Heart anxiety

[Cj83]

Hey all firstly wanted to say thanks, this site has been massively helpful for a little while now.

A bit about me, overweight, high blood pressure, smoker, think I may have answered my fears right there!

I think I have been having heart anxiety for a couple of months now, my symptoms started with some random pains in my chest (top left) that led to me obviously panicking, a fear of panicked rising through me, shivering, dry mouth, worry! Got to the Drs who said it was more than likely muscle spasm but booked me in for an ECG and some blood tests. (this was about mid July)

ECG and tests came back fine but I couldn't shake this constant worry that I was going to have a heart attack. Would get fulness in chest, and more like twinges across chest and back, numb left arm etc. All leading my thoughts going crazy before I can stop them.

I returned to the dr after a particular bad day and she checked me out and asked if I was feeling a little anxious! She checked my chest and took bp and kinda gave my wife the "we got an anxious one here look".

She has ordered a stress test to put my mind at rest,I guess, I'm really hoping this is going to be enough to stop me thinking this all the time!

Deffikately have good days and bad days but this last week it has got to be every day. Which I have never had before!

I think my fear is that I will have a heart attack and not be around for my two young kids. My wife works in mental health but unfortunately she is too close to me I guess to listen too!

I guess I just wanted to know if anyone can answer why I can listen to my dr, my wife the ECG! Why won't my mind put these thoughts away! And why does anxiety play on these symptoms!

[Annie0904]

If you have had the reassurance from your doctor and had tests done then I am sure it is all caused by your anxiety and it becomes a vicious cycle...the more you worry about the symptoms the more you feel them. Be reassured that it is just anxiety and it cannot harm you and you can not die from it. :hugs:

[Cj83]

Thanks Annie0904 it just frustrates me that I can't think rationally over this when everything else in my life is quite logically thought about. Have the stress test next week so here's hoping that will be a starting point.

[dazzadoo123]

nothing worse when you experiancing chest pain ..
i get it alot myself had loads ecg,s stress test and stuff
but still get pain ..
its so hard to convince yourself its just anxiety when your getting pain
as im not even panicky when having pain weird scares me terrible .still
so i hear what your saying dude ..
dazza.
just wanna be chest pain free..
i,d rather any pain somewhere else lol ...:winks:

[JackInTheBox]

I have the same problem...

I'm also a smoker and I was a bit overweight (33 pounds over the "ideal" mark). I had papitations and sometimes strong pain on my sternum.

On my case I did somethings that helped putting my mind a bit a ease. I'm almost sure I'm okay (health-wise), so now I'm just dealing with the anxiety.

I did two set of exams: one was ordered by my GP, he figured that everything was OK and that the pain was being caused by some sort of sternal rheumatism.

Not being fully convinced, I decided to take things further. So I figured that some exercise could help me deal with the stress, axiety and cut on the cigarrettes.

To do this I went through a second batch of exams on the "National Institute for Sports Medicine" (I was living in Portugal at the time and they have one, there must be something similar here in the UK), thats the place where all professional and amateur atheletes get tested to be declared fit for competition. Since was going to do sports, they fully tested me (heart, lungs, etc.) and gave me a clean bill of health and a recomendation for the appropriate workload to get fit.

I figured that if they didn't spot anything and they declared me fit for sports, if indeed there was something wrong with me, it must be really exotic...

I started a light daily exercise (small walk in the morning) that help me cut on the cigarrettes, then moved to longer and faster walks and now I'm running and walking. Already managed to shed 11 pounds of the weight and I actually feel fitter.

Another good push was checking my food. I used to eat alot of "heavy" food or junk food for dinner, which got my tensions up, then came palpitations and then one more sleepless night. Since I love good food, I eat all the "heavy" stuff during the day and try to eat less and lighter at dinner (soup, maybe a small steak or a stew and some rice), no junk food, no spicy food, etc.

So now I'm getting a "final" set of checkup exams from my GP (the others were 1 year ago) plus a couple more to cover for any "exotic" maladies.

I am however struggling to overcome the anxiety, I now know that it's all in my head and that I should'nt worry about it.

So if you do feel anxious, do whatever exams you can and talk to your GP about doing exercise, to see his recommendations over the matter and etc.

It might help you put the anxiety away, its working for me, without it I would be forever stuck questioning all the pains and aches I feel. Now I only do that sometimes and It's getting lesser and lesser over time :)

[Aval0n]

I sympathise, I was convinced I was having a heart attack, and
Made the mistake of consulting with dr google. I went to my
Real dr but he was so dismissive that I left feeling even worse.
I tried to believe him, and rationalise but I ended up going back,
But I was lucky enough to see a wonderful nurse, who
Checked me thoroughly, listened, took me seriously, and explained
That the little stabby type pains in my chest were quite likely
Caused by my tendency to eat my evening meal from a tray on
My lap, and being hunched over, coupled with very bad habit
Of slouching straight after eating. She also said that pains
In chest very often originate from your back. I haven't had those
Symptoms or fears since. (Replaced them with others, but hey,
Baby steps)