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nuttygirl · 10-06-2006, 07:33 AM

I have anxiety and get panic attacks daily without meds. I've had some weird skipping, fluttering and some chest pain with it. I decided to get it checked out to be sure you know? So, my cardio ordered testing. I've had the holter for 24 hours which I don't really think showed anything because I didn't have any episodes that day!! Bitter sweet I guess. I then had an echo which was thorough and took an hour. I've also had 3 EKG's, bloodwork and a chest x-ray. Well, my doctor made my follow-up appt. for Oct. 31st to go over my results. That seems like so long to wait to find out if anything is wrong. I also wanted him to order a sress test but so far he hasn't. I think when doctors hear that you have anxiety or panic disorder they automatically assume your heart symptoms are related to that. Like when I went to the ER with the worst chest pain I've ever experienced. They asked me what meds I took and when I said buspar they said 'oh, you have anxiety?' so I said yes but this pain was really bad. They did an EKG which was normal and put me in a casting room where they never hooked me up to a monitor or even checked on me the entire 4 hours! A student nurse came in to take blood and then a guy came to do an x-ray but never my regular nurse. We rang for a nurse many times but no one came. My husband went to get one and when she finally came I told her the pain was still bad and I'd been having weird skipping fluttery stuff so she did another EKG but again said it was normal. Then I asked if she could please hook me up to a monitor so they could catch the fluttering and tell me what it was but she said the doctor said since my tests were all ok it didn't warrant monitoring and then she released me! They said I had chest wall pain. HUH??? Out of the blue really bad chest pain and I hadn't been moving heavy things or even exercising so I know that diagnosis was BS. Any suggestions on what to do about getting my doctor to give me some kind of info on my holter and echo results before the 31st? I can't wait that long.

Thanks,
Tori

smurfy33 · 10-06-2006, 08:38 AM

Tori - (that is also my daughter's name by the way

) I think if there was anything abnormal, your doctor would want to see you right away. For your own reassurance, I would call your doctor and tell them you want the results over the phone because you are worried about it. I certainly hope they would do that for you so you can feel better. Take care.

Hopeful onealso · 10-06-2006, 10:54 AM

Hi, I just wanted you to know that I was having a very difficult summer. Once I went to the Er and was kept ovenight. I was told by everyone that there were NO SIGNS of ever having a Heart attack. But they wanted to monitor me all night anyway. The next morning I saw a Cario DR and he did a stress test and a MRI of my heart after the stress test to see if there was any blocking and oc course there wasn't

. I say of course because I thought I was going crazy. About a month later it happened again and this time my wife called the Abulance and again they did EKG and said no sign anything. One of the EMT's suggested that I see my DR about getting on some meds for anxity. He put me on Paxil, (I don't know what level) I took them for 2 months and it was GREAT!!!, But I had didn't care for the side effects. I couldn't make love to my wife and I wasn't even upset about it. I also love to take pictures it is one of my faviorite things to do. I stopped that too. I have sereval guitars that I love to play and I quit that also. So I ask the DR if I could stop taking Paxil. It has been very hard on me. I'm a mess most of the time, but I made love to my wife a couple of times now,
(and gotten into atleast 2 arguements with her also) and I been taking pictures like crazy again, and I bought a new guitar last weekend. I just would like to stop having all these strange withdrawls. Like feeling dizzy, elcetric shocks and brain zaps. It has been about 2.5 weeks and the symtoms have seemed to slowed down and aren't as frequent, or maybe I just getting use to them.

Any suggestions??

nuttygirl · 10-06-2006, 11:20 AM

I was on paxil for 6 yrs and although it controled most of my anxiety the side effects were much like yours. I didn't feel like doing the things I once enjoyed and sex was non-existent for me because not only lack of desire but no orgasm. I just basically didn't give a crap about anything that normal people would care about. I wasn't depressed, just kind of like a zombie. I also couldn't remember things short term and would get easily confused. At one point I felt suicidal so they took me off it. When I went off of it I too had that brain zapping sensation for almost a year. I know it's annoying but it will pass. Maybe you're doctor can try you on something else? Some SSRI's have less sexual side effects but they all effect everyone differently. I know the paxil seems to be the worst with this one. If you don't have panic attacks continually as I seem to without my med maybe your doctor could give you something to take only if needed like ativan or xanax. Talk to your doctor, there's always a solution!

Take Care,
Tori

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