View Full Version : Unstable Angina being ignorerd
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 18:43
So my symptoms have got a lot more severe in the past two days. And are strong indications of unstable angina. But because my health anxiety has been high the past month my doctor is completly ignoring me. Guess its time to start saying my good byes
Since your EKGs have been normal, your symptoms aren't "strong indications of unstable angina." Even you did have unstable angina--which I'm pretty sure you don't--it doesn't translate to you being gone by tomorrow. I think what you're really saying is you're pretty miserable, and you feel like people aren't realizing just how bad you feel. Which I think we're all familiar with, and I'm sorry you're in that place.
What you do have are strong indications that your anxiety isn't well managed. That doesn't mean your symptoms are pretended or imagined--it means that what really needs to happen for them isn't happening. Have you asked your doctor for a referral, or tried the online CBT courses?
nomorepanic
11-02-14, 19:01
Why ? Are you going to die?
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 19:09
I've pretty much accepted the fact that I don't have long left. Pains are becoming more and more severe. Even had a paramedic out today as the pain was so bad I thought it was heart attack. He assured me it wasn't but was suprised my doctor hasn't considered angina
I suspect that what he meant by "considered angina" is something your doctor actually did--he had you take an EKG to rule it out. Did you tell the paramedic your EKGs were normal?
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 19:27
Yep but normal ecgs are not really enough to rule out angina. :(
If I take the 1990 in your screen name to be your birth year that would make you 24 or close to it... am I right?
If that's the case, the chances of unstable angina in light of several normal EKGs is well.... none.
Positive thoughts
nomorepanic
11-02-14, 19:30
I really don't think you are going to die but if it is that bad then all you can do is go back to the doctor. We can't tell you anything more than that as we are not doctors
Yep but normal ecgs are not really enough to rule out angina. :(
In most cases--with a young person like yourself--they most certainly are.
Do you want to have angina? Would you rather have that than anxiety? Is it easier to tell people you have angina than anxiety?
Right now you're a car with a faulty dashboard light saying "check engine." The engine has been checked and found to be fine, so the next step is fixing the warning light. Why would you insist the car is doomed rather than work on the warning light?
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 19:51
I'm 23 but have many ris k factors I'm obese and a former smoker. Which makes my age insignificant when it comes to cardiac related problems. I know I only have myself to blame for this. I never wanted this. I just think its unfair my doctor's misdiagnosing me
I'm 23 but have many ris k factors I'm obese and a former smoker. Which makes my age insignificant when it comes to cardiac related problems. I know I only have myself to blame for this. I never wanted this. I just think its unfair my doctor's misdiagnosing me
Says who?
I'm 23 but have many ris k factors I'm obese and a former smoker. Which makes my age insignificant when it comes to cardiac related problems.
No, kurtis, it doesn't. Your age remains significant. Your EKG remains significant. Your anxiety remains significant.
I ask you again--do you want to have angina, or live as if you do? Do you think that would be better than having anxiety?
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 20:04
No I wish all this was anxiety as anxiety won't kill you
No I wish all this was anxiety as anxiety won't kill you
On the one hand, there is a qualified medical professional, armed with modern diagnostic equipment, telling you it's anxiety.
On the other hand, there is a quack armed with search engine telling you you'll die in days or months.
You really have to choose whom to believe.
Go to the doctor, say look is this unstable angina or not. When he says no, trust him and get on with your life.
Life is short, don't waste it :)
TooMuchToLiveFor
11-02-14, 20:12
Right now you're a car with a faulty dashboard light saying "check engine." The engine has been checked and found to be fine, so the next step is fixing the warning light. Why would you insist the car is doomed rather than work on the warning light?
Althea- what a KICK A** metaphor!!!! Seriously, one of the best I've ever seen.
(FMP- I KNOW you liked that one!)
Althea- would you mind if I copied that (with you getting credit) and reposted it under my "Steering Your Thoughts" thread?
Kurtis-- next week, the week after, the week after that,…..when you are still here, still hurting, and still focusing on the wrong illness….then what?
Feel free, TooMuch--I think I adapted it from Dr. Atul Gawande, but I've found it really useful in understanding anxiety and all kinds of neurological things that are out of whack. Probably because I do have a car with a faulty dashboard light :).
(Phuzella, I think the doctor has already told kurtis that it's not angina--he just is convinced that it's not true.)
Feel free, TooMuch--I think I adapted it from Dr. Atul Gawande, but I've found it really useful in understanding anxiety and all kinds of neurological things that are out of whack. Probably because I do have a car with a faulty dashboard light :).
(Phuzella, I think the doctor has already told kurtis that it's not angina--he just is convinced that it's not true.)
You hit the nail in the head-he believes a computerized quack more than qualified medical professional. That's a big no-no ;)
From your very first post Kurtis:
"went to ANE they ran a ECG which came out fine. my pulse was fast but they put it down to anxiety. after that have just felt continusly worse. chest pains shortness of breath. so went to docs yesterday who gave me a checking over listened to my heart said it was fine."
The thing is, Anxiety cause real physical symptoms. They're just not dangerous or life threatening. There's a free CBT course here that's very good. The more you learn about the physiology behind the anxiety, the better you'll be able to deal with it.
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=131665
Positive thoughts
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 21:17
Thank you all for your replies. What is making it difficult to diagnose is that the chest pains are changing in location and severity. And I'm pretty sure they think I'm making it up when I tell them it travels to my left arm and jaw. Surely those symptoms alone warrant further testing for angina. I once saw something you wrote fishmanpa which went. When its cardiac its a holy Shit moment. That's pretty much how it feels for me
kurtis, you've had further testing for angina.
While what Fishmanpa says about heart attacks is true, but it's retrospective--I think people with anxiety only know the difference once they've had an actual heart attack. You've demonstrably not had a heart attack.
So even if you do have angina, you're not going to drop off any time soon if it's so mild that neither doctors nor paramedics find evidence of it, and you're still suffering from anxiety--what do you want to do to make your life better in the meantime, whether the meantime is two years or eighty?
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 22:00
Before all of this I had a great life. I married the love of my life and the past three years had been entirerly anxiety free. And then WHAM everything went downhill. I can remember the first symptom i got was numbness in my hand. Doctor diagnosed cat scratch fever and I thought nothing of it. But it perdisted and I started having frequent dizzy spells and chest pain...and that's when i started to worry. My own mortality isn't bothering me. If it's my time its my time. It's the pain it would cause my loved ones that scares Me
Before all of this I had a great life. I married the love of my life and the past three years had been entirerly anxiety free. And then WHAM everything went downhill. I can remember the first symptom i got was numbness in my hand. Doctor diagnosed cat scratch fever and I thought nothing of it. But it perdisted and I started having frequent dizzy spells and chest pain...and that's when i started to worry. My own mortality isn't bothering me. If it's my time its my time. It's the pain it would cause my loved ones that scares Me
I understand you totally. You do seem to be a very nice person! However, I have a question. Didn't you stop to consider the pain and anguish you're already causing your loved ones with your anxiety? ;)
kurtis1990
11-02-14, 22:11
I know its causing them pain. and that is the worst part of this
I know its causing them pain. and that is the worst part of this
Ok, that was step one.
Step two: you have to constantly remind yourself that the pain you're causing to them is avoidable.
Step three: Since you don't want to cause pain to your family, you have to learn ways to avoid it=treat and fight your anxiety.
There you are. Let that be your motivation. Don't tolerate it, don't "live with it"-fight it. Because you're fighting for your family.
Thank you all for your replies. What is making it difficult to diagnose is that the chest pains are changing in location and severity. And I'm pretty sure they think I'm making it up when I tell them it travels to my left arm and jaw. Surely those symptoms alone warrant further testing for angina. I once saw something you wrote fishmanpa which went. When its cardiac its a holy Shit moment. That's pretty much how it feels for me
Allow me to clarify that statement... I was having a heart attack. There was no doubt. There's just something about the pain of a heart attack that's unmistakable. The "Oh Shit" moment was when I went into Afib and everything went black. I went out in the ER. My heart basically stopped. I was already in great distress. It had been about two hours since the severe symptoms started. There was a funny feeling that started deep inside and I felt it sort of rising. I thought "Oh Shit... this isn't good" and the next thing I remember was waking up. Several hours had passed. They had to hit be with the paddles to get my heart back into a regular sinus rhythm. The "Oh Shit" moment was literally a 1-2 second time span and I had no recollection after that until I awoke.
Your symptoms come and go, vary in severity and change location. That's not indicative of angina/heart issues. I do understand your fear. It's valid. Heart attacks suck as do many of the serious illnesses, conditions and diseases I see discussed here. When you have medical professionals doing scientific tests and thorough exams telling you it's not your heart, you kinda have to think they know what they're talking about. When the same medical professionals are telling you it's anxiety related, you kinda have to take them just as seriously. I know it's hard to accept but that's where the healing process starts.
Positive thoughts
Kurtis, I'm truly sorry that you're having a tough time, but it's time to get a grip. What are you doing to alleviate your anxiety? CBT, therapy, meditation, exercise, distraction, acceptance?????
You have your entire life ahead of you. You can choose to take control of your anxiety or you can choose to let it take your life. You can choose to live each day worrying about an illness that you do not have or you can choose to work hard, accept the anxiety, and enjoy this day that you've been given.
The choice is yours. What do you choose?
I'm 23 but have many ris k factors I'm obese and a former smoker. Which makes my age insignificant when it comes to cardiac related problems. I know I only have myself to blame for this. I never wanted this. I just think its unfair my doctor's misdiagnosing me
It takes years for obesity and smoking to do damage. How about you take up a healthy eating plan and get some more exercise. I bet it would reduce your anxiety and pain very quickly.
When my palpitations started up I was afraid to go to sleep because I fully expected to die in the night. I was terrified. Eventually, I realised that I couldn't do much about the thousands of palpitations a day, but I could work on the anxiety they caused.
You are young and you have had the appropriate tests. Your gp is not going to be wanting to do further tests because the liklihood of you having a genuine heart issue is very small.
So, you can either do what I did and sit on the sofa all day for years, waiting for a catastrophe that never came, or you can start to address the anxiety issues.
I strongly recommend Claire Weekes 'Self Help for your Nerves' and Richard Carlson, ' Stop Thinking Start Living' as great books on dealing with anxiety and negative thoughts. Try the Tara Brach website for free guided meditations - they are very calming.
Don't waste your life worrying about something that is not going to happen.
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