Anxiety symptoms - does this sound typical?

[Daydreaming]

I think I am suffering from anxiety/panic attacks. It is causing me quite a lot of distress, because obviously my biggest fear is that it is in fact a heart problem, and that I am going to have a heart attack, which probably makes it worse...

I am in my 30s, slim and in good health (I hope !). I have had an ECG, blood tests, and one of those heart echo things, none of which have revealed anything unusual. I have had a few difficult years, with a lot of anxiety and heart ache, and I feel like this is almost like some sort of a post traumatic stress disorder...

My symptoms tend to come when I am least expecting them - e.g. watching TV or sitting up in bed reading. I get symptoms like my heart pounding suddenly or, even worse, a sensation like a skipped heart beat. A couple of times (but this is not common) a had this strange thing where I got this tingling in my fingers and then it spread like a wave towards my chest and I had chest pain and a pounding heart - but this only lasted a minute or so and then I was fine.

Does this sound typical?

[cantgetoverit]

Yes it totally sounds like my anxiety symptoms when they were at their worst, chest pain, and the tingling fingers could be if you were hyperventilating or over breathing, it changes the gas exchange in your blood and can sometimes give you tingling fingers, chest pain should not be ignored but I found the more I thought about it the worse it got, so for me it was always anxiety (despite my numerous visits to my very patient gp).

[cantgetoverit]

Oh and my heart skips beats alot too, again more when I think about it.

[bubaluchy]

do you drink coffee?
Try meditation to relax your body and mind even five minutes a day, defo see your GP good luck!

[Daydreaming]

I only have one coffee a day and yes, have made many trips to the GP, hence the tests I have already had....

[cantgetoverit]

I found cbt to be very helpful op, but a quick fix my cousellor taught me is diaphrmaatic breathing, if you google it am sure you will get instructions, but basically sit and do some slow deep breathing, breathe in for 5 secs but push you belly out as you are breathing in (hard to do at first) then breathe out for 5 secs to this helps to relax your body (slows your heart rate down etc) and if it is anxiety should ease the symptoms too.

[Daydreaming]

Thanks cantgetoverit. I will try that.

[Crazyhappymum]

Yes it's typical of anxiety and you won't die from it! It causes no major health problems, more psychological problems. I've been suffering with anxiety for 2 years now after separation from my husband. Stress at work makes mine worse so trying to relax and breathe deeply is really helpful.

I have a friend who is a hypnotherapist and I go to him when things get bad. He really does help. I talk things through and he gives me strategies for coping and thinking differently about situations. He's a life saver. He's in Nottinghamshire so if you're interest I can give you his contact details or you could find a more local hynotherapist. They don't come cheap but are definitely worth the money. Lots of hugs x