Heart attack panic

[mannik111]

hi im a 33 year old male and have terrible anxiety/health anxiety
im so scared im going to have a heart attack, i get twinge pains in my chest, im constantley checking my pulse from when i get up to when i go to bed.

iv been on sertraline which didnt do much good and im on citalopram 40mg a day but still dont feel any better.

this is ruining my life, i dont go out im afraid to exercise, i seem to be drinking more to make me forget

please help
Nik

[Fishmanpa]

Hi Nik,

Sorry to hear of your difficulties. I'm a two time heart attack survivor (add oral cancer to that too!). What you're describing is anxiety but I think you know that ;)

Help? First off... DON'T DRINK!!! Drinking and anxiety, especially when taking meds DON'T MIX! That alone will ease some of the issues. Smoking as well is a no no.

Positive thoughts

[ray52]

Hi Nik
I'm on 40mg citalopram how long have you been on them as it can take a while for your body to settle on them and the side affects are not good till then. Like Fishmanpa said don't drink it wont help my doc gave me a low dose of diazepam 2mg for a few weeks to help me while I settled which helped.

[mannik111]

Hi thanks for the replies, i have been on then for about 3-4 months but just dont seem to be doing anything.
i think its a dark circle i worry about everything from the minute i get up but alcohol is the only thing that stops me

[Annie0904]

Like Fishmanpa, my husband had had 2 heart attacks. Your symptoms sound more like anxiety. Don't be afraid to exercise, exercise is good for your heart. My husband was told to exercise more.

[Andrash]

Mannik, I happened to be present when a close family member had a heart attack (I was in the same room and followed him to hospital in the ambulance). Heart attacks-well, they really suck. Big time. You're in excruciating pain, and when the actual cardiac arrest happens, you're not able to do anything much. You're certainly not able to post on the forum :) You lie down, often unconscious, and fight for your life. You don't have time to think, eat, watch TV or computer screen or to describe your symptoms in detail. You don't have "twinging chest pains"-you have excruciating chest pains which debilitate you completely.

Therefore, stop worrying-you're not having a heart attack, and you're not gonna have it in the near future :) But your twinging chest pains are a common symptom of anxiety or, if you want a "real" disease-of GERD (acid-reflux) which is, in turn, caused by nothing else than good ole hypochondria. :)

[mannik111]

your right i guess i just need to stop thinking about it

[saab]

Hi mannik.

Just wanted to say that because I have pvcs (palpitations), hundreds a day, I have read extensively on heart forums. I have read many times that heart disease is rare in the under 40's - not impossible to have a heart attack under 40, but very rare. Chest pain is often from the muscles in the chest wall, either from a strain or from anxiety. My chest often feels tight when I am anxious. I read an answer from a cardiologist who said that if you can make the pain better or worse by pressing on it, then it is not coming from the heart.

Best way to help is to try to relax and follow a heart healthy diet, and cut down on drinking because it won't help in the long term.