Quote: "Right now I'm having a little trouble breathing, and feel really nervous. 3 days ago my heart rate sped up really fast, and slowed down, sped up, slowed down, etc. It did this for a while until I finally started feeling better, I was later informed this could have been a panic attack."
They're heart pulputations, I've been getting them myself, since Easter - had to stop programming/3D modelling for a while because of them. They can be due to a number of reasons, some not so bad, some bad - Thyroid is the bad one, but mine was due to stress, when I first got them, I was working my arse off, really worried about exams and coursework deadlines, then I found lumps and they worried me more and other stresses were family related, then add my higher colestral from not doing much exercise in the past year, (due to working towards my exams etc.) and I am the kind that bottles up his emotions/worries, I found by going to the doctors a relief - though exams were still stressful, but I managed to take the week off (Plus the Easter holiday) and to move my coursework deadline, which in turn gave me time to relax.
Being paranoid you may find you're worrying too much and that's causing you a lot of stress and in turn is causing you stress related illnesses alongside. When I first got the pulputations I actually shook all over - not because it was cold. Your other symptoms however aren't the same, they could be link to something else like a flu or something. The light headedness/headaches can be stress related as well, think not enough oxygen getting to the brain due to increase heart rates.
That's my take on it, I'm not expert or doctor, but it seems to be one of those things that could be more than one thing, hence when I went to the doctor about mine they did heart tests (with those electrode things), blood pressure tests, blood tests to test for any illnesses like Thyroid.
But my advice would be actually, (if it is what I think it is...remember I would try to see a doctor, seriously, that can one huge relief and can point you in the direction of getting better) get away from the computer (I should take my own advice as I've got pulpatations at the moment) and relax, watch TV, read a book, lay in your bed, stretch out, meditate if that's your some of thing - if there's high colestral involved, change your diet a bit, get some Omega 3 related products (I have Flora Omega 3 spread instead of butter - low calorie, low fat etc, and it doesn't taste too bad either) for your heart and low colestral stuff, each healtily - oats are good for your heart and colestral, keep away from caffeine and other stimulating drinks(even Cola) and of course vegetables are good and keep out the junk, do some exercise - not vigorous, go out for a walk for a while and come back and build up to more vigorous things. Of course, just keep it cool, my week off consisted of laying on the sofa with a quilt and pillow playing Final Fantasy XII all day long and I soon chilled out.
Well that's my take on it, but please "DON'T TAKE THAT AS A PROPER DIAGNOSIS AND TRY TO SEE A DOCTOR, YOUR HEALTH IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU HAVE AND IT WOULD BE TERRIBLE IF IT ISN'T WHAT I THINK IT IS AND FOR YOU TO TAKE THAT ON WITHOUT SEEKING A DOCTOR. LIKE I SAID, IT HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING OTHER ILLNESSES, BUT UNTIL YOU CAN SEE A DOCTOR, MY ADVICE IS PROBABLY THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IN THE MEANTIME.
I shot the sheriff
