View Full Version : I am only 23 years old, but I'm so scared of having a heart attack...Any advice?
I know it sounds crazy, but I am 23 years old and I've suffered from anxiety for 2 years now. Anyway, only recently I've been worried about a cardiac arrest/heart attack because I've read about athletes and people my age who have suffered that fate.
Over the last 2 years of my anxiety, I've had about 5 ECG tests, I've worn a heart monitor twice, I had 1 echo-cardiogram the end of last year due to another bad panic attack I had. The results of all these tests came back fine, but still there's a part of me that doubts these tests.
I know it's all probably just my anxiety/panic attack symptoms, but when I get breathless and dizzy I feel it's my heart that is wrong. The only other test I can have done is the scan of my heart where they make an incision in my chest to make sure I don't have any heart conditions, but I can't go to them lengths to put my mind at rest.
What can I do? The doctors have put me in for all the tests, so how do I get over my worries?
Hiya Mate, I'm currently doing CBT that teaches you alternative ways of thinking about things such as symptoms, I find it quite useful!
If you have a trigger and then worry about it, this would then lead to checking behaviours, I.e honing in on your breathing rate thus fueling the anxiety circle, there are probably a million reasons why you may feel light headed / breathless, both are signs of anxiety for example.
You sound like you've had Alot of tests, there's probably a lot of ppl on here that wish they had your GP lol.
I'm in the same boat as you will all these athlets having cardiac arrests etc, my way to deal with this was to steer clear of the news, that would take away some of the fuel to your anxiety.
Itsallinmyhead416
24-04-12, 21:56
Hey Mark, I know the feeling....I'm 25 yo and I constantly worry about this too...I'm actually worried right now. I just finished running 3 miles and as I'm trying to relax I'm feeling my heart skip beats. Any type of chest pain, arm pain or breathless feeling I experience i tend to associate this with heart problems. I've been told over and over again that its common in anxiety sufferers like us. I've had several EKG's, echocardiogram, blood tests, chest X-rays and nothing is ever found. I haven't done any 24 hrs tests so now im wondering if I need to do that myself. It's a vicious cycle and it SUCKS!
Hiya Mate, I'm currently doing CBT that teaches you alternative ways of thinking about things such as symptoms, I find it quite useful!
If you have a trigger and then worry about it, this would then lead to checking behaviours, I.e honing in on your breathing rate thus fueling the anxiety circle, there are probably a million reasons why you may feel light headed / breathless, both are signs of anxiety for example.
You sound like you've had Alot of tests, there's probably a lot of ppl on here that wish they had your GP lol.
I'm in the same boat as you will all these athlets having cardiac arrests etc, my way to deal with this was to steer clear of the news, that would take away some of the fuel to your anxiety.
That's true, and I think because athletes are suffering cardiac arrests, I will! But then again, people have said to me that they're athletes training everyday, and they're constantly working their hearts to the limit for 2, 3, 4+ maybe more hours a day. This is most likely to put added stress on their hearts, and it's fatal if they already have an underlying condition with their hearts.
But you can understand where I'm coming from, and my concerns. It's worrying, especially as I've heard about people my age (23 years old) who have suffered fatal heart problems.
I am also 23 and feel breathless and dizzy, quite a bit and frequently worry about my heart & it has got worse recently as I now have a pain in my chest where my heart is (though I dont think it is my heart as it only hurts when I twist, & doctor has reffered me to physio) that has been bothering me for a couple of months. I also know when I'm thinking logically that its my anxiety/panic attack. I'd like to try some CBT myself to see if it helps, but as CameronG says, there are so many other explaination for being dizzy & breathless even other than anxiety - low blood sugar causes dizziness for example.
I know its horrible mate I've had paramedics out before. They said i was fine...I've not had as many tests as you either so if they say you're fine, I'd say its safe to assume its anxiety.
I also know what you mean about reading about folk our age having heart attacks like Zyzz and Fabrice Muamba, but how rare is that? If you'd never read about what ever it is you;re worried about, would it be worrying you? I know if I didnt know about those two I wouldnt be as scared of having a heart attack every day :/
Hey Mark, I know the feeling....I'm 25 yo and I constantly worry about this too...I'm actually worried right now. I just finished running 3 miles and as I'm trying to relax I'm feeling my heart skip beats. Any type of chest pain, arm pain or breathless feeling I experience i tend to associate this with heart problems. I've been told over and over again that its common in anxiety sufferers like us. I've had several EKG's, echocardiogram, blood tests, chest X-rays and nothing is ever found. I haven't done any 24 hrs tests so now im wondering if I need to do that myself. It's a vicious cycle and it SUCKS!
It's probably worth asking your doctor about the other tests. With me, I was referred to have a 48 hour heart monitor to wear. It's a bit of a pain sometimes, especially when you're wearing a shirt and there it is, sticking through the shirt lol. But it will show up any irregular rhythms. Also, do you have any family history of heart problems? I don't have a family history of heart issues.
Itsallinmyhead416
24-04-12, 23:14
Nope, no family history of heart disease, mostly diabetes which I've been tested for several times...I don't smoke and drink occasionally. I work out 5 days a week, honestly the constant worrying makes all this worse for us.
Nope, no family history of heart disease, mostly diabetes which I've been tested for several times...I don't smoke and drink occasionally. I work out 5 days a week,
honestly the constant worrying makes all this worse for us.
I concur.
Nope, no family history of heart disease, mostly diabetes which I've been tested for several times...I don't smoke and drink occasionally. I work out 5 days a week, honestly the constant worrying makes all this worse for us.
Yeah I agree that worrying does make this worse. It's just hard to ignore it at times, especially when you feel dizzy and you get pains in your chest. But for me, I always think that because I'm dizzy it must be my heart not pumping enough oxygen etc, which is ludicrous I know. I am a bit of a hypochondria in that sense lol. But if I don't feel 100% I will go see a doctor, as you know your own body and when you don't feel okay, so it's always best to get checked out. I'm just glad I was born in UK, and we have NHS, because I've heard health care in USA is a nightmare if you haven't got insurance!
xvolatileheart
26-04-12, 00:26
Mark, I'm 23 and I also worry obsessively about my heart. Between the palps, racing heart, chest pain, weird chest sensations, breathlessness, lightheadedness, headaches... I just can't accept that this isn't a heart condition! I can be sitting there feeling fine when one of these symptoms will hit hard, and I don't understand why.
I've had an ECHO (but no report yet) and I have a 24hr ECG next week. I'm telling myself that if these tests are normal, there will be no more testing. I have to accept that it's anxiety and get on with life. I can't keep living in this fear because it's ruining some of the best days of my life!
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