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Neilr1978
10-10-07, 22:26
hi gang im gonna have a bit of a vent,im only 29 years old and i live in constant fear of having a heart attack even though im 90% sure its anxiety like the doctors say.I have had 7 ecg,s in the last year,had blood tests, cholesterol tests, the list goes on.But as i sit here nowi have a pain in my chest and yes i have been feeling abit panicy too.It really is starting to get to me,feeling like this for over a year always feeling like im gonna drop dead at any minute,feeling my pulse 20 times plus a day!!!.I dont know who to get myself out of this vicious circle.Its no fun feeling like this and although i get fantastic support from family no one know what its like living in constant fear of death.I have two young daughters and im terrified of leaving them without a dad!!.Well thanks for listening to my rant gang!!!!!!!!!!!but its beee one of those days:weep:

GemmaAnn
10-10-07, 22:33
Hey Neil :)

That pain in your chest is most likely anxiety if 7 ecgs havent brought anything up! I had the same problem last year and the docs only let me go for 1 ecg where there saw a slightly increased pulse rate and the doc said I was dropping beats every couple of minutes, but that was it ... she put it down to anxiety and let me go. I used to have a lot of chest pain, specially when breathing in and my chest felt tight. But after hearing it was probably anxiety I tried to put my faith in the doctor and tried to stop thinking about it. It worked though. I still have palpitiations sometimes but the constant tightness and ache has gone.

I guess my point is you wont die any time soon, so you need to start cutting down slowly on checking your pulse as a start, to get you to think about it less. Obviously you cant just stop point blank but maybe regulating when you do it and then remember that your pulse rate cant possibly be the same all day depending on what you were doing just before!

hang in there and everytime you feel that familiar tightness remember its anxiety and nothing is wrong and then go do something else, it will pass and nothing will happen to you!
Good Luck with feeling better :)
Gem xxx

Neilr1978
10-10-07, 22:37
Hey Neil :)

That pain in your chest is most likely anxiety if 7 ecgs havent brought anything up! I had the same problem last year and the docs only let me go for 1 ecg where there saw a slightly increased pulse rate and the doc said I was dropping beats every couple of minutes, but that was it ... she put it down to anxiety and let me go. I used to have a lot of chest pain, specially when breathing in and my chest felt tight. But after hearing it was probably anxiety I tried to put my faith in the doctor and tried to stop thinking about it. It worked though. I still have palpitiations sometimes but the constant tightness and ache has gone.

I guess my point is you wont die any time soon, so you need to start cutting down slowly on checking your pulse as a start, to get you to think about it less. Obviously you cant just stop point blank but maybe regulating when you do it and then remember that your pulse rate cant possibly be the same all day depending on what you were doing just before!

hang in there and everytime you feel that familiar tightness remember its anxiety and nothing is wrong and then go do something else, it will pass and nothing will happen to you!
Good Luck with feeling better :)
Gem xxx

thanks gemma i get ectopic beats too doc says im fine and its just anxiety.I will try and cut down on my pulse rate checking too.Sometimes just talking about it helps,so cheers:yesyes:

nomorepanic
10-10-07, 23:21
Have you tried stretching exercises for the chest?

neil1975
10-10-07, 23:23
Hi Neil,

I am pretty much in the same boat as you with the constant fear of heart disease etc.

Are you taking anything for your anxiety?

Just out of curiosity do you exercise at all and how do you feel when you do?

Take Care

Neil

TracyL
11-10-07, 02:14
Hi Neil

Yep i'm with you there. I'm always scared of heart disease. I have the missed/extra beats and they drive me insane.

We have to try and trust in ourselves that we are fine and stop worrying. Easier said than done i know.

Hope you feel better soon

Tracy

Neilr1978
11-10-07, 08:16
hi neil,hi tracy,glad im not alone with this crazy thing.Regarding exercise the funny thing is when i push myself i feel fine!!,but afterwards i stress maybe i shouldnt of exercised incase its weakend my heart or somthing then wham anxiety is bach,missed beats,pain in chest.god this thing is nuts.Also then when you stess your muscles in your chest and neck get tight,i have pulled muscles in the past through being so stressed out and then stetching or somthing silly to try and relax just because my muscles are so tense

Janieb
11-10-07, 08:51
heya Neil.

I get pains in my chest often, it can take my breath away sometimes. But it's related to my anxiety, I also have bad asthma so I can often kick myself into an attack when I feel that chest pains. But I know what you mean about excersie I won't even go back down the gym because my h/r goes so high then I panic slow down then panic I have damaged something. All this panicing, I wish there was a pill that could take it all away so I could go back to a normal life which I am sure you feel sometimes as well.

A lot of the time I try and focus on my little boy, he helps me through and I keep telling myself nothing is going to take me away from him. I am sure your little girls will have you around for years to come, fight it through :)

Neilr1978
11-10-07, 09:11
[quote=Janieb;265015]heya Neil.

I get pains in my chest often, it can take my breath away sometimes. But it's related to my anxiety, I also have bad asthma so I can often kick myself into an attack when I feel that chest pains. But I know what you mean about excersie I won't even go back down the gym because my h/r goes so high then I panic slow down then panic I have damaged something. All this panicing, I wish there was a pill that could take it all away so I could go back to a normal life which I am sure you feel sometimes as well.

A lot of the time I try and focus on my little boy, he helps me through and I keep telling myself nothing is going to take me away from him. I am sure your little girls will have you around for years to come, fight it through :)[/quote

hope so janieb!!!!!!!

spacebunnyx
11-10-07, 09:27
hiya,

just thought i'd add something. my mother is a consultant anaesthetist with MANY years experience. She has never come accross a person as young as you having a heart attack - i had similar worries and asked her!

all the best

jess xxx

Neilr1978
11-10-07, 10:07
hiya,

just thought i'd add something. my mother is a consultant anaesthetist with MANY years experience. She has never come accross a person as young as you having a heart attack - i had similar worries and asked her!

all the best

jess xxx

Thanks jess,knowing that helps alot

Ma Larkin
11-10-07, 10:42
Hi Neil, this was my biggest worry. I started having panic attacks about 3 years ago and it is only recently that I have started believing that I'm not having a heart attack. I constantly checked my pulse, had ectopics and pains all the time and it worried me sick. I have had ECG's, blood tests, x-rays and everything came back fine. It didn't, however, stop me from paying numerous visits to A&E, sometimes in an ambulance because I was absolutely convinced it was a heart attack.

The only advice I can give you is that it will pass, even if it takes years like it did me, but you will get over this. I too have young children and I'm also a single mum and my biggest fear is leaving my children behind, whom I love with all my heart. Just keep telling yourself that it's only anxiety and you will get through it.

Take care and good luck.

Les, xx

Neilr1978
13-10-07, 19:30
Thanks ma larkin,i hope i stop worrying about this.My biggest fear is leaving my kids wirrying who is gonna care for them.I swear if it was just me to worry about i would not feel as bad!!Oh the joys of kids lol.....still would not change them for the world though!!:)

Sweettee in SC
17-11-08, 17:20
I found this website today. I see that no one has posted in this section in a long while. I've been struggling with this fear, I don't know what to do. I think, I know, I'm getting on my husband's nerves. I have had every kind of test possible to rule out heart disease but I'm still plagued with the thought! I just went recently to the urgent care office they did an ekg and an xray and it was fine. I tend to hang on every word the Dr. says. So if he/she says "your okay" I want to know if okay is good or just borderline. You can't say okay to me because I start to think, maybe there's something but it not very big yet. Its crazy!!! I was told I have GERD, I have been expericencing pain in my mid back and sometimes it goes to the right side of my upper back and it was pretty intense! I've been to the Dr before about the burning pain in the middle and she told me it was my esophagus, so for a long time I took her at her word. When I switched Dr's old one retired. My new one say I don't know if that's associated with Gerd. So I start to worry again. Also when I go the the Dr. my heart rate goes up and my bp does also, home it's normal unless my unit is inaccurate. I did have that checked at the Dr. office and my blood pressure was higher with my unit. Go figure. BP at Doc office is 134/84 and HR was 90. It went down after I relaxed what's up with that? Back to GERD

So when I went to the urgent care I was told that the pain had nothing to do with Gerd. I feel sometimes I not making a good bm and I have gas all the time too. Maybe it's IBS I don't know. It just feels good to get this all off my chest and not have to worry about someone saying "aren't you over this by now?" You know there's nothing wrong. Deep down inside you know you're okay (GOOD) but you still hold on the thoughts. Why? Am I just crazy? I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. I excersise but I have fallen off some. I worry when my HR is at 90 and I worry when it's below 60! What's wrong with me? Why am I like this? :weep: Sometimes I feel like giving up but I can't. I have a wonderful hubby and 2 beautiful boys.

Keep me in Prayer!
Much Love,
Sweettee in SC

Neilr1978
18-11-08, 21:38
I found this website today. I see that no one has posted in this section in a long while. I've been struggling with this fear, I don't know what to do. I think, I know, I'm getting on my husband's nerves. I have had every kind of test possible to rule out heart disease but I'm still plagued with the thought! I just went recently to the urgent care office they did an ekg and an xray and it was fine. I tend to hang on every word the Dr. says. So if he/she says "your okay" I want to know if okay is good or just borderline. You can't say okay to me because I start to think, maybe there's something but it not very big yet. Its crazy!!! I was told I have GERD, I have been expericencing pain in my mid back and sometimes it goes to the right side of my upper back and it was pretty intense! I've been to the Dr before about the burning pain in the middle and she told me it was my esophagus, so for a long time I took her at her word. When I switched Dr's old one retired. My new one say I don't know if that's associated with Gerd. So I start to worry again. Also when I go the the Dr. my heart rate goes up and my bp does also, home it's normal unless my unit is inaccurate. I did have that checked at the Dr. office and my blood pressure was higher with my unit. Go figure. BP at Doc office is 134/84 and HR was 90. It went down after I relaxed what's up with that? Back to GERD

So when I went to the urgent care I was told that the pain had nothing to do with Gerd. I feel sometimes I not making a good bm and I have gas all the time too. Maybe it's IBS I don't know. It just feels good to get this all off my chest and not have to worry about someone saying "aren't you over this by now?" You know there's nothing wrong. Deep down inside you know you're okay (GOOD) but you still hold on the thoughts. Why? Am I just crazy? I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. I excersise but I have fallen off some. I worry when my HR is at 90 and I worry when it's below 60! What's wrong with me? Why am I like this? :weep: Sometimes I feel like giving up but I can't. I have a wonderful hubby and 2 beautiful boys.

Keep me in Prayer!
Much Love,
Sweettee in SC

I have IBS and gerd and i think my ectopics are down to my GERD.Because I have read that GERD stimulates the vagus nerve and that can cause ectopics.Its such a battle with ectopics.I have had panic attacks through them too.
Sometimes im feeling like im beating them and other times it feels like they are beating me.
My ectopics started 2 and a half years ago,and i can honestly say my life has been a living hell ever since:weep:

annaB
04-01-09, 01:43
I have the same problem as everyone else here but only because I have very real symptoms. My husband is not the most patient or emotionally nurturing man and can become very annoyed when I get obsessed over my symptoms. Lately I've been having chest pain. They were located primarily on the right side but now I'm having them on my left side and sometimes dead center. They don't last very long and are mild but they are scaring me to death. I am having systolic hypertension and that worries me. I have been to the ER many times and I've worn a 24-hour holter monitor; I've had x-rays, etc and everything supposedly came back normal. I was diagnosed with GERD three years ago when I had to go to the ER due to chest pain. I am going crazy with all the fear and anxiety. It is probably causing my blood pressure to go up. I am constantly checking it. My only worry is that it seems I have systolic hypertension and that is very dangerous.

I did find some very interesting articles on Coronary Microvascular Syndrome which is a problem that affects women. It is the hardening of small arteries of the heart and stress tests and angiographs cannot detect it. So if you have been given a clean bill of heart health but still have symptoms, I would strongly advise asking your doctor about CMS and the WISE study. I am going to do that when I see my PCP and I'm going to insist on testing. I HOPE I do NOT have this but I need to know.

sleeplesschild
04-01-12, 02:59
I'm the same expect my doctor won't put in me for any test! I hate it, I really do. Does anyone have any tips that work? Some days are worst than others, it depends on how intense the symptoms feel or how strong my mind is working.

lisad1977
09-02-12, 13:34
hi every one. i get it all time fear of having heartattack or stroke. i ring amulance or go to a&e to get checked all time my ecg has showed short pr. inverted t waves. im scared all time i have got a reveal devicein my chest that showsheart beat and so far cordio doc found nothing so why does paramedics show abnormal readings all time, im goin to die is all i keep telling my self.

layla85
11-01-14, 19:03
Hi everyone. I am nee to a forum like this. I thought i was the only one with this problem. I am always scared im going to have a heart attack. I am.21 i have had diabetes from the last 3 years i am overweight too. I get a pain in my left arm and an uneasy feeling in my chest. It could be indigestion but i have read that women rarely get chest pain during a heart attack. I am sick of it. Its worse at night. I feel so panicky and my heart beat goes fast. I have had an ecg once 2 years ago it was fine. Im really scared its so overpowering.

saab
17-01-14, 18:22
Hi Layla. Welcome to the forum. I get palpitations, thousands a day at times, and I can tell you that from all the heart forums I have read it is very, very rare for someone your age to have a heart attack.

Even though you have diabetes and are overweight, these are long term risk factors not ones that are immediately going to affect your heart. When I get anxious I get a tight feeling in my chest too. It's worrying but it goes when my panic subsides - heart attack pain doesn't do that, as far as I know.

The best thing you can do is to control your diabetes as best you can. I am assuming it is type 1. If you try to lose some weight you will feel and have more confidence in your heart. The trouble with anxiety is that it often makes us do things that aren't good for us - smoke, eat, drink more, stay in - when not eating rubbish can help anxiety.

dac0273
20-03-14, 21:38
Hi all I'm reading this and thinking I'm really going to have heart attack as non of you have mentioned symptoms I'm getting so I'm believing mine are real , with pain in my shoulder arm, neck , I'm so worried it's driving me crazy , I've had 3 ecg s over many years and now doctor won't give me another one , help !!!

ngy
08-07-14, 14:48
I get pain in my middle chest, upper abdomen, left shoulder and arm, neck and jaw.. and I'm constantly freaking out id be having a heart attack..
I also get short of breath too.
I'm freaking out right now too!!!
I've been to doctors and they all said everything is fine, I don't know what to do.. I'm so worried of having a heart attack..

mogwai
15-07-14, 02:40
Believe and trust the doctors when they say there is nothing wrong with your heart. I myself was in the same boat and that was 9 years ago. I had every symptom under the sun from skipped beats, flutters, pain in my chest and constantly checking my pulse every 5 mins. I was convinced i would drop dead any minute. And now when i look back i just think to myself why did i waste all those years worrying about nothing...... anxiety thats why. All anxiety and nothing more! I recommend reading dr claire weekes book on self help for your nerves as that book got me through some dark days. It will help you to control your fears of your symptoms and accept them for what they are which is just anxiety. Hope this reply helps in some way. Feel free to pm me anytime.

juicybutton
31-07-14, 17:28
Believe and trust the doctors when they say there is nothing wrong with your heart. I myself was in the same boat and that was 9 years ago. I had every symptom under the sun from skipped beats, flutters, pain in my chest and constantly checking my pulse every 5 mins. I was convinced i would drop dead any minute. And now when i look back i just think to myself why did i waste all those years worrying about nothing...... anxiety thats why. All anxiety and nothing more! I recommend reading dr claire weekes book on self help for your nerves as that book got me through some dark days. It will help you to control your fears of your symptoms and accept them for what they are which is just anxiety. Hope this reply helps in some way. Feel free to pm me anytime.

Hi how did you manage to overcome the fear and worry, you mention the book what else helped you. How do you convince yourself that what the docs say is true. No matter how much I tell myself that it is just anxiety I can't seem to accept it ?

Thanks

toetsie
04-08-14, 19:00
hi, im in the same boat.it started randomly one day, I had an anxiety attack, and since then I cannot even exercise because my heart rate goes up and I think Im having a heart attack. im afraid of death, the thought of how it feels to die and what happens afterwards. im afraid of having a stroke and heart attack, because when I have an anxiety attack, my left arm goes completely numb and the left side of my face aswell, I have sever chest pains and I have the feeling of not being here (distant to my body)
im 18 and cannot continue with life until I learn to handle this anxiety. but I have hope that I will return to my normal self again, and im sure we all will. guess it just takes time.
:bighug1:

jsas4
05-08-14, 01:31
Hi, I too, like everyone here, have a great fear of heart attack. I started to randomly get palpitations which scared the hell out of me. I guess my main fear is leaving my fiancee behind. I'm only 25 years old. I have many symptoms such as pain in left arm, jaw, chest everything. I've been to the emergency room about 4 times in the past 3 months. It wasn't until the last time that the doctor told me I could have a heart murmur so I went to a cardiologist. It turns out I do have a grade 1 heart murmur but he assures me I will be fine and should be able to live a healthy life. I am due back to get a stress test and an echocardiogram. I do exercise almost everyday and try not to push myself with fear I will hurt my heart. I absolutely hate this feeling. I think I will feel better after having the stress test and echocardiogram if everything comes out ok. When I think about it things get worse because every little thing I feel in my body I relate it to my heart. When I am at work since my mind is occupied I am totally fine. I know its all a mind game but it is a scary feeling living like this. I hope things look up in the future.

Heretohelp
28-10-14, 17:52
I was browsing the internet today when I found this forum. Most everyone who posted sounds exactly like me. Though the post are old, I hope this helps someone here or someone reading this who may have "googled" it :) In 2005-2006, I started experiencing irregular heartbeats. It would flutter, beats would get up to over 120 bpm doing nothing. I was scared. During this time, I also had GERD. I was in and out of the hospital several times with palpitations. I was certain I was going to die. They eventually did an EPS and couldn't find anything to fix. Thereafter, a new cardiologist, suggest I try magnesium. Guess what? It works. I promise you it works. You have to super-dose it but you will gradually see that your palpitations will go away and then you can also slowly reduce your dosage. Take 2 magnesium pills with each meal every day.........I can not praise this enough.....Here we are 10 years later, and magnesium healed it all. Do yourself this favor. Dont live in fear any longer. I hope this helps someone reading this.

jrc1984
10-08-16, 12:08
Hi. I haven't read all replies, so please forgive me if you have received this advice already. My advice would be to take the advice of Claire Weekes and face, accept, float and let time pass. Face the thoughts, accept them and don't fight them, float and do not tense your body or any part of it, let time pass - this will vary from person to person, but realistically will take several weeks. You should find over time the thoughts bother you less and less. Good luck.

Budgieboy
12-08-16, 22:15
Many of your symptoms are the same that I have been experiencing for an extended period of time (years). I cannot tell you how debilitating I have found the sensations and worry that I am having a heart attack. It has affected my career, as it has meant I can rarely concentrate in meetings and whilst I carry out my work.

I have had all of the cardiology tests following some visits to the ER/Accident and Emergency. Th can find nothing wrong with me and assure me that it is merely panic.

The worst thing is how this anxiety has meant I have not always enjoyed my twenties and thirties.

It is funny how when I exercise I feel better and the sensations don't occur.

Cheers, Jon

gothic_rose
15-08-16, 10:37
Im scared of heart problems too. Am really struggling at the moment.

I dont have palpataions or skipped beats, Just severe chest pain. I get it after being active sometimes (but usually because when Im being active Im thinking "is this going to hurt me") but I also mostly get pain when Im doing absolutly nothing.

5 ECGS 3 weeks ago, another this June. I also had an ECG in 2012, 2011,2003 and 2000. All have been perfect. I have also had 2 chest xrays in the last 2 years and blood tests lat month. All normal.