terrified for my heart health

[PanicWHU]

Hi everyone, I'm a 27 year old, male, who has been suffering from anxiety for a while now but I can't help but feel that I have major health problems. I have had numerous panic attacks in the past and gone to A&E and had the whole ecg and blood test thing and chest xray, all of which have come back fine. I have continued to have chest discomfort where my heart feels different all the time and the beat is getting softer and softer, which makes me light headed. Blood pressure is fine. Went back to the docs and they said it was anxiety and prescribed me sertraline and mirtazapine. Anyway, the weird feelings in my heart have continued and I went and saw a private cardiologist who got me to wear a 24 hour monitor. Low and behold I felt the best I had done in months the day I wore it, so again everything has come back normal. In the last month though, I have had chronic reflux and diarrhea every day (sorry to be graphic) and when my reflux is bad, my heart seems to act up. My chest makes the weirdest rumbling noises, like there is trapped gas. Has anyone else had this? My heartbeat goes soft and that's when I bring food up. I know exactly when it's coming. I have heard something about the vagus neve but my cardiologist said there is no link between the heart and reflux. i have coughed up so much my whole left side hurts and my heart beat feels totally different now, and I have lost weight too. i phoned the doctor and he has again said it is to do with my anxiety. can anxiety really do all this, eptopic beats, reflux, chest pain and diarrhea?? I have took lansoprazole for the reflux for ages but it has never been this bad. Really worried damage has been done to my heart that is not being shown. I have been told there is no need for an echo as I am young and just suffering from anxiety. I'm getting desperate now. Don't know why my heart beat goes really soft and it tickles like a pins and needles sensation, if it was anxiety surely it wold be fast and pounding??. Do physical anxiety symptoms change this much so quickly? Help and advice please. Cheers

[Lisa.w1979]

i get all that. i also take lansoprazole, colofac and another drug for nausea, i get like a pressure between my ribs which i thought was my heart but my doctor reassures my its my esophageal sphincter (hehe, i said sphincter!!) spasming, Anxiety can cause soooo many physical symptoms its unreal. You've come to the right place though. Check out the posts under symptoms to see what you're dealing with. xx

[oldtime]

Difficult to believe they are anxiety, but I have had pretty much all of the symptoms you describe. They still scare me even though I now accept they are the result of stress and anxiety.

[mummyanxious]

I've been told about that spasm too Lisa.

[PanicWHU]

Thank you so much for replying. I am a bit worried about the diarreah, again sorry to be graphic, as it is yellow and foamy like acid or bile. Got a slight pain lower right side of abdomen so may be a bit of ibs, either that or I picked up a bug in hospital! X

[Lisa.w1979]

do you get the pressure between your ribs too?? it made me think it was my heart or lungs at first.

[mummyanxious]

I had that a couple of weeks ago when my guts were bad. It has now eventually calmed down but it took a long while x

[PanicWHU]

Yeah I do get a fair bit over heart area, doesn't hurt when I press it though. Just like a constant ache

---------- Post added at 19:33 ---------- Previous post was at 19:31 ----------

That's good to hear mummyanxious. mines been 4 weeks so hope it goes soon
x

[Lisa.w1979]

Lucky you. Mine still does it. X

PanicWHU...have you heard of cbt(cognitive behavior therapy)? I downloaded the books and they detail the symptoms of anxiety and why our bodies do it. Diarrhea is common because our bodies rush to process foods in response to the fight or flight mechanism. If you've never heard of this, it sounds a bit gaga, but I urge you to check it out. The link to get the cbt books is in the therapy heading I think. When I have a panic attack, I get bad belly and diarrhea every single time. Have thrown up before and it was just bile.

[mummyanxious]

Maybe discuss changing your lanzoprazole with your gp to something else? Or you can take some other ant acid with it. I couldn't take lanzoprazole, omoprazole was better for me.

[Lisa.w1979]

Here's the link (I hope it works!)

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91696

[PanicWHU]

Yeah I am seeing someone about CBT on Friday. I have read up quite a lot about it. I understand how it could works with panic attacks but not sure how it works if you have an anxiety disorder all the time. How can it stop the physical symptoms? Be good to find out. Sorry u are going through this too, it's the worst thing x

[mummyanxious]

I have started getting different PA Lisa where I feel nausea. Well they've told me its panic. But the nausea comes on instantly. Is that how your bad tummy happens? Can it be that quick?

[Lisa.w1979]

Its the colofac I take for the spasms. The lanso is for acid which isn't really a bit problem. Its the spasms that are uncomfortable. Colofac can't be taken with some ssri's so when I was on fluoxetine, it came back with a vengeance, which of course added to my already increased anxiety. I hated fluoxetine. With a passion lol.

[PanicWHU]

I was on omeprazole before, it didn't seem to help me sadly :( it's just been this last month but it's every time I eat, 10mins later it's back up. I can't pinpoint what foods because it is everything lol. I don't get the burning so not even sure if it is acid

[Lisa.w1979]

Mine don't follow a pattern mummy. Sometimes I get like really bad shivers first then chest pain,hot flushes, increased heart rate, bad tummy and thinking I'm guna die. Other times my heart starts beating fast first. Other times I feel sick first and all the other symptoms follow.

Panic, all the physical symptoms are caused by a rush of adrenaline. Hard to believe but its all caused by our heads so you have to change the way you think in order to stop the physical symptoms. I tend to ignore them best I can, have a word with myself, distract myself, tell myself its just anxiety. Different things work for different people I'm afraid. You kinda have to find what fits you. Not much help I know, but just know you're not alone in this and there are people who know how you feel. Xxx

[PanicWHU]

One thing is it has left me depressed and I have been pretty much been bed bound for last few months cause i have felt that ill. I am scared to even go for a walk in case my heart can't handle it, i get breathless just resting. It's stupid I know because it's the only way to get rid of the adrenaline x

[mummyanxious]

Hmmm I mean like can you be feeling just normal anxious one minute and like a split second later like you'll vomit? Can it come on that quick? I'm not used to nausea at all.

---------- Post added at 19:52 ---------- Previous post was at 19:51 ----------

Awww panic I feel exactly the same. If it wasn't for my kids I think is be in a worse place than I am now. I really feel for you x

[PanicWHU]

it's straight after eating. I feel hungry then 10 mins or so after eating my heart beat goes weird and I vomit it back up

---------- Post added at 19:55 ---------- Previous post was at 19:54 ----------

Thanks mummyanxious, it's hell x

[mummyanxious]

Thing is you've probably created a vicious circle with the food and brain connection. I've written this on someone post before so forgive me if I'm repeating but when I'm anxious I get it in my head I can't eat. Then I get lightheaded and anxious. And I really have to force myself to eat. I've finally gotten out of it now but I lost a ton of weight in that vicious circle.

And I know what you mean about the exertion. I've lost muscle mass from being scared to tax my heart and that is another vicious circle.

[Lisa.w1979]

mummy,i don't tend to throw up much, maybe happened once or twice, i generally just feel sick, and yes it comes on rapidly.

panic, when you get sick, are you expecting it? like are you anxious thats its guna happen?

[PanicWHU]

yeah you are probably right. How did you stop it, by using the CBT method or did it just pass?

[mummyanxious]

Yeah that's what I'm saying panic. It's like it's anticipatory.
I imagine you've tried things like eating small bits often rather than a big meal.
I promise when food loses its focus for you you'll feel so much better and your appetite will return and the bad feelings will go. I managed some chocolate the other day, I haven't had any snacks for well over a month!

[PanicWHU]

I can feel that it's going to happen if that makes sense. I am anxious that its going to happen but even when I try to take my mind of it I still vomit

[mummyanxious]

Claire weekes in her book states its completely normal process of anxiety and you should force yourself to eat every single mouthful, even if you think you can't. Even if you bring some back you should carry on as it retrains the brain. Sounds a bit odd but it worked for me.
And don't forget if we don't eat properly for a while our stomach shrinks so we can't eat as much. So little and often while you build your strength and appetite back.

---------- Post added at 20:04 ---------- Previous post was at 20:03 ----------

You say you try and take your mind off it but your mind is still working subconsciously.
You have to give your mind positive reinforcements. Even if its talking to yourself while you're eating. Reaffirming that its fine and food is good etc etc

[PanicWHU]

Thanks. Yeah I have been eating well but just bringing it back up lol. It's like the moment I finish I feel sick

---------- Post added at 20:08 ---------- Previous post was at 20:06 ----------

Yeah think you are right, my mind is pretty much anxious from the moment I wake up thinking about how ill I feel. I struggle to switch off and go to sleep too

[mummyanxious]

Fight the feeling and distract yourself from it x

[Lisa.w1979]

i agree with mummy, you need to break the cycle.xxx

[mummyanxious]

Ah I know the feeling of waking up anxious. It's a terrible place to be. My course of diazepam seems to be working fairly well for me mind you.

That's the nature of health anxiety. The first thing we think when we wake up is how do I feel? And we scan our body for ailments. Very difficult to break out of it is.

[PanicWHU]

Thank you so much you two, you don't know what your help means. Lets keep in touch xx

[mummyanxious]

Not a problem. It's very hard to be positive but try not to beat yourself up if you have a setback as it happens all the time. Good day, bad day, good day and slowly the good outweigh the bad.
Let us know how you get on x

[Lisa.w1979]

you're welcome. Just knowing you're not alone is a massive help isn't? I think its funny how my doctors can tell me its all anxiety and i doubt them, but chatting to a fellow sufferer makes me feel a million times better. xxx

---------- Post added at 20:17 ---------- Previous post was at 20:15 ----------

For me, waking up in the morning anxious isn't as bad as night panic. Everything always seems worse at night for some reason.

[PanicWHU]

It's a big help. What I have to get in my head is If i had a good day when I was wearing the holter monitor, surely if there was something wrong it didn't just skip a day lol. Seems silly when I think about it xx

[mummyanxious]

Exactly!

[claireypoo]

I take it WHU weren't playing on the day you had your monitor on! :D (Now that's getting scary!)

[PanicWHU]

haha no we wernt, it would have gone through the roof lol :)

[claireypoo]

I know what you mean. I have to eat antacids like sweets to watch a match now. IRONS!

[PanicWHU]

Nice to hear from a fellow hammers fan, they don't help anxiety that's for sure lol

[claireypoo]

Just looking at Big Sam makes my stomach acid worse! :)

[Lisa.w1979]

All this talk of football is having an affect on my body, but its not my heart...its my up-chuck reflex :roflmao:

[PanicWHU]

haha sorry Lisa lol :) x

[Lisa.w1979]

lol, its fine. I'm not really bothered, i just don't understand football. In the same way some people don't understand my hobbies, pastimes and passions.