Fear that I have Heart Disease

[Jherron]

I'm 29 and I have been exercising for a year now. My brisk walking pace has come up to 4.5 mph now. I can hold this pace for 25 minutes or more If I want to I and my HR is 135-142 after walking for 2 miles. Here is what scares me though. I have erratic blood pressure ranging from 110-170/70-103. My Resting HR is 48. At night when my heart rate slows below 65 I feel like my heart is beating to hard. Here lately when I lay down in bed my heart beat rocks my body. I almost constantly feel my heart beat in my cheat and stomach. I know I'm slender @140 lbs 5'9". It is scaring me something terrible. Because after I go exercise my blood pressure is in normal ranges. If I sit around doing nothing for an hour it feels like my heart is beating to hard. My pulse is never over 85 while sitting. I keep getting horrible headaches that I think are from my blood pressure but could be from my neck muscles. I have had chest pain while exercinsing. felt like a kick in the chest and took my breathe away. Dr said I was pushing to hard and to not get my HR over 155 until I'm clear by a Cardio Dr which I have been waiting to see for 9 months now. I am now living in fear constantly that my heart is about to give out on me. So far all the Dr have found is a hiatal hernia and gastritis. I have so many resting EKGS and all were normal. My total cholesterol was like 115. Cardiac enzymes are always good. But yet I can't shake the thought mainly because of this severe headache that in my mind is because my blood pressure is high. I'm scared to check though because of the fight or flight reaction it will set off

[SLA]

I keep getting horrible headaches that I think are from my blood pressure but could be from my neck muscles.

It will most likely be the neck.

I struggle with my neck, and it is the source of all my headaches. If I don't keep it in check, I easily let it spill over into health anxiety.

You are focussing WAY to much on all of your "metrics"... BPM, Pressure etc...

You are caught in a negative spiral of check/panic/headache/check/panic.... and the more you go looking for things, the worse you make it.

You can't get accurate resting heart-rate measurements in a state of anxiety, or panic, so don't bother.


My advice for you would be to stop taking your own measurements.

[Jherron]

Very well could be radiating from my neck. I play a lot of Billiards around 3 hours almost everyday. Funny thing is I have had a bad headache before that went away after a billiard session. I have not played today but shot for 4 hours Sunday and 3 Saturday.

[Jherron]

Finally had a echo stress test. BP peaked @ 178/68 HR was 163. Held 162bpm for 2:41 on an incline. Talk about pounding never felt my heart pound that hard.. So I guess I'm good now. Dr said i had no blockage and to continue my diet. I still get them skiped beats but im not as scared of them now. still exercise 20-30 minutes a day and sometimes walk 12 minute miles on good days. I love pushing hard and have been able to run 11 minute miles. So looking forward to increasing my health and jogging a marathon. Foods high in potassium have helped me a lot. My resting blood pressure is now 106/67 and resting HR is still in the high 40s and yes my bottom number fluctuates still but usally nothing over 90. I am almost as fit as I was in high school praise God. Still sruggle with obsessive thoughts but cope with it using billiards and 4 beers.

[DivineAngle]

Do you find you get the skipped beats when exercising or at rest, were you able to correlate any reason as to why?

[Jherron]

My skipped beats happen at rest and during exercise.