Young and scared of heart problems

[Kat]

Hey all,

I'm a 19-year-old female who has been suffering from panic attacks and general anxiety since I was about 15 years old. When I was a freshman in high school, I had a night where I had way too much caffeine and sugar and had my first ever panic attack. I was shaking, dizzy, my heart was pounding, and I thought I was about to die. Even the next day, the jitters of the night before still lingered in my body. Ever since then, I've had very bad anxiety and physical symptoms. The list goes on including the following: heart palpitations, feeling like my adrenal glands are constantly going off, fatigue, extreme brain fog (it feels like I'm high all the time), dizziness, being lightheaded, vertigo, sensitive blood sugar (if I don't eat every 4 to 5 hours, I get very lightheaded and anxious). I also have an extreme sensitivity to caffeine. I can't handle anything above 30 or 40 milligrams without spiraling into a panic attack. I heard an instance of a young girl dying of a sudden cardiac arrest, which made my anxiety that much worse. I am always worried about my heart, to the point where I avoid exercise because I think I have an underlying condition my doctors can't find. When I exercise, I can't tell if I'm getting lightheaded and palpitations because something is wrong or if I'm hyperventilating due to the extreme fear. I used to be very athletic and very happy. Now, all I am is severely depressed and anxious and I feel like life is just passing me by. I've had blood work done, all normal. Nothing wrong with my thyroid. Normal EKG. Due to no family history and my previous athletic background, my doctor said everything is normal and I am healthy. She said it was just anxiety and I should go see a counselor. I am beyond scared. I even had to take a semester off from college because the stress from all of this became so terrible. I need advice on how to deal with this and if it's possible to get my mind right, or should I keep asking them to test me. Is this all connected to anxiety or should I continue to push for tests?? Help me, please!!

 

[janemariesayed]

Hey all,

I'm a 19-year-old female who has been suffering from panic attacks and general anxiety since I was about 15 years old. When I was a freshman in high school, I had a night where I had way too much caffeine and sugar and had my first ever panic attack. I was shaking, dizzy, my heart was pounding, and I thought I was about to die. Even the next day, the jitters of the night before still lingered in my body. Ever since then, I've had very bad anxiety and physical symptoms. The list goes on including the following: heart palpitations, feeling like my adrenal glands are constantly going off, fatigue, extreme brain fog (it feels like I'm high all the time), dizziness, being lightheaded, vertigo, sensitive blood sugar (if I don't eat every 4 to 5 hours, I get very lightheaded and anxious). I also have an extreme sensitivity to caffeine. I can't handle anything above 30 or 40 milligrams without spiraling into a panic attack. I heard an instance of a young girl dying of a sudden cardiac arrest, which made my anxiety that much worse. I am always worried about my heart, to the point where I avoid exercise because I think I have an underlying condition my doctors can't find. When I exercise, I can't tell if I'm getting lightheaded and palpitations because something is wrong or if I'm hyperventilating due to the extreme fear. I used to be very athletic and very happy. Now, all I am is severely depressed and anxious and I feel like life is just passing me by. I've had blood work done, all normal. Nothing wrong with my thyroid. Normal EKG. Due to no family history and my previous athletic background, my doctor said everything is normal and I am healthy. She said it was just anxiety and I should go see a counselor. I am beyond scared. I even had to take a semester off from college because the stress from all of this became so terrible. I need advice on how to deal with this and if it's possible to get my mind right, or should I keep asking them to test me. Is this all connected to anxiety or should I continue to push for tests?? Help me, please!!

At first, it seemed as though it was the caffeine that had caused your panic attacks but the effect would have worn off by now. There comes a time is some of our lives where this anxiety develops. It seems to appear out of nowhere. Try giving up caffeine altogether and see if you feel any better.
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20313656,00.html#perky-jerky
This is a list of some areas you may find caffeine. If you can do a little bit of research and avoid those products that have it you may see a reduction in your jitters and shakes.
Too much caffeine can make you grind your teeth and give you the shakes. I'm sorry to say but I think your depression and anxieties are not related to caffeine but I could be wrong. If you are feeling depressed tell your doctor. Be open with him how you have been on here and he will have a better idea of what to do to help you.

Fruit is a good way to wake up in the morning rather than coffee.

 

[Kelculator]

Oh poor you... I have had a horrible, horrible anxiety flare worrying about my heart too. I would take a wild guess and say it is indeed caused by the caffeine. I once had palpitations that came out of nowhere and lasted for a whole week. My heart does a weird flutter every few seconds, and it freaked me out. Tests showed nothing wrong. And the breathing problem...Yeah, that. Happens to me all the time when I focus on my breath. It is a very common thing when you have anxiety. I can't say for sure it is caused by anxiety, but there's a very big chance it is.
I really think it is just anxiety. I was so convinced i had a heart problem, i cried several times a day and wouldn't believe anyone. And I had vertigo just like you did. I would literally feel one side of my head being pulled over to the other side, making my head so heavy and imbalanced. Yet here i am. It was anxiety. Welp.
All your symptoms seemed to point at anxiety-- yes, they can be caused by something else, but having all these at the same time really points the cause towards anxiety.
You are okay, you are not going to die anytime soon. Hey... The doctor said so. Ex-queeze me, that ma'am had a degree and she is taking everything into careful consideration. I am so sorry you feel really bad, this is horrible to go through. But talk to us again when you feel bad and panic again, as it would happen as you are constantly convincing yourself that there is something wrong. I am here for you.