My body is going crazy

[j2]

I am a long time sufferer of HA. I am a 42 yr old male, who is being treated for high cholesteral even though I am only 11.5 stone and 5 foot 7. I exercise 4 - 6 times per week on a bike or swimming laps. My cholesteral is no longer high as it is lowered by the meds. My BP is good. I do use tobacco in the form of snuff. For the last several weeks I have had loads of heart palps, chest pain and general feeling of being in a fog. I get really bad sinus type headaches and my vision seems off. I had a full CBT about 6 weeks ago and everything was fine. I am so freaking out that this is a heart or lung issue. I sometimes feel short of breath and my heart keeps flopping around like crazy. I don't seem to have any problems while exercising. Does this sound like anxiety? If so, it is a new pattern for me and it is very scary.

Thanks,
J2

[cpe1978]

I am no medic, but logically if you had an issue with your heart on lungs then it would in likelihood be exacerbated by exercise.

What I have learned from my short time on this forum and first real experiences with HA is that anxiety is a no holes barred condition it can create almost anything. That said, it would be foolish to dismiss any symptoms when no one here is medically trained to do so and even if they were would struggle to do so on the basis of a forum post.

I am also coming to realise that the only way to truly break this is to give yourself a break. Constantly surveying for symptoms and responding aversively to something is only ever going to make it worse.

Let me give you an example. I have tinnitus. When I first got it, it bothered me, I went to the GP who said they could do nothing and all i could do would be to live with it. I took him at his word and then went away and didnt think about it for 10 years. Roll on this year and for some reason my head decided that this was a problem again or indicative of something more sinister - it began to really bother me, I heard it all of the time over everything, it seems like a lion roaring in my head.

I got to the point though where i could fight no more and let tinnitus do its own thing and miraculously although I still hear it from time to time, and if I want to can tune in to it at any time it doesnt bother me at all. I am trying to apply the same philosophy to HA in so much as I believe I will only get better when my subconscious believes that the symptoms I am experiencing are benign.

I am pretty certain that I wont get that reassurance from chasing tests or seeking reassurance on a forum and I suspect that is a trap that many people fall into here.

[kinnygirl1]

I am no medic, but logically if you had an issue with your heart on lungs then it would in likelihood be exacerbated by exercise.

What I have learned from my short time on this forum and first real experiences with HA is that anxiety is a no holes barred condition it can create almost anything. That said, it would be foolish to dismiss any symptoms when no one here is medically trained to do so and even if they were would struggle to do so on the basis of a forum post.

I am also coming to realise that the only way to truly break this is to give yourself a break. Constantly surveying for symptoms and responding aversively to something is only ever going to make it worse.

Let me give you an example. I have tinnitus. When I first got it, it bothered me, I went to the GP who said they could do nothing and all i could do would be to live with it. I took him at his word and then went away and didnt think about it for 10 years. Roll on this year and for some reason my head decided that this was a problem again or indicative of something more sinister - it began to really bother me, I heard it all of the time over everything, it seems like a lion roaring in my head.

I got to the point though where i could fight no more and let tinnitus do its own thing and miraculously although I still hear it from time to time, and if I want to can tune in to it at any time it doesnt bother me at all. I am trying to apply the same philosophy to HA in so much as I believe I will only get better when my subconscious believes that the symptoms I am experiencing are benign.

I am pretty certain that I wont get that reassurance from chasing tests or seeking reassurance on a forum and I suspect that is a trap that many people fall into here.

Really good advice! I am working on this at the moment! Also try and see if there is a pattern for when these symptoms occur, eg when something stressful is going on at work /home etc. my symptoms are bad at the mo. Heart is missing beats and am ultra dizzy. It's scary and I want to start thinking it's my heart BUT coincidently am also going through a major upheaval at work, if you see what I mean.

[j2]

I too figured that if I was having a heart or lung issue it would manifest itself while exercising but I wanted to get some others input. It is very expensive to visit a doctor here and I can't afford yet another visit if I am just over reacting again. I was hoping to get a third party opinion. Thanks. If anyone else has any input that would be great too.

---------- Post added at 23:59 ---------- Previous post was at 23:46 ----------

I am currently having a huge number of heart palps and it really scaring me. I worked out again today and had no problems but I am now really tired and these palps are scaring me to no end. Sorry to sound so pathetic but nobody really understands my desperation here.

[cpe1978]

I have to say that whilst we moan endlessly about the NHS in this country it is good to never have to wonder how much healthcare costs (unless you happen to be a healthcare commissioner - which I am ;). )

Hope you feel better this morning.