Chest tightenings, shortness of breath and pins and needles.

[LilRedWG]

Background - coming up on the first anniversary of my parents death, TTC and am already on Citalopram for anxiety/depression.

I am 100% positive that the chest tightenings, shortness of breath and pins and needles I've been getting for the past day or so are anxiety related, but breathing exercises etc aren't helping.

Does anyone have any magic tricks to share please?

Forgot to say, the only time it has really eased off was whilst I was in bed last night.

Pins and needles in left hand mainly, but also a little in right.

When I think of my parents it all gets worse.

Pathetic bump. This is really getting to me now.

Hi this definitely sounds like anxiety.Do you have any rescue remedy?

I used to get this, including a burning pain in the middle of my chest. I went to docs, A & E time and time again, they could find nothing wrong with me and put it down to stress and anxiety. It could last for weeks on end and then suddenly just disappear. I was convinced I was having a heart attack, the more I worried about it, the worse the symptoms seemed to be, until I was going round and round in a vicious circle of hell.

It can be ages until I have another "attack" of it, the best thing I found was to try and ignore the symptoms (easier said than done) and concentrate on something else. Anything just to take your mind off it, even just posting on here.

Thanks both. I will pop out for some Rescue Remedy tomorrow and may make a GP appointment to see if they can recommend anything else. TBH, I don't want to increase my meds though, so I don't know what I expect from them.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer.

LilredWG - my DH had similar symptoms (without the pins and needles)and it was diagnosed as stress, but the doctor did give him an ECG.

I think you should get the doctor to check you out, to set your mind at rest, then ask what can be done to help if it is anxiety, other than the ADs.

It sounds as if you have had to cope with an enormous amount in the last year, would something like grief counselling help do you think?

x-posts Pixie. Thank you. I will get a jigsaw out whilst DD is at nursery tomorrow and see if that helps.

Kurrikurri - should have said, I am having bereavement counselling through Macmillan Trust and they are great.

I was down to have CBT last year but had to cancel the first appointment as it was the day my Dad died and then the next appointment they offered was the day of Mum's funueral. They kept saying they'd get back to me and never did and tbh I didn't have the energy to chase.

So sorry about your parents.

I have been suffering with pins and needles in my left hand as well as lots of other pain. I think it is linked to a previous accident but also some of it might be stress related.

I would book a GP appointment tomorrow. If it isn't anything medical it might help to talk things over with someone.

oh poor you, it does sound anxiety related

definitely worth going back to the GP as you are doing, ask for a referral for some counselling with anxiety and some help with managing what sounds like panic attacks, IMO

Yes, sounds like anxiety attacks. What worked for me was to find some activity that precluded thinking about anything else. Sleeping is good if you can manage to drop off. Otherwise, I used computer games and sudoku against the clock to force morbid/bad thoughts from my head.

First anniversary is a bad time. The loss still feels just as raw and has now become only too believable. Other people have moved on and unlike the first few weeks there is nothing you HAVE to do to keep you busy. Perhaps, you could mark the event with a little ceremony of your own e.g. put all your parents photos together in a nice album, visit their resting place and have a chat, donate to an appropriate charity in their memory, whatever seems appropriate to you/them.

I found that second anniversary marked a real turning point for me. I was all of a sudden more able to appreciate the benefits I had received from the many years together instead of dwelling on what I had lost. Speaking as a chronic depressive, on anti-Ds for years, I would also add that end January/February is the worst time of year. I always feel pretty 'down' then and try to lift the mood by planning my fruit & veg planting and looking to book a holiday to give myself something to look forward to in the brighter days.

This too will pass, hope you start to feel perkier soon.

Thank you all.

Feeling a lot better today physically. No pins and needles and chest pain, although still there, is not too bad so I'm not going to go to the GP today. I think I'll play it by ear. DD is at nursery again on Friday so I can always go then.

Thank you all for your support yesterday. x

Granny23 - thank you for sharing all that yesterday. I really do appreciate it.

LilRedWG I am sorry you are going through such a shit time .
I have suffered the exact same symptons as you convincing myself I was about to have a heart attack, I once got rushed to hospital only to be told it was anxiety.
Like you they come and go I can have very long periods of not having any and then it feels like I am fighting to get a good breath in and all the other symptons you describe.
I find reading about it helps me knowing that I am not the only one dealing with it and it helps me a great deal.
I will also tell you about my calming down alphabet game (don't laugh) when I am struggling I choose a subject like books or films (Mumsnetters nicknames are my personal favourite) and then think of one beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
I know it sounds daft but it works for me I am usually asleep or calm by the letter N.
I think it just takes your mind of the fact you are stressed to the max and your brain has something else to focus on rather than panic.
Sorry for waffling on take care.

The alphabet game is going to come in useful. Life's getting tougher.

Poor DH was meant to be out tonight with some friends of ours from the States but he's had to come home because of me. Our cat isn't well and has started throwing up blood today, which is not good. As silly as it sounds he really is my baby - we've had him for over 11 years, since he was six months old. He's a poorly old puss cat and we are both distraught.

Sorry, comewhine - Thank you very much

the pins and needles is because of the anxiety and probably because you are not breathing as deeply and it affects the capillaries and nerves in the finger tips. It makes you worry that you are having a mild heart attack but you arent,its just stress. had it myself and it went on for weeks. Like you say....it goes at night because you are asleep and you are breathing properly. its like a panic attack but its affecting you physically rather than mentally. It will go ...honestly

always worth getting symptoms like these checked out urgently.

Thanks alypaly.

blinks - I will get this checked out but it's not a case of urgency, I'm sure.

you might not feel it warrants urgency but that combination of symptoms is something that you would typically get urgent care in order to rule out cardiac involvement.

there's no point taking risks if you don't need to.

I've got an appointment with the nurse practitioner tomorrow, so hopefully she'll give me a good check over and sort me out.

hi
i am having pin and needles in my hands and a bit in my feet too, my limb feel heavy and munbs sometimes but its mostly at night though, can it be anxiety too?
ps i am very early in pregnancy (about 4/5 weeks)

Pins and needles in hands or feet is one of the symptoms of anemia, also heart racing, extreme tiredness,breathlessness,dry skin,hairloss and loads of other symptoms. Maybe get a blood test just to rule it out.