Absolutely Panic stricken really can't believe what's happened

[Jj8]

Hi everyone
I have posted many times on here about my fear of heart problems after having heart palpitations and how much it scares me. My doctor made me feel like a complete pain by saying that he thinks there's nothing wrong with me and that he knows I won't drop it (as I have been to the doctors 3 times ) and said that he would reluctantly reffer me to have an ECG again.
Well I saw a cardiologist today....... He said I have a heart murmur..... I'm absolutely devastated :( I'm absolutely terrified, upset & angry. Just can't stop crying I keep thinking that I'm going to die :( I'm 24 btw and now I have to wait to be referred for an echo and a 7 day ECG. How am I going to find the strength to deal with this? Im supposed to be going on holiday soon :( just won't be able to enjoy it with this worry :( my ecgs have been fine before but the one I had today was all over the place? I was worried at the hospital but in the back of my mind I kinda thought I would be ok as my ecgs in the past had been ok or at least I thought :( now begs the question do I actually have 'health anxiety' ? Or a heart problem causing the anxiety? I pray life gets easier every day but it just seems to be getting worse and worse xx

[Ella_Jayne]

I know what you're going through is hard, but having a heart murmer is not going to jeopardise your health in anyway shape or form. You're having palps because of anxiety, as far as I know most murmers don't have any actually symptoms. So what you've been experiencing is anxiety and not because of a murmer. You'll be ok. Just take the tests as they come. I've had an echo and holter too and the process of it was all very smooth and reassuring a your's will be too. Don't let your worries get the better of you. I know its hard but please try. You'll be ok. :)

[nomorepanic]

Most heart mumours turn out to be normal. Just wait and see what happens.

I have heart failure and I am still living and getting on with things. It is not a death sentence trust me

[Elsa_Alkaseltzer]

I agree; people live completely normal, healthy long lives with heart murmurs. I am so sorry you are scared, but you will be OK!! Hang in there. The doc will explain it all to you at your next appointment. If you had something really serious show up on your EKG, they wouldn't let you just go home.

[countrygirl]

Did they explain that a heart murmer is a slightly leaky valve in your heart and huge percentage of people have one and it has no effect on them whatsoever other than Drs can hear it when they listen to your heart.

The scan will tell them how much of a leak you have but 99% of thetime nothing needs to be done about it. My friends husband was born with a heart murmer and her is now 70 and still fine!

[Jj8]

Hi everyone

Thank u for replying to me, no he never really said that it's nothing to worry about he was a very nice and helpful dr but he just said that he wants me to have an Echo and to see what's going on and also a 7 day ECG to try and catch the palps, what I am aslo worried about is MVP as this is a murmur with palpitations which is what I have had, I know I shouldn't google but I can't help but worry when I read about valve replacement and heart operations, even the thought of taking tablets for my heart scares the life out of me as I have had bad reactions to certain medications before, I'm a right mess at the moment! I keep thinking that there are people who are worse than me to try and put this into context but the thing that is scaring me is the unknown, I think if I knew what was wrong then I would find it easier to rationalise things. I'm going to find it really hard waiting for the outcomes of tests, how long does it normally take for a refferal for an echo and 7 day monitor? Thank u again everyone I'll keep reading your replies to try and calm myself down xxxx

[Christers]

Many, many people have heart mumurs that have caused them no problems and would never even have been identified if it weren't for some other reason (in your case, anxiety). Try not to worry yourself. Remember, as anxious people our minds can run away from us. All this anxiety will achieve nothing. Keep telling yourself that. I know the fear can appear very real at times, but the reality is not that bad. If it makes you feel any better, my friends mum found out that she had a leaky valve in her heart at age 58 and it was only discovered because she went to the doctor feeling low after her mother died (of old age!). She had an operation to fix the valve and is as right as rain again. The doc's think she'd had it all her life and it had never affected her. You have a mumur which many of us could have but maybe have never pushed to have our heart thoroughly checked. I know it's hard when you get yourself in this state, but please try and relax.

[Davinci817]

I'm sorry you are so worried. Stop looking googling, especially surgeries! If the Doctor thought you were at a high risk he would have put you straight in the hospital. This is your anxiety making this so scary.

As everyone else pointed out, murmurs are normally not much to worry about. Many people are born with them and live normal long lives without even knowing they had it to start with.

You are young and the risk at your age of some form of heart disease is very very very very low.

[luckyme]

sorry to hear this.you are not going to die my friend has had a heart murmur all her life and lives like any normal person does.

[Ella_Jayne]

I was referred for a holter monitor on the NHS when I lived in Manchester and it took about about 3 months before I got the appointment. But at that stage I was back in Dublin and had the holter and echo done within weeks. It depends on how serious they think your case is. Obviously your case isn't serious atall. Heart murmers are harmless, even MVP doesn't usually cause any major issues. I did what you did, imagined, googled, worried and then repeated the whole cycle until I had the tests done, ...and even after I was googleing to see how accurate the tests I had were! LOL! You definitely have anxiety, no doubt about it.

I know it's scary when you have a big fear or anxiety and then get told that actually there is something there. It makes you feel so overwhelmed and full of emotion. I went through it when a junior doc told me that I could potentially have an Arrhythmia. Even though a lot of arrhythmias are harmless, what I heard was "You're going to die" I couldn't breathe! But in the end everything was fine and I didn't have any arrhythmia atall, just pesky palps from anxiety.

Let us know how you get on. Don't focus on what could be. Just try and put it to the back of your mind, or atleast try and keep it from the front. Distract yourself. A murmur is nothing to worry about and if you think about it, it must be a small one if it was only picked up on the last ECG and not the others. Anything serious wouldn't be missed. You'll be fine. :)

[pacer]

Just to reassure you, i too have a murmur (a really loud systolic one) I was diagnosed with mine when i was 18, had a scan and was told not to worry. I also get lots of ectopics and palpitations but i'm now nearly 40 and still going strong. xx

[scrog80]

Hi everyone
I have posted many times on here about my fear of heart problems after having heart palpitations and how much it scares me. My doctor made me feel like a complete pain by saying that he thinks there's nothing wrong with me and that he knows I won't drop it (as I have been to the doctors 3 times ) and said that he would reluctantly reffer me to have an ECG again.
Well I saw a cardiologist today....... He said I have a heart murmur..... I'm absolutely devastated :( I'm absolutely terrified, upset & angry. Just can't stop crying I keep thinking that I'm going to die :( I'm 24 btw and now I have to wait to be referred for an echo and a 7 day ECG. How am I going to find the strength to deal with this? Im supposed to be going on holiday soon :( just won't be able to enjoy it with this worry :( my ecgs have been fine before but the one I had today was all over the place? I was worried at the hospital but in the back of my mind I kinda thought I would be ok as my ecgs in the past had been ok or at least I thought :( now begs the question do I actually have 'health anxiety' ? Or a heart problem causing the anxiety? I pray life gets easier every day but it just seems to be getting worse and worse xx

welcome to my world i get heart palps all day i had an overdose on red bull 6 months ago now im convinced ive damaged my heart tell you what i did to stop me worrying and a doctor told me this by the way every time i think my heart misses a beat or im going to have a heart attack run up and down the stairs sounds crazy but since i have been doing it my anxiety is decreesing every week yeah i still get a thumping chest pain but i live with it at 24 with no family history of problems you will more than likley be suffering bad anxiety in my opinnion dont worry smile and run up and down the stairs or jog what ever bet it helps :D

[Jj8]

Hi everyone
Thank so much for taking the time to reply to me xx
I'm trying to forget about it but it's so hard!!! The only time I feel ok is when I'm asleep, didn't want to wake up this morning I was more than happy in dreamland! As soon as I wake up I just feel dread :( it's really hard. Pacer thank u for helping me, if you don't mind me asking is there a reason why u have the murmur and palps? Did they give u any treatment at all? I keep thinking that I have MVP, in a way it's a relief to know that I'm actually being taken seriously at the hospital but at the same time I don't want to know if there's anything wrong :( my dad died young of a heart attack and that really frightens me, i feel as though i have to constantly keep reassuring myself and my life is on hold im too scared to do anything at the moment lord knows how I'm going to be able to cope on holiday, I just want to stay at home, I keep having to put on a brave face to everyone when really I just want to hide and cry, I'm really trying to pull myself together I'm just really scared of my own heart at the moment, your all great thank u xxxxxx

[pacer]

Not sure why i have a murmur but apparently weight loss can cause them. I'd been on a diet around the time mine was found.
The only thing i had to do differently was to have antibiotics if i had any dental treatment, they've recently stopped doing that though.
It's just one of those things i guess. x