Don’t know what’s happening to me.

[MightyDuck]

Name changed (hopefully).

I know that I should leave this to the professionals, but I’m feeling a little desperate and hope that someone can tell me that they know what I’m going through is something.

This will be long and probably mixed up.

The last 3ish weeks I’ve experienced what I thought was heart palpitations but they haven’t shown on any ekg so I’ve changed the description to my hearts pounding very hard. I cut out caffeine which didn’t help.

Late Sunday night I experienced what I thought at the time was a panic attack and it still could have been. Symptoms started with my head, I just felt out of it, followed by not being able to breath, gasping for breath, a tightness in my chest my heart was racing and my legs felt like jelly. I felt like I was fading...dying even.

I struggled to sleep that night but eventually did. I woke up feeling light headed and my legs still felt like jelly and there was a pain going from under my left breast around to the same point on the opposite side on my back.

I went to a&e.

I’ve now been to the doctors and the hospital where I spent 3 days having tests done. Tests which have included 5 blood tests including an arterial one for blood oxygen levels, 3 ekgs, a chest X-ray and the one where they injected me with radioactive stuff and took photos of my lungs.

I’ve been suspected of having a heart attack and also one of my blood levels showed markers that include the possibility of a blood clot so I was checked for having a blood clot on the lungs.

One of the doctors took me for a brisk walk to check my blood oxygen levels but about 30 feet in we had to stop as they dropped to 75. That’s when they did the arterial blood test which came back fine.

My heart looks healthy but it’s still pounding most of the day and I must admit I’m worried it’s working hard to compensate for something. I’m still not breathing entirely properly but it has got better.

One of the worst parts is the last 2 evenings, I don’t know how to describe it, I just start feeling wrong. Not myself and like everything I’m doing I’m having to force myself to do or I’m faking it. I’ve also lost my appetite since the ‘panic attack’ Sunday night.

I’ve told the doctors everything but the last paragraph as that was after the hospital.

Please does this sound familiar to anyone?!

[RocketRacoonsFurryBalls]

That sounds quite scary.

Have you been prescribed anything?

[magicmallow]

before all this have you been under any stress in your life?

[MightyDuck]

Rocket- I haven’t been prescribed anything no.

Magic - yes, quite a bit.

[inboxmayhem]

Sounds like anxiety to me. Yes, it can be that debilitating

[PenguinsRabbits]

I had about 3 week of this earlier this year. No medical expert so go with doctors advice. I'm not totally sure what caused it but I was consistently getting it with heat or exercise and when I drank loads of water and stayed out of heat they would stop. Could be coincidence though. I didn't have breathlessness, wobbly legs etc, just the heart pounding - blood test and x-ray were fine.

I read if you get it from anxiety you tend to feel anxious / stressed just before. I also wondered for me if it was a hot flush thing but they've stopped now I'm cooler. It was possibly dehydration though no idea why I need to drink so much to feel OK but seem to need to drink 3 litres a day once its over about 22C.

If you think it could be anxiety maybe go to GP and see if they can prescribe something - would go to GP anyway and see what they can do. I just looked at when I was getting them and tried to look for patterns and also saw what made them go away, seemed to be 3 giant glasses of water for me. But get proper medical advice.

[RocketRacoonsFurryBalls]

The low blood oxygen levels seem pretty serious, surely?

I sometimes wonder if my heart isn’t up to the task. I get palpitations and chest pains some nights. I’m very sluggish in general.

Had some tests a few years ago and it was all fine though. Frustrating, eh?

[rosedream]

Is it possible it could be a reaction to stress. The body can react quite severely and physically to stress.

I'd think about getting some counselling and or antidepressants to see if that helps or rules it out.

[BeyondMyWits]

I have had a heart attack and it sounds very familiar - including the wobbly feeling and being out of it - just going through the motions, general tightness in chest and palpitations/racing/missing beats.

No collapse, no debilitating pain but a feeling of impending doom - like I was dying (that made me call the ambulance thankfully) - to me it sounds very much like my heart attack.

BUT - there are very specific blood markers they look out for if they do suspect a heart attack - they generally do a troponin test - they would have done this in A+E and again later in hospital and would have told you if it was a heart attack.

I was told mine was probably just a panic attack until the second blood results came back, so it must present very similarly .

They would have you undergoing further tests and on much medication if it had been a heart attack, so would take great comfort from the fact that they prescribed nothing.

[girlofthenorth]

How are u feeling now OP ?

I had something similar during the last part of May and June and it really really scared me. I have palpitations that went faster and faster and breathlessness, chest tightness around my middle. I'm still waiting for tests as I have palpitations when I'm exercising . I had a virus in my chest around the time, which I am certain brought it all on.
I was referred to the cardiologist , maybe you should be too , why don't you speak to GP ?

[MightyDuck]

Hi, thank you all for taking the time to reply, my heart seems to have mostly gone back to normal now and I finally started to feel more me this last Wednesday.

The whole experience was utterly terrifying, I’m trying not to worry that it’ll happen again but at least I know that if it does I can get through it.

I still get a bit short of breath more quickly than I used to, and before all this I had been regularly going to the gym for about 6 months but I seem to have gone back to square one with my fitness levels.

My doctor wants me to see a therapist and has suggested I take anti depressants, but I want to try the therapy first. They also want to test me for sleep apnea.

From listening to my own body since it happened I do think it’s anxiety, I’m not handling ANY form of stress well, I get cold sweats if I’m out in public too long and going back to work makes me feel sick. I actually love my job and the people I work with but I had a traumatic experience while at work one day and I relive it every time I go in.

I honestly never realised a panic attack could be so debilitating, that it could make you feel like that in the moment and then take 10ish days to even feel remotely normal!

[Footle]

I'd suggest you start the anti depressants/ anti anxiety drug straightaway, and add the therapy after a couple of months. You may not need the drug for more than 6-12 months, and it works so much faster than any therapy.

[Strawberry72]

How old are you?

[PaddyF0dder]

I assume they’ve ruled out a pulmonary embolism?

[QuestionableMouse]

Have your iron levels been tested? I had bad anemia and had many of those symptoms. My vit D was also very low.

[EllenRipley]

What @QuestionableMouse said: get your iron, ferritin, B12 and Vitamin D tested, just to rule out any deficiencies; they're very common. And get the actual figures, don't rely on what guidelines say are the 'normal range' because low end of normal very often causes deficiency symptoms (which can include those you describe).

[MightyDuck]

Strawberry - I’m 38.

PaddyF0dder - I was thoroughly tested for a blood clot in the lungs?

QuestionableMouse - it’s funny you mention that, my iron levels have always been low since I had my youngest and at my last blood test about a year ago they said I needed iron and folic acid. I’ve been taking them, but not regularly.
Now reading about those it seems low levels of those can cause my symptoms, but in the hospital they said my levels were fine.

[QuestionableMouse]

There seems to be disquiet in the medical profession about iron levels. I'd push for more tests just to check because about normal doesn't mean your levels are correct for you.