in 2 weeks but it is very scary knowing I can't help it and that makes it worse also.

[Braiziab]

Hi there,  I am 15 years old (female). I have been to several doctors. I have been to the emergency room like 3 times. Ive had an EKG (2 of them) Blood work (2 of them) also ive had a chest x-ray. In which they all came back perfectly fine. They all say its "Anxiety" but that just doesnt satisfy me. Its hard to breathe like EVERYDAY. I have been having weird feelings in my body. Dull chest pains (ANNOYING) Hard breathing (ANNOYING) feeling foggy in the head. Like i am in a dream and everything is so fake. I just went to the counselor on monday and he was cool. I AM SO TIRED OF THIS PLZ TELL ME IM OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[londa2014]

im having the same symptoms, chest pains, palpitations, tingling feeling, shortness of breath, incoherent feeling, and weakness/dizziness. I thought I was having a TVI or stroke, got to the hospital and everything was fine. I made an appointment with my PC and she diagnosed me with anxiety and prescribed me to a depressant. I didn't like how it made me feel and I also wanted to rule out every possible issues because all she did was based my situation on what the ER said and it could be due to stress from pospartum. so ive made appointments to a cardiologist and a neurologist for a MRI and sleep study. due to it being the beginning of the year I had to schedual appointments that's a month from now and I freak out every night as Im going to sleep. living like this is so tiring but Id never take it for granted. I jus hope im healthy and also for whoever is going through the same as I.

[jenniferm777]

I'm having the same issues as above, hard to breath, feeling like somethings wrong and no one will get to me in time, now I have this weird feeling in my left calf like someone is holding my leg it dosent hurt just annoying. I hope you all are doing better

[asamp]

I am 20, college student with anxiety as well. I do not drink or smoke. Try taking 5-htp and doing exercise at least 30 mins a day. With anxiety serotonin levels are very low and the 5htp will boost those levels and it is a more natural method with no side effects. Exercise, maybe take two-three 5htp pills daily in the morning and at night can help you feel much better. I have been exercising, taking 5 htp, and thinking positive as much as possible and I feel much better just with that simple method. Just know that the symptoms are temporary if you tell yourself they are and not think to much about them, the more you think you are anxious the worst things will be. I am no expert but being in college dealing with stress and not having to take those SSRI medications or coping with drugs or alcohol is a wonderful thing for me. 5htp is the best! Try it

[daisydrop43]

Hi, I have been suffering severe anxiety for 6 weeks now, get all the symptoms on a daily basis, tight chest and throat, brain fog and cannot focus, hot sweats and shivers, stomach problems and cannot swallow food very well...the list goes on, its so scary and not to mention the impact on your life and don't want to go anywhere because of panicking!  I started taking medication 15 days ago, but don't feel any different yet...I hope it works.  you feel so alone when this happens and makes you depressed as well, lost a lot of weight.  just want this horrible thing to end and feel normal again :-(

[Anxioussince14]

Hey daisy, can u tell me what medication u r on and dosage?  Have u ever taken anti-anxiety meds b4?

[daisydrop43]

Hi, Anxioussince14, I'm on Paroxetine since the 1st May, 10mg the first week and then increased it to 20mg for 3 days, but made me feel very sick so I dropped it to 15mg for 3 days and then slowly increased it to 20mg, which I have been taking for a week now.  So its now nearly 3 weeks and still very anxious, with brain fog so don't feel I can go back to work yet and concentrate on my job, because I cant seem to focus...still focusing on how I'm feeling and the anxiety...cant seem to help it, the negative thoughts don't seem to go away

[pauly1422]

Hey all, I am a 29 male also new to this site and anxiety. I have had it for a month straight. All my symptoms just shown up out of the blue one day. I had no issues every prior to that. My symptoms include... body tingling, chest pains, shortness of breathe, loss of hunger even though I'm always hungry, and sleep maybe 4 hours a day.Worst one is the tingling on my face making it feel numb. I'm fine if i wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, but once I wake up to go to work, here comes the anxiety ten fold. Its always worse when I wake up. I have taken the last week off of work and still the symptoms remain. Thought it was work... I was wrong.

I have talked to many doctors, done many blood tests and all have found nothing. Up until the past month, I was very very active. However, now i cant get myself to go out. This crap has made me depressed and an angry person. The one thing I have yet to do is what you all have done, go to the ER and get a MRI or a CT done... yet.

It is very nice to know other people do go through the same thing. It *****, yes, but its reassuring we are not alone.

[zakaya]

hello i had that anxiety as what the doctor would tell me.. its a feeling which is  i cant really tell if i am fine tomorrow or next other day..right now i was taking a 5mg jovia...and i understand that when i was taking much medicines it affects to our mind too to like easily forgot something..my dear we can  make to be friends so you have something to talk with sometimes..as you know only person having as this can understand most too...