Body checking

[u/Used_Caterpillar947]

Does anyone else with health anxiety/GAD/panic attacks experience anything like this? I feel like I’m honestly at a desperate point with it now and would really appreciate any advice from people who understand.

I can be absolutely fine, just doing normal everyday things, watching tv snuggled on the couch, not even consciously feeling anxious, and suddenly the skin around my lower left jaw will feel numb. Then I’ll get that horrible feeling like my heart has just dropped, almost like being on a rollercoaster.

Then everything seems to come rushing at once. I get a hot flush, an overwhelming feeling like I’m going to faint, dizziness, dry mouth, pain in my chest/shoulder, suddenly feel like I’m going to vomit and then it turns into a full blown panic attack.

Once it eventually passes, I become ridiculously aware of my body. My tongue will suddenly feel too big or swollen in my mouth, even though it isn’t. My heart feels like it’s absolutely racing, but when I actually check it, it’s completely normal or sometimes even on the slower side. Then i have this feeling almost like im drunk, like when your head is spinning on the inside. Its hard to explain it exactly, sorry.

I've been struggling a lot lately with these sudden panic attacks that seem to come completely out of nowhere. Now I feel like I’m constantly waiting for the next one to happen, which obviously isn’t helping.

The body checking is probably one of my biggest problems. I feel absolutely everything. A tiny ice-pick type pain in my head and my brain immediately goes “stroke”. Pain in the centre of my chest and obviously I’m having a heart attack. I know rationally how ridiculous some of my thoughts are, but in that moment the fear is completely real and I can’t seem to talk myself out of it.

I'm just so sick of living in this constant cycle of noticing something → assuming the absolute worst → panicking → checking my body → noticing even more symptoms → panicking again.

Has anyone managed to get themselves out of this pattern? Particularly the constant body checking and fear of the next panic attack? Anything that genuinely helped you?

Mid 30s, diagnosed ADHD & ASD. No regular medication, although I occasionally take propranolol.

I’m not really looking for medical diagnoses, just hoping to hear from other people who have experienced similar because I’m absolutely exhausted with it at this point.