Do I have anxiety or is something else causing me to feel this way?

[livelifehapily]

I have had a similar experience to yours. I am 23 years old and had a drug abuse problem throughout highschool and have been clean for 3 years now. I have recently begun to have these panic attacks from anxiety and am not sure where they came from. My doctor perscribed me Effexor xr and it made me feel like i was having a heart attack every time i came down from the meds. I am wondering if there are any natural ways to cure my anxiety? I am very skeptical of medications and believe most of them cause more problems when you take them and I do not want to become dependant on anything. It all started with headaches on the left side, then difficulty breathing(feels likethere is constantly a stack of books on my chest and and my heartbeat is in my throat), Catching my breath in the middle of a dead sleep and waking up with my heart racing and sometimes for no reason it feels like it flutters, clammy hands, dizzy spells, and now I am starting to develop pains from (seems like my muscle) the left side of my neck to my left shoulder. I have also recently realized that I have had an upset stomach and pain down the center of my inner thighs sometimes traveling to my shins. It seems like the only thing I do is sleep, I am attending college and just going to school makes me feel ill. I would really like to seek natural help other than perscriptions. I have had a catscan and blood drawn for my thyroid along with a spinal tap which all came back negative except for my cholesterol levels were a bit high. I am not sure if I truly have panic disorder! Comments will be appreciated!

[livelifehapily]

hey, I have recently been to the doctor yesterday, I had yet another EKG test...and sure enough they found that i have arrythmia problems. I am going to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist very soon and hope that all is well. For now i have been put on a beta blocker.
Thank you for all of your responses!
I strongly recommend that if you have similar symptoms to see a doctor and request for tests to be done. you know your body better than anyone else and if something doesnt feel right it probably isn't

[kstyle12345]

I've taken lots of anxiety meds.  Nutrition works for me.

[carlee85]

hi, the best thing to do is to try to ignore it (i know it is hard but you stop avoiding things anxiety we used to do in everyday life! Just concentrate on other things rather than anxiety and your symptoms cuz if u don't they neva will go away! Do exercise,housework go out to take your mind off things, i advise you not to take meds as they just mask the problems and you get addicted to them and rely on them, then when u stop taking them the symptoms come back ten times worse.

[katelynsmom6506]

Hey there, I feel the same way you do I am also 23 and I do take a perscription zoloft which I have been taking for 2 years and I am weaning my self off for the fact I want to learn how to deal with my anxiety/panic attacks on my own! let me know if you figure any natural ways?