Confused and Anxious

[AJ1954]

1. Hi, First time blogger.. I'm 60 and until 2 months ago was walking and jogging regularly, sleeping and dreaming well every night. No problems and only went to the Doctor once a year for checkup.. Then suddenly had heart palpitations for the first time whilst returning from an 8klm power walk. This was a major worry. Had all the tests and heart good, had some iron deficiency. Did not do much except stopped all exertion and it settled down for a few weeks.. Then out of the blue it started again.. Spoke to a local Naturopath and pharmacist who said possible magnesium and electrolyte issues. Naturopath took care of those issues. All good for a while then suddenly waking cold with butterfly's and mildly shaking hands.. Now seems anxiety has set in Especially in the AM. All of the above has me both confused and now very anxious.. Any thoughts greatly appreciated. AJ1954

[Beltane]

hey, welcome yo beyond blue. maybe you could give us some more information? are you a female or male? (you dont have to answer this next question: if youre a woman have you been through menopause- menopause in women can cause issues like what you're going through)

have there been any changes in your life lately? have you retired or changed work, has there been family changes, has there been any other changes that could be causing you any anxiety? is there anything you're worried about perhaps?

if you have, then it could be an anxiety thing. maybe the one episode of palpitations has caused you to become anxious about your health, thus causing your other anxiety symptoms like anxiety in the morning and cold sweats. but if not, you might want to continue asking about more tests to just make sure there isn't anything else going on; make sure the doctors have checked everything- thyroid, electrolytes, hormones, white blood cell counts, liver- just get them to check everything.

hopefully if you can get back to us with some more info like i asked above, we might be able to help a bit more.

[AJ1954]

Hi, thanks for your comments so far. male And no major changes that I can think of prior to the first episode of palpitations. However I have a stressful job and had been working out quite a bit which may have led to low electrolytes and an iron issue.  Since then I have to admit that I am preoccupied with trying to understand what's happening and I have an adult child with similar issues. It is probably relevant that 20 years ago I had similar issues. This led to me changing my diet and exercising heaps loosing 23 kilos. I have an appointment with the GP tomorrow to discuss these new symptoms. Thanks again it helps to discuss with someone that understands..

[Beltane]

thanks for the fast response. Well, you know, even if it is a bit of anxiety over the recent work stress, it might pass by itself once things settle down. Youve had it before and it sounds like it passed on its own. SOmetimes it helps to remind yourself of similar times in the past that this has happened "well ive felt this way before, and it passed by itself".

This works for me even though mine doesnt pass by itself- i get therapy and adjust medications. But i always remind myself " well you've had anxiety before, and it totally sucked at the time, but it passed and i spent months living normally, now its back. but i'll pass again."

Yeah it really could be something simple like an electrolyte imbalance or mineral deficiency- its always strange how much they can make us feel funny. i also exercise a bit and have noticed how minerals etc affect me- like i know when i havent had enough protein lately because i get much sorer after exercise. i know i'm low in magnesium when i start getting funny muscle cramps. i know im low in electrolytes or sugar when i start getting dizzy. I try not to use supplements unless tis a dire deficiency- i try to look at my diet, and make sure my diet supports my exercise and lifestyle needs. I know i exercise intensely, so i make sure i have protein. i now i get dizzy without carbs, so i arrange them to be in my meals..

If it IS anxiety, and it doesnt pass by itself, then you can consider maybe talking to a therapist or something....

[AJ1954]

Thanks for that. Just been doing more reading on this site and remembered that I was on medication for about 9 months for Panic attacks 20 years ago andI had to quit my stressful job. Best thing I did.. Now seems to behitting me again. But this time I an 23 kilos lighter and much fitter so it's knocked me for six.. Also I don't do medications only supplements since then and having to consider taking drugs only adds to my anxiety. Anyway it's helped reading articles on this site for most of the day and talking about it. Thanks again..

[Beltane]

Well medications aren't the only answer.... I take meds because I've had anxiety for my entire life of 27 years, plus have bipolar. It's necessary for me. You're in a totally different boat. This anxiety has just recently come up for you, so I'm sure you don't need to consider medications yet (or maybe ever at all).

therapy is very effective for anxiety, you could talk to your gp and get this 10 medicare funded sessions (so it's cheap) to a psychologist. S/he can teach you techniques to cope with anxiety and relaxation skills,et cetera. Learning these will help you overcome these physical symptoms and the mental distress, and hopefully this time you won't have to quit your job (unless of course you want to). 

why don't you go back to the naturopath and see if they can help? They probably  have some herbs to support your nervous system etc during this time. You seem interested in naturopathy and supplements so this might be something you're interested in trying. If you're interested, perhaps even a local yoga or meditation class might be up your alley.

you may find therapy, naturopathic remedies and/ or lifestyle changes like yoga, meditation and other techniques get you feeling well and able to cope again and reduce this physical symptoms. Maybe try a therapy book? I loved a book called "the happiness trap" by Dr Russ Harris. i liked the ideas and the techniques. For me i also quite liked some Buddhist ideals about the human mind and suffering etc, I borrowed some books from the library and they really got me to reconsider what I thought about the world. 🙂 

[AJ1954]

All good advice.. I will follow up on those ideas. Thanks again.