Feel like no one is listening

[mummyanxious]

I am fed up with these heart fears. I am fed up with living like every day I could drop dead.
I have constant flutters in my chest and skips.
I've had an ECG which was normal. Of course it was as I wasn't having them at the time.
I'm fed up with as soon as you say you've been stressed they say that's what it is causing them. But these just don't feel right. I'm getting them frequently. I have fullness in the left of my chest. Sometimes I get big thuds in the left if my chest. Sometimes they're in the middle, sometimes they're just under my left breast.

---------- Post added at 16:42 ---------- Previous post was at 16:39 ----------

I feel exhausted all the time too, like I could drop asleep at any minute. This isn't like me. I'm tight chested too.
My dr won't even listen to my chest because I had a normal ECG.

[gabrielle37]

Hello, im so sorry your feeling this way. anxiety is such a nasty thing and tells our minds all our worse fears. try to take deep breaths and tell it to sod off! your not listening to it. :-) we seem to lose our faith in our doctors (who are im sure doing the best they can and would know if we were really unwell) it tells us not to trust anyone because they don;t know and it puts us through so much that we become totally exhausted. lie down if you can and relax the best you can. xx

you can beat this. sending you big hugs xxxxx

[joelhall]

Certainly sounds like stress. If it's in the centre of the chest it's likely a benign PVC. If it's at the left, it's not your heart at all, but most likely a muscular spasm due to tension, which would explain the tightness in the chest.

[Speranza]

When I had that test I didn't realise what they were looking for, but apparently it shows up even if it's not happening at the time, I believe. It is a horrible feeling but I assure you I have had it on and off for many years and I am absolutely fine. xx

[lindajane1971]

I can relate to you as i have had the same for 5 years now.
i would say it feels like all the chambers in my heart suddenly go out of sync and they all beat at the same time? it can be a slight flutter or a hard pound flutter which i can also feel in my throat at the same time.
I had a ECG and heart scan which they told me was fine. I then had a 24 hour monitor which didnt find anything amis.
then last year i get another 24 hour monitor and when i get the results im told i had 600+ ectopic beats in the 24 hour period!!! And i didnt feel any of them!!!! The doctor told me that amount was normal and that even though i had all them ectopic beats all the electrical readings were fine.
there is nothing can be done for ectopic beats and they do you no harm. I know this will be hard for you to believe as its taken me 5 years to live with them rather than panic every time i feel one and honest to god if you are worried about them all the time you will feel every single one!!!! Plus if your worried all the time you are probably walking around all tensed up without even realizing it which will contribute to the tight feeling.
When i first got them i would freeze on the spot when i felt one, tense all up, then panic!!! Now i do something the second i feel it, wether its a few coughs, or just getting up and moving around a bit and it definitely helps me a lot and now i dont worry about them much at all.
If your doctor wont listen then make an appointment to see another one!!!! and tell tell them how its worrying you so much and ask if you could have the 24 hour monitor.

Linda xx

[mummyanxious]

I've had various sensations in the left of my chest lately. Sometimes I get a squeeze when I get a heartbeat or skip. I've had shock type feelings with a beat, flicking like sensations as well. I sometimes get a head rush (rarely), sometimes I feel a little like they take my breath away for a couple of seconds. All the skips I usually feel in the left of my chest where you see the left of the heart on diagrams. I've had like sluggish feeling heartbeats, like squelchy. A lot of the time ill have one and then feel like something is caught in my chest?
I'm so frightened of sudden death. But I don't know if I'm right that skmeone once told me that this could be diagnosed via an ECG. If every teenager was screened with an ECG it would cut down on a lot of sad's?
I'm fed up with people associating it with me being stressed as well. Yes I've been through a period of stress but this just doesn't feel like normal ectopics.
I've had heart monitors in the past, a few years back, but they are the ones you push when you get the feeling. I thought I was getting a 24 hour one once but they just gave me a push button one again.
Had a treadmill test and echo about 3 years ago a normal.

---------- Post added at 19:56 ---------- Previous post was at 19:56 ----------

Oh and I'm only mid thirties with no risk factors, just stress levels. This all started after a virus I had and I just can't shake it now

---------- Post added at 20:07 ---------- Previous post was at 19:56 ----------

I'm getting skipped beats now as usual. Just did a huge burp which forced up and had a skip and then got a pain in the left of my chest that filled the whole left of my chest. I'm terrified again now!

---------- Post added at 20:09 ---------- Previous post was at 20:07 ----------

Sorry I'm rambling now but I hate burdening my family with my worries as it worries them. I just feel like my whole life is on hold. I can't exercise or do anything enjoyable for this fear. I don't want to meet anyone as I'm scared of what they'll think or just scared of bring frightened about it in front of them. It's such a mess really and my dr just keeps saying its just anxiety but this is very real :(

[Speranza]

Have you talked to anybody about hyperventilation? It's harmless, and most of us do it without even knowing when we are anxious... can lead to some of those symptoms too.

[mummyanxious]

Hyperventilation cannot give you skipped beats though can it.

I just had one that literally shook my chest. I'm so fed up of this

[joelhall]

I really don't know what else to tell you I'm afraid.

[mummyanxious]

I just feel like none of this is normal. I try to rationalise it to think that I was fine at the beginning of the year so something wouldn't suddenly go downhill so quickly? But then I start to worry again because it doesn't feel right. You know how you just have a feeling about something.

[joelhall]

All anxious people know what it's like to have feelings about something, believe me :D
However, there is nothing you've said which has convinced me there is any underlying cardiac problem. Believe me I've been there, and it plays tricks on your mind and at one point I was utterly convinced something was very, very wrong. Of course if it had been, I wouldn't be sitting here 7 years later.

[mummyanxious]

Thank you for taking the time to reply :)

[lindajane1971]

i know what you mean, i have constant arguments with myself - one minute im like "ive had this for 5 years and have come to no harm, all my tests are normal and i am going to be ok"
then the other side kicks in "its the start of a heart attack, im going to drop down and that will be it, the tests must be wrong, the dr's are not listening to me..... it goes on and on
once health anxiety gets a grip on you it makes you so self aware of your body you can feel every tiny little thing in your body and before you know it you become obsessed with it, and once that happens it takes twice as long to get back to normal thinking.
did the dr tell you what you were feeling were ectopic beats???
x

[mummyanxious]

Yes she said they were but at no point has she physically examined me. She's going on tests I had 2-3 years ago :( She said she would almost state her life on it being down to stress.

[mummyanxious]

Aggghh I was doing really well today till I got this missed beat with an electric shock type feeling which shot across my chest. It left a residual feeling and I'm now worried again. What is this???

[joelhall]

Sounds like a muscle spasm.

[mummyanxious]

This is typical of the pains I am getting regularly. I get a missed beat and then on the next beat I get an electric shock type feeling. Sometimes a squeeze and it travels horizontal across the centre of my chest. But it's at the same time as the heartbeat and feels like its coming from my heart. It's like my heart is going into spasm or something :(

[Female healthanxiety]

Hello Mummyanxious,

You sound exactly like me, female, 30, work in an office (busy and stressful environment) and I too just put a post up as to how my heart feels...... I too am feeling the same.

ALL of my heart tests were done about 4 years ago - so in theory, I am thinking that was so long ago and anything could of happened since then!!! of course, that is how anxiety makes you feel!

I am sitting at my desk now, with the flutters, and my left arm is aching - I wish my body would feel balanced - I never have problems on my right side!!!

I found Linda's post helpful, and its so true.

I find whenever I feel anxious I jump onto this site....

Big Hugs xxxxxxxx

[mummyanxious]

Which is Linda's post?

---------- Post added at 15:32 ---------- Previous post was at 15:31 ----------

You are right, there are a lot if similarities. My tests were done about 3-4 years ago and I am convinced the dress of pregnancy and the stress if the past two years and the anger I feel all the time has damaged my heart.

[Female healthanxiety]

Hello Mummyanxious - she replied to your message above LindaJane1971.

I too feel the same. I think we find it hard to believe that our bodies are amazing things and cope with stress everyday.........

Do you find occupying yourself helps? or are you like me, too tired!!

[mummyanxious]

Doh! See how distracted I am.

[Female healthanxiety]

Don't be so hard on yourself :bighug1:

[mummyanxious]

I just want to move on from all this knowing I am fit and well and perhaps start dating again. I can't even think about that with all these worries.

[mummyanxious]

Had a fairly good day yesterday, only a few twinges and skipped beats.

Today I was in the garden, came in to find something and suddenly had an overwhelming urge to go to the toilet. When I got there my heart was racing and then the skips start up again. I'm so worried about this. I wish I knew what was happening to me :(

[gabrielle37]

aw im sorry your feeling this way, i am very similiar at mo though, it just comes from nowhere, i feel so well otherwise, its so damn annoying. im not panicking now when it happens i just tell it to do what it wants, i don;t care! its our minds playing tricks on us. i go to the toilet too when anx. we can beat it, just try and go with it instead of panicking and thinking the worse. im not saying its easy, i struggle too but it has to dissappear eventually. big hug for you. xxxx your not alone , lots of support on this site xx

[mummyanxious]

I wasn't even anxious though, I was just minding my business doing some gardening :( Any exertion seems to trigger them now. In fact anything at all. Even raising my voice at the children. I'm so scared.

[Speranza]

I think the thing that worried me the most was that they could happen when I wasn't feeling anxious. Of course, that was only my emotions. My body was feeling very anxious. Please try to accept it's normal for the moment; it is horrible isn't it. :hugs:

[gabrielle37]

speranza is so right. i don;t feel anxious either, i can be washing up and feeling quite good in myself and wham, why? when i feel calm ? like speranza said its our emotions and its our minds playing tricks on us. it will get better im sure. xx try and work beyond the feelings if you can. reading claire weekes book really helped me in my way of thinking, it does not stop them but i certainly deal with them better. hope this helps you xx

[chl_hobbs]

I could have written ur post myself as ive been feeling the same. Its awful and takes over my whole 'life'. Ive had an echo of my heart which said was ok (i.saw that it said that the left ventricle was on the upper limits of normal but drs said it still normal...), a 24 hr monitor (5000 ectopic beats, trigeminy(every 3rd beat), sinus tachy, and 3 day monitor (rare extopics, sinus tachycardia). The dr said the holters are a demonstration of how when im so stressedwhat I do to my heart...but its harmless and I need to reduce my anxiety. What I dont get is whenever u read about ectopics, it says if u get regular frequent ectopics and with pain or short of breath to see a.dr immediately....i do that all the time (a+e, urgent care etc) and they tell me its fine,go home and try to relax....

Ive been feeling 'suffocated' the past few days. Its coming and going but I am gettin.times during the.day when I feel like I cant breathe, chest feels pressured and tight. Its so.scary. My gp said he thinks its hayfever.... I just dont trust anyone anymore. Am certain my heart has a problem and no ones listening to me :(

[missworry]

Hi hope you have had a better few days, if you look back on my posts you will see i have been throught what your going throught and it`s very scary. The ectopics were literally taking over my life and i was letting them i couldn`t think of anything else i had an ecg and was having them at the time and they did show on the ecg but my doctor says they are normal and for some they will go as quickly as they came or you just have to go away and live with them, she refused any further tests 24hr echo etc as she said she could tell from my ecg my heat beating fine besides these. I just had to trust her and they have died down alot i too am frightened to death of sudden death it`s my biggest fear and it causes my anxiety. I have since had another ecg as my heart was racing so i will keep you posted as go back to docs on Fri, i really hope in a few wks time you can look back on this and realize you can live with them but believe me i didn`t feel like that at the time so i am certainly not dismissing your feelings as it is awful, i still have them now infact having quite a few today just try to ignore them and cut back on caffine and fizzy drinks and alcohol can cause them too, really hope you feel better soon, take care x

[mummyanxious]

Thanks for your replies. I've not been too great tbh. I feel so tired, feel like I could drop asleep at any second. My heart was going really slow earlier, 60bpm for me isn't normal, this is what fueled some of my worries about it before. I know super fit people have low pulses but I'm far from super fit.
I've been having the split second random shocks in the left of my chest again. They feel like they're with the heartbeat. They're feel in my chest, not near the top like rib level.
It's all so worrying.