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[dulciana]

Does anybody else get palpitations when they're in an anxious or stressed state?   I've been experiencing this recently.  It's usually accompanied by things like hissing in my ears, mild headache, tearfulness, shakiness.....I just hope I'm all right.

[dulciana]

Hubby wants me to go and see about it.  I did go, in fact, several months ago and it seemed to be okay.   I've just been so stressed out by things in recent months - including Hubby retiring - and it's almost as if my body's reacting to all this.   When my Christmas playing duties were over and I was able to have some "down" time, I pretty well slumped for a while.  As soon as things started to get a bit more stressful again (daughter's job worries, concerns about my Dad), back come the palpitations.  I am having so much anxiety these days.  I've read about post-meno anxiety and can certainly relate to it.   I wanted to go into town today but I didn't dare go by myself, in case I got anxious and triggered everything again.  Interestingly, I don't get this when I'm playing the organ or teaching.  If I'm really absorbed in something, with no feelings of angst, I'm okay.  Even when I'm over at my Dad's - which can be a bit stressful - I'm usually okay because I love him very much and he's a very positive person.  Music helps no end.  But I feel that these days, I can't do a lot of things without getting these physical symptoms - such as watching TV, reading a book with any amount of angst in it, anticipating or re-living events that have happened.  Writing this is making my hands tingle and my ears hiss.     

[dulciana]

Have you had anything like this, Sparkle?   

Or has anyone else?

[dulciana]

I'm just thinking - I've always been a pretty intense sort of person and these days I'm even more intense!  Just thank goodness for my music, where I can at least let some of this out......!   Still could use some calmness, though.  I'm often finding that my shoulders are all hunched up and I have to make a conscious effort to drop them. 

[coldethyl]

This is excactiy how I started with peri anxiety after many years of coping with my anxiety reasonably well. The ectopic heartbeats and palpitations started up and threw me into almost permanent panic - I must have had a frequent flyer pass with my local PCAS centre for ECGs in 2015/16 - I'm now on a low dose betbalocker and that seems to help, probably as much psychologically as therapeutically as it is well below usual dosage.  Often when we have been very stressed we cope with that ok but then our on switch for the adrenaline and other hormones we needed to get through those times seems to get stuck in that higher mode and when it isn't needed we get all these awful anxiety feelings when there's no real threat or situation to be dealt with.  I'm guessing that is why having been diagnosed with cancer, my anxiety levels have actually been a lot better as I've something to use all the buzzing hormones up on!!!
Mindfulness practice helps, as does gentle exercise and I always hound reading Claire Weekes soothing although the books are a bit old fashioned these days.

[coldethyl]

Thanks Coldethyl, that all makes a lot of sense.  It's like my tolerance level has been re-set much lower than it used to be, if that makes sense.  I'm planning to do an eight week Mindfulness course starting in February.  It's all the panicking about the 'what if's' that drives me nuts and such a waste of time.

S x

You lose so much of life what iffing or looking back to things that can't be changed - I'm currently seeing a health psychologist for support through my treatment and we mostly do mindfulness things to ground me in the here and now - really that is all any of us have and life is happening now not in some distant realm of the thousands of terrible scenarios we have imagined out of mostly thin air - all my life I felt that ovarian cancer was waiting for me ( call me a witch) but all my worrying about it didn't prevent it happening , it just added to my anxiety and made me waste so much precious time x

[coldethyl]

That's really given me food for thought Coldethyl, thank you.  And it's made my mind up about the Mindfulness course too. 

Can I ask why you felt ovarian cancer was waiting for you?

S x

Just a weird feeling - I always had ovary pain from periods starting and was diagnosed with endometriosis which is implicated in higher risk as were the fertility drugs I took - so it just always felt likely. Still a shock despite all the worrying!!!
Mindfulness is very good - I've done a few courses and they've all been positive experiences x

[coldethyl]

My right ovary was stuck to my bowel when they operated hence I now have a temporary ileostomy - my ca125 was over a 1000 so I knew then what I was most likely facing though endometriosis does elevate it and so does womb cancer which was found on biopsy at s very early stage- I would just say to not worry unduly but to be symptom aware and proactive as it is often put down to things like Ibs by doctors despite all the campaigns to promote awareness - whilst a low ca125 is good it is more a tool for seeing how well treatment is working than diagnostics as quite a reasonable percentage of women can return false negatives - I'm sure you know the symptoms but weight loss or gain, bloating, nausea and tiredness are signs to get checked out even though they are must likely nothing - tbh I had no symptoms till just before diagnosis and it was a large tumour by then but thankfully removed x

[coldethyl]

I think as long as you keep an eye on any changes then that is  you can do - I keep wondering if a national screening programme would help detect it at far earlier stages - by the sounds of it your GP seems pretty proactive anyway on the tests and scan fronts x

[coldethyl]

I agree, particularly for something that is difficult to diagnose, likewise pancreatic cancer. 

I've been very lucky with the gp's at my surgery apart from one who said I should stop worrying about the tummy pains I was having as I'd had scans a couple of years earlier.  I went with my gut instinct (pardon the pun) and saw a different GP who sent me off for a range of tests and bingo, amongst other things, there was a suspicious lump in my gallbladder.  I was fast tracked in and it was whipped out! 

S x

I do wonder if they'd be quite so casual with a family member's health - it must be cheaper to deal with things sooner rather than later but I guess done gps just see their own budgets and by the time it's something rather than nothing that's the hospital's problem. X

[dulciana]

Coming back to the topic of this thread  , I saw my GP today.  She checked my pulse, blood pressure and heart and they're okay.  Big relief.  She's given me some ideas of how to tackle my sky-rocketing anxiety - a "sufferers'" group, a counselling association and a couple of websites.  She recommended things like deep breathing, exercise and not having too much coffee.  I feel more relaxed this evening.  Tired after all the worrying, but definitely happier. 

[breeze]

Good for you

Doing something positive, like you just have, is a lift to the spirits.
Positive thoughts, positive actions and hopefully positive outcomes.

[coldethyl]

Glad that you are feeling reassured- I have been using some mindfulness self compassion meditations off Kristen neff 's webpage and have found them helpful in calming my mind when it goes off on one- your local Mind may have counselling available and sometimes offer drop in sessions and informal meetings - I found cbt helpful as well x

[dulciana]

Thanks coldethyl.

[dulciana]

Going to get some one-to-one help with this stupid anxiety - I've got a few weeks to wait, but I don't mind.  I really need it and it helps just knowing I've asked.   Hubby's out this this evening and instead of enjoying some "me" time, I'm sitting here feeling anxious, in an in-on-myself way.  I'm fine when I'm listening to or playing music; it's when I'm not that I start feeling anxious.  I honestly don't know whether I'm more sensitive these days and therefore more easily affected by things, or the triggers are so bad that they would upset anyone.   I don't want to take medication for it - I just long to be gently advised how I can manage this anxiety and stop it from dominating my life, which it is doing increasingly.