Heart Problems or just anxiety

[julie_essex]

Hi All,
I joined this website a few days ago and am interested to hear from anyone who has similar symptoms or experiences. I have been suffering from anxiety for six months and it has caused me numerous panic attacks and a fear of going to sleep. I suffer with a tight chest, racing heart and a constant fear that I am going to have a heart attack and die. I have had two ECG's and they were fine and a blood test which came back OK but I still have chest pain. I am now on tablets and meditating which has helped but this week the sense of doom has returned and I had a panic attack the other night and thought I was having a heart attack, I was so close to calling an ambulance!!
Does anyone know of any tests that I can have done that will give peace of mind.
Also does anyone else experience more anxiety symptoms at certain times of the month.
I really appreciate the time and advice of anyone who replies

[Hidalgo21]

You should go to a cardiologist he would everything there , stress test , echo , EKG , holder monitor so yea go there , n btw what symptoms do you get in the chest.?

[elle86]

I had these pains as well. Left side of my chest indeed my boob and all around the side of my chest etc. did numerous tests and the doctors have worked out I've pulled/torn muscles between the chest and breast bone there. I forgot what it's called but the pain gets that intense it does feel like ur gonna have a heart attack.

[julie_essex]

You should go to a cardiologist he would everything there , stress test , echo , EKG , holder monitor so yea go there , n btw what symptoms do you get in the chest.?

I suffer with tight chest, heart palpitations and racing heart beat. It is always worse at night and means I'm awake most of the night with a fear that something awful is going to happen. It got to the stage when I was afraid to go to bed

[alankay]

Classic anxiety. After 2 clear ECG and that "sense of doom".... seals it. Anxiety first, last and always. Alankay

[Andyh657]

I'm having the same, got an appointment with cardiologist next week, fingers crossed all will be ok, then ill be able to concentrate on beating this bloody anxiety sh*t!! I've had it 2 and a half months now so I'm sure if it was something life threatening I would have dropped down dead by now. Good luck

[elle86]

Something the dr told me was the heart can't last wtf extreme pain like this for more than a few hrs!! If u have had it for a while it probably won't b heart related bcoz ud b dead by now

[randomanxiety]

Hi Julie,
I have similar symptoms. Most people that have panic attacks suffer with heart related symptoms, breathing issues, stomach issues etc. It all stems from our fears that something is wrong with us, which in turn creates panic, then the feeling of doom and gloom and the cycle begins.
You need to stop the cycle! You have already had the tests to confirm that there is noting wrong with your heart Accept these results and move on. Tell yourself that there is nothing wrong with your heart, the tests proved it. Getting rid of the feelings of doom and gloom all starts with stopping the cycle as it begins. I have been trying to master this myself, and by no means have I achieved it completely. It is truly hard work! I have found that getting mad at the panic attack itself works for me. As stupid as it sounds. When i feel anxiety building or feel my heart starting to race I tell myself the following. "No, Screw you panic attack! there is nothing wrong. You are fine. you know you are fine. There is no need to go through this, you have been here before and this never works." I also learned some deep breathing techniques that i use afterwards.
Know that you are not alone, Tell that panic who is boss!

[BarefootContessa]

I am in the same boat as you, except that in my case, it all started when I was very young, age 19 back in 1980. I went to the emergency room thinking I was having a heart attack and left several hours later with a bottle of Valium.

I was hospitalized right before Christmas briefly for a non stop racing heart, something I have dealt with on and off for decades, however made far worse now that I am in the last stages of peri menopause. The solution to my problem was achieved with Inderal which is a beta blocker. I have far far less chest pain now and the palpitations are lessened to eliminated depending on what else is going on that day for me.

I had blood work, and EKG, a stress test and an echo while in the hospital, as well as magnesium in my IV drip and a bag of Heperin. Now I am on Inderal, Celexa and the occasional Xaxax.

Best wishes to you.

[omoplata]

Classic anxiety. After 2 clear ECG and that "sense of doom".... seals it. Anxiety first, last and always. Alankay

In a nutshell....absolutely correct!

[adrenalyn]

I know exactly what you are going through, been having racing heart, palpitations almost on a daily basis since last November. Mine seem to be worse at night right before bed, very scary at times. Have had the blood test, ECG, holtor monitor and all okay.

I really don't think there is anything wrong with your heart as others have said here...anxiety is what you are experiencing. I know once I had the first pounding heart palpitation is has triggered my fear of having another one that keeps me in this fight or flight situation whenever my heart rhythm is a little fast and my thoughts start going wild creating more anxiety.

If you still feel the need to know for sure an electrocardiogram or holtor monitor would be best.

[flinthills]

Last night was one of those nights for me. It just amazes me, how I can look forward to getting a good nights sleep one minute, then the next, afraid to shut my eyes? My symptoms start as soon as I shut my eyes, when they are open, watching tv, or reading, most of the time, zero symptoms. Then, like a light switch, as soon as they are shut, lately it has been the flutters or palpitations! I get so angry at myself, knowing because I have had every test in the book done, including them going through my groin, with the dye to get a 100% look at my heart, finding out that I am healthy! But, when you wake up having real pains, real flutters, that make you cough, worry, and stay up most of the night, your mind takes over everything the doctors told you to be true. I have not found the key to solving this problem. I am 39, and do not want to spend the rest of my life, dealing with anxiety, instead of enjoying all the good times with my kids and family. Because of the fears of dying, I am afraid to take any medication, but I have started therapy, which has helped. I would say though, this forum has helped the most. Real people like myself, with the same issues. I would love to meet a respectible medical doctor, that actually has anxiety, because unless you have it, sometimes it is hard to really explain.

[flinthills]

After making two trips to the ER, thinking I was having a heart attack, the doctors were very understanding, ran enough tests to convince me that evening. But, as I just mentioned, here I am dealing with it, even after a year filled with a heart cath, stress test, ekg's, heart scan, blood work, two trips to the ER, and my mind has taken over once again. I can deal with most of the anxiety symptoms, but the heart flutters, heart palpatations, and the chest pain, are scary! Hang in there, you aren't dying!

[majored]

I was having bad headaches and worrying about them and I started to get a lot of chest pain. I visited the doctors who said it was nothing but would do a ECG to check, well the nurse checked twice and said something was wrong..........I was shaking , heart was beating fast, sweating, I could hear my heart beating, feeling sick and I was total shock. I just felt like running away and not coming back. I had to go and see the doctor after and I was too scared to go in to his room. Well I was forced in the room by my boyfriend as I was crying. He said please tell her theres nothing wrong....The doctor said THERES NOTHING WRONG" ... I didn't understand the nurse said to me there was a problem. Well there was with one of the leads there was NOT A PROBLEM WITH ME! I had taken the whole thing completely wrong but that's just how my mind works seeing as I have a problem with health anxiety.

My problems are worse at night, I wake up in the night and I start thinking about things.. its then the first thing I feel in the morning. I lay there at night and hear my heart beating and feeling it pulsing in my head. Pains go across my chest, palpitations, tight feelings going across my chest. I have to tell myself to breath and that it will go away. The doctor did give me some tablets to calm me down but I was worried about taking them as I was having a lot of stomach problems which they think is IBS.

I just need to RELAX and be CALM!

[NixonRulz]

I was having bad headaches and worrying about them and I started to get a lot of chest pain. I visited the doctors who said it was nothing but would do a ECG to check, well the nurse checked twice and said something was wrong..........I was shaking , heart was beating fast, sweating, I could hear my heart beating, feeling sick and I was total shock. I just felt like running away and not coming back. I had to go and see the doctor after and I was too scared to go in to his room. Well I was forced in the room by my boyfriend as I was crying. He said please tell her theres nothing wrong....The doctor said THERES NOTHING WRONG" ... I didn't understand the nurse said to me there was a problem. Well there was with one of the leads there was NOT A PROBLEM WITH ME! I had taken the whole thing completely wrong but that's just how my mind works seeing as I have a problem with health anxiety.

My problems are worse at night, I wake up in the night and I start thinking about things.. its then the first thing I feel in the morning. I lay there at night and hear my heart beating and feeling it pulsing in my head. Pains go across my chest, palpitations, tight feelings going across my chest. I have to tell myself to breath and that it will go away. The doctor did give me some tablets to calm me down but I was worried about taking them as I was having a lot of stomach problems which they think is IBS.

I just need to RELAX and be CALM!

The reason you get those chest pains and heart flutters is that you are shallow breathing. Causes most of the physical things we always feel. Breath slow and deep with your belly moving up a down to avoid this. Google the Anxiety Coach. He has a good explanation of this. Best site ever.

I am also a health anxious person. Been to the ER enough and told nothing was wrong that I actually believe them now.

Last Monday I was told my blood pressure was way too high. I avoided taking my bp for years because it worried me

Surprisingly, I just said ok and was put on some meds that will lower it. Scary thoughts ARE one of the strongest symptoms. And then we just make them worse by taking them seriously. I choose not to any more. It's my choice

[jamus75]

I was having bad headaches and worrying about them and I started to get a lot of chest pain. I visited the doctors who said it was nothing but would do a ECG to check, well the nurse checked twice and said something was wrong..........I was shaking , heart was beating fast, sweating, I could hear my heart beating, feeling sick and I was total shock. I just felt like running away and not coming back. I had to go and see the doctor after and I was too scared to go in to his room. Well I was forced in the room by my boyfriend as I was crying. He said please tell her theres nothing wrong....The doctor said THERES NOTHING WRONG" ... I didn't understand the nurse said to me there was a problem. Well there was with one of the leads there was NOT A PROBLEM WITH ME! I had taken the whole thing completely wrong but that's just how my mind works seeing as I have a problem with health anxiety.

My problems are worse at night, I wake up in the night and I start thinking about things.. its then the first thing I feel in the morning. I lay there at night and hear my heart beating and feeling it pulsing in my head. Pains go across my chest, palpitations, tight feelings going across my chest. I have to tell myself to breath and that it will go away. The doctor did give me some tablets to calm me down but I was worried about taking them as I was having a lot of stomach problems which they think is IBS.

I just need to RELAX and be CALM!

You just told my story. Same symptoms and worries. Been to ER numerous times. Told nothing wrong. If the slightest little negative thing is heard or said I immediately freak out and assume the worst. Here's an example. I was in ER and they did chest X-ray and I was waiting for results from doc. I could here the doc talking out in the hall about a chest X-ray and he said something like bronchitis. I started panicking but come to find out it wasn't mine they were talking about. Lol. Been suffering for 12 years. Still alive so keep your head up and remember that these are all false alarms and not the real thing.

[1Goofy1]

Same here. Going to Dr. to today for yearly check up and have a list I take with me because I get nervous and forget half the stuff I want to ask. LOL This is a new Dr. and I hope I get a bit better response then the typical, " It is all in your head, it is hormones". Really get sick of being put off. Last time I said if it is hormones please check the levels in my blood test and I got "They are within the normal range".
I don't know how it is for men at the Dr. but I am finding out if you are a 46 year old woman with diagnosed anxiety you are not taken seriously at all. I am not stupid and know that hormones start to change and yes, that can affect your anxiety levels at times and yes it can come with a entire party of symptoms, but for what we have to pay these people if I want a bit more of an explanation then "it is normal, it is in your head, maybe we should up your medication", I think I should be able to get it.
I wish there was a pill that could make people feel the symptoms we feel and I think every damn Dr. should have to be on it for at least 6 months before they can get their license to practice, maybe then they would know that what we feel is real.
Sorry for ranting a bit but I am a bit geared up with determination if this new one dares to make me feel like I am stupid.

[majored]

Goofy I can understand what your saying. Everytime I go I get worked up while im waiting to go in to the doctors Knowing im next and wondering what she will say or how bad my problem may be. I tell them everything and I often get told ive got IBS . Now I could have IBS..... but I do have another problem. I now get worried about test, scans etc as I think if I have a test then its like opening a can of worms and I will end up with new problems and more tests. So im not helping myself really. It taken me over a year to have a endoscope done as I was so worried about the outcome more than the camera itself. I don't have the results just yet so Ive got a week of mixed emotions to come, im ok at the moment but when I get to the doctors I will start to stress.

I know its better to find things out early but I want to know whats wrong with me without the stressing of having tests and I know that cant happen. Ive had blood tests, scans and cameras and im no closer to know what the problem is. I have told my other half I just wish he could feel all the pains, aches and worry Im feeling. So that he knows that im not making it up and it real. I know its hard for others to understand what were through. As one lady once said to me im happy I can talk to you as you know and understand how im feeling.

It makes me feel like im making the whole thing up.

[1Goofy1]

Majored I have been there with ya worrying about test results.
The new Dr. I went to today was so much better then my previous one. He always kind of made me feel the goal of being on an SSRI was to have an end goal to get off of it and after 10 years on them he just prescribes them with an attitude of "whatever". The Dr. today asked me if I thought less of a person who was diabetic because their pancreas didn't produce enough insulin on its own. I said no, of course not. She then said so why do feel it is wrong to be on medication just because you don't produce enough seritonin on your own? I had never looked at it that way in all these years. She also said she didn't like that they were called anti-depressants, she feels it implies everyone on them is depressed or damaged and that depression isn't damaged and most people on them are on them for anxiety. She was so much more informative and wants to check all vitamin and hormone levels also. I think she is wonderful and due to the fact that she is the Dr. for my Native tribe at our private health offices I am getting treated more like family instead of cattle. Dr.s (not all) just don't seem to care anymore unless it is something they think is interesting.

[majored]

Goofy , im glad you got a doctor that understands you better and not only that will in turn relax you more because you feel they understand and that they are listening to you.. Some of those ive seen don't think about what they are saying and I don't know about you but I pick up on certain words and don't hear the rest. I hear the scary words and words that make me stress , like scans, needles and the fact I have to wait for the results build the anxiety up so much that im dying before I have had the test. Sometimes a new doctor can make you see things in a different light. I now have HEALTH ANXIETY wrote on the top of my notes ,so any new dr can see what my main problem is before I get into the room. Im sure some of them think " its her again!" I have a lot of health issues going on at the moment, Ive been quite calm the last few days. This time last week I was in a right state, crying a lot , my chest was tight with pain and my heart was racing away. I was worrying about so many things my head couldn't cope and couldn't understand why all of this couldn't go away ....why was it happening to me.

Iam sitting hear now with aches and pains. If I think about it too much I will think to myself why have I got this pain, where is it coming from? Then from that thought it then changes to I think ive got this . Then this pain and that pain mean I have this , then I have to google it and then it confirms the worse thing in the world. Then im off, feeling so sick inside ....I cant cope with things, everything is bad, im negative and everyone that trys to talk or calms me down just doesn't work. I wont listen to things like...your fine....your be ok... theres nothing wrong with you ....if you were that ill your know about it..... try not to worry... if the dr thought you were dying you would be in hospital...If you are ill at least your getting it sorted...

The doctor tried to prescribe me some medication for depression but I didn't want to take them, sometimes im to scared to take them because of the side effects . If I get chest pain im not sure if its the meds or if im stressing out. I have a on going stomach problem and at the moment I don't know what causing it. One dr told gave me some tabs for some acid well I only took one and I started to go very relaxed and floppy like I was drunk. My other half thought I was having a stroke, so the dr said don't take any more and come and see me. So off I went and I said I don't think those meds agreed with me . Well he then said I don't think its the tablet that caused you that I think you should go to hospital because you may have a blockage. Well that was it I was off on one, I came straight home and googled it , well I found out that other people had also felt that way after taking it . So it made me feel better by looking on google but the dr frightened me. So now I always look at the side effects of everything and as im reminded by many people every med has side effects. I just have to try not to think too much about what I have and not read into the problems.

[1Goofy1]

Goofy , im glad you got a doctor that understands you better and not only that will in turn relax you more because you feel they understand and that they are listening to you.. Some of those ive seen don't think about what they are saying and I don't know about you but I pick up on certain words and don't hear the rest. I hear the scary words and words that make me stress , like scans, needles and the fact I have to wait for the results build the anxiety up so much that im dying before I have had the test. Sometimes a new doctor can make you see things in a different light. I now have HEALTH ANXIETY wrote on the top of my notes ,so any new dr can see what my main problem is before I get into the room. Im sure some of them think " its her again!" I have a lot of health issues going on at the moment, Ive been quite calm the last few days. This time last week I was in a right state, crying a lot , my chest was tight with pain and my heart was racing away. I was worrying about so many things my head couldn't cope and couldn't understand why all of this couldn't go away ....why was it happening to me.

Iam sitting hear now with aches and pains. If I think about it too much I will think to myself why have I got this pain, where is it coming from? Then from that thought it then changes to I think ive got this . Then this pain and that pain mean I have this , then I have to google it and then it confirms the worse thing in the world. Then im off, feeling so sick inside ....I cant cope with things, everything is bad, im negative and everyone that trys to talk or calms me down just doesn't work. I wont listen to things like...your fine....your be ok... theres nothing wrong with you ....if you were that ill your know about it..... try not to worry... if the dr thought you were dying you would be in hospital...If you are ill at least your getting it sorted...

The doctor tried to prescribe me some medication for depression but I didn't want to take them, sometimes im to scared to take them because of the side effects . If I get chest pain im not sure if its the meds or if im stressing out. I have a on going stomach problem and at the moment I don't know what causing it. One dr told gave me some tabs for some acid well I only took one and I started to go very relaxed and floppy like I was drunk. My other half thought I was having a stroke, so the dr said don't take any more and come and see me. So off I went and I said I don't think those meds agreed with me . Well he then said I don't think its the tablet that caused you that I think you should go to hospital because you may have a blockage. Well that was it I was off on one, I came straight home and googled it , well I found out that other people had also felt that way after taking it . So it made me feel better by looking on google but the dr frightened me. So now I always look at the side effects of everything and as im reminded by many people every med has side effects. I just have to try not to think too much about what I have and not read into the problems.

Majored, if it makes you feel any better I had stomach issues for about 4 straight months last year. They did scope and whole bit and nothing. I took Prilosec morning and evening and at a bland diet and soon it went away. I still get small bouts of it but gastro problems can also cause chest pain. I have also found out that upper back problems cause it too. I have a rib in my back that likes to pop out every so often and it makes breathing a bit tight and chest pain. A trip to the chiropractor does the trick.
Have you tried to just spoil yourself once in a while? I have found that a good massage at least once a month can really help. When your muscles get so knotted with stress they need to be worked out and this also releases toxins that in the knotted muscles. Sometimes I have so many knots the day after a massage it feels like someone beat the crap out of me...lol.
Hang in there and message me anytime you want, it seems we have a lot in common and it always helps to know someone who understands what you are saying.
Where are you from? I am in Michigan between Grand Rapids and the Lake shore. The long winters don't help, I do much better in the summer that is for sure.

[Lorenz86]

Hi. My name is Carlos, 27yrs old & I want to know if anyone else is feeling like I do.

About 6 months ago I thought I was having a heart attack... all the typical symptoms nausea, dizzy, tingling extremities etc.. So I had my dad drive me to the ER. Once there I was hooked up to a machine to see if anything was wrong with my heart, had my blood pressure taken and all the standard procedures they follow. I was released a couple hrs. later saying there wasn't nothing wrong with me (otherwise they would of kept me there longer). After that episode it left me thinking that i might have a heart problem. Fast forward to today and I can't seem to shake that feeling off leaving me thinking that today might be the day my heart stops. I constantly think my heart is struggling to pump blood and seem to pay attention to my heart rhythm way too much! Long story short... I've been having palpilations, loosing sleep and I feel I am dying every day that passes, I am also constantly feeling my chest to feel my heart beat and checking my heart pulse through my neck. I don't have medical Insurance at the moment I had to drop it 'cause of my money situation so I haven't been able to go see a doctor.

Thanks for the time and any advice you guys might be able to give me. God Bless.

[1Goofy1]

Hi. My name is Carlos, 27yrs old & I want to know if anyone else is feeling like I do.

About 6 months ago I thought I was having a heart attack... all the typical symptoms nausea, dizzy, tingling extremities etc.. So I had my dad drive me to the ER. Once there I was hooked up to a machine to see if anything was wrong with my heart, had my blood pressure taken and all the standard procedures they follow. I was released a couple hrs. later saying there wasn't nothing wrong with me (otherwise they would of kept me there longer). After that episode it left me thinking that i might have a heart problem. Fast forward to today and I can't seem to shake that feeling off leaving me thinking that today might be the day my heart stops. I constantly think my heart is struggling to pump blood and seem to pay attention to my heart rhythm way too much! Long story short... I've been having palpilations, loosing sleep and I feel I am dying every day that passes, I am also constantly feeling my chest to feel my heart beat and checking my heart pulse through my neck. I don't have medical Insurance at the moment I had to drop it 'cause of my money situation so I haven't been able to go see a doctor.

Thanks for the time and any advice you guys might be able to give me. God Bless.

Carlos, I think all of us in here can relate. Either feel like that now or at some time. I am guilty of the heart thing myself, always checking my pulse like a mad woman.
I would listen to the Dr.'s, if they say your heart is fine, then try to tell yourself that every time you start to worry about it. If anything does really happen that would need a trip to the Dr. or ER, go, do not worry about money and insurance. I have none either so I know what ya mean. I took my daughter in one night a few months back due to horrible pain. 2 hours in the ER to find out it was a 2mm kidney stone and it would pass on it's own and the bill was just shy of $5000. I think that is just stupid but it is what it is. I don't know where you live and if you have a Metro Health System by you but they offer 40% off to non insured patients which took our bill down to around $3600. Better then nothing.
Hang in there and keep posting. We are all in the same boat.

[majored]

Hi Goofy , It seems that Stomach problems as well as chest related problems go hand in hand with anxiety. I try to keep myself busy so that I don't think about my problems too much. After loosing my baby I opened a shop, it was something I always wanted to do and also it keeps me busy. So I don't have time to chill or relax I wish I could. The hospital gave me some antibiotics just in case I got an infection well since then ive had stomach problems. Chest problems or should I say chest anxiety problems I have had on/off for a few years but its never been as bad as iam now.

Another thing I do get is sometimes just out of the blue I will go to take a breath in and its like my lungs or chest stop, its like they stop moving like the lungs cant fill up, then I can feel my heart beating away. It only lasts for a few seconds and I don't get out of breath. I don't know what sort of problem that is as I don't want to mention it to the dr as I don't want loads of tests. I can only assume its to do with anxiety but ive had it for a few years. I don't always get chest pain but I do get regular pain in my left arm from just under the shoulder to just above my elbow. I noticed it happens a lot when my stomach aches, I wonder if its referred pain?

I don't know about you but I find I have one problem and I try to deal with it but it often ends up as me having a lot of mixed emotions . Then just when you think your getting somewhere another one comes along. Sometimes I just cant cope with it all. They all say things happen for a reason or it happens so it makes you stronger and it makes you who you are. Well I cant see how this makes me stronger it just makes me a bag of nerves at times.

You are right it does help to talk to someone when you have something in common, It relaxes me to know im not on my own with the way that im feeling.

When I really think about my health I could write a long list of all the problems that I have and yet I don't think about all of them all the time. Some of them I have forgot about .

I live in a small village in the Uk. I used to live near London but I have now moved up towards the midlands, we have had a lot of rain the last few months which has made the ground very wet and the farmers are finding it hard to grow their crops. chat soon. x

Carlos , I have felt like that many times with palpitations , tight chest, fast breathing. Ive also fell at times my blood is struggling to get around my veins and I also worried about my heart stopping and I don't think were the only one to feel like that. If I think about it all at night it makes things worse and its the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. I get a lot of chest pain and I have to say to myself your ok, nothing is happening your just stressed and I try to think about something else. Like what im doing tomorrow or I try to remember birthdays just something that is not related to the way im feeling. Before I know it the aches get less and less and then they are gone.

I also started to take my bp with a machine at one point and sometimes it was slightly high and it would start me worrying like mad and my partner would say wait until you visit the drs. However I got so worked up when I was at the drs and it was high, so they leave it for a few minutes and do it again then it gets lower. All the things your feeling are normal when you have anxiety. The hospital wouldn't have let you go home if they thought anything could be wrong, if they had any other thoughts about it they would of sent you for further tests, you did the right thing to get it checked out. Try not to check your bp too much as it could make your anxiety worse , believe me ive been there!. Try and do things to relax yourself, take a few deep breaths.

I can hear my heartbeat when I sit down etc.....the drs told me if you sit and listen to it you are drawing all your thoughts on that one thing. Because you do that you start to stress out worrying if It may change. Now if you go to get up, laugh , cough, sneeze , take a deep breath etc, your heartbeat will change rhythm. If it goes slightly faster you will worry about that in turn the whole process starts your body getting stressing and becoming tense. Then comes the chest pain , pain in arms, palpitations , fuzzy head ,fuzzy eyes etc.etc. Please try and relax I know its easier said than done!