LaLib
25-12-13, 13:40
The most distressing thing about my heart anxiety is that I've been a nurse for 8 years and should know better about separating anxiety from true cardiac issues. I'm not sure if the problem is knowing too much.
Quick background -- I'm 28 years old, non-smoker, healthy weight, typically low blood pressure, normal cholesterol. Family history of heart disease in grandparents but not parents.
For the past 4+ months, I have been dealing with a revolving door of cardiac symptoms from chest pain/squeezing, arm pain, back pain, heart racing, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating and most recently, jaw pain.
To say I've run the gamut of tests would be an understatement. I've had blood work, EKGs, CT Chest, CXR, 24 hr Cardiac monitor, Stress echo. With the exception of my EKG being abnormal (inverted T waves) which I've known about for the past 10 years and some skipped beats on my monitor, doctors have told me that my heart function is fine. Still, I am convinced that a heart attack/cardiac arrest is inevitable. And it's ruining my life.
Before even having all these tests, my primary doctor told me flat out its anxiety. But I didn't want to hear it because he had no evidence but my family history (Mom had anxiety). My husband supports me having more testing to convince me it's not cardiac, but the thought of pursuing another test just makes me more terrified at the prospect of it being my a fatal blockage or cardiac spasm. I want to be done with tests.
It seems like once I come to terms with a symptom and try to ignore it (chest pain), another one like back pain pops up. It's almost like my body is trying to continuously tell me --- It's your HEART!! I have pushed myself to exercise and go to the gym, carry heavy things, shovel snow to convince myself that I'm not having angina, but I'm just terrified the whole time and think that maybe I didn't push hard enough to make something happen. Sometimes, I feel the discomfort at rest and sometimes doing random things like putting a dish away on a high shelf.
I don't know what to do anymore. Could I really be imagining ALL of these symptoms? I admit that I have fallen victim to reading horror stories of young women having heart attacks and angina, but I find it so hard to believe that I could just precipitate so many symptoms out of purely fear.
Can anyone offer insight or experience? I am so scared and could use any guidance.
Quick background -- I'm 28 years old, non-smoker, healthy weight, typically low blood pressure, normal cholesterol. Family history of heart disease in grandparents but not parents.
For the past 4+ months, I have been dealing with a revolving door of cardiac symptoms from chest pain/squeezing, arm pain, back pain, heart racing, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating and most recently, jaw pain.
To say I've run the gamut of tests would be an understatement. I've had blood work, EKGs, CT Chest, CXR, 24 hr Cardiac monitor, Stress echo. With the exception of my EKG being abnormal (inverted T waves) which I've known about for the past 10 years and some skipped beats on my monitor, doctors have told me that my heart function is fine. Still, I am convinced that a heart attack/cardiac arrest is inevitable. And it's ruining my life.
Before even having all these tests, my primary doctor told me flat out its anxiety. But I didn't want to hear it because he had no evidence but my family history (Mom had anxiety). My husband supports me having more testing to convince me it's not cardiac, but the thought of pursuing another test just makes me more terrified at the prospect of it being my a fatal blockage or cardiac spasm. I want to be done with tests.
It seems like once I come to terms with a symptom and try to ignore it (chest pain), another one like back pain pops up. It's almost like my body is trying to continuously tell me --- It's your HEART!! I have pushed myself to exercise and go to the gym, carry heavy things, shovel snow to convince myself that I'm not having angina, but I'm just terrified the whole time and think that maybe I didn't push hard enough to make something happen. Sometimes, I feel the discomfort at rest and sometimes doing random things like putting a dish away on a high shelf.
I don't know what to do anymore. Could I really be imagining ALL of these symptoms? I admit that I have fallen victim to reading horror stories of young women having heart attacks and angina, but I find it so hard to believe that I could just precipitate so many symptoms out of purely fear.
Can anyone offer insight or experience? I am so scared and could use any guidance.