Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Get Frequent Anxiety Attacks With Heaviness On One Side Of Chest, Headache, Pressure In Ear. What Could Be Wrong?
Question: I'm a 37 year old woman, I haven't been feeling myself for the last couple of months. I've been having anxiety attacks, my Dr. prescribed Alprazolam .25MG since March, but lately I have a heaviness on my left side of chest, sometimes with a headache only on the left back side of my head and pressure inside left ear. It usually happens in the morning or at night, I went to my DR. had an AKG done, came out perfect. My blood pressure was high 145/100 so now I have been on Metoprolol 50MG for the last 3 days, but I'm still the symptoms at night and in the morning. I am obese, but I have been eating very well for the last 3 months and have already lost 25 pounds. I feel very scared I have never felt like this before, sometimes I think it's mental and sometimes I wonder if there something very wrong.
Hi there ~
Thank you for a brief history and I am glad you are asking questions on a forum like this. Also I understand that you have been diagnosed with anxiety attacks recently. I am glad that you visited with a doctor for the same who prescribed medications for you. I wonder if you are feeling this way due to the medications. Although alprazolam is a good medication for anxiety, its onset of action and its duration of action are very less and therefore may not be very useful in the long run. Otherwise said, you may start having anxiety attacks and start taking the medication more often than you should. Also the medication is addiction forming and you could have a tough time going off of the medication.
About the heaviness on the left side of your chest and headache with a left back side ache on the back of your head you need to see a cardiologist to get a baseline EKG done as well as get yourself checked out for any ischemic changes. These are the most common cause of your symptoms. Your blood pressure needs adequate control and I hope you are on medications for the same. Getting on a schedule, eating right and exercising to lose your weight may also be a good idea to improve your health long term. I also think that you may have lost weight but it is an ongoing process. I reassure you there are many other medications that are effective in anxiety and SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are necessary. You must visit with a psychiatrist qualified in anxiety issues to get the right medications for the disorder. Also yoga and pranayama may be helpful if you have the resources nearby. I hope this helps.
Take care and have a lovely day!
Thank you for a brief history and I am glad you are asking questions on a forum like this. Also I understand that you have been diagnosed with anxiety attacks recently. I am glad that you visited with a doctor for the same who prescribed medications for you. I wonder if you are feeling this way due to the medications. Although alprazolam is a good medication for anxiety, its onset of action and its duration of action are very less and therefore may not be very useful in the long run. Otherwise said, you may start having anxiety attacks and start taking the medication more often than you should. Also the medication is addiction forming and you could have a tough time going off of the medication.
About the heaviness on the left side of your chest and headache with a left back side ache on the back of your head you need to see a cardiologist to get a baseline EKG done as well as get yourself checked out for any ischemic changes. These are the most common cause of your symptoms. Your blood pressure needs adequate control and I hope you are on medications for the same. Getting on a schedule, eating right and exercising to lose your weight may also be a good idea to improve your health long term. I also think that you may have lost weight but it is an ongoing process. I reassure you there are many other medications that are effective in anxiety and SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are necessary. You must visit with a psychiatrist qualified in anxiety issues to get the right medications for the disorder. Also yoga and pranayama may be helpful if you have the resources nearby. I hope this helps.
Take care and have a lovely day!
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
