Obsessive worrying about Heart

[jlong007]

Hello all,

In November of 2011, I experienced my first panic attack and I haven't been the same since. When I had my first panic attack, it felt like someone was squeezing my heart with their hand, it was really scary. After a battery of testing, 6 days in the hospital and visiting numerous cardiologist, endocrinologist, GP, neurologist, everyone keeps telling me the same thing, There is nothing wrong with me and my heart is in excellent condition.

So my question is this, if the doctors say that I am healthy and that my heart is in great condition, how come I feel as if the doctors have missed something, like an underlying heart condition? I can feel my heart beat, sometimes it is a hard heart beat where it pushes up against my shirt, sometimes my heart feels as it it flutters, sometimes I feel a skipped beat, I am constantly checking my pulse, and constantly checking my blood pressure, it is driving me crazy!! Before my "panic attack" I was fine, never obsessed about my heart and my pulse and all sorts of crazy things.

I have gotten better with healthier eating and seeing a psychologist, but I am no where near 100%, like I used to be. I feel constant symptoms such as, lightheadedness, tingling head, face, legs; my irregular heart beats. sometimes i get flushed and become extremely hot, but the one that bothers me the most would have to be that dizziness and the way my heart beats.

Has anyone ever experienced this? Am I going crazy, because sometimes I feel like I am the only person in the world dealing with these issues. When is it all going to stop so I could go back to my normal life?

[ATOMS]

Trust me Jlong,

I feel for you an your not the only one. (4) years for me. I have had the 75% of the symptoms you listed above. Your not going crazy this sounds like typical anxiety related problems. I had to go to the cardiologist and do a stress test to rule out my heart being a problem. If yourcardiologist said your hearts ok then when your feeling the symptoms tell your self its just the anxiety talking at least as far as your fear of heart issues go.

Did he give you a stress test?
Hope you feel better soon.

[jlong007]

I had a cardiac cath and there were no blockages, numerous of ekgs, echos, chest X-rays, blood work. And I went to another cardiologist for a second opinion

[jlong007]

All the tests come back negative, I just feel like sometimes when I have these sensations, that maybe the doctors were wrong or they missed something. Its just so hard to accept that it's your mind playing games with you

[ATOMS]

I agree, it's hard to believe when someone tells you your ok, but you still feel the problems. You sometimes doubt what they may say. I noticed you said you got a second opinion from a cardiologist so your heart is probably ok. Keep track of your problems and write them down. Next time you see your doc. maybe you can show him/her the list to see if possibly there is something else they missed or didn't check. I know personally when I dwell on something I'm having an issue with it always seems to get worse until I try and quit thinking about it. Hard to do when your in pain though.

Hang in there.

[jlong007]

yea, the only thing that I can say is that I have improved greatly. 2 months ago, I was constantly having chest pains and i was alot more dizzy and flushed than what I am now. So I guess that I have a lot of evidence that it is not my heart due to all the testing and also if it was my heart, the symptoms would not go away, it would just stay there and become worse when i exercise or exert myself. I figure that if it was heart related, something would've happened already

[Chiliphil1]

I also have this, all my anxiety started based on chest pains. I have the same thing, pain, tightness, shortness of breath, and on and on.

I, like you never had a problem in the world before this, but since it had started I have obsessed about everything from my heart to headaches, even things like pimples! Whatever was going on with me had to be the worst case scenario, no matter what.

I am doing a lot better now, but the chest pain still gets me, I have yet to get completely over it all, but I would say I have a 90% or better improvement rating.

[dazza]

Funny (or not as the case may be) how so many posts on here sound so HORRIBLY familiar.

jlong - you have a classic case of deep-set health anxiety.

For the most part of our lives we spend it oblivious, ignorant & care free... we take our health, immortality, the people around us & indeed our world for granted.
(A nice place to be I may add)

BUT... events sometimes happen in our lives which are so shocking, they have a very deep & long lasting impact on us, and suddenly we find that our
wings have failed and we've come crashing back to the ground with a very big bang.

An over exaggerated reality check, if you like...

November 2011 was your time to come crashing down. (December 2011 was mine)

A panic attack in it's rawest form is a condition of extreme fear, albeit innapropriate.
In your (and my) case, that fear was ultimately death (through what you (and I) thought was a heart attack)

(Let's face it... there's no fear that comes worse than death, right? so it's little wonder it's kinda hard to shake)

We're now left somewhat scarred by the event, and it taking an awful lot of courage (and shit to put up with) to get through it.

Your hot flushes, hard heart beats, palpitations and everything else under the sun you have are repeating reactions to that same thought of "death by heart"

Hideously ironic that; we're actually, subconsciously causing the symptoms we fear most.
Anxiety is a bastard of a disorder. I swear it's been sent by the devil himself in order to play with peoples lives in such a horrific way.

The good news is however, it will pass.

Once we get over that shocking event, stand up & dust down our wings - we'll fly once again.

Keep up any cognetive therapy and take the meds when absolutely necessary.
Eat well / minimise crap foods, caffeine & sugar / try to sleep well / stay strong / repeat to yourself over and over that you're actually OK... the tests proved it

Good luck matey