You know when you are 18 or 28 and you get a chest pain over your heart? You just think, 'meh, whatever'.
Well, last Friday early am (which means my late afternoon/evening) I had gotten myself quite riled up. That chest pain suddenly took on new meaning as I am now 38 and not overly active and well, food - it's bad.
Logically I knew it was probably a muscle pull. Course this same logic asked how considering I don't exercise and haven't done much of anything over the past week. If I had been painting or something I would understand. So round and round I went. Bob got up and I dumped my worries on him. At which point I got the lecture on how we are going to eat better and get healthy. Yuck.
Basically I've sat around for 4 days with chest pains wondering if I was being a dumbass for not going to a doctor (not once mentioning that point to Bob cause I'm not stupid).
Tonight the pain is gone so now I know it was a muscle pull. So I saved myself the 4 hours at emerg and the resulting lecture from the doctor.
That all said, I'm on these new pills and the weight is getting crazy. I gained 15 pounds in two months. I'm going to talk to my doc about it tomorrow. I figure I'll get no sympathy there.
Why can't they make anti-anxiety meds that cause rapid weight loss? Why is weight gain the side-effect? There is a part of me that wants to stop the meds to see if I would lose weight. I'm just not sure the panic attacks are worth being skinny. Hell, it was the anxiety that kept me from eating. Still is even when I'm on meds!
Guess that answers that question.
Must start exercising. I will now that I'm not worried my heart will explode from my chest.
Bah. I'm hating this already.
8 comments:
Cindy,
I can't help but reply to your post. A friend and neighbor had some symptoms two weeks ago. They did not seem like typical heart attack symptoms (heaviness in the chest), but rather headache, nausea, and pain in her upper back. She is mid thirties, a healthy woman with 3 children. She did ask her husband to take her to the hospital, and she was having a massive heart attack. She is ok now.
Studies also show that women are less likely to seek early help when they are in cardiac distress. In our culture, we still think heart disease is a male thing, and we use the masculine symptoms as our guide.
I agree that one shouldn't run to the ER with every gas pain, LOL, but you are also right that one shouldn't take one's own health lightly!
Cindy, it's the proverbial hamster on the wheel isn't it? You think, you worry, you have anxiety.
You have anxiety, you think, you worry.
If you are adjusting meds anyway, I'd check with the doctor. It could be your medication.
Awww, Cindy. I hope you feel better! and I agree, chest pains are always worrisome... Glad you're okay.
Cindy-
It's always better safe than sorry. If it happens again, please at least see your regular dr or go to an urgent care center (do they have those in CA? Not your regular doc, but a separate place where you can get a same day appt. Sorry to sound so stupid). We need you to take care of yourself so we can get our Cindy fix! :)
I'm in the same boat as you are about the weight, but I've no excuse other than liking food & being lazy. I promised myself I'll exercise regularly. :(
YES! I add my voice to the crowd, and say get checked out. Women are much less likely to head to the ER and heart disease is the leading cause of death for women.
I agree, though, why can't meds cause weight loss? The side effect is always weight gain. It sucks.
Topamax can have weightloss effects and work on anxiety... of coures it can have crazeee side effects for a while ::bats eyes::
just saying
welburtin is another anti-dep than can work with some anxiety meds that can help or at least not make you gain...
of course everyone is different
hell there was something they first put me on for the migraine that I gained 30 pounds in a month on... so not happy was I
hope you are feeling better babe
((((((Cindy))))))
I'm glad to hear it turned out to be not too serious. Poor thing!
Jessica - thanks for sharing that - I was thinking it's time to read up on the symptoms women get - I knew that the pain in the arm wasn't part of it. And I'm horrible about going to the hospital - I'll take anyone else gladly but me? Not so much.
Rosie - I swear my mind empties out when the dr enters the room. I have that 'disease to please' and all my complaints go right out the window. Duh. I was going to ask her to check my blood pressure and whoops - gone out the brain. I need to start taking a list with me.
Nath - thanks and yeah, this weekend wasn't fun. Hope you had a great long weekend!
Bookwormom - you never sound stupid - we used to have an urgent care facility but they closed it up. Basically you go to your family doc but they will in a heartbeat tell you to go to the ER if you are worried. I wish there was an in between place to go because you normally sit in the ER waiting room for hours to discover you're fine. Then you feel stupid ;)
Yep, liking food and being lazy - probably be on my headstone ;)
Megan - I will keep this in mind - better safe than dead ;) I should have become a doctor so I could take the perfect med to lose anxiety and weight. But I can't deal with the liquids the body produces. You're a writer, I'll leave that one to your imagination ;)
Sybil - Yeah, I think I'll leave the topamax for you ;) Right now the paxil is working on my mood in that I'm not depressed or ready to kill anyone. Good thing in the middle of Feb. I wish it worked just a little better on the anxiety but I have clonaz to help. Only if I take the clonaz I get super sleepy. I would just be a giant cat at that point ;)
Ah the guinea pigs we are to the docs.
Thanks everybody - It was plaguing the brain and it was good to write it down. I actually had an okay day until about 3 hours ago when my tummy tanked. But I figure I earned that one over the weekend ;)
Cindys
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