Constant fear of having a heart attack

[Neilr1978]

hiya,

just thought i'd add something. my mother is a consultant anaesthetist with MANY years experience. She has never come accross a person as young as you having a heart attack - i had similar worries and asked her!

all the best

jess xxx

Thanks jess,knowing that helps alot

[Ma Larkin]

Hi Neil, this was my biggest worry. I started having panic attacks about 3 years ago and it is only recently that I have started believing that I'm not having a heart attack. I constantly checked my pulse, had ectopics and pains all the time and it worried me sick. I have had ECG's, blood tests, x-rays and everything came back fine. It didn't, however, stop me from paying numerous visits to A&E, sometimes in an ambulance because I was absolutely convinced it was a heart attack.

The only advice I can give you is that it will pass, even if it takes years like it did me, but you will get over this. I too have young children and I'm also a single mum and my biggest fear is leaving my children behind, whom I love with all my heart. Just keep telling yourself that it's only anxiety and you will get through it.

Take care and good luck.

Les, xx

[Neilr1978]

Thanks ma larkin,i hope i stop worrying about this.My biggest fear is leaving my kids wirrying who is gonna care for them.I swear if it was just me to worry about i would not feel as bad!!Oh the joys of kids lol.....still would not change them for the world though!!

[Sweettee in SC]

I found this website today. I see that no one has posted in this section in a long while. I've been struggling with this fear, I don't know what to do. I think, I know, I'm getting on my husband's nerves. I have had every kind of test possible to rule out heart disease but I'm still plagued with the thought! I just went recently to the urgent care office they did an ekg and an xray and it was fine. I tend to hang on every word the Dr. says. So if he/she says "your okay" I want to know if okay is good or just borderline. You can't say okay to me because I start to think, maybe there's something but it not very big yet. Its crazy!!! I was told I have GERD, I have been expericencing pain in my mid back and sometimes it goes to the right side of my upper back and it was pretty intense! I've been to the Dr before about the burning pain in the middle and she told me it was my esophagus, so for a long time I took her at her word. When I switched Dr's old one retired. My new one say I don't know if that's associated with Gerd. So I start to worry again. Also when I go the the Dr. my heart rate goes up and my bp does also, home it's normal unless my unit is inaccurate. I did have that checked at the Dr. office and my blood pressure was higher with my unit. Go figure. BP at Doc office is 134/84 and HR was 90. It went down after I relaxed what's up with that? Back to GERD

So when I went to the urgent care I was told that the pain had nothing to do with Gerd. I feel sometimes I not making a good bm and I have gas all the time too. Maybe it's IBS I don't know. It just feels good to get this all off my chest and not have to worry about someone saying "aren't you over this by now?" You know there's nothing wrong. Deep down inside you know you're okay (GOOD) but you still hold on the thoughts. Why? Am I just crazy? I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. I excersise but I have fallen off some. I worry when my HR is at 90 and I worry when it's below 60! What's wrong with me? Why am I like this? Sometimes I feel like giving up but I can't. I have a wonderful hubby and 2 beautiful boys.

Keep me in Prayer!
Much Love,
Sweettee in SC

[Neilr1978]

I found this website today. I see that no one has posted in this section in a long while. I've been struggling with this fear, I don't know what to do. I think, I know, I'm getting on my husband's nerves. I have had every kind of test possible to rule out heart disease but I'm still plagued with the thought! I just went recently to the urgent care office they did an ekg and an xray and it was fine. I tend to hang on every word the Dr. says. So if he/she says "your okay" I want to know if okay is good or just borderline. You can't say okay to me because I start to think, maybe there's something but it not very big yet. Its crazy!!! I was told I have GERD, I have been expericencing pain in my mid back and sometimes it goes to the right side of my upper back and it was pretty intense! I've been to the Dr before about the burning pain in the middle and she told me it was my esophagus, so for a long time I took her at her word. When I switched Dr's old one retired. My new one say I don't know if that's associated with Gerd. So I start to worry again. Also when I go the the Dr. my heart rate goes up and my bp does also, home it's normal unless my unit is inaccurate. I did have that checked at the Dr. office and my blood pressure was higher with my unit. Go figure. BP at Doc office is 134/84 and HR was 90. It went down after I relaxed what's up with that? Back to GERD

So when I went to the urgent care I was told that the pain had nothing to do with Gerd. I feel sometimes I not making a good bm and I have gas all the time too. Maybe it's IBS I don't know. It just feels good to get this all off my chest and not have to worry about someone saying "aren't you over this by now?" You know there's nothing wrong. Deep down inside you know you're okay (GOOD) but you still hold on the thoughts. Why? Am I just crazy? I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. I excersise but I have fallen off some. I worry when my HR is at 90 and I worry when it's below 60! What's wrong with me? Why am I like this? Sometimes I feel like giving up but I can't. I have a wonderful hubby and 2 beautiful boys.

Keep me in Prayer!
Much Love,
Sweettee in SC

I have IBS and gerd and i think my ectopics are down to my GERD.Because I have read that GERD stimulates the vagus nerve and that can cause ectopics.Its such a battle with ectopics.I have had panic attacks through them too.
Sometimes im feeling like im beating them and other times it feels like they are beating me.
My ectopics started 2 and a half years ago,and i can honestly say my life has been a living hell ever since

[annaB]

I have the same problem as everyone else here but only because I have very real symptoms. My husband is not the most patient or emotionally nurturing man and can become very annoyed when I get obsessed over my symptoms. Lately I've been having chest pain. They were located primarily on the right side but now I'm having them on my left side and sometimes dead center. They don't last very long and are mild but they are scaring me to death. I am having systolic hypertension and that worries me. I have been to the ER many times and I've worn a 24-hour holter monitor; I've had x-rays, etc and everything supposedly came back normal. I was diagnosed with GERD three years ago when I had to go to the ER due to chest pain. I am going crazy with all the fear and anxiety. It is probably causing my blood pressure to go up. I am constantly checking it. My only worry is that it seems I have systolic hypertension and that is very dangerous.

I did find some very interesting articles on Coronary Microvascular Syndrome which is a problem that affects women. It is the hardening of small arteries of the heart and stress tests and angiographs cannot detect it. So if you have been given a clean bill of heart health but still have symptoms, I would strongly advise asking your doctor about CMS and the WISE study. I am going to do that when I see my PCP and I'm going to insist on testing. I HOPE I do NOT have this but I need to know.

[sleeplesschild]

I'm the same expect my doctor won't put in me for any test! I hate it, I really do. Does anyone have any tips that work? Some days are worst than others, it depends on how intense the symptoms feel or how strong my mind is working.

[lisad1977]

hi every one. i get it all time fear of having heartattack or stroke. i ring amulance or go to a&e to get checked all time my ecg has showed short pr. inverted t waves. im scared all time i have got a reveal devicein my chest that showsheart beat and so far cordio doc found nothing so why does paramedics show abnormal readings all time, im goin to die is all i keep telling my self.

[layla85]

Hi everyone. I am nee to a forum like this. I thought i was the only one with this problem. I am always scared im going to have a heart attack. I am.21 i have had diabetes from the last 3 years i am overweight too. I get a pain in my left arm and an uneasy feeling in my chest. It could be indigestion but i have read that women rarely get chest pain during a heart attack. I am sick of it. Its worse at night. I feel so panicky and my heart beat goes fast. I have had an ecg once 2 years ago it was fine. Im really scared its so overpowering.

[saab]

Hi Layla. Welcome to the forum. I get palpitations, thousands a day at times, and I can tell you that from all the heart forums I have read it is very, very rare for someone your age to have a heart attack.

Even though you have diabetes and are overweight, these are long term risk factors not ones that are immediately going to affect your heart. When I get anxious I get a tight feeling in my chest too. It's worrying but it goes when my panic subsides - heart attack pain doesn't do that, as far as I know.

The best thing you can do is to control your diabetes as best you can. I am assuming it is type 1. If you try to lose some weight you will feel and have more confidence in your heart. The trouble with anxiety is that it often makes us do things that aren't good for us - smoke, eat, drink more, stay in - when not eating rubbish can help anxiety.