My heart is really annoying me now! Need reasurrance please

[Ella_Jayne]

For the past few months I've had a lot of anxiety regarding my heart.
It started from the effects of a panic attack and I thought I was dying. Since then I've developed health anxiety. Lately I'm having more skipped beats than ever and a tightness in my chest/throat that makes it seem difficult to breathe.

I've had over 20 ECG/EKG's
Echocardiogram
24hour Holter Monitor
Thyroid blood test
Blood Tests
Blood pressure
Blood sugar
5 Chest x-ray's

All have came back normal.
I'm only 21 with no family of heart disease or cardiac arrest but everyday I am scared I am going to die from a heart attack. I still think the doctors could have missed something, otherwise I wouldn't feel like this.

Is it still possible to have all these tests come back fine and still have something wrong??

I'm so fed up and upset right now.:weep:
I am finding it really hard to accept that it's anxiety.

Thanks for reading.

[poppy1]

absolutely not! all those test youve had are really thorough, anxiety can cause symptoms similar to a heart attack and yet be totally harmless i know its hard to see but it is true.
my doc told me if it was cardiac pains we would know about it and be sick or dizzy from them and they wouldnt just come on when resting but come through exercise and ease on rest. palpitations are harmless and in australia they dont even test them cos they are seen so normal!
hope this help, now why cant i take my own advice lol!!x

[auqeam]

Hi Ella_jayne

I understand this totally, I have the same thing and it has recently become worse, have been to the doctors and they weren't concerned but there's always the 'what-ifs' re their diagnosis. I think my worry stems from the fact that my symptoms don't quite match the 'normal' ones people mention, in that I have never felt the 'pause' before a skipped beat, just the (sometimes very powerful) thumps. However, deep down I am sure I am fine, because when i'm around people or out and about I never get them!
In fact it was not such a long time ago that I was feeling better than ever but then stressy times arose and it all came back so i'm trying hard to see it for what it is! Oh how I long for the old days when I probably became aware of my heart only after a workout :blush::)
I think it's going to be hard work accepting that we're ok but with help it CAN be done, pm me if you ever need to :winks:

Clare

[skippy66]

"Skipping, thumping or racing hearts are a worry I hear a lot about. Nearly every day someone tells me their heart is missing beats, quickening alarmingly or causing a nasty fluttering in their chests. They lie awake at night listening to the shooshing sound of their pulse in their ears or buffeted by the gentle rocking motion case by their beating heart.

Many of them are convinced they're about to suffer a serious heart attack. Some of them think they are never going to wake up. But heart "palpitations" are extremely common and usually harmless. I have more than 7000 extra heartbeats every day and can even show you the ECG trace to prove it. The funny thing is, the more you worry about them, the worse they get.

Worry leads to the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and these have a powerful stimulatory effect on the heart muscle making it buck and jump like crazy.

When you're busy or exercising that's fine. Your blood pressure needs to go up when you are exercising and most people never even notice palpitaions when they are busy.

But when you are sitting idle or lying in bed at night unable to sleep, adrenaline can cause dramatic "heart in the mouth" disturbances in rhythm. Usually these palpitations are triggered by anxiety or stimulants such as nicotine, alcohol or caffeine. Most people will suffer from palpitations at some stage in their lives.

They are the reason for between 30 and 40% of all referrals to heart clinics - where cardiologists try to find out if they are due to any serious underlying problem.

Most folk can be reassured by a brief chat, a quick examination and an ECG recording of the heartbeat.

Others might need thyroid and other blood tests or an echocardiogram to detect structural heart disease. Or they may have an ECG taken over a 24 hour period analysed by computer.

But most palpitaions are pefectly normal. So take heart - and stop worrying"

Dr Hilary Jones, GMTV Doctor

*

[Typer]

Thanks for the Hilary Jones quote skippy, and I see he is saying he also gets these.

Ella_Jane I can relate. I have been reading all the info on this site too (someone on here referred us) which really has helped me a lot

http://palps.chemicalforums.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl

[123rachael]

i am feeling the exact same way, i always feel liike im going to have heart attack or something and collapse dead on the floor, the way im feeling is awful, i feel shaky, sweaty, abit dizzy n just not right but its hard to explain, my body doesnt feel right at all and it really scares me, i think i have cancer, brain tumour, anything serious and i justa cant get it out of my head, i really think im dying and never ben like this before, the doctor diagnosed me with g.a.d, generalised anxiety disorder, i cant leave the house no more, i havnt been out in 9 weeks, this is terrible, i feel like the doctors hasve missed something ive got and im left dying, they put me on citoplam-anti depressents so i dont know if its side effects of that, its just really hard for me to accept this is anxiety, any advice would be great thankyou :) rachael

[karen s]

Thankyou skippy that has helped me alot my heart has been racing for afew days now and has been really worrying me i also have high bp and was to scared to go doctors incase my bp is high and he will send me to hospital (i don't like them) i think it's just down to my anxiety (i hope). The thing is when i'm busy doing something i forget about it but then when i sit down it comes back because i start thinking about it and it is scary my chest goes tight and i get a little pain then i start panicing which then makes it worse its a never ending circle.

[Jamiesouthern]

My heart constantly races, so im forever sat with my hand on my chest checking it. But when i do start to relax and feel my heart slowing down i panic cos i think its going to stop :-( then im worked up again and cant relax.

Im trying to ignore it when it starts to race and beat hard and focus my attention else where but im forever checking it again :-(

Its worst when im in bed and im scared that my heart will stop beating whilst sleeping, then this leads to insomnia cos i cant get this out my head.

Im 20 years old and i kno my hearts healthy, i quit smoking today to cos i used that as a relaxing technique but its a bad thing so i but it from my life :-)

I hope you the very best and try and stay relaxed :-)

[johnbyrum]

Hi everyone.
Jamie, I am 22 years old and I have the same things and fear just the same thing like you. It races but I dont care about it anymore because I think it will stop when I sleep because it paces down so much when I am relaxed. That won't happen however. Only if I could make myself believe that

[Ella_Jayne]

Thanks for the Hilary Jones quote skippy, and I see he is saying he also gets these.

Ella_Jane I can relate. I have been reading all the info on this site too (someone on here referred us) which really has helped me a lot

http://palps.chemicalforums.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl

Thanks for the reply's everyone.:D

Typer, this website is awesome. It really helped!:)

So from what I've gathered, there's not much chance of me having a heart condition after all those tests then?:unsure:

[Jamiesouthern]

Your fine :-) relax and take deep breaths when it races and jus focus your attention else where. I do this and it works for me lol

Think positive and you'll be good :-)

[bellabessnjet]

Hi Ella Jayne,
I sometimes lie in bed watching the clock counting my heart beats to the min. Which then makes it go faster, I read that a good fast heart beat is a sign of good strong heart!! Doesn't help when your throat feels like its going to explode though!! Just (another) sign of stress and anxiety, try the breathing tips, or imagine your in your most fav spot, you can feel,taste,see all thats happening, (normally somewhere warm) sun beating on your shoulders warming all of your body. Imagine how you would feel if you were there, hopefully your breathing should calm down. Its easier said then done, I was taught by a hypnotherapist but still find it difficult.
Angela