Anxiety and weird feeling on the front of my neck
April 2, 2009
So over the past 3 to 5 days I’ve been having this weird feeling at the base of the front of my neck. It’s not so much pain as it is annoying. It’s really hard to describe. It’s almost as if someone is holding their hands around my neck yet doing it lightly. I can breath fine and I don’t have any shortness of breath. I have had anxiety and “worry” issues for years now. I take Zoloft regularly and I take Xanax on an “as needed” basis.
I’m the type of person that gets all worked up about something like this and thinks “oh no, there must be something wrong with my heart or maybe my carotid arteries are clogged or something. I tend to go a bit overboard with trying to “self diagnose”. The Internet is not a help these days it just makes it worse it seems.
I try to get a good cardio workout in at least 3 times a week where I walk fast on the treadmill and get my heart rate up to about 155bpm and keep it there for about 30 or 40 minutes. I did this on Monday and my neck/upper chest felt funny the entire time. No different than when I am not exercising.
In the past I have had blood work done, a stress test, Holter monitor etc, just because I’m anal about shit and want to make sure I’m “OK”. I had all this done about 3 years ago. The docs all said everything was just fine.
Right now I am 6′1″ tall and I weigh 280 lbs. I used to weigh 314 lbs. but I lost the weight and still need to lose more. I don’t smoke, I drink occasionally but usually it’s about 2-3 beers a week at most. If not beer it’s Chianti (wine).
If I am standing up and I bend forward 90 degrees like I am half way to touching my toes, I can feel the weird feeling in my neck get worse. It’s almost like pressure. If I didn’t know any better I would say that I had pressure on my carotid arteries or something. The feeling has been with me constantly today. Not pain…..just annoying kind of weird pressure. It feels kind of similar to feelings I have had in the past when I have had anxiety real bad or some sort of anxiety attack. However if I take Xanax usually I’m fine after a short while. In this case I take Xanax and it helps a bit but the feeling doesn’t go completely away.
I have no idea what it is. I did talk to my doctor today on the phone and she said that this could be anxiety induced and that if I’m not better by next week she would like to see me.
I really just wanted to share this in case anyone else has had something like this and knows what this is. I also figured this may help someone who is having the same feelings.
Entry Filed under: Daily Grind, anxiety, exercise. Tags: anxiety, anxiety attack, carotid arteries, carotid artery, feeling in front of neck, heart, neck, panic attack, weird feeling, xanax, zoloft.
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1. Desmond | April 16, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Hi Dave, Ive had exactly the same thing for the past year or so following a period of anxiety. Now that the anxiety has subsided i am also left with a weird pressure like feeling in my neck or what seems to feel like my neck. I am searching to find out what it is whether it is a muscle related thing (your nervous system is messed up and causes spasms), i also feel off balance sometimes.
2. tom | May 2, 2009 at 4:47 pm
hey dave, you need to chill out and think practically, if youve been doing alot of excercise then perhaps youve strained the tendons in your neck, relaxation shots can be administered by your GP, make a quick visit to put your mind at rest, could hurt right dude?
3. Bobby | June 10, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Hello, I could be wrong, but my psychiatrist told me that this happens from heavy breathing do to anxiety. try
Breathing in and count
1-2 hold
breath out
3-4
and repeat ., Repeat on a day to day basis untill it because normal and the counting because normal, you won’t even need to count the number anymore. It seems to help, yet, myself I look for better answers to this feeling.
Doc says I’m just breathing to fast and its causing my neck to feel this way. So breathing techniques help.
Bob
4. Cecelia | October 1, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Wow! When I read your story above I couldn’t believe it! I have had the same symptoms lately. I too suffer from anxiety, but never felt this much tightness in the front of my neck before, just as you describe! I actually thought I was either having a heart attack or a stroke! I now feel it is from a little too much Yoga. Some of the poses have me twist my body to a side angle (such as triangle pose) and you can look up to the ceiling. I have been doing this quite a bit in class I feel I might have strained the front of my neck muscles. I do notice when I get stressed out it feels like someone is slightly choking me. I hate it, I hope if I rest a bit it will go away.
5. Panic Attack Blog | October 12, 2009 at 6:31 pm
As a panic attack sufferer for 20 years myself, I find your topic very interesting. In my experience you need to realize that you have this problem, and be open about it. It helped me.
6. Carolyn | October 25, 2009 at 9:09 pm
I also have this feeling in front of my neck. I have been under extreme stress the last month. I believe this may be the case but I have an appointment with the cardiologist.
7. Ann | October 29, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I can’t believe that there are other people out there who are experiencing the same feelings as me. I don’t have pain in my neck but I feel like I am being choked inside my throat but I can breathe just fine and am able to swallow. I also feel like I want to keep touching the front of my neck but there is nothing there to feel. I don’t like the feeling at all! I went to the family practice doctor today and she says this is an anxiety related problem. I have 3 teenagers this could go on for many more years!! I seem to be storing my stress in my neck thus causing spasms. She suggests resting my neck. How does one do that? Her other idea is for me to try acupuncture. One more thing…when I’m laying down resting the feeling goes away…??