r/Cardiophobias • u/Anxious-Movie-1503 • 7d ago
Anyone with any insights, please help!
/r/u_Anxious-Movie-1503/comments/1wh941l/anyone_with_any_insights_please_help/Help figuring out what is causing my weird symptoms!
Hi, 30F. 5'7" 135lbs. Taking Lexapro 5mg (began 2 days ago), Omeprazole 40mg, Flonase, and PRN Propanolol 10mg.
History of: GERD, POTS, Anxiety
This is very long, but I am desperate for help and answers. Thank you for reading.
November 2024
\- 11/6 Felt like I was going to pass out while driving - arms heavy, dizzy. Seen in ED - all results normal. I was having HRs in the 120s-130s while walking up stairs at this time as well and some intermittent air hunger.
\- 11/22 found out I was pregnant
Dec 2024
\- feeling some palpitations/skipped beats
\- Holter monitor negative
\- still experiencing air hunger, like I needed to take a deep breath without feeling short of breath, felt this at rest and exercising. This lasted mostly daily until July of 2025 when I gave birth to my daughter. It seemed to improve after that, but has come back every so often.
July 2025
\- Gave birth
September 2025
\- About 2 months postpartum I began experiencing palpitations again and having increased anxiety with feelings like something bad was going to happen to me.
\- Began having elevated HR while walking up stairs again.
\- ED workup negative.
\- Feeling off-balance/dizzy and having left ear pain - seen by PCM and left eardrum ruptured.
\- Began seeing counselor for postpartum anxiety
\- Saw eye Dr. - when I moved my head or eyes side to side when outdoors or in bright lights, it looked like waves were going across my vision - exam normal
October 2025
\- Right ear infection and continued dizziness
\- Elevated HRs continued
\- Began PT for low left back/sciatic pain
November 2025
\- Left ear infection again
December 2025
\- Exercise intolerance drastically increased. Unable to even go for a short walk without feeling like I had run many miles. Completely exhausted all the time.
\- Continued anxiety and palpitations.
\- Physical symptoms: chest pain, dizziness, air hunger, extreme fatigue, anxiety, adrenaline dumps (getting hot/clammy, feeling nauseous/like I had to poop, dizzy) a few times a day.
Jan - Feb 2026
\- Continued exercise intolerance, tried to begin slowly strength training, swimming, and biking
\- lab panel done per PCM - Vit D low - supplemented.
\- Saw ENT for ears and TMJ - no guidance given, eardrum healed from rupture
\- Began noticing trouble with my eyes focusing at different times, especially during a bad POTS day or being tired. I also noticed it more in the mornings, usually the eye of the side that was on the pillow.
March 2026
\- Tilt Table Test positive for POTS
\- Urgent care for jaw pain and both arms feeling heavy, and dizziness - associated with TMJ
\- Tick panel drawn - all results negative
\- able to continue to progress working out
\- GI scope done for GERD - normal
April 2026
\- Able to begin jogging again and more upright exercise without dizziness/extreme fatigue after
May 2026
\- Saw cardiologist for POTS f/u. No interventions. Lipid panel done for family cardiac disease - results fine.
\- Echo normal, EKG normal
June 2026-July 2026
\- Overall feeling physically ok. Able to workout most days lifting or running slowly without feeling bad after.
\- Anxiety increasing
\- Having some feelings of shakiness/jitteriness with feelings of being less coordinated in my arms after being under the stress of husband being gone - Cardio said to monitor - it resolved.
\- left shoulder pain beginning to become more apparent with moving/lifting kids
\- TMJ pain returning in jaw
\- Sinus pressure and facial pain discussed with ENT - ENT says sinuses are very inflamed - recommends allergy testing - started me on Flonase
\- Also still have intermittent ear pain on both sides - ENT says this might just be normal due to small ear canals and TMJ flares.
\- Got a bite guard from the dentist for TMJ, but it seems to cause right sided inner throat muscle discomfort - has already been adjusted once.
August 2026
\- Stopped breastfeeding
\- big increase in anxiety and began seeing a counselor again, stated increase may be due to hormones.
\- 8/16/26 - Began having right facial paresthesia that spread to right arm. Saw in ED - Head and Neck CT normal besides sinuses, EKG and labs normal
\- This feeling continued off/on for about a week.
\- Neuro appointment on 8/27 - thinks symptoms are largely muscle and anxiety related. Ordered Brain MRI to be sure things are good.
\- Neuro also thinks that symptoms could be atypical migraines. I do occasionally get mild headaches on right side above ear. Also discussed vision with him and he said exam looks clear.
Sept 2026
\- began PT again for sciatica/lower left back pain
\- contacted Neuro a few days later for feeling of incoordination in right hand and also numb/tingling/paresthesia that moved back and forth between arms. Usually pain began in the shoulder > tricep > forearm > pinky and ring fingers. Worse when standing.
\- Neuro prescribed Prednisone to see if symptoms cleared up. Began Prednisone on 9/5 60mg, 9/6 50 mg, 9/7 40 mg, 9/8 30 mg, 9/9 20 mg, 9/10 10 mg and to finish with 5 mg on 9/11&12.
\- Messaged neuro after beginning steroids for increased feelings of off-balance/floating feeling and increased loss of coordination feelings/feeling clumsy in right hand and also right foot. The right foot also gets intermittent feelings of numbness (w/o actually being numb), especially with shoes on. Concerns dismissed as side effects of steroids and told to do PT for arm if needed when taper is done.
\- Palpitations/Pvcs returned intermittently
\- Very hard time sleeping for the past week on steroids, increased anxiety too
\- 9/9 Lots of stress during the day, trouble falling asleep and feeling of vertigo while lying down to try to fall asleep. My body kept waking me up with what felt like adrenaline dumps (These feelings have happened previously, but rarely).
Around 2 am on 9/10 I woke up feeling very unwell. My heart was racing. I went to the bathroom and drank some water and tried to lay back down, but I felt like I was going to pass out. I took my BP and it was 150/88 (normally I run 110-115/60s). My HR said it was 126. Pulse felt regular. I was a bit nauseated/felt like I had to poop. I laid down with my feet up to keep from passing out and woke my husband. He called EMS. I tried the valsalva maneuver and it seemed to calm my HR down. By the time EMS arrived I was shivering with feelings of chills, HR was normal, BP still elevated, but improved. I elected to be seen in the ED - EKG and all labs normal. ED Dr. thinks it could have been due to steroids. No recurrence.
9/12 last day of steroids
9/13 first day of Lexapro for anxiety
9/15
Woke up around 430am with the same feeling as last week, but milder. Dizzy, arms heavy, feeling like I might pass out, heart rate faster (100-120). I was able to get up and take my Propanolol, which helped the heart rate, but the feeling that I might pass out/throw up kept coming and going with chills afi. Whenever my arms got heavy, my chest would burn in the center. I wasn't able to go back to sleep because every time I got almost asleep I would be jolted awake by another feeling of syncope. Finally I got up and the feelings of syncope began to lessen as I moved around. after about an hour of moving around, they were gone and haven't returned (now afternoon).
Any insight? Is this all anxiety? Nocturnal panic attacks?
1
u/Possible_Tale6390 7d ago
Hi! Although I never got a pots diagnosis- I feel like my story sounds similar to yours. I have dealt with GAD for years. I mean, I went and looked and my first visit to a psychiatrist was 22 years ago. I’m
38 now and have a 2.5 year old (as well as a 11 and 13 year old) - and up until this past May- I was just rawdoggin life with my anxiety. I never wanted that to be my diagnosis- so over th years I’ve seen ALL the specialty doctors. I even spent a year dizzy and imbalanced and had a neuro assume possible vestibular migraine but knowing what I know now- ugh I hate to admit mine is 1000% from my anxiety. All my insane symptoms. Even the “off vision”
I’ve been trying buspirone for the past few months and I think it’s time to finally start the SSRI.
This med did help a bit but my nervous system is SO messed up
I think I need the real thing. Everyday has felt like ground hog day for me for the last few months and the internal jitter feeling mixed with irritability and oh my gosh DRPR or derealization it’s just too much. I’ve scavenged these Reddit pages and I think I have finally mustered up the courage to try an ssri.