Get the Support You Need

Learn from thousands of users who have made their way through our courses. Need help getting started? Watch this short video.

today's top discussions:

logo

Challenging Worry

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-04-20 11:42 PM

Depression Community

logo

Hello

Linda Q

2024-04-11 5:06 AM

Anxiety Community

logo

Addiction

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-04-08 3:54 PM

Managing Drinking Community

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

Browse through 411.749 posts in 47.054 threads.

160,526 Members

Please welcome our newest members: eggmegrolf, PearlCat19, mima, FrannyLou, AABBYGAIL RUTH

i dont understand this


17 years ago 0 6 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Danielle, I'm continuing with the 12wk program (I'm on WK2), and I'm trying to keep the ol' chin up until I get some answers from doctors... it IS frustrating! Not being heard by your doctors or given a proper diagnosis is EXHAUSTING! Thanks for the kind words, Michele :)
17 years ago 0 8760 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
MooMoo, That must be frustrating! Be sure to take our anxiety test, it's printable so you can share the results with your family physician. Keep persevering, Danielle __________________________ The Panic Center Support Team
17 years ago 0 6 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Danielle, thanks for your response. :) You're right about a second opinion, especially since I'm an extremely well researched patient! I've read up on anything/everything that pertains to my condition, and possible other related conditions, and I've shared this knowledge with my doctors. Unfortunatly, this often gives them the impression that I'm a hypercondriac. I've even gotten a few shoulder shrugs and eye rolls when I describe my symptoms and how debilitating they are -- not particularly reassuring. My PCP doesn't know what's wrong with me because in her opinion I'm too "put-together" to have something like panic disorder. It's very frustrating. I've since seen another doctor who kept insisting there was something else "wrong" with me, perhaps I was abused (!), or suffering some terrible cycle of depression, basically asking ONLY pyschological questions. Thankfully, I'm not depressed, was never abused, but he didn't really want to believe me when I told him I've just been put under a lot of stress in general over the years, especially with all these other ailments I've had (insomnia for 15+ years, and get a cold/flu almost every month for 7+ years particularly around my menstruation cycle, had chronic hives for years in the past, am allergic to a ton of medications, and a BUNCH of other probelms -- again, they look at me as a hypocondriac). I'm waiting to get test results back from my endocrinologist since there's always the likelihood of something hormonal as well. I wish there was a way to expedite doctors appointments -- managed care in the US is awful and is taking forever to get the help I need. :mad:
17 years ago 0 8760 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
MooMoo, Keep working with your doctor and if need be, request a second opinion. Better be safe than sorry. Be sure to ask your doctor or his nurse many questions, it is his/her job to educate you about your health & your body! Danielle _______________________ The Panic Center Support Team
17 years ago 0 6 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Judy, Thought I'd tell you what happened to me just yesterday. I had the WORST arrythmia, lasting the ENTIRE DAY and of course all the light-headedness, dizzines, pressure in my head and chest that i could take. I could feel the irregularity every 30 seconds od so -- it was constant. The funny thing was, I was calm, I was breathing normally, and I tried not to let it get to me because I thought I knew what it was, however as the day progressed the symptoms got worse so i got in the car with some family memebers to drive to a health food store to pick up a homeopathc rememdy when it hit me -- i started to have an attack in the car. my left hand/arm went numb, the arrythmia was CRAZY which only made the light-headedness intolerable. I started thinking "is my brain getting enough oxygen with this happening all day long??" THe attack itself wasn't the worst I'd had because I was able to remain somewhat calm since i knew what was going on, but the arrythmia was making me ill and raising some concerns. My PCP is a cardiologist, she had me get an Ekocardiogram and was put on a 24-hr heart monitor to determine if I had some sort of arrythmia or not. Of course, the days that I was tested I barely had any sypmtoms, but some minor evidence of irregularity did show up none the less. I did infact have a slightly irregular heartbeat (the one beat coming in too fast) and slight ventricular regurgitation. My PCP said it was very common with a lot of people, and not to worry, just live with it, but she was also only looking at the results in paper, and not really listening to me when I told her my symptoms are usually MUCH worse than when I was tested. What she was also not able to tell me is if this was due to or part of my panic disorder, or if it was seperate from it, and i was hoping someone might have had some similar experence with this because I'm totally confused and concerned! :quest: :8o:
17 years ago 0 222 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I'm sorry if my message made anyone panic!! I know how health issues worry us all. I just wanted to tell you to go to the doctors if you feel you need to. Don't worry about them saying, it's just anxiety. You have the right to take care of your health and to know if there's a problem!!
17 years ago 0 222 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Judy! This may just be the anxiety / panic, but you said you had made another doctor's appointment. Make sure you go to it just to make sure it's nothing. I was in the hospital last week and the doctors told me that they wish people with anxiety would not take their symptoms as always being anxiety because sometimes it's not. She told me that if you ever have a question about your heart, you should always get it checked out because it's better to be safe than sorry. If you are worried about it, get it checked out! Do not feel stupid for going to the doctors and them telling you it's nothing. At least you made sure and if they tell you there is nothing to worry about, then you will know for sure that it's just anxiety and you can move on. I found out a week and a half ago that I have a blood clot in my leg. They put me on blood thinners and sent me home and told me what to look for in case it went into my lung. One thing they told me was discomfort in chest and shortness of breath. Well, I have this all the time because of the anxiety! I mentioned to my husband that I must be really anxious because I keep getting short of breath and kind of laughed it off. He didn't want to take a chance and took me to the ER - thank God! The blood clot moved into my lung and if I hadn't gone to the ER, I would have died. I was admitted to the hospital and am now on the long road to recovery. BUT - what I'm trying to say, is that you need to go to the doctors and just be safe. If they tell you it's anxiety, that's fabulous because then you can work on it through exposure work, etc. But, if it's not, you need to know.
17 years ago 0 12049 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Ellen, Welcome to our support community. Please take the time to look around and register for our 12 week program, it is free and members have raved of its success. You need only to login and go to "view support group" Then click the forum you would like to read and the thread. You are free to click and read anything you like. When you wish to respond, click on the title and you will see the reply to discussion icon. We are always here to help and our members have been where you are and can be of assistance to you. Let us know if we can help. Josie ________________________________ The Panic Center Support Team.
17 years ago 0 4 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi my name is Ellen & I have just joined this groupl I am not too good onthe computer soIwas having difficulty in signing in & being able to get to write anything. I have been reading all of your messages & they are very helpful & I am learning alot.
17 years ago 0 2 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Judy, I'm very new to the Panic Center, sorry I don't know what the icons mean. I do know how you feel though. It's a very uncomfortable feeling not knowing when an attack is going to come on. I can say I had the same concerns as you, but I thought I was going crazy. I went back and re-read session one to reassure myself that this would not happen. If you get a chance, go back to the first session and re-read it. It might help you reassure yourself that it's very unlikely you'll actually have a heart attack. Keep hanging in there, you can beat this!!! :)

Reading this thread: