View Full Version : Sudden Death Syndrome.The worst anxiety i've faced
Hey,
I had quite a bad panic attack a few weeks ago and have suffered chest pains for quite a few years. I've been to the doctors on numerous occasions to be told there's nothing wrong (always a bit embarassing). I went to A and E yesterday becuase I was convinced I had a collapsed lung and when I was told it was fine, my attentions were immediatly turned to Sudden death syndrome. I seem to be the perfect age to suffer it (23) and im quite fit and healthy, yet my chest always hurts, i get palps, get short of breath (always wanting to burp!!) and dizzy. I've also done a stupid thing and googled stories and biographies of people who have died..relating their lives to mine. Out of all my anxieties, this is by far the worst..as Its instant and there's nothing I can do. At least with others, I could see an escape route but this is just like waiting to die.
Does anyone else suffer from this?? It's as though my body wants my brain to think its dying..every day is a battle. This is really dire stuff guys, sorry!!! Just had to get it off my chest and maybe see if anyone else worries about it. For those who don't...forget you ever read this!!
Take care everyone.
Will x
You are not alone in this. What you are going through is a nightmare experienced a all too many people.
Your fear of sudden death syndrome comes from finding out that there was nothing wrong with your lungs. Your brain instantly looked for something else to worry about.
Sudden death syndrome, as i understand it, is a a name they give when a fit and healthy young person dies for no apparent reason and they cannot find anything wrong with the person at all after death. It is not a recognised Illness that could be diagnosed before death. Therefore no matter what symptoms you have, you do not have sudden death syndrome.
Your heart palpitations are a symptom of your Heath anxiety and are very common symptoms to most sufferers. your chest pains are also a symptom of health anxiety.
It is not easy, but try to accept your doctpors diagnosis, and also trust that your A&E department would not have sent you home if they thought you had a serious problem.
Stop Googling symptoms, has ding this ever made you feel better? I know the answer to that is NO.
I have been through and often still go through similar experiences to yours and i know how hard it is to follow simple advice. you must break the pattern though and stop Googling for your next fear.
You should not be embarrassed by your post, it is so helpful to us Health anxiety sufferers to realise that we are not the only ones going through this.
Recently a young boy was reported in the newspaper of dying of what they called "Sudden deth syndrome" he was a healthy lad who loved sports and never really had a thing wrong with him. Whilst on holiday he died completely out if the blue. Doctors were baffled and said that this was a million to one chance.
A million to one!! Thats about the chance you have of being disgnosed with sudden death syndrome after death.
Here's something i tell myself to get through some of my Health anxiety... "If I am so scared of dying, then I must love life. And if thats the case, why do i ruin so much of my life worrying about getting Ill and dying".
I'm 32 now and have had Health anxiety for 14 years. If i wrote a list of the things i would have liked to have done durung those 14 years but didn't because of the health anxiety, it would take me about a month to complete the list.
Don't let it ruin your life. Easier said than done, but try to realise that you are young, and by your own admission quite healthy. The chances of you dying of any major condition in the near future is low, as low as anyone your age. The only difference is you have health anxiety and its important for you to realise now that its health anxiety thats causing your symptoms.
eeyorelover
26-05-06, 19:32
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/default.asp?t=cms&c=healthanxiety
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I did a search regarding chest pains for just the last 60 days and came up with 7 pages of results. It is a very common prob with people who suffer from anxiety to get chest pains and the throat burpy thing (not technical I know but you know what I mean - lol). I know that it is scary and REALLY nerve racking to have to deal with but I hope it helps to know that you are not alone in this and that there a plenty of people on here who will chat with ya when you are having a hard time to help make it thru.
:)
Sandy
(eeyorelover)
If the world didn't suck... we'd all fall off :)
whatisitnow
26-05-06, 19:58
Just remember.....to be obsessed that oneself is always dying is really dieing a million times over [V] How much does that suck.....
oh yes will you are not alone here. i have had this fear of heart related things for over four years, but believe me they would have packed that abnormality up on an ecg so put that out of your head
for most people who suffer this a simple ecg would have picked it up which is why it is so tragic
try not to worry about this one
jackie
Hi there Will,
Let me tell you what I know about SADS because i have done some research of my own on this matter when my health anxiety was bad: I hope this helps.
SADS is often down to a heart defect and virtually everyone who has died of it has had a history of fainting episodes ( Which is not to say that anyone here who has fainting episodes is going to die of it - it is EXTREMELY RARE!). It is picked up on an echocardiogram- (which I had during my last pregnancy)- VERY CLEARLY. So I would say having been through the same concerns as you, see if you can be referred for one BUT ONLY to put your mind at rest. There is campaigning underway for this simple test to be carried out on ALL teenagers to eradicate this horrible thing. But once more- It is VERY rare and I bet you £1000,000 that you haven't got this because apart from the odd fainting spells the victims of SADS have no other symtoms which is why it always happens unexpectedly. Your symptoms scream "ANXIETY" at me. i should know- I've had them all!!
Anyway hope this helps
Shiv x
WILLS......ur not alone....i worry about this ALL the time......im always at a and e......they have told me if i go once more ive to be banned from a and e and i am banned from calling 999 coz im petrified of everything u mentioned.i get all the same symptoms too!! i hate it! [8)] i just keep thinking that the one time i tell myself its "just" anxiety that it will be the time its really something serious!!
F**k with these buttons and knobs long enough, and maybe things will turn out...just fine!
WILLS......ur not alone....i worry about this ALL the time......im always at a and e......they have told me if i go once more ive to be banned from a and e and i am banned from calling 999 coz im petrified of everything u mentioned.i get all the same symptoms too!! i hate it! [8)] i just keep thinking that the one time i tell myself its "just" anxiety that it will be the time its really something serious!!
F**k with these buttons and knobs long enough, and maybe things will turn out...just fine!
This is also my biggest worry at the moment. I get scared every night that I will die while im asleep, and when i'm not worrying about me dying, i'm worrying about someone I love suddenly dropping dead. Im also 23, and my symptoms sound pretty similar to yours - dizzyness, ectopic heartbeats, uncomfortable feeling (trapped wind?!) between chest and stomach. I've had ECGs, wore a cardiac event monitor for a week and had an ultrasound of my heart, and despite being told its fine, I still think its gonna suddenly stop beating.
At the moment i keep trying to tell myself that if i was gonna drop dead i wouldn't want to have spent the time i am alive worrying about dying, when theres nothing i could do to stop it. Doesn't help much though...
Cheers guys for the support. I'm still pooing myself but its comforting to know i'm not the only one going through it.
LC05, you have described exactly how I feel. It's a constant argument in my head whereby part of me is convinced every breath is my last and the other trying to tell myself that i'm fine and that I have just as little chance of this happening of anyone I know (or don't know). Like Jb said, the only difference is we have health anxiety which means we think about this possibility alot more often!
You have seriously had all the tests you can have and the cardiologist would have definitely picked something up should you be at risk. This is why elite athletes and people with family history are urged to get them too. Are you neither of these? If so, then you are even less at risk because you are not as vulnerbale as these groups AND you have had tests to prove your heart is working just fine. Its easy for me to say i know, but you have to try and accept these as facts.
I think back to when this all started and it was from one single ectopic beat in the night that set it all off. From there, I have had all sorts of anxieties that have led to this fear of sudden death. I think it stems from the fact that mt brain is convinced there is nothing seriously wrong with me, but the fact that SADS happens with little or no symptoms worries me!
I hope you feel better soon about things. Just think, how annoyed would you be if you got to the age of about 50 and were still worrying about this!!
Take care,
Will
.
Your right Wills, the frightening thing is the thought that it could happen so suddenly. I even worry about suddenly dropping down when out somewhere, and how embarassing it'd be!
Also, ive got no family history and i wouldnt describe myself as an 'elite athlete', so its good to know i wouldn't be considered high risk.
Leanne
I have been so terribly affraid of sudden death for many many years, and my fears esculated more when my friend, at 17 had a sudden death.
BUT, in looking into his case, I found out much to put my fears at ease.
Firstly, a month prior, he had had some surgery on his face and was put on lots of medication, which agrivated the condition. From what I know, even drugs like anti-depressants can hurry along a sudden death. If you are anti-depressants, thats almost PROOF you are ok. But the condition is so so rare, they arn't going to ECG EVERYONE before they get put on ANY medication of any kind. If it was more common, maybe they would?
Secondly, the night before he died, he had abit of a drug and alcohol binge. Also drugs, especially amphetamins can aggrivate rare heart disorders, the same with cocaine and MDMA. People who have taken these drugs and are still hear, its pretty obvious they dont have a problem. Of corse, in the long term, using that crap will mess with your heart in many ways over a long period of time.
And last, and proably the biggest factor... there is a history in his family of sudden death syndrome. The biggest key to being diagnosed. People with history of a family member dying young and suddenly, go get an ECG. And they will put you right of course if something wrong.
I still do worry about dying suddenly. Im working hard to try and change the way I think, when anxiety hits, its like flicking the switch... and I feel like I cant stop thinking and almost picturing myself just dying. This obviously is frightening, and my reaction is intense stress.
I just hope we can all live our lives contently and squash these thoughts that chalenge our sanity every single day and create horrible annoying restrictions.
xx
Hey
i just wanted to say that this has been one of my biggest worries!
I went to the docs re palpitations etc.. she mentioned I could have Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome - which is a cause of SADS (please note when I say mentioned GRRR doctors!) my ECG had come back abnormal.
So....she sent it off to a Consultant Cardiologist who had a look and determined it was fine and absolutely normal.
But then being the HA person I am, I worried that was rubbish, and they had got my ECG results wrong.
I was so cross with my Doctor for being flippant with this maybe this maybe that as she knows I have bad HA.
My point is my ECG is fine, I am thinking positive, it went to a Cardiologist. And like the post before said Will - it is high risk groups, athletes, and also young men. And its normally genetic.
Be OK - i hope my post has helped, I just wanted you to know that I have been going through the same ARGUMENT IN MY HEAD LOL!! for ages.
but am getting over it!!
Emira
xxxx:yesyes:
well i feel like im dying everyday im constantly dizzy and it got reli bad a few hours ago i reli havent been guin owt much my friends came round 4 me earlier so i went owt tha house wiv um cuz they wanted me 2 go a party bt 20 mins later i came bk cuz i felt soo ill terribly dizzy feels like tha earths movin up n down i was convinced i was gna pass owt
peter6_edwards
03-04-08, 01:00
hi, I am also a young man 24 and you could have described exactly how I feel and exactly my symptoms! I too have had an ECG done along with blood tests only to be told that I medically have nothing with me. I accept this but still dreadfully worry about dieing for absolutly no reason, just dropping dead. I often have chest pains, in between ribs, feel breathless. I am beginning to get over these feelings but I do get set backs, like now!! The way I'm trying to deal with my feelings is to tell myself that there is nothing I can do about my mortality, if I'm to die now there is nothing I can do about it. It's fate or if you're religous it's Gods decision, just the same way it was fate that you were born or it was Gods will that you were born. This has helped me to deal with SADS, it has greatly helped me to think in this way, that it is outside of my control, when my time is up, it is up; there is nothing that I or you or a doctor can do about it. I hope you find a way of dealing with the way you feel but the more I accept it the less of a grip dieing/SADS has over me. Best wishes Peter
Hi mr Wills, and all others
Suddenly this passed week I know it's a bit silly even my wife says it which I just got married to recently maybe a month or two ago. But I recently watched a video a friend has posted on Facebook about death and how nothing mattered not the past because today is the passed and not even the future because you spend so much time planning for the future and it never comes because it's currently future also also other stuff nothing matters not materialistic things celebs all this stuff because at the end your dead. To make the long story short I have developed a sudden horrifying anxiety of death. Let me state before I have been very excepted of death and I'm orthodox my parents are religious not extremely my mother is catholic. Anyway mentioning religion I will name some things I feel. I feel an anxious feeling such a butterfly's in my stomach or a fear type of feeling like your constantly falling off of a sky scraper but your horrifically afraid of heights. So you can imagine the anxiety. I'm also 23 well this post is old so your not 23 anymore but anyway. I'm afraid of dying. I'm afraid of leaving this world no matter how many problems there is in this world how corrupt people are no matter how crazy this place is or how awesome I'm just so afraid if dying I've been told the advice by my wife and even others to just except it because at the end everybody dies yes true but maybe it's selfish I just don't want to die ever ever ever. I don't want to leave this life this world. Might I point out I'm not rich or extremely lucky I'm an average person. I just am afraid of what happens after death of leaving everyone my friends especially family and wife I don't want to leave this world to die to change to be gone all of a sudden. I'm afraid of not knowing of what happens I don't know if you just become reborn as a different person totally different have zero rememberence of the passed life just life as a new person everything completely different have to learn everything from the beginning. Or you just die. I think sometimes maybe you just die and it's as if when you have a deep sleep with no dreams maybe death is like that forever you never know anything else anymore no dreams no nothing no feelings just zero light complete darkness. I don't know if were all just going to go up to "heaven" and live our lives like in the movie this is the end everything you'd like is permitted your just living in paradise. I'm so lost and scared I'm glad I'm not the only one even though a few moments ago before researching death anxiety I though I was. Even though it still worries me because nobody should feel like that. Of course people pass live on its natural all that I'm not sure if good advice exists anywhere on this matter. I'm afraid there is something wrong with my mind maybe I'm going insane I'm not sure I'm just really afraid I've became hopeless almost like nothing matters anymore because I'm going to die anyway even though I still go to work live life play soccer Fridays laugh at times but I just have that fear and think about it daily. I'm not sure what it is I wish there was a specialist on this maybe a permanent way of escaping this anxiety.
jimbobrooney
15-12-13, 08:04
Maybe you should look into a religion which advocates life after death . That will help you gain faith
I don't think simply starting to believe in life after death is a good or easy plan LOL!
Accept that life is short, that we are here for a tiny amount of time, that nothing ultimately matters, and go and enjoy your life without affecting others' lives in a negative way. This is the only mantra you need.
I wasted 8 years of my life due to thinking I was about to drop dead. 8 F**KING YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PUT A STOP TO IT NOW - it's in your hands.
jimbobrooney
15-12-13, 12:35
Not sure that saying 'nothing really matters' is a good idea either
What if nelson Mandela thought that
Exactly. Things and people don't have to last forever to matter.
And we almost certainly know this from our own lives. The grandparents and great-grandparents whom we've lost but who lit up our lives in a way that lasted beyond their deaths; the school friends who were everything to us for a time but who now are far away; even the glorious night out, or wonderful meal, or amazing movie. They have their time for us, and they make their mark on us within that time. We do the same.
My brother has been (questionably?) diagnosed with a disease that causes Sudden Death (Brugada). I have been screened, but made the mistake of reading almost every paper and medical journal out there regarding the subject. I've seen 3 doctors and contacted 3 specialists, one of which from the family of doctors the disease is named after, and they've all told me not to worry. That I've done all I can and it's all come back normal. I just worry it will happen later in life, or something was missed... all that anxious thinking. I've taken my Brother's diagnosis as my own all because of a suggestion to get screened as a first degree family member. With all this reassurance, 10+ ECGs and other tests with no issue, I still can't seem to shake this fear. Anyone making any progress? I can use all the advice I can :) Thanks <3
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