Glen & Rebecca, I too am very similar. I am a 31yr old female who never had a family doctor or thought twice. I wasn't someone with any problems mentally or physically. One day, I feel down an icy driveway. I couldn't get up so they sent an embulance. They took exrays & sent me home with some painkillers. I didn't break anything, just hurt muscles/nerves. About two months later, I had what I thought was a heart attack. I am now convinced that I have something medically wrong with me but noone seems to think so. Logically, I can see how stupid this way of thinking is, but it's not me and I can't stop it. I feel that the medical profession doesn't offer much help. The longer all the appointment took and the longer I was left figuring it out myself, the harder it has become. I am exhausted. I feel lthat I have to take care of myself and monitor & I am resentful for the lack of help I have recd from family, professionals

Dear Cassie, I can totally relate. My living circumstances are very similar to how you live. I am not working now I do not have a car, I have a phone but hardly anyone to call. I went through what I call my "hypocondriac Syndrome" many years, brain tumor, cancer, malaria, Aids, heart attack stroke etc.... I was SURE I had these things and was dying noone could convince me otherwise. I started to have panic attacks 3 years ago then developed agorophobia,I am about 95% "cured" if that makes any sense. Zoloft WILL increase you anxiety at first, I take 25-50 milgrams of it a day. You WILL be fine, I know what the brain can do it can convince you of anything. When I was on Paxil I was much more peaceful, the Zoloft can be more activating, perhaps paxil in a low dose would be better for you, I also take a low dose of klonopin at night 0.5 once a day, would your Doctor consider a low dose of Klonopin or other benzo short-term till the Zoloft settles in?? I have been through what you have, when I read your letter it was like looking in the mirror. The good news is I survived and you will too! Being holed up without transportation is lonely and I hope your phone gets hooked up soon that will help your fears. I rarely have panic attacks anymore and very slight agorophobia and the hypocondria flares up just once in a while. I think perhaps changing the Zoloft will help. Do you have kids? I have one little boy, special-needs which can cause some stress, but I love him very much. I am going to pray you find relief, and I know you will, I was a pretty bad case and now I am much better. Please let me know how you are doing! I know being alone alot makes you think alot, my husband is not a great communicator so I rely on my family and a few close friends. Good luck Cassie its going to get better, please ask your Doc about switching to Paxil or a more sedating SSRI and a short term low dose benzo. You will live through and survive!

Cassie I had the same thing for a month and a half. No worries, now that I am worried and having anxiety attacks that involve thinking I am going to have a heart attack the pain and burning in back of head and top of neck and turning head is no longer there at all. Your just focused on it. My doctor is sending me for an MRI for the only reason to set my mind at ease. Your doctor would be able to tell almost right away if you had a tumor just from a basic neurological exam. The results of the basic test my mind refused to accept that is why I am going for an MRI although I feel really stupid now that those sensations are no longer there. Dont take that last sentence that I think you are stupid in any way, I had the exact same feelings, they are very real and incredibly difficult to overcome but it can be done, not sure worrying about a heart attack like me is the way to go ;) but just goes to show you it can be overcome.

Hello all, I am a 31-year old male and have been diagnosed with GAD w/panic attack. I can relate to everyone's own experiences and share your concerns. I have two distinct fears that lead to my anxiety: one is dying, the other is throwing up. Don't ask me why, but my mind can obsess about these two issues and this leads to extreme anxiety/panic for me - which then lead to the worries that I have some life-threatening medical condition like a brain tumor, heart problem, cancer, etc, etc, etc!!! CAUTION...SARCASM AHEAD During my most recent panic attack (early September), guess what happened? I felt like I was going to die. Imagine that. But, turns out, I am still here. No heart attack, no aneurysm, no blood clots, no stroke. **** it. SARCASM OVER. Our minds are very powerful. It's like we want some medical explanation for what is happening to us, but when we don't get it, we are not satisfied!!! Our brains can make us think we have some life-threatening disease, when, in fact, we are perfectly healthy (at least physically). Mentally, it's a different story and it's a shame that our health care system (in many instances) fails to realize this, and limits our ability to seek treatment (I have a 20 visit max)....but I digress. Lolita, I don't know how many times I have told myself (when I feel nauseous), "it's just anxiety", this is "irrational", only to have the anxiety worsen (then my nausea worsens). It's a fact of poor mental health. I have finally gotten help through CBT and meds. The first thing mental health patients need to do is stop questioning the results of medical tests. Remember, it is a good thing to find out that you are not HIV positive, don't have a heart condition or don't have cancer! Don't make it harder on yourself by questioning the people who have a hell of alot more experience than you in deciphering those results!!! I know, it is easier said than done. I have been there...and I am still there. Meds are also very powerful. Everyone reacts differently to different medicatons. And, each drug has some very undesirable side effects. In case you are wondering, I am taking 1 Lexapro 10 mg tab/day and 1 0.5 mg Klonopin before bed to help with sleep/anxiety. If you are new to drugs, Lexapro is an SSRI (selective

Rebecca I was wondering that lately myself. I'm beginning to understand a little. For me, it is not a fear of dying, not right now anyway. I used to be convinced that I was HIV positive, even though tests confirmed I was not. I would think "maybe the tests were wrong. Maybe they read them wrong" etc. These days it is the fear of vomitting and feeling like I have a really bad flu 24/7. Here's the thing. I know in my rational mind that I do not have the flu and I will not throw up every time I leave the house or pass out. But knowing in my mind doesn't seem to stop my body from feeling that way. It feels so real and because of that I start thinking "maybe this time it is real." Even though I haven't vomitted or fainted since I began feeling these physical symptoms a year and a half ago. I can't seem to recconcile between what my body is feeling and what my rational mind knows. Can anyone relate to this? Cheers, Lolita

Glen, My panic attacks originally started after an injury as well. I, like you had never had any health problems prior to the injury. I worked in a health care setting and rarely even got an illness from any of the patients even when an epidemic was going through the hospital. I still am afraid of some mysterious illness I "may" have. It's hard to not gravitate back to that fear. My body literally freaks when I have any new symptoms now throwing me right into an attack. I'm still trying to figure out how a person can go from knowing they won't get sick and feeling invincable to a panic freak (me). :(

Yes, all of that does sound familar, I am 28 and have been going through this stuff since I was 19 actual allot younger.. I learned that when I was a child I had " separation anxiety" from my mother, I remember crying hystaricly and throwing up ever time she left me somewhere. She thought I was crazy... As I grew up the anxiety became different, I no longer threwup but would have these horrible attacks where I couldn't sleep for 82 hours and started hallucinating, went to the ER they said "just anxiety" that was when I was 19. Throughout the years I have had ever disease you can think of, It started with HIV, even if I wasnt a risk I had it. Then it was female cancers and brain tumors. Now at 28 it's a brain tumor-stroke-anurysm. When you have a fainting episode, like I did 6 weeks ago and then start having chronic headaches and sever panic attacks you tend to think the worset and I have. I am convinced that I have a brain tumor and that it will be cancerous. I always told my mom I woulnd't see my 30th b day and it seems that Ill be right... or so I think. Zoloft as you can tell is not helping me.. But yes, your story sounds just like me and allot of others out there. I am happy to hear that you are not dieing and will get this anxiety under control. Cassie

I'm a 35 year old male who has always been in perfect health - hardly ever a visit to a doctor for anything. About two months ago I tore a muscle in my lower leg while running. The pain was terrible, but I still did not go to the doctor for my leg injury, but I took some prescription pain medication for relief over the next three days. The next day at work I felt lightheaded and dizzy - sort of like I was going to faint, but I didn't. Those feelings scared the hell out of me. I thought I was dying of a stroke or blood clot. I came very close to leaving work and driving straight to the ER. The feelings subsided after a few minutes, but that night I swore I was going to die from a blood clot that traveled from my leg to my brain. It was TERRIBLE. I was afraid I was going to die in my sleep. I was lightheaded/dizzy, shaking, heart racing, chills and flushes, and fear of dying. This happened several times over the next two weeks. I now know that I was having PANIC ATTACKS. These attacks made me so scared of dying that it's all I think about now and it's been six weeks. I have been consumed by feelings of fear of dying. It's all I think about 24/7. I constantly have a "buzz of anxiety" in the back of my head and it's hard to focus on anything except these feelings. I finally went to see a psychiatrist two weeks ago who has also diagnosed me with GAD (general anxiety disorder), which was probably triggered by the panic attacks. He put me on Klonopin and Zoloft and I am doing better now, but I still have constant worries about my health and that nagging "buzz/dizziness". I am hyper sensative to every body feeling I get (i.e. every headache is a brain tumor or an aneurysm or a seizure; every body ache is some dreaded disease or cancer). It's so hard to fight these feelings and the fear of dying. I want to take an MRI or CAT Scan to check for EVERYTHING, but my doctor assures me that is not necessary. DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?????????

OMG! You think my symptoms are worthy of a MRI?! This is a nightmare for me, first off the thought of that gives me anxiety and sec I don't have insurence how in the world would I pay for something that expencive. I am happy to know that I am not the only one who has felt the pain of tunring your head to fast, its pretty bad. I am glad to hear everything was clear for you, that must have been a relife? Thank you Cassie

Cassie, I had most of those symptoms. The one where you turn your head and you get the pain, burning and the zing, it has happened to me on occasion if I turn just right or too fast, usually on the left side. I also have occasional numbness on the right side of my face, my cheek and on occasion my ear. Headaches lol, I get those frequently. Now although I too suggest the doc is the best source for answers but I wanted to comment some. You say that your muscles are tight and your neck stiff, and the back of your head hurts. It may be a nerve or a series of muscles that are very tight causing these problems. Believe me it happens and it will cause a bunch of odd things to go on. I've had problems with muscle spasm and tight muscles now for over 7 years. I'm on flexeril right now and it is helpiung some. Last night they spasmed so bad it felt like my head was shaking. again this morning it was coming on but I took the pill and it is somewhat better. Ask your Doc about the muscles and if you need something maybe massage or some medical help for it. Really it could be as simple as resting those muscles, maybe some massage and a med for a short period. A long time ago when this all started I went to see a neuro and I had to get a brain MRI before he would touch me, it was normal. Please don't worry too much it may just be that you need to rest those muscles. Good luck!