Terrified of a heart attack

[Kayl]

About 3 weeks ago I was at the gym, I was doing my normal work out when I had sodden chest pains, I came straight home but by the time I got home I was in agony! Pains in my chest, arm and jaw - my partner rang an ambulance and I was taken in. After a few hours and an ECG I was sent home. The next day I was the same so went back, had another ECG and some blood test but all came back ok. I Was obvilusly terrified as I was having every single heart attack symptom going! I felt like I was going to die and nobody was listening to me!!! I went to see my GP who said I was suffering from anxiety and having panic attacks, I have had one or two similar 'attacks' since then and in that monent I genuinely feel like I am about to die! Even when I am not panicking though I get these pains In my left arm going up to my Jaw, I'm 23 and otherwise healthy so the doctors keeps saying its anxiety, thy have given me propranolol to take on a night and since then I haven't had anymore panic attacks but still getting the pains, surly if these pains were caused by panic and I'm no longer feeling panicky I wouldn't have the pains? I just feel like maybe they are missing something and it is my heart? I have read stories about people having warning signs of impending heart attacks and they seem to fit what's happening to me! I am currently suffering with postnatal depression as well and my doctor is saying that it is all linked and that they are no more tests they can do - I feel like they are just going to let me die! I can't describe how scared I am, I've never know anything like this before! I really just need help and I don't know where to go now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Emilym80]

Hi there Kayl,

I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Yes, some people have warning signs of an impending heart attack before it happens. Such people are usually 60+ as the mean age for heart attacks is 70 years old for women in the US.

There's also a saying that women are 'protected' from heart attacks and heart disease, especially young ones; this is due to oestrogen, which apparently keeps the heart healthy. Or something.

As such, it's highly unlikely that it's due to your heart, especially if it's also been happening at rest. Do you think there's any chance it could be musculoskeletal- due to posture, maybe? I know I've had pain in the same areas for that reason. I also get it due to reflux- it's terrible and honestly feels like angina. But I've had my heart checked already and so I force myself to believe the doctors, which isn't always easy!

An ECG would've picked up on any abnormalities suggestive of impeded heart function as far as your rhythm goes and the blood tests would've shown damage to the heart, so it's really good news that they came back clear.

Maybe you should see your doctor again about managing your anxiety and ask them if there's a chance it could be muscular, based on how you experience it. If so, seeing a physio should sort it out for you.

All the best :)

[HalfJack]

If they have tested you and tested you and say it's anxiety then it really probably is.
Doctors take heart complaints seriously, if the tests came back fine then it's not a heart attack. Heart attacks aren't subtle, they'd know.

I think a lot of people here can sympathise with how you feel, I've been through this before and this is a very common post theme. I'm not saying that to deminish you, just that a lot of people here understand.
You say the pains come on even when you're not stressed but if you have postnatal depression and feel like you are dying then I'd say that counts as stressed in general, even if you're not thinking about it that second. Symptoms etc aren't an exact science, anxiety can be very irrational and unprovoked.

If you want to go back to the Dr that's always an option, but have a plan of what you want in your head before you go. Like maybe ask them for a general check up? Or to explain why they feel what you have is stress and not something else?

[Kayl]

Thank you for your replies. I've read a couple of posts on here and I see that other people are having similar symptoms, I guess I never thought anxiety could be so bad and could actually cause real physical pains! It's sad to think that people have been going through this for years because these have been the worst couple of weeks of my life! I know a lot of my symptoms could of possibly come from Google, my doctor never really explained much to me about anxiety, I have a few follow up appointments booked, my personal trainer says I have tight chest muscles and the pain seems to radiate from that region so I will mention that, i just don't want them to write me off with a pulls muscle and send me away with pain killers :/ I'm not sure what I want them to do to be honest - like I say I have really never known any kind of feeling like this before and it's scary, I feel like I'm in constant fear, I am too scared to be on my own with my own children because i think something will happen and who will get help? My mind races and then the pains come and with the pains comes the panic and with that the hysterical phone calls to my partners office for him to come home!

Sorry to ramble on :)