New here. Need some people to share with

[Mattw]

Heya guys decided to sign up here for some people to talk to. My brother was interested in listening to me for a while but is getting slowly annoyed when I keep saying the same stuff over and over again to him.

I was fine for most my life but the last couple of years I have been getting these weird feelings. It started when I was watching a horror movie any kind of scary scene I could feel my head getting cold like real cold..bought it up at the doctor when I went for a checkup they didnt say anything about it...ok they must of just thought I was scared so I passed it off.

Few months later and they said I had diabetes and was in danger of having a heart attack....thats when shit started to get serious. I noticed every single pain in my chest area and the worst I paid attention to it the worst it got. But if I managed to distract myself long enough the feeling goes away. Now though every single pain makes me think im gonna have a heart attack and I get that feeling of doom and terror if I let my feelings go for more than a few minutes.

Just want some advice and see if anyone else have my kind of problem

[White_Rose]

Dear Matt

Hello and welcome. There are probably many people here who have had the same experience as you. I am one of those people. May I ask, do you have type II diabetes? How are you managing this? It can be difficult I know. Medication, change of diet, exercise? All good things which work well to prevent a heart attack.

It sounds to me like you are having panic attacks. Has your doctor suggested this? It would be good to check this out. Watching a horror film or something similar can trigger a panic attack when it starts to get a little more personal. We are funny creatures and will relate to events such as a horror film even though we know full well it's not real and will not happen in real life.

Once the link has been made it seems anything dark can be a trigger. It doesn't help becoming diabetic, especially at the start when the diabetes is less controlled. Our bodies release adrenalin when we are panicked or afraid. The fight, fright, freeze reaction. And as you say, the least twitch of chest pain can start the whole thing again. You are quite right, paying attention can make things worse.

You do need to have distractions immediately to hand when these feelings start up in order to stop them before they really get going. Chat with your GP. I think you will find it reassuring.

Mary

[Mattw]

I was on needles for the first week to get my blood sugar down. Now ive been on tablets ever since been working good and yes im type II.

Each time I mention my attacks the doctor seemed to ignore it and just told me to exercise. .might need to see if I can see someone else

[Nurse_Jenn]

Hi Mattw,

Great to see you reaching out on the forum for support. I am sorry to hear you have been struggling and are not getting the attention you deserve from your GP. I agree with him in that exercise is a really great strategy in reducing your anxiety or panic (as well as Diabetes Type 2) however it doesn’t address getting to the core of the issue. It’s sounds like you are not getting enough information nor being heard enough to feel safe.

Seeing someone else for a second opinion is your right and if you aren’t getting your mental health needs addressed by your current GP - then you might make an appointment with a different GP.

Another option would be to specifically book a mental health appointment with your current GP and ask for extra time from the receptionist. GPs are often under a lot of time pressure and if you aren’t really assertive and specific in getting what you want, then sometimes they might miss the importance of what you are trying to tell them.

In any case, it’s a good idea to address your symptoms earlier rather than later. During an appointment with a GP they can refer you to a psychologist or counsellor. It might be a good idea to start keeping a journal of your symptoms and when they surface. This could help you and your care team track your symptoms over time and look for patterns.

There are also some online options that help people with worry and low mood like a free online program called Mindspot. Mindspot teaches people about their symptoms and explores tools to manage them with the support of phone counsellors and an online sessions. You can read about Mindspot by going to the website on www.mindspot.org.au

There is also a developed by Beyond Blue program called NewAccess that is available in some parts of Australia. It supports people who experience low mood and worry. The program is free and can be accessed by reviewing this webpage and seeing if it available in your area.

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/newaccess

The forum is also a great place to reach out. You are not alone in your symptoms. If you feel like talking to someone, the crew on the Beyond Blue Support Line are always available. Sometimes just having someone to listen to how your feeling can be really relieving. They are available 24/7 on 1300 22 4636.

Wishing you the best possible outcome,

Nurse Jenn

[Mattw]

Thx for the reply. Gonna see if I can book into the doctors in the morning and get something done. 2nite is pretty bad for me. Been hunched over at a desk all day now im getting occasional pains in my sturnum and it scaring the shit out of me...would of called the ambulance I reckon if I had any other symptoms but im fine other than those pains. I need some proper answers from the doctor this time

[White_Rose]

Hello Matt

Good to see you are still posting here, but sorry you had a bad night.

Chest pains are always a worry and of course the more we hurt the worse the pain gets as you tense up. Please make that appointment with your GP and remember to ask for a long appointment. As Nurse Jenn said, making a list of your symptoms is helpful. Put them all down no matter how small or irrelevant they appear. It's always good to get the physical ailments checked and out of the way so the doctor can discuss any mental health problems.

If you have spent a long time in a hunched up position at the computer it may be the cause of your pain. I know if I don't sit at the computer in a good position I get backache. This is where going for a walk can be helpful. It can help you to relax and get the tension out of your various muscles. It can also help you to breathe more deeply and give the lungs a bit of a workout.

Let us know how you are going.

Mary

[Mattw]

Thx mary

I managed to book into the doctor on friday but its only for a 15mins appointment which sucks but hopefully I can get the ball rolling and explain my problems to them. Im due for a diabetes review so they will probaly book me in the following week for over an hr.

Im almost positive most of my chest pain is in my head as it quickly goes away if I can distract myself with a task completely. Its never a squeezing pain and the pain I get in my sternum from sitting is a quick ..whats the word for it..its not a stabbing pain but its quick and happens randomly and usually goes away after taking some neurofen.

Anyway it helps calms me down sharing this with people here rather than keeping it to myself and scaring myself with these stupid panic attacks..hell not even sure if they are panic attacks...hope the doctor takes me seriously this time when I bring those up

[Mattw]

Sorry for the delay, i was able to see a different doctor and she was alot better listener than my previous one and talked me through my problems i was feeling, she agreed with me saying i had no signs of heart problems atm and my anxiety does make my pains worst. So now my dread feelings about my chest pains has practically dissappeared, they still happen but i know theres no problem so they never stick around long.....

however now i have another problem i feel like a cant get a decent breath sometimes and it seems to stem from the same problem, whenever i can distract myself it goes away but most of the time it hangs around for a while.

Its like im swapping one problem for another im sick of it 😞

[White_Rose]

Hello Mattw

It's good to hear from you again. So pleased you were able to see another doctor. It's also good she was able to reassure you about the chest pains. As you know pain can so often be triggered by anxiety and this can lead to breathing problems at times.

Can you keep a record of when you get chest pain and have difficulty breathing. What were you doing beforehand and how long did it last. How did it go away. Was it because you found a distraction, took an anti-inflammatory tablet or simply disappear on its own. I think it would help if you can keep this record for a few weeks and see if any kind of pattern emerges.

How are you going with the diabetes? I had type2 diabetes a while ago. I have lost a lot of weight and now do not need medication. Before that I was exercising a lot which also had a good effect on my blood sugar levels. It's something to think about. I dislike taking pills and was so thrilled to stop because I had mastered the diabetes. I know diabetes can lead to heart attacks if not treated but not necessarily immediately. I gather you believe this was the start of your chest pains.

If this is the case then have you thought of being a more proactive in managing the diabetes? Weight loss and diet control are the way to go. Not easy I know but so rewarding. Imagine the pleasure of being able to stop the meds and live without pain and breathlessness.

If sitting at the computer causes some sort of muscle spasm then I suggest you get up at least every hour, have brief walk around the office and do stretching exercises. Use a timer to make sure you do get up regularly. It's often simple actions such as these that stop pain and discomfort. Just a five minute break can work wonders.

Did you discuss with your GP getting a mental health plan and seeing a psychologist a few times? This may help you manage the onset of anxiety and short circuit the pain. Neither are nice places to be. I am shortly going to take my own advice and get physio treatment for a back pain that started a week ago. I think it is muscular but when I move in certain ways it hurts. Of course I can stop making the relevant movements but I never remember until afterwards. Sigh.

Mary

[Mattw]

back pain i can relate too, some mornings i wake up with lower back pain, thankfully it goes away quickly when i get up.

Been a while since i been here, since it hasnt gotten that much worst in my life until yesterday morning when i woke up with a....vibrating? heart which resulted in a panic attack for a few minutes that was scary, i have woken up with a fluttering heart a few times and been to the doctor and they made me wear a heart monitor for a day. and during that day all my symptoms that i have been complaining about and the fluttering when i woke up actually occured. When i went to the doctor a week later he said he looked normal. I will again book in to the doctor 2morrow and see if i can see him 1 to 1 which is hard in these times.