Hi I'm Andy, suffering pretty bad with health anxiety

[AndyHoward]

Hi everyone.

I'm Andy and I have been suffering pretty badly with health anxiety.

I have had anxiety in the past but it's really the last few years that it has specifically been about health. It started off with cancer and a lot of this I think is triggered partly by media stories. My father had a heart attack just over a year ago and now my anxiety is specifically about heart problems. I have been to the doctors and they have given be the all clear from all big nasties, I do have a slightly high cholesterol count, but my doctor told me because of my age, because I'm a non-smoker and I'm not overweight (that much anyway!) that I'm low risk. That said I still have bad anxiety and this bout has been going on now for just over a month at a fairly intense level. The level does go up and down, but it is always there and sometimes gets to the point where I find it very difficult to do normal everyday functions.

I have recently joined AnxietyUK and am looking in to booking a webcam session with a CBT councillor.

I've never spoken with anyone who has this and I think it would be useful to do so.

My symptoms are generally feeling anxious which does get quite intense, muscle spasms or palpitations and I have to be honest I'm not really sure how to tell the difference between the two! Sometimes I get a twitch in my shoulder like a pulsating, sometimes it's in my chest and near my heart which terrifies me. I think I get IBS as well and often have issues with my stomach, mainly that it feels tied in knots. I get pulsating in my stomach a fair bit. Breathlessness too and I'm not sure if this is anything to do with anxiety, but sometimes I get a feeling like my breath is being sucked out of me for a split second and it stops me in my tracks and is also very scary. Headaches and general aches and pains. Extreme heightened awareness of my heart beat and for the last month I have been waking up around 5am and feeling anxious and I feel I have a fast heart beat and this is mainly when I get the heightened awareness of it, naturally I suppose.

I have been given beta blockers by the doctor but have not taken them yet, in fact I seem to have a fear of taking drugs. My feeling is that I might not have health anxiety it really could be a heart problem and the drugs may trigger a heart attack. I realise I sound a little crazy!

I'm not sure if I am supposed to put all this stuff in my introduction but because I'm new here I thought I'd just let it out.

Thanks,
Andy

[kdubg]

Your not alone man. I've been dealing with these same issues for over 2 years. Your not crazy, just very aware. What do you do to keep yourself occupied?

[AndyHoward]

Hi, thanks.
I'm a pretty busy person, I run a business and have a young family. For me the worst part is the early morning wake-ups. Those hours between 5 and 7 seem pretty long. I did start to listen to audio books, which I may start doing again.

[Andrew Marino]

Actually the beta-blockers prevent heart attacks and even stop them if they happen. I take propranolol which is a pretty good beta blocker. I keeps my heart at a normal beat even with anxiety attacks...at the same time it keeps my blood pressure normal with an attack as well.