heart worries

[honeyb]

it all came to a head last friday, when my heart started racing while i was driving. I drove straight to the drs in a state of panic convinced i only had hours to live. He took my blood pressure which was up and had put me on 25mg a day of Atenolol (which i'm now convinced will kill me). Had lots of bloods test, which have come back normal and this friday i have an ecg. Anyway about 3 oclock this morning i woke with a pain in my chest that when through to my back, i felt sweaty and slighting dizzy, i then convinced myself i was haveing a heart attack. I'm so sure that these tablets are doing me more harm than good as my blood pressure is usually ok at home. I do understand that Atenolol is used for BP, Anxiety & to slow your heart rate down. I'm in such a mess and everyone is getting fed up with me, i don't know what to do. Please help.

[Want_to_break_free]

It sounds like you have had a panic attack, I've had exactly the same and that's where my health anxiety started ... I've since had severe headaches that I thought was a brain tumour and currently think I'm going blind ... I've had a number of tests for my heart (ECG, chest x rays, spirometry) and CT scan on my head and all was clear ... A classic symptom of anxiety can be chest pain that mimics the feeling of a heart attack... At the moment I'm sat at my desk at work trying to convince myself that there is nothing wrong with my eyes!

[honeyb]

I know how you feel too. I sit at my desk and my vision goes funny, but i try and put that down to staring at a computer for most of the day. Also my dad keeps saying that its muscular as he gets the same. My chest and back feel uncomfortable and my throat feels tight. I'm guessing that if my bloods have come back normal, then my heart should be fine. I'm just worried that these tablets are doing damage to my heart now. I've been googling again

[Want_to_break_free]

Not DR Google again ... Been there done that and got many a t shirt!!! That's the worst thing that anyone with anxiety can do ... seriously Honey try not to. I know it's easier said than done and due to Google I am now an expert on eye disease!!

Tablets can sometimes take alot of time before the body gets used to them and sometimes increased heart rates etc are just harmless side effects.

[honeyb]

I've been googling and it says that if you get chest pain with these tablets speak to your gp straight away. I'm really worried that they are damaging my heart.

[Want_to_break_free]

If they were damaging your heart you would have known about it by now I'm sure ... the heart is an extremely resilient organ ... I have had chest pains pretty much constantly for 3 months and only when I said to myself that it is anxiety NOT anything more sinister did the pain start to go ... and now it's virtually gone ... but then my attention moved onto my eyes!!! I do feel we're in a no win situation until we ourselves deal with the underlying issues of health anxiety - easier said than done!

[honeyb]

I started these tablets on Saturday, so last night was my forth night. I'm such a mess at the moment.

[Jsp]

Do not use google, it is your worst enemy! I have to pull myself away from googling any symptoms, as everything that comes up on there isn't even true for me.

Alprananolol is a beta-blocker, which slows down your heart rate and blood pressure. I've been on Propranolol before, which is very similar to the drug that you're on now. These drugs are relatively safe, although when I was on them it slowed down my heart rate a bit too much and made me feel extremely dangerous. Sounds scary, but this is not dangerous at all.

If you have any concerns, or feel like the drugs are making your symptoms work, then go back to your doctor. He may be able to prescribe you with something else.

Your symptoms sound typical of a panic attack. When I personally have one, i go extremely dizzy, like i'm going to fall down, my heart races, resulting in some palpitations too. I also go sweaty and my fingers go tingly. Sometimes I would also get excruciating headaches only on one side of my head. These are all common signs of panic attacks and are completely normal and not dangerous. Please, do not worry yourself. Once your come to terms with the fact you're just suffering from anxiety, then you will be on the road to recovery.

[Rushway]

Let the pills do their work ,my friend...it'll take time but stick with it...

I've been on Citalopram 10mg for around 3 months now after constant pains, A&E visits, doctors visits (he told me he'd get me my own waiting room chair!)...Now stopped Googling, BP checks, Pulse checks....just don't do it...it'll get better, please trust me..

[honeyb]

Thanks guys. Like my parents say I'm my own worst enemy. I can't help myself and when i get a slight pain in my chest or strange feeling in my head i google and abviously that throws up all the deadly diseases. I have stopped taking my BP so much and am trying not to check my pulse so much.