Anxiety? - Anxiety Message Board

mayansun · 07-13-2004, 09:52 AM

Hi,

I have posted here before. I am 3 weeks post op--had a craniotomy to remove a brain aneurysm. Prior to this diagnosis I was very anxious about my symptoms (headache, dizziness, tingling in foot etc) and had a couple of panic attacks at night. Started taking Ativan 3x / day up until surgery. I know take on occasion. In the past few days I have developed tightness and some pain in my chest, went to Dr. had normal EKG and she listed to heart, lungs etc. It was suggested this could be muscular, gas / acid, or anxiety.

I know I've had other symptoms from the anxiety but not chest pain before. I have been constantly anxious over past 2 months relative to all health concerns and now am concerned about going off my meds and that chest pain is serious. I'm 27 and in otherwise good health. I am back to the Ativan 2x day but still have tightness in chest.

Do others have this with anxiety?

Sickman · 07-13-2004, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayansun

Hi,

I have posted here before. I am 3 weeks post op--had a craniotomy to remove a brain aneurysm. Prior to this diagnosis I was very anxious about my symptoms (headache, dizziness, tingling in foot etc) and had a couple of panic attacks at night. Started taking Ativan 3x / day up until surgery. I know take on occasion. In the past few days I have developed tightness and some pain in my chest, went to Dr. had normal EKG and she listed to heart, lungs etc. It was suggested this could be muscular, gas / acid, or anxiety.

I know I've had other symptoms from the anxiety but not chest pain before. I have been constantly anxious over past 2 months relative to all health concerns and now am concerned about going off my meds and that chest pain is serious. I'm 27 and in otherwise good health. I am back to the Ativan 2x day but still have tightness in chest.

Do others have this with anxiety?

Dear mayansun,
Chest pain is very common with anxiety. Muscular tightening of the chest and pains are common. When you stop worrying about particular symptoms your brain will find another symptom for you to worry about. It is just brain tricks. You have to learn to ignore everything you feel in order to manage through this. You have to except them for what they really are, nothing physically harmful only mental tricks that you are responding to that intensify them. Shine them on and they will lessen or go away. Good luck my Friend

Sincerely,

Sickman

chinagrl426 · 07-14-2004, 07:25 AM

Just curious-How did you know that you had a brain aneurysm? I had tension headaches really bad for about a month and a half straight-they finally went away. But during that time I was also suffering really bad anxiety and had the tingling in my hands and feet and a lot of muscle twitching. That has subsided now that my stress level has gone down. But what I was so scared of is that i thought all of this was associated with a brain tumor or an anuerysm. I dont know why-I've never had any problems with my head ohter than occasional headaches but I worried that I had one almost to the point where I would be sick. I still think that sometimes. I went to the doctor for the headaches and anxiety. He prescribed me effexor and suggested that I have a head scan to "show me that ther was nothing up there". I did'nt have It done though. Since the doctor didn't think anything was wrong he was just proving to me that nothing was wrong. Anyways-what are the symptoms? I have this fear that I will get one and not know it and pass out from it-I know this sounds weird and I don't know where the fear comes from.

mayansun · 07-14-2004, 10:05 AM

I had an MRI done followed by a CT Scan which found the aneurysm. I asked my doctor for the MRI because I was not convinced that my headaches (worse that I had before and on one side of head) and dizziness were just allergies or something else. I actually thought I had MS, an aneurysm wasn't even on my radar screen.

Please know that most aneurysms are asymptomatic (meaning it is actually unlikely the cause of my earlier headaches or dizziness) unless near the optic nerve or somewhere else where would cause obvious vision or other problems.

In essence, it was an incidental finding. My doctor didn't think there was anything wrong with my head and I also saw a neurologist who did a average workup and couldn't find any deficits to account for the tingling and other stuff. So I will continue to pursue nerve or muscular issues.

From what I've learned by research and such is that only 10% of aneurysms are found incidentally but that # is inreasing with the number of people who have imaging tests for headaches or other reasons. And better to find them before they find you as the consequences of a rupture can be drastic. I don't say that to scare you but that is the reality.

My advice, if it worries you have one done just for the peace of mind and if they find something you deal with it.