Fear of having a heart attack / anxiety .

[arobledo]

Hi everyone ,

My name is Angelica i am 19 years old . back in January i had my first panic attack . except i didnt know what it was until i came to the conclusion it was anxiety . i went to the doctor around in May because my panic attacks were gettibg worse . the doctor did thyroid test on me everythibg checked out fine . After that my anxiety began to get worse at a point where i was at the emergency room every day . my anxiety haseemed to be getting better except for one thing . i am terrified of having a heart attack . ive had over 20 ekgs and all the doctors have said my heart is perfect and there is nothing wrong with it . however , i have all these symptoms that make me panic even more . my left shoulder hurts alot at a point where my primary doctor referred me to physical therapy . my heart beats fast . throught the day imconstantly feeling my pulse . my chest hurts . im always saying or thinking what if today i have a heart attack . i dont know what to do anymore . has anyone experienced this ?

[axslinger]

I understand your fear. In 2009 I had cardiac bypass surgery. I was 48 then. I did great until about 8 months after surgery. Then, out of nowhere I started having panic attacks. All of the subconscious stress of the surgery, losing a business, bankruptcy and going back to work in the private sector, caught up with me.

First of all, you have had EKG's, so rest assured you're okay. Secondly, anxiety can cause any number of symptoms that can be mistaken for "heart issues." I know, I've been there and it's not fun. Most recently I've been having chest pains on the left side and they are very real. Low to moderately painful. In the past, I was taking nitroglycerin for them and that usually helped. However, since nitroglycerin acts on the whole circulatory system, it actually relieved that pain yet I would later find out, it wasn't angina.

I am currently dating a nurse. She is quite skilled and has dealt with a number of people with various issues, "cardiac cripples" as they're called. The last time it happened she said, "it's not angina. Angina is sudden, sharp pain, not continuous." She said, "do you have any Tums?" and I said no but somebody I work with does. So, I asked her for a couple Tums. And guess what? The pain under my left breast went away! I was shocked! I've never had gastrointestinal issues. There is actually something called a "cardiac sphincter", and yes, you can get chest pains, etc. if it is not working properly. Get some antacids and keep them with you...

The next thing to realize is that anxiety can cause almost any symptom you can imagine! I've had everything from muscle twitches, eye twitches, numb fingers and toes. Tingling on the top of my head. Tinnitus. Dry mouth. Difficulty swallowing. You name it. And it's a vicious cycle. One thing scares you and that leads to more fear, more symptoms, etc. I know it's not easy but the next time you have symptoms, you need to reassure yourself, "they're just symptoms messing with me! Gremlins!"

Yes, fear and anxiety will give you a high heart rate and palpitations! And chest pains!

I have the CD set from the owner of this website. I purchased them back on 2009 or so. They worked miracles with me. You have to remind yourself, "they're only symptoms."

I'm currently working through GAD. I just wake up in the morning feeling anxious, for no reason. I know it's subconscious stuff that I've been going through and I've recently had some lifestyle changes that should improve things but it will take time.

You are going to be fine and there is nothing wrong with your heart!

Remember, they are only symptoms and you can just ignore them and get on with the day.

Best wishes!