Surprise echocardiogram!!

[Arnie365]

I attended hospital today to see a cardiologist about my chest pains. I've been suffering with health anxiety for 9 months now convinced something was wrong with my heart. After 3 months on fluoxetine and therapy I've been doing a lot better but three weeks ago I had a little blip over the course of the week with chest pains being quite bad again triggering off panic attacks. So I went to the doctors and she is usually really helpful and nice but this time she wasn't great and said "well what do you want me to do about your chest pains"! I was quite taken aback but as I say she's usually fantastic and so supportive so I'll put it down to a bad day! Anyway, she reluctantly referred me to a cardiologist after refusing flat out to send me for an echocardiogram saying there wasn't sufficient justification given my ECGs have all been normal.

So I've got over my blip and been good for the past two weeks and thought about cancelling my appointment as I've not been getting chest pains so much but my wife insisted I went ahead given it was a struggle getting a referral in the first place.

Turned up and was seen by the nurse who said right so we have you down for an ECG and Echo before you see the consultant! I was really shocked but pleased as well so didn't argue.

Anyway, the echo was perfect in the doctors words and he assured me there is absolutely nothing wrong with my heart at all.

I was already close to accepting it was anxiety giving me the chest pains and this has just sealed the deal.

Made my day if not year!

[xtremx]

Anyway, the echo was perfect in the doctors words and he assured me there is absolutely nothing wrong with my heart at all.

I was already close to accepting it was anxiety giving me the chest pains and this has just sealed the deal.

Made my day if not year!

I had the same thing a few weeks ago but my echo was planned.

But like you it came back OK and after 3 years of chest pain a other test I take the echo being the one that I needed.

I promised myself my family and my doctor if the Echo was Good I would really put my heart worries to bed as they say.

I will not happen over night but I have come to terms that my heart is in good working order but now it is time to sort my anxiety out with-out the worry that my heart will packin on me.

Pleased it went well for you:yesyes:

[Anxious_gal]

You got to keep in mind your chest pains are not caused by your heart. They aren't dangerous do really besides reassuring you which she can't keep doing over n over again as then she would be enabling your anxiety n reassurance seeking, there's not a whole lot she can do as it seems this is more of an anxiety issue than a health issue.
Also she sees people who are really sick all the time.

I really hope you won't need any further reassurance.
With all those tests if you had any heart problems they would show up.

[Daisy Sue]

Really pleased for both of you :)

Arnie I think your doctor was very clever - she probably knew that it would all come back clear, but that no amount of reassurance from her was going to make you believe it was just anxiety.

[Pinktel]

And most importantly to all those fortunate to have had a lovely clear echo of their hearts, put some energies now into planning how you are going to look after your heart, work out a good exercise regime you can stick to and improve those areas in your diet that need improving :)

[Arnie365]

Really pleased for both of you :)

Arnie I think your doctor was very clever - she probably knew that it would all come back clear, but that no amount of reassurance from her was going to make you believe it was just anxiety.

I'd not thought of it like this. Good point!

I'm really looking forward to getting back to the gym. I used to weight train 6 days per week and do spinning classes a further 3 times per week and was in really good shape. This has all gone out of the window over the past 9 months as I lacked confidence in my heart. I can't wait to get back into it again.

Thanks everyone.

[xtremx]

I'd not thought of it like this. Good point!

I'm really looking forward to getting back to the gym. I used to weight train 6 days per week and do spinning classes a further 3 times per week and was in really good shape. This has all gone out of the window over the past 9 months as I lacked confidence in my heart. I can't wait to get back into it again.

Thanks everyone.


Yeah you have the right idea. And same I have put off trying to get into shape and afraid to say have put loads on being a couch potato and your right you loss all confidence in your heart.

Time for us both to push over selfs and get over this all.

And thank to you all

[Arnie365]

Time for us both to push over selfs and get over this all.


Let's do it!:yesyes:

[Janine]

Arnie

Really pleased for you, now you can back to doing all the things you enjoy and stop worrying about your heart. This anxiety thing is a funny old thing the way it affects us all in different ways

[anx mum]

Let's do it!:yesyes:

So pleased for you i know the worry of having a bad heart now u can put all the worry to bed :hugs:

[Arnie365]

Thanks Janine/anx mum, anxiety is without doubt the hardest thing I have ever had to face. At every twist and turn it changes just as you start to feel better. It's so hard to accept as well as its part of yourself. I constantly kept saying why would my own brain do this to me? The sub conscious is so powerful though and I think each of us get anxiety symptoms to suit our own underlying issues.

Looking back now mine were always going to be heart related after seeing my grandad have a heart attack and die when I was young, my uncle (not blood relation) dropping dead of a heart attack whilst out riding his bike, thinking my gran died of a heart attack (turned out to be a pulmonary embolism but I went for years mistakingly thinking it was a heart attack). So I grew up sub consciously not trusting hearts.

This was all stacking up in my sub conscious mind then after my first panic attack where I was convinced I was having a heart attack voila it was all released with a vengeance and my worries about my heart began.