Worried about Sudden Death Syndrome... AGAIN!

[Ella_Jayne]

I've suffered from Panic/Anxiety for just over a year and although I feel that I've made progress, I'm now starting to go back to the way I was. I worry about my heart and have done since I started having Panic attacks.

I have had countless amounts of ECG's/EKG's, an ECHO, Holter, X-Rays, Bloods... EVERYTHING! And they have all come back fine but I still have a niggling doubt that I am fine.

I get Ectopic beats for little or no reason, sometimes I get short bursts of them which makes me feel like my heart it doing the Macarena. Each time I have one I worry.

I'm 22 and feel like I've wasted the past year because of all this worry, but I don't know how to get back to normal, I still believe that 'Something' is wrong with my heart. I've read a lot of stories about Sudden death syndrome, about people who just literally drop dead from a cardiac arrhythmia which has failed to be detected due to unreliable ECG results.

You can propably see why I'm worried, I think that I am going to be one of these 'Apparently fit young' people that just drops dead. I have no family history of heart disease or anything like that but it doesn't stop me worrying.

I don't have panic atacks anymore, just anxiety symptoms at times I guess. I get dizziness from time to time, and my doctor just keeps telling me that I'm fine. I'm not though, if i was I wouldn't feel like this, would I?

In August I went to see my Mum's GP to see what he would say, he referred me to a cardiologist that specialises in the electrical system of the heart, I got my appointment the other day and it's not until MAY!!!!!! A whole 7 months away! :mad: I really don't know what to do. I'm scared, really scared that something is wrong with my heart that hasn't been detected. I just need some reassurance and advice. Sorry for rambling on, I just needed to get it off my chest. :weep:

x

[PokerFace]

Hey Ella sorry didn't see this last night! Hope you're feeling a bit better today, all my heart fears have come back too so you're definatley not alone.

So! To get started PLEASE don't worry about the blip you're having. Although we feel right back at square one we really aren't. The road to recovery isn't a straight one, if it was hardly anyone would suffer from panic and anxiety. You're having a little hiccup but it's ok cuz we ALL have them.

I've had about 5 ECGs, you've had WAY more tests than me and if there was anything wrong trust me they would have found it. I think I read somewhere that if more people had ECGs, sudden death syndrome wouldn't happen as often because they can detect it. That niggling doubt is just your anxiety hun. I know it's hard when everything is screaming at you somethings vey wrong but it really is just your anxiety.

ECTOPIC BEATS!! Oh lord, I had a VERY painful one on Saturday when I was at my friends house. Seriously it was HUGE and hurt me so much I was shaking and crying. I got hot almost instantly and was jus a wreck. I went to the doctors on Monday and told him and he didn't seem concerned at all so I guess I shouldn't be. I know how scary they are really, most of my problems I have latley come from them. I get them quite a lot for no reason that I can see either and I get scared every single time. It's quite normal though aparently, we just feel them because we're more intune. Remember, worrying can cause them and you're doing quite a bit of that at the moment, you're hearts just doing what your brain is telling it to even though you don't mean to.

I'm 20 and I really HAVE wasted the past 7 months of my life, and probably a lot more months to come! This past week even though I got a scare I've been out every day. My chest hurts, my left arm, my jaw and shoulder cuz I'm so so tense. I'm even getting very painful tension headaches but I'm still pushing myself because I know from past experience the longer I leave it the harder it's gonna get. I even went to see Paranormal Activity 2 in the cinema on Monday and survived!

The stories of sudden death syndrome make stories because it's soso rare. They probably had 1 ECG and maybe it WAS a bit unaccurate but we can't say for sure because most stories, no matter what they're about ARE fabricated! If ECGs were that unaccurate they would have been abolished and no hospital would use them.

I've got no family history of heart disease either, and we are young and fit. The chances of you suddenly dying from this are next to none, especially with all the tests you've had I'd pretty much say you're in the all clear. You're anxiety however, won't let you beleive this which is the situation you need to adress. When you feel yourself getting panicky just say this in your head or even out loud if you feel like it. "I have anxiety about my health, NOT a life threatening disease" Say it however many times you need to til you feel the panic and worry slipping away. Face everything and recover remember! :)

As for the doctor saying you're fine, no you're not fine, you have Health Anxiety. Although it can't harm you, it can make you feel incredibly ill. The doctor says you're fine because you have nothing medically wrong with you that he can cure. Health Anxiety needs to be treated with CBT or even meds if thats a path you want to take. It's a problem you have mentally and doctors arn't qualified to deal with that unfortunatley!

You're appointment being 7 months away, how about in those 7 months you try to forget you're heart worries and start focusing purely on anxiety and how to releive it. I know what you're probably thinking by now, I feel like a MASSIVE hypocrite saying all this stuff to you, but I really do see myself in you and I think this is how both of us can get better.

Sorry for the long post, I wanted to adress everything you said for maximum reassurance! Hope it didn't bore you too much!

End of the day, if we are going to die of a heart related problem (which we're not) do we want to go out sayin, yeah I made the best of my time here, or DAMN I wish I hadn't been so worried. The more you push yourself to do normal things the more the panic fades away. Trust me xxx

[Ella_Jayne]

Pokerface, you don't realise how much you have helped. That was a great post, thank you so much for taking the time to write it, seriously you have helped me A LOT! You have made me see things more clearly and made me see how irrational certain thoughts and fears that I have are. Thank You sooooooo much!!! Everything you said was 100% right.

I can't thank you enough :) xxx

[PokerFace]

Anytime! Glad it made you feel better. :) xx