What does an anxiety attack feel like?

i have had anxiety attacks for 28 years now.i even had agoraphobia but after 12 years i managed to get that under control. my problem is i have congestive heart failure, so it's hard to tell anxiety symptoms from my heart. i spend at least one day a week in the er. for some reason for the past 3 years everyday i have felt short of breath, like i'm not getting enough air, or it's hard to breathe. i've been getting terrible headaches, i was told they're migranes and sometimes my head is all pressure, then i really can't breathe. i've been to neurologists, psychologists,and my fifth pulmonologist coming up. my cardiologist says this is not cardiac related.nighttime seems to make things worse. i hate to go to bed because my breathing gets worse,i usually get a bad headache. finally i just get out of bed and sit up all night. it's the difficulty breathing that is the worst and i have tried every psychologist and shrink our insurance will allow.the migraines are not great either. i'm open to any suggestions,28 years is a long time and not much research is being done to find a cure for us sufferers.

When I get a panic or anxiety attack, I don't even realize it's happening until I am in the middle of it. My chest feels like there is a weight on it and it's hard to breathe. I can feel adrenaline running through me. It's like a power surge, but none of the power is positive. I hate it.

I have have had similar symptoms. I am 27 now and in the Army. Ive been in since I was 19. When I was around 17 I started have these episodes where my heart would feel like it would pound out of my chest. I would get light headed and have to sit down. The pounding heartbeat would stop after a minute or so and I would feel like nothing ever happened. It is very scary. They seem to happen every few months and I was worried that I had a heart problem. I had a EKG and everything was normal. I have just recently returned from Iraq and I am getting out of the Army. I am very stressed out about finding a job with the economy in the shape that it is in. I have noticed these attacks happening more frequently now. I've been looking into the anxiety disorder thing and I think this may be the problem. I know I am a worrier and I've never had this much stress. Have you saught any treatment? If so, how did it go? Who did you talk to about it?

I get this way too. I heard it is the fight or flight response kicking in. I had my first of many panic attacks several months ago. I get hot, can't breathe, felt like I was literally dying. I felt like going and going anywhere fast! Gasping for breathe. Its very horrible. I did cry, still do and I don't think its silly at all. I don't take medication for it because thats the main source of my panick attacks fear of choking and it all started from a pill. (felt like I one got stuck after taking it). I stopped taking pills completely, if I get a headache I take childrens liquid Tylenol. I have recently began eating very small portions of solid foods. (I went to liquids and puree' foods.) Sorry I am going on like this but I really identify with your response and this discussion and it helps me to talk about it.