scared of my heart - a little bit of my story

[Shelly80]

So my biggest health fear at the moment is a fear of my heart. I suffered a really bad heart palpitation/flutter/flip flop (thought I was going to die) a month ago and have been obesessed ever since.

I've had the heart flip flops before, but for some reason the one a month ago felt different and terrified me. I went to the doctor, the whole way I thought I was going to die. My doctors beg to differ and say my heart is healthy and I had a PAC, now I just can't get past the nagging feeling that my heart will just stop beating. Sudden Cardiac Death. I have heart palpitations often now, I seem to have convnced myself that the incindent a month ago, damaged my heart and that is why I am having so many strange heart palpitations and PAC's or PVC's or whatever.

I suffered from a horrible panic breakdown last summer that resulted in my waking up every morning at 5AM in a full blown panic attack, adrenaline rushes through my body, heart racing. I lost 25 pounds because I had no appetite. That all was started because of a slowly building fear of a different health ailment. I started on meds though and found my way out of that hole that lasted 4 months. Now I feel myself sliding back again. I'm obsessed with my heart beat.

Just needed to vent out my story. Not many people understand what our brains do to us. There isn't really any logic for us, just this fact that we are so sure something horrible is happening to us.

[lrforge]

I am scared of that to. I get skipped heartbeats everday, all the time. Maybe25-50, sometimes 60 a day for the last year and a 1/2. It happened after the birth of my baby boy. i had an echo (normal) last week and waiting to hear the results of the holter. I sure hope that it is good, so I can move on. Have you had any EKGs or anything done?

[Shelly80]

Thank you for the reply :), yes I had an EKG but it was done a few months before the really "bad" flutter that set off this whole thing. At that time, everything was totally normal, perfect blood pressure and very low cholesterol. The only risk factor I actually have is that I smoked moderately for a few years. I have pretty much quit though since that day because I got so scared.

So my doctor doesn't want to do a 24 hour monitor or another EKG or echo because he doesn't feel anything serious is going on. Obviously, I'm having a hard time believing him.

Today I was on the internet (the worst thing for me) looking up sypmptoms of a heart attack and how its different for women and I've been getting myself all worked up thinking I have all these symptoms. I have heart palpitations at night mostly, when I'm trying to sleep, needless to say I haven't been sleeping well so Im' probably a little deprived.

I hate having health anxiety so much, I just want to be able to tell the difference between real health issues and anxiety.

[peter34uk]

Trust me its ANXIETY. Ive had exactly the same!!! Ive been tested left right & centre & its ANXIETY!!

YOU WILL BE FINE!!!

[Shelly80]

I'm sure you are right, I suppose I wouldn't be on this board if I didn't know that it was all anxiety related. First step is admitting that we have a problem right? :yesyes:

[mickh555]

I'm sure you are right, I suppose I wouldn't be on this board if I didn't know that it was all anxiety related. First step is admitting that we have a problem right? :yesyes:


5yrs i had palpitations for.I,m still here ten yrs after last one.So they must be harmless eh?