Please help! Need some advice

[Natalie x]

Hi. I went to the doctors yesterday because I kept feeling like my heart had stopped/was stopping. He sent for an ECG which came back clear (that's my second one in about 4 weeks), but somehow I am still worried. I kept getting strange feelings in my throat & stomach earlier and I keep getting strange sensations through my body and I'm worried my heart is stopping for a few seconds. Has anyone ever had this? It almost feels like something is catching my breath, and I've convinced myself that it's something to do with my heart. Please reply! I'm really scared!

[ScaredCaz]

Hi Natalie

Sorry you are feeling so bad at the min

I can relate in part to your symptoms i used to have major worries about my heart and i also did have times when it felt like it had stopped or a real hard thud would make me catch my breath i never had a ecg but i did have blood tests to show my heart was ok that did make me feel a bit better i used to try and focus when it happened and tell myself over and over again "this has happened before i am going to be fine" and kind of breath myself out of it try to remember the good ecg result... if you had something wrong that would have said so

Hope that helps :hugs:

[randomworry]

the tip i learnt today from cbt was to not engage in intrusive thoughts and live my life. its simple but it will help if you force yourself to.

[Natalie x]

Thanks for the replies. I have been all okay at work, but now I'm worrying again. What do heart flutters feel like? Do you think that if there was something wrong with my heart that it would have showed up on the ECG? Thanks

[TumbledryerHead]

Hi Natalie, I have been experiencing exactly what you describe so can totally understand how freaked out you are. It's almost as if a wave of something passes through your whole body and that you have something permanently stuck in your throat and chest which occasionally catches at your breath? Your heart starts doing funny things as well. Your head tells you that this cannot be normal but the doctors, tests etc all say that you are fine.

The way I get through it is to remind myself of all the tests I've had which were all ok and repeat to myself that I'm going to be ok. Also, I get up and do something different, even if I run outside and pull up a few weeds! That mostly helps to distract me because then it occurs to me how many weeds there are in the garden!.

You are definitely not alone in experiencing this symptom and it's horrible but hopefully next time you might feel a tiny bit better knowing that you really are not alone in this.

xx

[TumbledryerHead]

Sorry, meant to say that the evenings seem to be the worst as well. Probably because there's less to keep your mind busy and away from worrying! I'm not a doctor but I've had two ECG's just like you, which were normal, and the five doctors I've seen all seem pretty confident that my heart is fine. When I think about it logically, they probably wouldn't stake their professional opinion on the results of those tests if they weren't absolutely certain. It still doesn't stop me from worrying about my heart so I really empathise with you!

xx

[countrygirl]

Sounds very much like you are getting missed heart beats which you feel in your throat and upper abdomen area. If you feel your pulse when they happen then you just feel the pulse pause and then you get an extra strong beat as the heart compensates and expels all the blood in your heart. I have had missed or as they are medically called premature ventricular contractions!!! since I was in my early 20's and now am 49 and have had then every single day of that time. They feel like a sinking sensation in chest or a flutter in your throat- sometimes you feel a bit light headed sometimes its more like a mad flutter in your chest.

They are almost always harmless and are generally only noticed by people who are anxious. Cardiologist told me that unless a patient mentions then no dr will tell a patient they have them as they are of no importance unless you had underlying heart problem which would show up on ecg.

Of course the more you worryt he worse they will be as the chemicals your body produces with anxiety irritate the vagus nerve which in turn controls your heartbeat - eating too fast or too much will do this plus cafeinne alcohol etc. I find that if my heart is beating fast I do not have them but the more relaxed and slower my heart is then I can get them up to every 3rd beat.

I have been told over and over again that they are horrible but harmless the two H's!!!!

[Natalie x]

Thanks for the replies. I kept on getting funny sensations on my way to work this morning, but do you think that is connected to my heart? I really hope not! Also, afterwards I felt my pulse but couldn't feel it, but I'm not sure if I was just on the wrong bit. I really hope so. I'm just back to this worrying again! It's such a vicious circle. Has anyone else ever had weird sensations in their chest? Are they all related to anxiety? Thanks.