Dealing with a wave of symptoms: tachycardia, sweating, chest pressure, vertigo, and general weaknes

I’m not sure if we already have a thread like this—I couldn't find one, anyway. I was thinking of it something like this: there are probably plenty of doctors, medical professionals, or even just health enthusiasts here who might be able to help those of us suffering without an official diagnosis.

I’ve been through a literal marathon of doctors and tests, and yet nobody has a clue what’s actually happening to me. Now, I get it—nobody can treat me via an online forum—but I’m hoping for some constructive advice or maybe some fresh ideas on how to navigate my ongoing medical odyssey.

For anyone who has the patience and the goodwill to help, I’ll lay out my situation:

It all started exactly a year ago. Out of nowhere, my heart started racing like crazy, I was drenched in a cold sweat, and my head started spinning. Since it wouldn't stop, I headed straight to the ER.
- They did blood draws from both veins and arteries, a urine sample, and checked my blood pressure. Everything came back normal, and after a bit, I calmed down. They sent me home.

A few days later, the right side of my face went numb and I couldn't feel my legs. Back to the ER. Again with the blood work, blood pressure, EKG, neurological exam, and an MRI of my spine. Everything was fine. Once again, I was sent home.

I felt okay for a few months. Then, in January, I had another panic attack triggered by chest tightness, stomach pain, and dizziness. I saw my primary care physician, who suspected MS. He ordered an MRI of my brain. Results? Totally clear.

I looked up my symptoms online and stumbled upon a site discussing Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy. Following the advice of people on those forums, I went to see a chiropractor. He practically cracked me in half—honestly—but it didn't do a damn thing for me.

After that, my doctor prescribed some anti-anxiety meds because he's convinced this is all psychological and that I've developed panic disorder.

Since I see white spots when I bend over and black spots almost constantly, I’ve also seen an ophthalmologist. Even they couldn't find anything beyond my standard prescription, which I already wear glasses for.

Every single day I feel weak, and my pulse stays uncomfortably high. Everything in my field of vision flickers like I'm dizzy; I’ve actually started swaying just to try and balance myself—now it’s become a habit. I constantly feel like I’m about to pass out. That sensation seems to stem from my jaw and behind my ears. Sometimes it hits me when I lie down. And then there's the stabbing pains in my chest.

Since I am truly at my wit's end, I'm just hoping there's someone with expertise here who can help... I'm desperate, and I would be genuinely grateful for any advice you can offer.

Brenda Green62 said:I don't know if we already have a thread like this, I couldn't find one. I was thinking about it like this: there's gotta be plenty of doctors/medical folks/health hobbyists here who can help those of us suffering without a formal diagnosis.

I've basically run a marathon through doctors and endless tests, and still, nobody knows what's going on with me. Look, I get it—nobody can actually *treat* me through an online forum—but I'm hoping for some constructive advice or maybe just some fresh ideas on how to keep my medical marathon moving forward.

For anyone out there who's feeling generous and has the patience, I'll lay out my situation:

It all kicked off exactly a year ago. Out of nowhere, my heart started racing like crazy, I broke out in a cold sweat, and my head started spinning. Since it wouldn't stop, I headed straight to the ER.
- They did blood work from my veins and arteries, urine tests, checked my blood pressure... everything came back fine. I calmed down after a bit and they sent me home.

A few days later, the right side of my face went numb and I couldn't feel my legs. Back to the ER. More blood work, blood pressure checks, EKG, neurological exams, an MRI of my spine. Everything was "normal." Sent home again.

I felt okay for a few months. Then, in January of this year, I had another panic attack because of chest tightness, stomach pain, and dizziness. I went to my doctor, who suspected MS. He ordered an MRI of my brain. All clear.

So, I Google my symptoms and stumble onto a site describing Cervical Spondylotic Syndrome. Following the advice of people on those forums, I went to see a chiropractor. Man, he really cracked me up... but it didn't help at all.

After that, my doctor put me on some anti-anxiety meds because he's convinced this is all psychological and that I've developed panic attacks.

Since I see white spots when I bend over and black spots almost all the time, I also went to an eye doctor. Even he couldn't find anything besides my usual prescription, which I already wear glasses for.

Every single day I feel weak, and my pulse stays pretty high. Everything in front of my eyes flickers like I'm dizzy, so I've started swaying a bit just to balance myself out... now that swaying has become a habit. I always feel like I'm about to pass out. That sensation comes from my jaw and behind my ears. Sometimes it gets dizzy when I lie down. And then there's the stabbing pains in my chest.

Since I'm honestly at my wit's end, I'm just hoping there's someone professional here who can help... I'm desperate and would be so grateful for any advice.

I dealt with stuff just like this—insane dizziness, fatigue, vision issues, chest pain, high heart rate, panic attacks...

The symptoms eventually eased up, and finally disappeared once I started treating my thyroid and anxiety.

I'm not saying it's nothing, but definitely check your thyroid. I was absolutely convinced I had leukemia because of how terrible I felt.

Emily Patel70 said:I dealt with some similar stuff—intense dizziness, exhaustion, vision issues, chest pains, racing heart, panic attacks...

The symptoms eventually eased up—and finally vanished—once I started treating my thyroid and anxiety.

I’m not saying that’s definitely the cause here, but seriously, get your thyroid checked. I felt so terrible I was convinced I had leukemia.

I actually had my thyroid checked about four months before all this started—mostly because I was gaining weight out of nowhere. But my doctor insisted everything looked fine. Maybe things just spiraled in those four months? Who knows.

Anyway, thanks for the advice—I’ll definitely get it re-checked.

I'm glad you're doing better now. Honestly, there are days when I don't see much point in pushing through, because I'm just not the person I used to be anymore.

A psychiatrist.

Michelle Evans said:A psychiatrist.

Exactly.

You're having a textbook panic attack.
That’s what psychiatrists deal with.

I couldn't agree more—it’s as if the anxiety attacks themselves get an "upgrade" when those physical symptoms start kicking in.
My mother is exactly the same way—she's probably convinced herself she was having a heart attack at least 200 times by now.
But in reality, it’s just an anxiety attack manifesting as chest tightness.
Then, once the mental side of the problem ramps up, everything else follows suit—her left arm starts going numb, the pain radiates toward her jaw, and so on.

mistydrifter55 said:Exactly.

It’s a panic attack—classic stuff.
Psychiatrists deal with this kind of thing.

wanderingcobra76 said:I agree—these anxiety attacks basically act like an upgrade where physical symptoms just pile on top.
My mom is the same way—she's probably thought she was having a heart attack at least 200 times by now.
But really, it's just an anxiety attack involving chest tightness.
Then, because the psychological side of things ramps up, her left arm starts going numb, the pain spreads toward her jaw, and so on.

I also get that feeling—that I'm actually dying when it hits. The thing is, my panic attacks vary so much in how they show up that I'm constantly questioning if it's the same thing or something else entirely. I guess I've become a bit of a hypochondriac because of it.

The weird part is that my doctor insists I don't need a psychiatrist—claiming my panic attacks are just caused by burnout. But I can see clearly enough that I won't be able to handle this on my own... Maybe I should talk to a specialist, even though I always thought I was mentally rock solid. Turns out, maybe I was just kidding myself...

Thanks for the advice, anyway.

Brenda Green62 said:The weird part for me is that my doctor insists I don't need a psychiatrist because he claims my panic attacks are just caused by burnout...

... which is still within the realm of mental health professionals, so his reasoning feels a bit unclear to me. 🤷

A psychiatrist, hands down.

I mean, sure, there’s definitely room for a psychologist in the mix too, 🤔

But look, this stuff doesn't just vanish overnight, and it won't just disappear tomorrow either.

You're going to have to put in some serious work yourself, obviously, all while following the lead of a solid professional who actually knows what they're doing.👍

Michelle Evans said:...which is also the territory of mental health professionals—so I don't really get what he was getting at with that comment. 🤷

To be honest, me neither. What bugs me most is how he prescribed my meds just like any other psychiatrist would—Deanxit for calming down and Tempest for acute episodes. But after dealing with this stuff for such a long time, I’d basically given up and just accepted it. Now, I've finally scraped together enough strength to keep fighting.

velvetmoose9 said:A psychiatrist, definitely.

Though, I suppose there's room for a psychologist too. 🤔

It didn't happen overnight, and it won't just vanish overnight either.

It’s going to require a lot of your own effort, obviously, alongside proper guidance from an actual professional. 👍

I managed to bring things down to a minimum on my own once, but I can see now that I can't keep doing this solo. I keep telling myself maybe it’s just some medical thing that will disappear overnight. It’s hard—really hard—to accept that it isn't going away, and that there isn't some magic pill, surgery, or treatment that’s just going to end this.

It absolutely is medical.
Psychiatry is a legitimate, serious branch of medicine, plain and simple.
In the developed world, obviously ☕

I’m not sure where you’re based (which matters when picking meds, since things vary outside of America), but jumping straight to Deanxit (Flupentixol + Melitracen) 🙄
Maybe the cost factor influenced which medication was chosen 🤷

Temast (lorazepam)—look, that’s a totally fine choice if you're dealing with an acute phase, just as a temporary, occasional fix👍

velvetmoose9 said:It absolutely is medical.
Psychiatry is a completely legitimate branch of medicine.
In the developed world, obviously ☕

I don't know where you're based (since drug availability varies outside of America), but jumping straight to Deanxit (Flupentixol + Melitracen) seems—I guess—a bit much at first glance. 🙄
Maybe the cost factor influenced which med was picked 🤷

As for Temast (lorazepam)—look, that’s a perfectly fine choice for an acute phase, maybe, as a temporary fix. 👍

I didn't mean to downplay psychiatry—my apologies if it came off that way. You all know what I meant.

I live in Switzerland and I have no idea why Deanxit—even though my doctor told me it's the mildest sedative possible.🤔

Switzerland — things are finally clicking 😁

I honestly can't wrap my head around the idea that Deanxit is some kind of "mild" sedative. I mean, sure, maybe if you're living in some remote corner of Central Asia—and I’m not being xenophobic toward the people there, just talking about how those healthcare systems operate—that might hold water. But elsewhere? Not a chance.

I’ve never really dug into how the health insurance system works over in Switzerland, so maybe there's a reason they lean on that specific medication. Maybe it’s a cost thing? Or just how their bureaucracy handles things?

There’s this one story that keeps getting passed around whenever people start discussing the Swiss medical system. It's pretty wild.

So, picture this: a guy is in absolute agony, dealing with a kidney stone. Pure, unadulterated pain.

He ends up calling some kind of emergency medical service for help.

And what does he get? They basically tell him to go hop in a warm bath, take a hot shower, and then give them a call back in an hour or two. That was it.

velvetmoose9 said:Switzerland - things are becoming clearer 😁

I absolutely refuse to agree with the claim that Deanxit is some mild sedative—unless we’re talking about a country whose name ends in "-stan" (not being xenophobic toward the people there, I mean the healthcare system itself).

I have no idea how the health insurance system is structured over in Switzerland; maybe that explains why they push this specific drug (the price, perhaps?).

There's this one anecdote that gets passed around all the time regarding the Swiss medical system.

A guy is dying from pain—kidney stones, specifically.

He calls some kind of medical helpline.

And he gets told to just sit in a tub and shower with warm water, then call them back in an hour or two.

Well, everything goes through insurance here, and you pay up to whatever limit you choose (which dictates your monthly premium)—for instance, I cover everything myself up to $1,000, after which I only pay 20% of the cost. I hit that cap ages ago because of all the tests I needed this year.

It makes sense, really; you pay for everything through insurance, and Deanxit is incredibly expensive...

What I can't wrap my head around, though, is why they prescribe an antidepressant while insisting I don't need a psychiatrist or a psychologist. They're basically profiting off me for as long as possible, even though I'll eventually need actual professional help anyway.🙄

I can't personally vouch for that anecdote. Three times this year, I've been lured in by hints, and every single time it was over in less than five minutes—they acted all "professional" and stuff.
The hospital is a whole different story; they left me waiting for four hours while I was in the middle of a massive panic attack. They didn't even know what was wrong with me yet—I'm clutching my chest, and they just let me wait that long.

Anyway, I'm starting my search for a psychiatrist this Monday. 🙏