How to believe your doctor?

[Blessed]

As some may know, my cardiologist assured me once again that after my stress test, many EKGS from various places, sonogram, and wearing a heart ECG Monitor for 3 plus weeks...... That my heart was fine, I was not going to drop dead from a heart attack. My ECG readings were normal and he did notice my PVCs. He said if he hooked up 100 people to the same ECG machine that 98 people's readings would look just like mine. He assured me that all was well and to let it go and stop stressing myself out. I even recorded this doctors visit with him on my iPhone so I could play it back and assure myself. Believe me I'm very grateful and thankful!!!! I thank God that all is well. With that being said how can I believe the doctor and let this go and put it behind me????? I still have heart palps and my heart races every now and then And my bp rises but usually stays under140/90. But I still can't let this go. SOMEONE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS PLEASE!!!!!

[Dcoito]

Nothing to do with your heart! Your heart is confirmed healthy! Consent rate on what it really is Hun! Anxiety! Research anxiety. Know what it is, and what it dose, and how it works! Even people not suffering anxiety will have heart palps. That's normal! You need to except then for nothing more then anxiety, your not sick at all! You need to believe it and remind yourself often! Your own mind is causing this, and will continue until you change it! After I accepted it it went away within a week! When it happens just go with it! Say to yourself oh there's that sensation I get again, oh well I know it's not harmful, so go ahead do your thing! You will start to see it get less, and less keeping that same attitude! And do your deep breathing, the extra oxygen is good for you brain to produce rational thoughts!

[MrsJ88]

As some may know, my cardiologist assured me once again that after my stress test, many EKGS from various places, sonogram, and wearing a heart ECG Monitor for 3 plus weeks...... That my heart was fine, I was not going to drop dead from a heart attack. My ECG readings were normal and he did notice my PVCs. He said if he hooked up 100 people to the same ECG machine that 98 people's readings would look just like mine. He assured me that all was well and to let it go and stop stressing myself out. I even recorded this doctors visit with him on my iPhone so I could play it back and assure myself. Believe me I'm very grateful and thankful!!!! I thank God that all is well. With that being said how can I believe the doctor and let this go and put it behind me????? I still have heart palps and my heart races every now and then And my bp rises but usually stays under140/90. But I still can't let this go. SOMEONE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS PLEASE!!!!!

I can totally relate to you blessed. Good idea recording your doctor by the way! My counselor told me to record my husband as he calms me down but works a lot of hours.

[JLBnole68]

Your doctor is not lying or covering up a serious illness. That's not what doctors are trained or paid to do. It sounds like you've been through a complete, thorough, exhaustive series of monitoring and tests. It's time to stop doubting the results or thinking they've "missed" something. They haven't. If there was anything wrong, anything at all, they would have been able to easily identify it. Once you accept that it's nothing more than fear, anxiety and worry, it's easier to begin the healing process in your mind so that you don't react with fear...feeding the adrenaline and cortisol levels in your body that are actually the culprits behind the palpitations and feelings of a racing heart. Trust me. I've been through the same thing and I know how you feel. When it happens, just try not to freak out, stay as calm as you can and change the subject in your mind. How? Tense and relax muscles in your body. Really concentrate on letting your arms, legs, etc. really go limp while you're sitting or lying down. I've also found that talking to someone, repeating that everything is just fine, writing down what I'm experiencing or simply reading something comforting really helps when this is happening to me. Remind yourself that it's just anxiety. It won't harm you. See it for exactly what it is and embrace it. Take comfort in knowing it's nothing serious, nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. You're going to be fine. Don't get discouraged. You can overcome this. You don't have to live in fear every day.

[Dcoito]

Well put! And true! If you continue on the path your on, you will just become engulfed in more sensations, that will just lead to new concerns!

[raggamuffin]

You're not a doctor with 5+ medical knowledge under your belt. You have anxiety which warps your fears and worries to a point of sheer paranoia with the slightest stress or symptom making your body go into fight or flight response at the drop of a hat. Whilst you think you might understand your body or believe you have some hidden condition in reality anxiety can cause any symptom or pain going. The more you understand anxiety the less fear and worry you will feed it and the more your symptoms will reduce.

Ed

[Blessed]

Nothing to do with your heart! Your heart is confirmed healthy! Consent rate on what it really is Hun! Anxiety! Research anxiety. Know what it is, and what it dose, and how it works! Even people not suffering anxiety will have heart palps. That's normal! You need to except then for nothing more then anxiety, your not sick at all! You need to believe it and remind yourself often! Your own mind is causing this, and will continue until you change it! After I accepted it it went away within a week! When it happens just go with it! Say to yourself oh there's that sensation I get again, oh well I know it's not harmful, so go ahead do your thing! You will start to see it get less, and less keeping that same attitude! And do your deep breathing, the extra oxygen is good for you brain to produce rational thoughts!

This is great info thanks!!

[Blessed]

Your doctor is not lying or covering up a serious illness. That's not what doctors are trained or paid to do. It sounds like you've been through a complete, thorough, exhaustive series of monitoring and tests. It's time to stop doubting the results or thinking they've "missed" something. They haven't. If there was anything wrong, anything at all, they would have been able to easily identify it. Once you accept that it's nothing more than fear, anxiety and worry, it's easier to begin the healing process in your mind so that you don't react with fear...feeding the adrenaline and cortisol levels in your body that are actually the culprits behind the palpitations and feelings of a racing heart. Trust me. I've been through the same thing and I know how you feel. When it happens, just try not to freak out, stay as calm as you can and change the subject in your mind. How? Tense and relax muscles in your body. Really concentrate on letting your arms, legs, etc. really go limp while you're sitting or lying down. I've also found that talking to someone, repeating that everything is just fine, writing down what I'm experiencing or simply reading something comforting really helps when this is happening to me. Remind yourself that it's just anxiety. It won't harm you. See it for exactly what it is and embrace it. Take comfort in knowing it's nothing serious, nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. You're going to be fine. Don't get discouraged. You can overcome this. You don't have to live in fear every day.

Thank you so much great advise!!

[Blessed]

You're not a doctor with 5+ medical knowledge under your belt. You have anxiety which warps your fears and worries to a point of sheer paranoia with the slightest stress or symptom making your body go into fight or flight response at the drop of a hat. Whilst you think you might understand your body or believe you have some hidden condition in reality anxiety can cause any symptom or pain going. The more you understand anxiety the less fear and worry you will feed it and the more your symptoms will reduce.

Ed

Very well put thanks!!!!

[missmello]

I've had heart worries too, as you may already know.. I've had awful pressure in my chest for the past week or 2 that was constant, everyday, and would not let up. I would often find myself having a hard time breathing too. I had a 24hr holter monitor that came back with good results, but that still didn't convince me I guess because the pressure did not go away. I went for a follow-up appointment with my doctor and she did an EKG (I was feeling the pressure during the exam) and that looked completely normal too. She ordered an exercise stress test just to be thorough.

Well I went for that yesterday, and even before I got on the treadmill my heart rate was already at 140!!! LOL I was just standing there, I hadn't even done anything yet! I laughed it off, told the nurse "oh yeah! This is the story of my life"... I explained how I have a history of anxiety, and almost 100% of the time when I am in a medical setting my heart rate and blood pressure shoot through the roof. Well they decided to go on with the stress test anyway, and the nurse said things were looking fine from what she could see. By the end of the test, the highest my heart rate went was 192. For some reason, this didn't bother me.. when I know normally I would be freaking out.

By the time I got back to my car my heart rate was back to normal AND since yesterday the pressure in my chest is completely GONE and has not come back even for a minute (knock on wood). It was all because of my mind. Our brains are like super wired to react to ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in a split second. It's amazing. My mom was in the room during the stress test (She also has anxiety) and she said "I've gone through all of this, it's like watching a movie of myself.." She said one day you will just get over it.

Haven't you ever heard of people who go through a messy divorce or lose a loved one.. and they are so stricken with grief/emotional that they lose weight and go into a depression? We are doing the same thing to ourselves. If things like that can happen to other people, then how hard is it to believe that we are just hyper sensitive and anxious and that we can worry ourselves sick? Right? Makes sense. It's like we need to take a minute and step outside ourselves and really look at the situation. Our minds are so powerful.

[Blessed]

Yes I totally agree the mind can make you feel and believe anything. And it's like 99percent of the crap I worry about doesn't even come to pass. So I spent my precious time worrying for nothing. Thanks for understanding !!!

[JLBnole68]

missmello, probably one thing that helped was the exercise. Every time I exercise it helps tremendously. Even if you can't or don't feel up to anything strenuous, just go for a walk at a comfortable pace. It really works.