Obsession with cardiac health

[Shelly80]

Hello all and thank you for reading my post, I know its long but I tend to babble when I'm tense.

Well I've had a rough few days. My health anxiety has really climbed up over the last few weeks, finally had an all out panic attack on Sunday.

I am OBSESSED with my heart and I know that is what is making everything worse. It's just really hard to listen to that rational voice. I'm convinced I'm having a heart attack. I have chest pressure and squeezing (though it comes and goes) all over my chest, the left side, the middle.

I just started accepting that it was all due to stress when my new HA idea struck. I am now convinced I have horrifically high blood pressure. My last reading about 4 weeks ago was 144/88. That scared me. Now I have another doctors appointment tomorrow and I'm convinced its high enough to be the CAUSE of my chest discomfort and this new symptom.

Ok, my big fear of the moment, has anyone ever felt an odd heaviness or tightness (not pain) in your arm? My right arm for the last couple days has been feeling this way along with cold and a little sweaty hands. Anxiety? See I've convinced myself it must be very high blood pressure making it difficult for my blood to circulate, thus causing the "aching" type feeling and causing my chest problems.

I feel like I am going completely crazy, constantly feeling like I'm about to drop down any second. :weep:

[Sambapati85]

Let me say i know exactly what you are going through.. and i know how crippling emotionally and mentally the feeling i. I have constantly felt that i have had problems with my heart for the past 2 months... then i movd on to lung problems, bowel problems ,. now back on to heart problems. i have had 2 ekgs and 2 bood tests , and a chest xray in the past 2 months. all came back good... and my mind is still playing games on me . I have had arm pain, twicthes heaviness.. you name it . High blood pressure is very treatable , so dont worry about it. Your doctor will say the same thing.. just relax the constan worrying , and stress is exhausting your mind... which will affect your whole body. Just to be safe get a blood test,, ekg , and checkup to give you some more assurance. I would also recommend starting to take atleast 1 gram daily of epa dhl fish oil ,, highly beneficial to your heart.. . Just stop worrying, find some distraction or comfort in a loved one to help you through this time.. if you need someone to talk to mesage me.

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi Shelly

I'm so sorry that you're having a rough time at the moment. I know how you feel about the heart thing, there are lots of us that feel exactly the same, but that doesn't help, does it?

The fact that we KNOW we are obsessing, means I suppose, that logically we know it's stress/tension/anxiety/panic, but the irrational part of our mind takes over & tells us that we MUST be having a heart attack or something just as sinister.

I have a heavyness in either arm sometimes. We have this tendency to hold tightly onto ourselves most of the time, although we don't even realise it. Plus, I also suffer with the hot & cold sweaty hands in fact my whole body is like that sometimes:mad:

Anxiety plays such bad tricks on our minds. I am fed up with it too, it's like.........go away ffs, ain't I suffered enuff:weep: :weep: :weep:

I can't say about the blood pressure 'cause I don't know much about it. I can only assume that when we get anxious our bp goes up a lot, but doesn't stay there.

I hope you get on ok at your drs appointment & that your blood pressure will have gone down.

Els
xxx

[Shelly80]

Thank you thank you thank you so much for the support and understanding guys! That is what this site helps so much with. I got home and almost started having another panic attack, my mom came over and tried to help but didn't quite understand or know what to do. I just kept on clutching my chest, so much fear. I usually try so hard to not use my xanax, but I took one and low and behold, I now feel so much better.

I read about the fish oil, I think I will go pick some up tomorrow. I hear that also helps lower blood pressure so that is good. I'm nervous about the doctors appointment, but after all of this, I just think having him take a listen to my heart will hopefully calm this down a little bit.

Again, thank you both.

[Jaco45er]

Hi Shelley

A BP reading of 144/88 is not off the scale so relax :)

To give you some insight about BP, 120/80 is optimal, and 139/89 is considered high normal. A reading upto 159/99 is considered mild hypertention. Even constant readings upto 159/99 would probably be treated with a lifestyle change and not meds (unless there was another medical condition).

Only a constant reading of upto 179/109 (moderate hypertension) would a GP consider meds.

Now worth remembering the following:

Our body's are designed to take rises in Blood pressure, especially during stress and exercise

One or two readings do not constitute high bp, a 24 hour monitor is the best indication

If your BP was taken at the docs, you may have white coat syndrome (like me) were ones BP rises purely because we are at the Doctors, so gives an unaturally high reading

Although people tend to go into a wee panic when they see a slightly raised BP figure, BP generally has to be elevated for a long long time before damage is done.

Some ways to control blood pressure that is only slighty high like yours (see that, slightly, just a teeny weeny bit high ;)) would be to cut out salt, more exercise, don't smoke.

Obviously this is just some factual info, but always take advice from your dr.

TC

Jaco

[Shelly80]

Hi Shelley

A BP reading of 144/88 is not off the scale so relax :)

To give you some insight about BP, 120/80 is optimal, and 139/89 is considered high normal. A reading upto 159/99 is considered mild hypertention. Even constant readings upto 159/99 would probably be treated with a lifestyle change and not meds (unless there was another medical condition).

Only a constant reading of upto 179/109 (moderate hypertension) would a GP consider meds.

Now worth remembering the following:

Our body's are designed to take rises in Blood pressure, especially during stress and exercise

One or two readings do not constitute high bp, a 24 hour monitor is the best indication

If your BP was taken at the docs, you may have white coat syndrome (like me) were ones BP rises purely because we are at the Doctors, so gives an unaturally high reading

Although people tend to go into a wee panic when they see a slightly raised BP figure, BP generally has to be elevated for a long long time before damage is done.

Some ways to control blood pressure that is only slighty high like yours (see that, slightly, just a teeny weeny bit high ;)) would be to cut out salt, more exercise, don't smoke.

Obviously this is just some factual info, but always take advice from your dr.

TC

Jaco



Jaco,

Thank you for your informative response. I truly appreciate it. I have a way (and I suspect most HA sufferers do as well) of connecting dots that don't belong together, meaning, I've been having chest tightness (squeezing) so I assume its a heart attack, then I'm afraid of my blood pressure so I assume the squeezing is from the high blood pressure which I'm just assuming is high.

I have my appointment this afternoon, I have it in my head that my BP is like 200 and I am slowly having the longest heart attack ever. Hmmm. A heart attack that lasts for 7 days. Then when that doesn't make sense, I tell myself that I'm having a "PRE-HEART ATTACK". :blush:

I usually feel ok when I wake up in the morning, as the afternoon comes I start to get chest discomfort and my arms get heavy feeling. So my doc will see me when its at its worst.

Thanks again. Shelly

[Richard25]

Hi Shelly,

I too am in the same boat. I have now seen 16 doctors in the past 6 months between e.r visits, cardiologists and general care...its getting out of hand. I have had no negative results and yet still I am convinced that I am having a heart attack, even right this second. So I understand what you're going through. My doc put me on paxil, I have only been on it for about 3 weeks now and it seems to be working a little. I dont know if you want to take meds but thats an idea. I too carry xanax around with me, I act like it's my heart medication and it's nuts...so paxil is getting me off my twice daily xanax dosing.
Anyways, I hope that you get better and everyone else on here too. I know I for one am sick and tired of letting my life be controlled by fear and want to start living it again!
Oh and lastly, my reason for responding...I get the exact same thing in both arms and very simmilar sounding chest pain, usually my left arm is the worst and will tire very quickly when I lift my arms. Sometimes it makes me feel like im walking sideways because one side feels heavier than the other I had my doc examine my arms last week as I was convinced they were discolored and not getting blood. Lol, what must the doctor think of me!? And of course, it was nothing.

Good luck!

[madelaine]

hi av had bout 15 ecgs done ,etts done ,blood tests to many to count wait for it an angiogram which can cause heart attacks cmon high cholesterol am overweight by 5 stone take 4000mg of fish oil a day n a cholesterol lowerin drug every day my lovely mother died of a massive heart attack 20 years ago ripxx didnt drink or smoke or had any of these tests then n since av came off ma meds a dont even think bout it ay more n i was obsessed of dyin of one for 20 years so there is light at the end of the tunnell its jist findin the strength 2 look 4 it good luck all n keep well

[weasel]

I'm sorry but it's good to hear that others are the same. I saw my father die of a heart attack when he was 50-I am older than that now. But he smoked 30 untipped fags a day, ate very fatty foods and was very stressed. I am obsessed with having one too although I think I'm in good health. Any symptom will do to cause conviction- and as you all know you are convinced you are about to have a heart attack-cold feet, pain in elbow, feeling sickly, racing pulse, slight pain anywhere in chest/jaw/arm or a panicky shortness of breath. I think my main problem is that I paint pictures of doom and gloom in my head, read the deaths column and seem to notice the odd ones that die of a heart attack-not the thousands that don't.

[madelaine]

weasel there is 1 in 4 people suffer from cardiac obsession so dont get down even gps n docs get it a work in a hospital n the amount of medical staff who have the same thoughts we get would shock you to the core mate tell ur colleagues friends n family u need time out n fresh air wen u get panicky if they care they will understand cbt really helped me comin off ma meds hard but was the best move ave made n a feel in control not the anxiety keep smilin ;-]

[weasel]

Thanks Madeleine-kind and helpful words indeed. I am truly grateful-and still here!:D