Anxiety or Something Else

[NoGivenName]

Hi All,

I am 37 and have never had any real anxiety related issues till last December. I was had some pain on the lower left side of cesht and went into ED to get that checked. I was sent home with a diagnosis of Costocondoritis. 2 days later at work I fealt darkness in front of my eyes and went into a shock thinking I was having a heart attack. I was taken into emergency but was released later with no issue with heart diagnosis. I started seing my GP and after a numerous tests such as Echo, Stress and CT scans of heart was was cleared. But sine then I have been having these raising heart issues pretty much twice a week. I am taking some anxiety medicine now but not sure how to overcome this.

[Croix]

Dear NoGivenName~

Welcome here to the Forum. The first thing I'd like to say is that all those tests coming back negative is good, and if you have had a complete suite of tests then a doctor may be justified in thinking the symptoms you are listing may be due to anxiety or some similar condition.

Even so if there was an initial diagnosis of Costocondoritis then maybe that might need following up specifically - if this has not been done already to confirm or deny that particular problem.

I too have had all those symptoms - plus more - and have had every imaginable test, most more than once. In my case (and I am not saying this is necessarily true of yours) I eventually came to see that the tests were in fact correct and that it was my anxiety (plus other MH illnesses ) that were coming out as physical symptoms.

I found it's a hard thing to accept - the desire to beleive the tests were faulty is quite strong.

Being told one has an anxiety condition is pretty confronting, and one can wonder if it will ever go away, how bad it can get, and what people will think - apart from other reactions.

Background information plus treatments and handling physical symptoms are available in these two links:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/treatments-for-anxiety/anxiety-management-strategies

If you follow the links on those pages you will have a pretty clear picture by the time you finish them all.

Also finding what others have found helpful is a long thread I personally find very useful here:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/self-help-tips-for-managing-anxiety/page/5

(Incidentally these are not live links, you have to copy and paste into your browser.)

Lifestyle, exercise, nutrition and healthy sleep all reduce stress levels and reduce anxiety as a result. This does take thought and planning, as well as needing to avoid some things or people- I skip the news for example.

Relaxation every day doing something you enjoy and takes your mind away is important too - I use books and other things too.

Things will calm down, please come back and talk as much as you like, facing this in isolation is hard. Do you have anyone in your life you can explain to and get support?

Croix

[White_Rose]

Dear NoGivenName

Welcome to the forum and thank you for writing in.

You are the only other person I know of who has/had Costochondritis apart from me. Were you told what it is? It is an inflammation of the ribs and cartilage holding them to the breastbone or sternum. It can be painful especially if the inflammation is severe as your chest moves every time you breathe. I understand it is harmless in that it's not cancer or heart related etc but can be painful. My doctor treated me with pain relief and anti-inflammatories and it went away. I am trying to remember if I had any physiotherapy as sometimes this can help. May be worth talking to a physio about this.

Allowing yourself to relax when in pain can help. As you can imagine the pain gets worse as you tense up and as your breathing gets faster. Could you see your doctor again and get a good explanation and some pain relief? I think you will be more comfortable when you know what is happening and be able to manage it more successfully. I am concerned you have been given medication for anxiety which may help you to relax but leaves the pain untreated. As this is the source of your worry it seems reasonable to get treatment for this.

I wonder if the pain gets worse when you exert yourself more than usual and sets the pain off. Taking slow breaths, but not too deep, can help. I found I was breathing with the lower part of the chest and into the stomach. It was less painful that way.

Once you get anxious and breathe faster the pain gets worse and hence all the worry about heart problems. Yes I went down that road also. A nuisance when the solution is relatively simple. I hope this helps.

Mary

[NoGivenName]

Hi Croix and Mary,

Thanks a lot for your posts. They definitely helped. I was completely on edge as if I have had one coffee too many when I wrote that post, so sorry for all the mistakes.

This anxiety sure plays some neat tricks on you. Today I was just sitting in the office and suddenly a chill went through the body and heart started beating fast. It might have just lasted for 5 mins but fealt like forever. Today was probably the best I have coped with it to date.

I went and saw my GP again and according to him I am doing great by accepting it and seeking help so early on. That was great to hear.

I am seing a Psychiatrists tomorrow so hopefully she will be able to throw more light on this.

Thanks Again

[White_Rose]

Glad to hear you are taking action on this. I hope it answers your questions.

I would love to know how you got on if you want to talk about it.

Mary

[NoGivenName]

Thanks Mary,

The Psychiatrist said that from what I have told her that I am suffering from Panic Disorder. She recommended that I try Meditation and Yoga to get better awareness of my body as well as don't stop the physical activities. I had not been able to get back to the gym since the December incident and am scared of doing anything physical that would raise my heart rate. She recommended that I take small steps to overcome that by giving myself comfortable goals to achieve every week.

[White_Rose]

That sounds great and very positive. Do you have someone to oversee your exercise program? Perhaps he/she can give you a gently routine that will not be too scary but will ease you back into exercise. I know from my own experience how quickly we can lose the fitness it's taken a time to reach. So look at it this way. You are catching up or regaining the fitness you had and being kind to yourself while you do it. I think when you get going it will be reassuring that nothing bad happens. Remember to take your Costochondritis into consideration and tell your trainer what is happening. There are exercises that work well without hurting your chest and thinking you are having a heart attack. This time you will be prepared and aware that too much exercise can hurt so will be able to regulate what you do.

Well done.

Mary

[NoGivenName]

Hi Again,

It has been mostly going well in last few weeks but since yesterday afternoon the anxiety is back. I was just resting and suddenly started to feel bad and palpitations started with feeling week in the stomach. Later in the evening I guess I had a small panic attack and the old thoughts were back.

Can anyone help on how to tackle this relapse.

Thanks.

[White_Rose]

Hello NGN

Sorry to hear about the panic attack. How is the chest pain going? Did you get some pain relief? If that has eased you should be a little more comfortable.

Ah panic attacks. They are the pits. I used to get them in the night and wake up in a dreadful fright. It took a little while to work out what was happening and I have had several trips to hospital because of the panic. I always feel a fool and vow never to call an ambulance again but when this happens it is so scary. Eventually I learned to ride it out.

So what did I do? First I found sitting up or standing to be more comfortable. No idea why but it did help. I took a quick inventory of my body to see what was happening and compared it to other panic attacks to see if they were the same. I know that sounds hard when you are alarmed and perhaps not thinking clearly but the more you practice the easier it becomes. As a spin off it is also a diversionary tactic.

When I decided it was a panic attack I sat and tried to allow it to wash over me. Surprising how much this helped. It went something like this. "Is this the same as last time? Yes. Can you breathe? Yes but not easily. Do you feel faint or dizzy? No, all OK. Yes sit in a comfortable chair where you cannot fall out. Remember this will pass. It will go away by itself if you stay calm (which is of course the trick)."

Admitting what was happening and reminding myself that it was OK because it had happened before really helped me to manage without getting into a worse tizz. It's not pleasant and may last a little while. I'm told about 20 minutes is the usual maximum but that can seem like 20 hours. Keep telling yourself you survived last time and the time before etc. Reassure yourself. Once you are in control you feel so much better. Probably exhausted but so much better. It does take a lot out of you.

What do you like to drink? I used to make a cup of my favourite tea or a cup of camomile tea. Helps me to relax. Then back to bed. Hope this helps or at least gives you some ideas on how to cope.

Mary