Heart worries - all I can focus on

[Mel_82]

Happy 2017 everyone.

So, I've been having major worries about my heart lately. I've always had health anxiety to a degree, but it's never been this bad and I don't know what has triggered it.

About a year ago I had chest pains - racing heart mostly. I went to the doctor at that time and had an ECG, blood work and they made me wear a 72-hour heart monitor. All came back fine and I moved on with my life.

About 5 weeks ago I felt a bit of tightness in my chest so I went to a walk in clinic just to get it checked out. That doctor freaked me out so much talking about heart failure and blood clots and told me to go to the ER immediately.

So, off to the ER I went. I had an ECG again, blood work and a chest X-ray. Again, all came back fine.
That incident freaked me out enough that I quit smoking (it's been 52 days now).

Since that incident I've been a mess. I've had palpitations, stabbing pain, squeezing, aching, etc.
I think about my heart every waking moment. I'm pretty sure I'm driving everyone around me insane with these worries.

I can't even tell if they're actually chest pains, or if I'm imagining it. Can you be so hyper focused on a spot that you can create symptoms?
It could also be GERD (as I've noticed pain and burning in my upper stomach/chest as well).
It may also not be my heart at all, as I work a labour job, so I'm thinking the pain might be muscular and muscle spasms ... it might also only be hurting when I breathe.

I just want to stop focusing on this 24/7. I want to live my life and not be afraid to get together with friends, go out, take my partner on a date, go for a walk and not plan out all my routes based on where hospitals are located.

Any advice out there?

---------- Post added at 17:36 ---------- Previous post was at 17:29 ----------

I should also add that I have a new family doctor, but my appointment isn't until March 22 (I'm Canadian, our wait times are ridiculous).

[PanickyGuy]

If you can get checked for GERD or silent reflux, that would be good for you to find out too. That's been know to mimic some heart symptoms because of related things like, acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion and gas pains.

[Fishmanpa]

As someone who has had two heart attacks, bypass surgery and stents, I can tell you first hand, you know when something is truly wrong. Yes, I've had a few times when I thought something was up but it turned out to be GERD and/or stress.

Treat the real issues (anxiety) and you treat the symptoms associated with it. A regiment of acid reducers (PPIs) and a modified diet will reduce symptoms significantly.

Positive thoughts

[Mel_82]

Thank you :)
I'm pretty sure anxiety has a lot to do with it. I've been trying to reduce anxiety on my own since my appointment isn't until March 22.

Last night I had a coughing spell after dinner and shortly after I got this awful pain in my chest. Obviously logically I know it's muscular from coughing so much, but it still caused me so much anxiety.

Logically I can ration all of this, but then the panic takes over and within 10'seconds I can convince myself something is terribly wrong.

I don't google at all anymore, which helps, but I still have prior google searches stuck in my mind.

Your comment re: you'd know if something was really wrong helped. My aunt had a heart attack and she says the same thing.

[DivineAngle]

Hi mel hope all is well. How did you appointment go?

[anx mum]

Hi hun your story sounds like mine. Worring something is wrong my dr is saying its gerd getting a burning pain where my breast bone is. It is worrying but we both have had tests logically something would of showed up. It scares me I guess cos its in my chest and u think heart

[male1990]

hey mel sorry to hear what your going threw..
firsty u sound excalty how I am feeling I go to bed with all the pains beats fears worries. first thing I think of when wake up last thing when go to bed which makes me wake up in middle of night with the racing heart and stuff av had tests xrays bloods all anexity they say but its really hard to accept isint it..

av been having this on off for about 2 years not on any meds as I treid proprannolo and it made me worse as in side effects dizziness felt like me feet were on water kind of thing

[anx mum]

Himale do u get chest pains

[male1990]

hy yeah on and off like a bruning nipping pain