Constant physical symptoms of anxiety and spaced out feeling.

[MrDuggy]

Hi guys, I've been really struggling for the past 2 months and I'm looking for somebody who actually know's what I'm going through or has experienced my symptoms.
My timeline is 2 months ago I was at work and had what was thought to be an unprovoked (/no visable stress that day), panic attack.
Ever since that day I have been suffering with physical anxiety symptoms, a social anxiety as well as this 'spaced out' sensation 24/7.
The physical symptoms are: freezing cold hands and feet, my heart pounding, a weird sensation at the back of my tongue like I'm going to choke, jelly legs and a general sense of unease (of what I don't know). I also now seem to have a social anxiety which is so out of character for me. Alongside that I have been really spaced out every single minute of the day. The only way I can describe it is it's like a fogginess in my head. It's like my eyes are seeing everything fine (nothing is distorted) but the link between my eyes and brain has been broken so I'm not seeing everything sharp. It's hard to explain but I've attached a photo of somebody else trying to explain it and it's the only time I've seen an example of somebody else going through what I am. The bad thing is at first the spaced out feeling was just annoying and it just felt like if I gave my head a good shake it would go but more recently it's got worse. The morbid thing is I'm just counting down the hours till bed time so I can get some escape from this spaced out feeling and have some uncompromised fun in my dreams.

Although the longer this goes on I seem to be developing a health anxiety thinking it could be something more sinister, I can't stress enough that I have ZERO negative thought's going through my head that trigger the anxiety. I can be laid down watching TV thinking of nothing and my feet will go freezing and the anxiety kicks in.
With the social anxiety I'm not mentally thinking I don't want to go places like football, seeing friends and family... these are all things I LOVE doing but it's like as soon as I get in the car or get close to arriving my legs turn to jelly and I find it hard to stay there because even though I'm having a great time and want to be there the physical symptoms of jelly legs etc are trying to get me to leave.

I've been to the doctors countless times and my bloods have come back normal and he's referred me for a CT scan to rule out anything going on in my head. The doctor seems to be stumped at the spaced out feeling as it's just a constant thing that's there. I've been given buspirone and told to take that as like a reliever, I somehow managed to get myself to Thailand last month and ended up calling an emergency doctor out who gave me Lorazepam to calm me down at night as I couldn't sleep as I thought my heart was about to burst out my chest and have also tried a week or sertaline which was horrific. The head doctor said I shouldn't have been given that.
Betablockers sounded like the solution but they can't prescribe them to be as I've got asthma </3

I've tried exercise which seems to make my spaced out feeling worse, I'm meditating daily, I'm speaking to a counsellor but not really making any progress.

To sum my situation up I'd say my body just feels like it has adrenaline pumping round my body from night till day and there's nothing I can do to stop it. My mind feels fine, I'm obviously fed up but have not a single anxious thought. I've got great support around me and everybody is there too speak and do what they can but there is nothing they can do to take it away.
Any help would me massively be appreciated, even if you just pointed me in the right direction.

Really sorry for the essay guys I just feel hopeless and I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel as nowhere I look seems to have advice for somebody suffering just the physical symptoms of anxiety alongside this spaced out feeling.

Much love Louis.

 

[daffy]

It does sound like anxiety, has anything in the last few months changed in your life at home or work. I get a lot of those symptoms and they can be very frightening. I think a lot of people underestimate how serious and debilitating anxiety can be. I do have other mh probs so am on a mixture of meds but for anxiety I take duloxitine , propanalol and lorazepam in emergencies. It’s a pity you can’t take a beta blocker because the propanalol really works at slowing my heart rate down. It also good that your gp is sending you for a ct scan just to rule out any other possibilities .
Take care
Daf

 

[MrDuggy]

It does sound like anxiety, has anything in the last few months changed in your life at home or work. I get a lot of those symptoms and they can be very frightening. I think a lot of people underestimate how serious and debilitating anxiety can be. I do have other mh probs so am on a mixture of meds but for anxiety I take duloxitine , propanalol and lorazepam in emergencies. It’s a pity you can’t take a beta blocker because the propanalol really works at slowing my heart rate down. It also good that your gp is sending you for a ct scan just to rule out any other possibilities .
Take care
Daf

Hi Daffy.
Yes there is a baby on the way that at first I didn't want just yet but have come round to the idea so we think that could be the underlying cause which I'm totally understanding of. I'm in control of nearly everything I do in life and this was something I couldn't control after the decision was made. I've sinced moved into my GF's but the thing is, leading up to the first panic attack I wasn't stressed out about the baby at all. I'd almost done the opposite, put it to the back of my mind and carried on with my life as normal.
Also I have slow heart rate as it is as I'm athletic so the doctor said he'd advise against that anyways.
I'm hoping when the baby comes everything will go back to normal but I'm scared if it doesn't.
And in the short term I'm really struggling with the spaced out feeling and constant anxiety and am desperate for a break

 

[daffy]

From what your saying the anxiety seems understandable . I think possibly your subconscious is telling you it’s time now to grow up ( I’m not saying that your not) and you are going to have to be responsible for a new little person and that thought can be daunting, even tho you may not actually be thinking it, it’s there at the back of your mind. Starting a family can be a scary thought but I think as your girlfriend gets further on in her pregnancy and you start making plans your anxiety will ease

Daf