View Full Version : Heart related anxiety
Hi everyone,
I'd just like to share my heart related anxiety in the hope that I can get some answers. Here's my situation. I am 17, and I am applying for university at the moment. I'd describe myself as hard working and a bit obsessive, as I focus more on school than on social life and taking the time to relax. Basically, I am the perfect candidate for anxiety. I have been a bit wary about heart related stuff for a few years now, even though I have no heart problems affecting me, I have always eaten very well, exercised, and my family has no history of problems. However, in the past couple of months, I have had a large explosion in anxiety and heart symptoms. My first real panic attack was earlier this year - I was at school, and I had a test coming up after lunch. I walked up the stairs to the computer room, sat down, and while I was worrying about the test, I started getting large heart palpitations - of course I thought the worst was happening so I ran to the reception and was taken home. I calmed down, and largely forgot about the whole thing.
Then, I had a second attack while on holiday - I started by feeling a pressure in the centre of my chest, and this caused me to panic further and the palpitations began again. It calmed down after, but I haven't really managed to recover this time. Ever since that happened, I have been worrying about my heart every day, and I have been getting all kinds of new symptoms. I had an ECG a couple of weeks after I got back from holiday, which turned out normal and healthy - in fact, the doctor rang and said that he wanted to cancel my next appointment because there really was nothing wrong with me. This stemmed my worry for a couple of days, but it eventually crept back and brought the following synptoms with it:
- Palpitations - these can be heavy and fast, but sometimes I just 'notice' my heart beat more than I used to.
- Aches and pains - sometimes my left chest area will give a sudden ache or jab of pain which lasts no longer than a second or two before going away. This seems to follow the rhythm of my heartbeat, i.e. It often happens when my heart actually beats. The amount of pain and the loation can vary.
- Twitches - the muscles on the left side of my chest can often twitch and spasm, this also happens in my left arm.
- Missed beats - sometimes when I am anxious or on-edge (basically when I am thinking about my heart) and then I do something like stand up, stop walking, or shift my position, my heart will miss a beat and then come back beating harder than before. This can sometimes happen when I am just sat thinking about it and worrying.
- Fluttering - sometimes when I am thinking about it and worrying, my chest will seem to flutter for a fraction of a second, and sometimes it feels like my heart has jumped to my throat for a single beat because I will feel it fluttering in my upper chest.
- Small pressures in my chest - sometimes, I will feel a small tightness/pressure in the centre of my chest. It is never unbearable, but it feels like there is something there.
I usually get these symptoms individually, and they never last more than a couple of minutes each, but it can be very scary when I suddenly start feeling my heart doing these weird things - I am only 17, and I have been working so hard to fulfil my dreams in my life, and there is still so much I want to do but here I am just worrying about my heart and knowing that when I wake up every day, I am going to be facing moments where I fear for my safety.
Does anyone else have heart related anxiety? What about these symptoms? What can I do to stem the fear?
Thanks a lot for reading. Whaletail.
nomorepanic
12-11-11, 12:18
Hi and :welcome:
Have you read this at all:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/palpitations/
It may help
Oh i do sympathise with you! I could have written your post!
The fact that you've had an ECG thats all good and healthy and your dr is not worried means it can only be one thing! Anxiety! Blimmin annoying anxiety! It's a vicious cycle, you feel "something" immediately think it's your heart and begin panicking - when you panic you pulse quickens, you can feel breathless, dizzy, and then this creates palpitations, fast heart rate because you're panicking not because you are having any problems with your heart. I know how hard it is to deal with this and think rationally when you're feeling this way - it can be very scary.
I've had lots of counselling and was finally diagnosed with GAD (generalised anxiety disorder) I am becoming to understand and learn that what's wrong with me is health anxiety not true issues with my heart. I too have had an ECG and a 24 hour ECG all clear and normal yet I still get anxious sometimes.
I think you would benefit hugely from some sort of counselling and support. You can speak to you're doctor and explain that you're experiencing panic attacks and health anxiety and would like to be referred to a counsellor.
ALL the symptoms you desribed above are symptoms of anxiety. The fact you've been checked out and told you're healthy should be enough but when that like gremlin of anxiety gets a grip it's hard to think rationally. By seeking so support you'll learn to understand and manage your anxiety.
Loads of hugs for you xx
Hi nomorepanic and CJA09:
As soon as I read that page on palpitations, I felt a sudden surge of happiness because it describes perfectly what I am feeling, and it shows me what is actually going on - until now I assumed that it was some kind of event that was causing my heart to falter for a second and then recover (which of course made me worry that it would soon happen and it would stay out of rhythm) but now I see that it is actually a built in system which is doing it on purpose. That makes me feel a lot less worried about when it is going to happen again! :yesyes:
As for the rest of the symptoms, I guess I'll have to wait and see. I have only ever got them when I have been thinking and worrying (sometimes consciously thinking, sometimes just feeling bad about it all in general) and they have never woken me up at night or interjected when I have been concentrating on something else (Today I was feeling some symptoms while I was out, but when I started driving home, I didn't feel a thing because I was concentrating). Thanks for suggesting the counselling CJA09 - after my ECG, the dr recommended that I look at this online course (http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome) which I am working through now - at the moment, it has been focussing on things like social anxiety and warped thoughts, but I think I am close to the bit on health anxiety - I'll let you know how it goes! If it doesn't work for me, then I will be more than happy to try some person to person counselling.
Thanks again - I think I have come to the right place :hugs:
hey just for a little bit more support!! going thru the exact same stuff, morbidly obsess t with my heart. also told im perfectly healthy, the only way to get thru this, to do BELIEVE ur ok and once u can really learn to stop ur thoughts escalating into a panic attack, ull be free from those awful panic attacks!.. just had a panic attack yesterday, but im fine today (whereas i would have been in bits for up to a week after!) because i know its just a panic attack and it cant harm me. simple as. :D
kinnygirl1
13-11-11, 15:03
Yes me too - heart worries took over my life this summer and I ended up off work, scared and depressed. No amount of medical reassurance really seems to help until you start to accept it and believe that you are fine. I believe that you are fine though. Anxiety can really give you all those symptons. Try not to let anxiety take over any more of your thoughts. You are only 17 and have so many wonderful times ahead of you to enjoy. Hugs to you hunny - you have come to the right place. x
Thanks for the extra support - I love it. I've been quite relaxed today, but in the past couple of hours I have had quite a lot of ectopic beats. Sometimes 2 in a row. Not sure what to make of it... I won't panic though.
Hi Whaletail, I'm Scott.
I've had the palpitations and have only suffered from health anxiety for three months or so now. They are scary but they are natural and harmless from what I understand - I haven't had that many palpitations just lately, I find that keeping well hydrated and eating quite alot helps to reduce them. Hope this helps.
Hey Scott,
Thanks a lot - I've only been properly anxious for a couple of months too - but it has really hit hard. I have recently started drinking more water too - I'll see how that goes. I recently had a nice meal after those palpitations I was having earlier, and I haven't had a missed beat in the couple of hours since - I guess it was to do with my hunger. I'll keep posting about what happens.:)
Well today I had a rather scary symptom - I was sat down, and I suddenly felt a sort of dull squeezing sensation in my chest which lasted a second and then left as if nothing happened. I think I have felt this before, but today I went to the hospital for it. I had an ECG, and they said that it showed 'left ventricle hyper-something' but when a cardiologist looked at it, I was allowed to leave because it is apparently common in males of my age. I was distraught when it first came up, but now I feel OK because of the cardiologist's opinion. Anyone else had any of this?
Thanks a lot.
Hi Whaletail
I noticed you were trying the MoodGym, how are you getting on with it? I tried it and didn't get on with it so much, but it might suit you. There is also an extensive workbook specifically for health anxiety here: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=53 which looks really good although I admit I haven't had the time to try it out myself yet.
Also about the dull squeezing - I often get a short-lived moment of pressure in my chest then normal. It scares me too but nothing seems to come of it. I'm a medical student so I might be able to help you with the ECG - do you think they said 'left ventricular hypertrophy'? That just means that the muscular wall of the biggest chamber of your heart is slightly larger than normal, probably because you're a young male and quite active. If they let you leave I am sure it was safe to do so :-)
Hi blondinou:
I am finding it quite good at the moment - at the beginning it mainly focusses on things like social anxiety and depression, but I am working towards the bit that deals with health anxiety - it has actually given me some great tools to help me in somme situations, but it hasn't really touched on my main concerns yet. Sticking with it though. Thanks a lot for that link - I will give that a go if Moodgym doesn't work for me.
Yes, that's the one - left ventricular hypertrophy. Thanks for letting me know what it means - when it showed up, the nurse said that she didn't know what it was, and had to send it to a cardiologist, and it took ages to come back - you can imagine my worry. Then they said that it was common and not a problem, which I am happy with.
Well I just thought I'd post an update. I have in general been great over the past few weeks - no major symptoms at all after my little problem. Yes, I have still felt things, but I'm feeling more relaxed about life now :) I think that all this will come in ups and downs and it might take me a while to get out of it completely. I really have noticed that it follows my moods and thoughts. If it isn't on my mind, then it very rarely happens. It never happens during my sleep, or if I am having a conversation with someone. It does happen when I am stressed, or alone worrying about it.
Anyway, I have had a major stressor removed today - I finally got the news from Oxford University that I passed the entrance exam and have been offered an interview. Things are looking up :)
Congrats it sounds like you have come further towards solving this, and that you believe more that it is your anxiety rather than anything physically wrong. It's good about recognising it will take time too - this realisation has helped me calm down about my anxiety as I'm not trying to end it so urgently. It will pass at the right time! Have you rea any Claire Weekes, 'Self Help for Your Nerves' is so good on this philosophy.
Well done on Oxford interview!! Go for it :-) I am waiting on hearing back about a job application next week so that should remove a stressor for me too. I went for an Oxford interview it's a beautiful place, keep some time aside to explore the town! :-)
Whaletail,
For the set of symptoms you have given i can say that's probably the most typical set for someone who is anxious, or even just obsessive. I am obsessive and i worried for ages about this.
Try starting more exercise. It'll increase your 'threshold' for these symptoms, so when you get them it feels negligable compared to when you exercise.
It worked on me
blondinou - thanks, I will try and have some fun, and meet up with some friends who are also going.
Jack1231 - I have started exercising and yes, the things I feel are usually negligible compared to panic, but I never really thought of it in that way before! Also, I don't get the aches or pains when I am exercising (well occasionally I get the odd symptom if I am anxious while exercising). I guess it should also be quite comforting if I can run around and strain myself - I don't suppose I would be able to do that if I had heart problems.
I would also like to add another symptom to my list - it is not a serious one, but of course I want to clear it up. Sometimes I get a slight tightness in my left arm - it feels like there is a muscle or something clenched in there, and it can also sometimes be a kind of throbbing tightness that just hangs around. It is perfectly bearable and it doesn't hurt, it's just more like a slight tightness. I have also noticed that I can quite often 'control' it just be thinking about it - it only comes when I am thinking about it, and sometimes it actually leaves when I just think about relaxing my arm, but I don't know if that is anxiety or not.
Thanks!
The tightness in your arm is probably due to high amounts of adrenaline being released when your anxious. It just happens to be in one arm more than the other, could be for various benign reasons.
Also you mentioned you were obsessive, many doctors now believe that obsessiveness is due to a lack of a neurotransmitter in the brain called 'Seratonin'. This is increased through exercise.
Take your anxiety and think of a constructive solution. If you want any more advice message me
Hey, thanks a lot - yes, these things are happening all the time, and I am still here, so I guess I have nothing to worry about :) I will certainly drop you a line if I feel like it - thanks for the offer :)
Hi again,
Well I'm leaving for Oxford tomorrow, and I just want to ask some more questions if that's ok! In the last couple of days, I've been feeling a funny feeling in te inside of my right foot - it sort of 'buzzes' every 7 seconds or so - like there's a muscle being stimulated there. And a couple of times, I've felt the squeezing sensation in the left area of my chest (actually closer to the underarm) which lasted for a few seconds before completely going. I'm not going to let it get to me (if it was a heart problem, there would be breathlessness, etc...) but I thought I'd put it out there.
Thanks!
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