Sudden death worry taking over!!

[Scared_11]

About 5 years ago I was OBSESSED with my heart I spent hours and hours panicking and crying an realy getting myself in a state thinking I wa going to drop down dead. I had an ECG, a heart scan and a 24 hour heart monitor on. All the results came back fine but thinking back when u ha these tests I wasn't experiencing any palpitations. I have palpitations all the time and now I am starting to worry again that I am going to die of sudden adult death syndrome.

I don't know what to do to reassure myself. I am starting to get myself in such a state and just keep picturing myself collapsing.

I feel like I want the tests again and to speak to the doctor about my concerns but am I wasting the doctors time.

I feel so scared and I know sudden adult death syndrome is very rare and it happens to around 500 people in the uk a year but I feel like this is a high number.

Any advise would be appreciated.

[haighy]

hi i have no advice accept im suffering with my back pain which is moving all over my back ive convinced myself its cancer and ill be dead soon you are not alone. im only 25 too

[Dazza]

I totally feel for you..this has been my life for almost that past 4 years. Despite numerous tests (ECGS, holter 24 hours, stress test, CT scan, blood works, and even a coronary MRI!) I still worry about my heart the most, specifically sudden death, like you do. It haunts me every day.

[Scared_11]

It realy is the most horrible fear. I feel like I am just waiting for it to happen and my mind is searching for reasons that it is going to happen.

I remember how consuming this was for me 5 years ago and I feel like I am on my way back there! I am thinking I should have more tests because I want to be sure u have done everything u can for my family and boyfriend.

I am starting to wonder if it's something that has run through my family and sitting here trying to remember the reason for every death I have heard of in the family. I just want to cry. I dont know what to do to make myself feel better.

[stamags]

please go see your doc. palpatations are a sure sign of anxiety, i know i had these feeling before christmas, took myself to hospital, had many docs telling me everything was ok,

[Worriedgirl87]

I have the same fears.
I am so scared of dying.
I am so scared of going in public.
I'm scared of going to sleep.
This is terrible.

[Scared_11]

I have just been looking at the website for CRY and they are not doing any screening near me any time soon. I realy want more tests and to speak to a doctor but I don't want to waste their time as I know this is just a fear I have.

I worry that the tests I had were incorrect it that the doctor didn't look for signs of sudden adult death. And because I didn't have any palps at the time of the testing u worry something has been missed.

There is no history of sudden adult death in my family that I know of so I am just being totally irrational?? It just feels so real tho at the moment.

[Scared_11]

No I am not on any medication for this. Anxiety is nothing new to me I have had it since I was 17 and u know I am thinking irrationally and that it is my health anxiety that is making me worry. I have had 3 courses of CBT since th age of 18, I am 25 now.

My last course was spread over 7 months and finished in October. I feel it's too soon to go back for more treatment.

[Ella_Jayne]

I have just been looking at the website for CRY and they are not doing any screening near me any time soon. I realy want more tests and to speak to a doctor but I don't want to waste their time as I know this is just a fear I have.

I worry that the tests I had were incorrect it that the doctor didn't look for signs of sudden adult death. And because I didn't have any palps at the time of the testing u worry something has been missed.

There is no history of sudden adult death in my family that I know of so I am just being totally irrational?? It just feels so real tho at the moment.

Even if you do get screened with Cry, they will only do an ECG. If that comes back abnormal then and only then will they do an ECHO. So the tests you've already had are used to diagnose SADS. Of course the doctor that run these tests on you was looking for ANY abnormalities so you can be safe to say that your tests showed NO signs of SADS.

It's a very rare condition, but I can understand your fears as I was there once upon a time. I focused on it, to the point where I was afraid to be alone incase I collapsed. I went through every death cause in my family, grandparents, great grandparents... EVERYONE looking for a clue but the fact is that I don't have a family history of SADS. Most conditions that cause sudden death can be seen on an ECG. It doesn't matter if you were symptomatic while the tests were being performed, if you had a heart condition, some sign of it would show.

Living your life in fear is no way to live, especially when what you fear is REALLY rare. Palpitations are caused by many things other than actaul heart issues, ANXIETY being the big one. I used to constantly get them, now I get maybe one or two every other day and even then it's mostly when I have a bit of anxiety.

I did CBT courses twice and to be honest, it didn't really help. The only good thing it did was make me aware of my thought patterns which made me see how I was egging my anxiety along and making it worse by "what if" thoughts and so on.

Eventually I came to realise that it was anxiety all along and not some undiagnosed heart condition. And a part of me accepted that if infact I had this rare heart condition that for some reason disappeared on medical tests then I couldn't really do anything about it. If something was to happen to me, e.g collapse, die... then what could I really do to prevent it? Live in fear which is basically not living at all. Noway!

Please try and accept that you are fine. If there was something wrong your doctor would have spotted it.

[Scared_11]

Thank you for your replies.

I know that this is all just 'in my head' but it's hard to shake off sometimes. I know I am just spending too much time trying to reassure myself and looking on the Internet which is just fuelling this anxiety. I am making it my aim for today to not look on google.

I think the uncertainty of not knowing whether something like this is going to happen is what makes it so scary. I can't help but think that 500-600 is a big number though. I know considering the size of the population it's not but I thought the number of case would be smaller than that.

I just need to accept that it is a scary thought. Just a thought and a worry. I can think quite logically about it but only for about a minute then all the 'what ifs' come back. I was in a realy bad place 5 years ago with this but the reassurance from the tests got rid of this worry. I hope this is just a little relapse but it is lasting quite long. I have had relapses with this before but they only really lasted a day or 2 at the most.

Have you had any relapses? And how long did they last?

[Dazza]

Have you had any relapses? And how long did they last?

I've often had relapses... sometimes it feels like a daily battle thought, as I get thoughts about sudden death on a daily basis..but some periods are worse than others..... most of the time I function, can go to work etc, but sometimes I end up at the doctors surgery or A&E again thinking that the symptoms I have mean that I'm about to drop dead. It's so tiring, and rationally I know it's no way to live or lead one's life. But, I've yet to find the way out of it.....

[Scared_11]

I am sorry that you are going through the same sort of thing. It realy is horrible and feels like such a battle that we have some days. I feel abit better today. I have stayed away from all things google and been quite strict with myself.

I just keep telling myself this is very rare and I have had tests and so if it happens then there is nothing I can do about it. I am noticing when my thought pattern starts to get distructive and am managing to stop it. Every day is different but i think if we stick to what we have been taught through CBT it can be quite helpful.

Hope ur all well.

[ciccone-hassell]

i no feeling i have had 3 ecgs and a 24hr tape dun but all came bk fine but i still get the odd bouts of chest achin but my gp as asured me he feels i'm fine so i have to trust him but the constant HA and bein obsest with my health doesnt half control ur life , i even quit my job last night due to scared of keep havin stress as i no that can cause heart issures , my gp has given me LOFEPRAMINE but i scared as of the side effects and says if you have heart problems dont take " but my docs said be fine " my rubbish head wont stop fearing sudden dealth or heart attack i constanly dreamin i gunna die in my mind i constanlty think " oh the next chext ache i gunna die " dunna if anyone can advise me i'm 32 and comin to end of mind with stressin atm , i keep tryin to resure myself " my gp clearly said my ecg's and heart track was fine , but y the achin chest for :( , i have acid reflux and fibromyigla and cfs so i no all 3 have chest pains body pain but my head wont stop me worrying , when i saw gp on monday he said again " i feel that all tests have come back fine and that my axitey is like a nasty circle u get pain u stress then the pai gets worst but how i gunna break this ocd with my ha i never no :( thanks

[Scared_11]

It definitely is a cycle which is hard to get out of at times. I am sorry you are going through a hard time at the moment. Benign palpitations ad a symptom of anxiety and if you have had all the tests done that's alls they are. Any symptoms to do with the heart are terrifying and I sympathise with what you are going through so much. I think it gets to point were you just have to believe what the doctors say as hard as that it.

I also have OCD alongside my health anxiety and my therapist said that these very often go hand in hand. Both can be helped with CBT.

[ciccone-hassell]

thanks m8 i'm awaiting cbt as well so fingers crossed no long to wait now

[Scared_11]

CBT is realy effective. I have had it 3 times and when I have finished the course I have been much better. Even now I feel in control of my anxiety.

I have moments of severe worry but I just say to myself.. Oh here I go again worrying and it seems to make me feel ok about it. I recognise I have anxiety and I know that I will have good days and bad days and this comes in waves so will be better at some point.