This morning, I was 100% sure it was a heart attack. severe shoulder pain, heart beating the fastest its ever beaten, palpitating as well, headache on left side of temple.

i ran outside panicking, i have two small kids so i ddnt know what the hell to do. i still think it was a minor heart attack but i think panic attacks can mimic heart attacks. but to us, we dont knw the difference.

i have been trying to get help for over 6 m onths and nothing i do is really getting rid of all the anxeity. its so horrible living like this.

I’ve been so scared that i’m dying, keep thinking I got every illness from heart disease and fluid in the lungs to cancer!

My main symptom is severe shortness of breath. I get racing heart and weird beats sometimes but the shortness of breath has just dominated my life this past month!!

I finally worked up the courage today to go see a doctor and I can’t tell you how relieved I was to hear her say that there is nothing wrong with my heart or lungs! I was melting in the doctors office while she was testing me I was so scared..

Tomorrow I do xrays to just be sure, but I think it’s anxiety from reading the stories from all of you (tho I smoke and I’m having an attack right now sort of worrying Ill find out I have lung cancer tomorrow or something) .. But I’m a little stronger for sure inside after reading all of your stories, and finding out that I am not completely alone in this.

There is nothing worse than thinking your gonna die, I’ve had kidney stones many times, and that pain is unreal but I would take it over this shortness of breath and worry any day!!

To everyone who posted, my heart goes out to everyone of you! I wish I had cures to heal all of you from this so you (me) all of us, could get back to our daily lives and try to be the people we want to be again, I wish I had it…..

But thank you all so much for your personal stories, it’s helped me relax a little knowing I’m not entirely alone with this

Thankyou, all of you, and I hope you find your cures.

I know anxiety and it’s attacks rather well. Since I was around 7-8 years old I have had it in small fits. When I grew to the age of 10-11, it got to the point where my body would shake, be out of breath, find fear in the smallest of things especially when I would encounter other people. My grades slipped because of these “fits” that I had, not wanting to speak to anyone, short of breath, chest pains and dizzy spells. I am now 21 and attempting to go to college and hold a job. The last job I had I was a cashier and I would feel a constant string of anxiety through out the day, but when left alone I would feel slow consuming pain travel along my neck, shoulders and chest only growing worse until sharp pains would suddenly jab at me, making it even more difficult to breath. That one day had me in tears in the middle of the store, only for me to be sent home early. Other times it just includes my words stumbling, struggling with breathing, dizzy spells, small pains and hands shaking.

I had also had a similar episode in front of a Spanish Class I was taking. I was called upon to speak in front of the class only to mentally black out after feeling a sharp pain and being unable to breath. And when I awoke, I was sitting back in my seat with no real clue what happened. I had apparently spoken in front of the class but as if I was half asleep, only to walk back to my seat and sit down and yet I couldn’t remember doing any of it.

I have lived with this sort of condition for years and I haven’t really known where to go or who to speak with. Between simple nights that suddenly I cannot sleep because of thoughts running through my mind and emotions trampling on a rampage to not even being able to uphold a job or grades slipping because of more severe events brought on from my anxiety, it is just very difficult.

I am not saying I am worse than anyone or that I have just been ignoring these things but with the lack of financial support and knowledge of what I should do, I have lived with this. And everyday it feels like I should do something but not sure what. I do not enjoy getting sick, vomiting, shaking, being unable to breath, these pains, confusion and just having an inability to do things I need to get done.

I am glad I found this site, to help me understand it more. Thank you. If there is anyone with advice I would like to hear it if at all possible. My email is azurian_knight@live.com.

Thank you.

I get these attacks that are accompanied by severe weakness and vomiting, and this lasts for sometimes an entire day. Then for a few days thereafter I feel weak and unmotivated, as though making a phone call is too much of an effort.

I don’t even want to watch TV or listen to music. Eventually it goes away, but then I am left with worrying about if it will come back, which often sets my heart off racing again.

It is ruining my life as I am having to cancel on important plans when I feel like this and can’t be at University when I am meant to be. I don’t want to take tranquilizers.

Please help, have any of you found a way to cure yet? I am so desperate.

I am about to go on a trip with my Dad and siste r, but I have always lived with my mum abd grandma , who know how to help me when I have my attacks , Bu tmy dad is clueless ( he means well though)

My sister understands somewhat but she is only a year older. I am nervous to sleep in new places , and without my CLOSE family , that i live with. I dont like sleeping in new places , like hotels and my friends houses for sleepovers.

So , please , please help me.
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Stephanie-Marie

The attack i had this morning 2am was the worst i have ever had. I awoke with a jolt and for some reason started thinking negative thoughts.

Japan, Libya and all bad things going on around the world then i start thinking bad thoughts about more personal things. Then i feel a strange horrible sensation sweep across my whole body then i have to get out of bed and move about fast.

This morning it hit me so bad i was jumping on the spot with these waves of panic and anxiety sweeping over me. I woke my wife to tell her to ring the ambulance as i was going to die. My body was hot, i was shaking and my whole body was in a state of weirdness.

My wife told me to sit on the edge of the bed and take deep breaths and this did help in a way but the pain was still there. My body just feels like it is vibrating and it will never stop. It is difficult to explain really. I am afraid to go to sleep tonight in case i wake up to another huge panic attack.

My first panic attack was in 2001 and that was bad although i could not understand what was happening to me but now i understand them a little more but that does not make it feel any better.

The only thing that works for me is breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth but its a long drawn out process and i have to ride it out. Once the attack passes it feels like a tone of weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Any advice would be good but i have phoned the doctor and have to make an appointment in the morning.
The only problem is i don’t know how to explain this to the doctor.