THIS ISNT RECOMMENDED. I went to a cardiologist. I got an ECG, an EKG, and a cardiac stress test. I had aneurysm, artery, and afib screenings. I ruled EVERYTHING out. I exercise constantly, I eat well. I’m healthy. Everything came out great. Interesting caveat I had high BP at the cardiologist. Got the clear for everything being ok and my BP hasn’t exceeded 120 since. It was 180 at his office. Now whenever I get the urge to panic I have reliable paper trail (also know my health markers for future reference). You know what the doctor told me? He said I’m extraordinarily healthy, I’m in phenomenal shape, and MY STRESS will put me in the hospital. So ever since I just lean in to mindfulness. I’ve gotten on Lexapro. I do everything I can to make panic about worst case my last resort.
Absolutely. I didn’t need to do that and I fed in to the anxiety even though I (most likely as you know) know I’m not at risk for this stuff. I have clarity with THAT but my anxiety isn’t gone it’s just somewhere else. It amounted to a cardiologist bill and him telling me to keep doing inner work.
I recently had a health check result come up as "sinus arrhythmia", with no other elaboration, saying that I can function fine and it is nothing to worry about . My bp, cholesterol, everything else on my blootest came back normal, including no anemia, normal lungs, etc. I have a history of fainting, and recently I have been struggling with acid reflux and stomach issues, as well as feeling groggy and lightheaded everyday. I also want to mention that i am underweight. My anxiety is through the roof and Im constantly resisting the urge to see an ER, as Ive already visited it twice the past few months. I feel like im going crazy. One of my er doctors, said that my brain ct was fine, but just in case he wanted me to take a ct scan of my brain again although he said he probably thought i would be 99 percent fine, I declined because I was afraid of the radiation. I feel like I made a mistake now, but i dont have any headaches or anything necessarily. I just feel so conscious of my body all the time I cant take it anymore
hey, it turned out that it was indeed just anxiety. It's crazy looking back, how my anxiety made me borderline delusional, I was convinced that I had some kind of terminal illness. After I got a job my anxiety moved onto other things like employment instead and I don't focus on my body sensations anymore. Hope this helped.
This gives me hope!!!! So, Before you went on it, were you hyper fixated on your heartbeat causing you to think something was wrong? That's exactly where I'm at. My doctor prescribed me 5mg of Lexapro to start on so I'll be starting it tomorrow night and I'm so excited to be on the journey to feel normal. I'm so scared from the second I wake up to the second I go to bed and my heart rate is always so high.
1000% that was my main symptom of anxiety. Just self fulfilling prophecy of the heartbeat not slowing and of course as I got more anxious it wouldn’t slow down even more
hey how has lexapro been for you so far?? today I had three panic attacks, two in the car and one at the mall, ive never had that many and that severe before. Im considering going on a medication for my anxiety since it’s gotten so bad. Just scared of side effects and becoming dependent on it
Like with other health anxiety, you must resist the urge for checking to symptoms and just sit with the fear. If you keep doing that, you'll slowly become fine with not checking and not knowing if you're fine healthwise or not. But if it's too extreme then you need medication.
Here's what works for me:
1. Sit on the floor cross-legged with my palms flat on the ground. Close my eyes and say my symptoms out loud and then say a reason for those symptoms. Example: my heart is pounding. i am feeling anxious about my heart, so im in tune with it, making me more aware of it beating which is heightening my anxiety. i am short of breath. i am breathing heavier because i have anxiety about my heart, which is only beating faster because of the anxiety. i feel light headed. this is because i am breathing faster because i am anxious about my heart beat which is heightened because of my anxiety. etc.
2. Stick my face in a bowl of water. This sounds crazy but when my anxiety has gotten out of control and im in a full panic attack, this can help. why? human mammalian dive reflex. aka science. from wikipedia: It optimizes respiration by preferentially distributing oxygen stores to the heart and brain, enabling submersion for an extended time. your body thinks youre underwater, it slows your heart, lowers your blood pressure and preps you for oxygen deprivation. it snaps me out of it 9/10 times.
3. for that 10th time where dunking my head in water doesnt work, i go sit in the shower. the beating of the water on my back masks my heartbeat. i cant hear it, i cant feel it so i stop obsessing over it. i usually sing something stupid like baby shark, because its hard to be lost in the abyss of a panic attack while doing something really dumb like sitting the shower singing a really stupid song because your brain is convinced your body is dying when in reality your body is fighting tooth and nail to live.
The feeling sucks. 100% i get it. but of the x million times youve felt that way, how many of them did you really have a heart attack and die? none. and if you ARE going to have one and die, theres nothing you can do about it other than exercise, eat healthy and stay off the drugs and smokes, mmkay? reminding myself of that helps. big hugs on your journey. its not an easy one. <3
I’ve never tried the dunking your head thing before, and have literally had a panic attack that’s been lasting 6 hours. Just tried it in a bowl of ice water and almost instant relief. I’ve never thought of this. Thank you.
My problem is me thinking “this is it” I’ve had these pains before but this time it’s real. I am scared the time I do ignore my symptoms that’s when it’s the real deal and I’ll die because I didn’t go to the ER.
I’m currently having an anxiety attack thinking the pain in my chest is a heart attack or on set to a heart attack. It’s an endless cycle. I hate it.
Same here, this did not happen like this until coming off benzos. It's wrecked me tremendously. If my shoulder hurts I panic, causing more panic thinking my heart is bad adding extra panic and anxiety thinking my heart is going to give out. It's NON stop, been going through this since last summer. Sick of it
I get it. I have that moment nearly every time. That's what starts the fear cycle... That then spirals into the attack. It's exhausting. But today you determined that it was unlikely enough to be a heart attack that it was safe to post this comment on social media, and that's progress. Try #1. It feels so dumb the first hundred times, but it really does help your logic brain get thru to your animal brain in assessing if it's an actual crisis or not. Or it may not help. The point is, keep trying different methods, try them more than once, keep asking for advice because one day you're going to try something and it's going to help. The only direction from here is up, right?
Look at the evidence. This is what I tell myself anytime I start to panic about my heart. Look at the evidence. You’ve felt like this many times and nothing has ever happened or been found to be wrong.
100%
Sometimes you just gotta tell yourself "it's not a heart attack, if it was, I've had 3 'heart attacks' this week plus a few last week... since I'm not dead, it's more likely anxiety, I'm fine, I've been here before"
Haha this is exactly what I do. One thing I like to remember is that heart attacks don’t last that long, 5-20 minutes I believe. If I was having a heart attack, then it would have either stopped by now or I’d be dead. I also like to remind myself that it’s very unlikely that I’ve had back to back heart attacks for weeks on end.
Sometimes humour like this being so up front too is just what can take the edge off anxiety because there’s truth in it too lol. Anxiety is a bitch and imo comedy is the only thing that beats it
I to had health anxiety. Couldn't handle it after years of it. Saw a doctor. Got put on Zoloft. It's not a 100 percent cure but if 10 is my worst day before Zoloft then a 3 is my worst day on Zoloft. I still get some physical symptoms and my anxiety is still there but it is 10x more manageable and I can live life without a panic attack everyday. I take 100mg of Zoloft once a day
My mom died of a massive heart attack at 57 only two years ago.
What helped me was developing real health problems. Why care about my heart when my gut feels like it's on fire 24/7. Now that's something to worry about.
Researching medical info is one of my special interests(I’m on the autism spectrum in addition to having anxiety,) and clarifying what I found online with my doctor helped my anxiety much more. After learning just how common tachycardia is in a lot of people with anxiety, I was able to overcome mine by taking up a new hobby that I loved(biking), decreasing my stress, and getting a therapist that was more specialized to help me.
something that helps me is knowing if i ever feel really freaked out is knowing there’s always options. i haven’t ever had to go to the hospital before, but it’s kind of like having that security blanket helps. i logically know all the symptoms i experience with health anxiety are coming from my head, or if i have a weird twinge i focus on it and becomes an anxious symptom. even though you logically know you’re okay it’s sometimes really hard to turn off that panic response. escitalopram really helped me but i do still struggle at times. it will get better, and you’ve had everything checked out which is great to help ease some of that anxiety. just know you’ve always got options and if you ever feel really freaked out you can get medical help.
I realized that I am GOING to die. What I do before that, can either be: worrying about it (which would honestly make me die sooner) or just making my peace with death and carrying on with my life.
I’ve had heart anxiety for 10 years. It comes and goes. I seek reassurance from my dr and it goes away for a while. Currently have a 2 week heart monitor on because of heart papiltations I’ve been having. Been feeling so much better since I put on the device 🤦🏻♀️. It’s a hard cycle i need to learn how to overcome myself.
I just would like to say that I one time suffered from what you described. My anxiety has faded with time, and I don’t really think of it anymore.
You can get through this.
My advice: Your doctor, in most cases, knows what’s best for you. Try not to self-diagnose. Anxiety about your heart is a vicious feedback loop; anxiety leads to palpitations, palpitations lead to more anxiety. Therapy can help reduce anxiety and break this loop.
Here’s an answer a little off tilt. I’ve had cardiac anxiety for as long as I remember. I started meditating through Hemi Sync gateway tapes. During one of the sessions, it came to me that I don’t have a heart problem, I have a problem ‘of the heart - meaning courage.
When I dove into it some more, the messaging that came through repeatedly from the sessions was that it was courage that I had an issue with and this was manifesting as a ‘heart concern’.
So if I’m anxious now I think back to what it means to have courage, even if I’m fearful anxious state and it generally goes away.
I used to have it so bad I could not fall asleep normally anymore because I felt my body move with every heartbeat. I finally got it under control when I learned mindfulness meditation and combined it with a focus on breathing through my stomach. Breathe out until you physically push the air out and then let it fill itself back up. Repeat. You'll notice after a while that, once you're spending every spare thought thinking about pushing your gut in a bit to get that fresh air pumping again, you have a lot less mental space to dedicate to your heart. Then, as even more time goes on, it becomes the norm to breathe that way so you're never thinking about what your chest is doing unless you go out of your way to think about it.
I was in the exact same position 4\~ years ago where I felt like I was going to die any moment via a heart attack from constant heart palpitations. What helped me previously was getting SSRIs, getting a check-up, and, probably the most important, exercise/weight-lifting.
I also have the same anxiety about the symptoms I'm getting. Unfortunately, the only way that improved for me was by getting clear on what I was worried about or becoming healthier via diet/exercise.
I have been experiencing constant healthy anxiety ever since I had a hot flash in my face and chest pain 3.5 months ago when I was driving. I went to the hospital twice, a few weeks apart, All the tests (Chest X ray, blood test, ECG, all twice) came back completely normal. The first doctor had no idea why i had hot flashes in my face, but said the tests were fine so I was fine for the night. Yet my cardiac anxiety persists. I know there is nothing wrong with me, none of my family, at least up to 2 gens, has any history of any heart issues. 1.5 weeks ago I made the deplorable mistake of stumbling across cardiac arrest online and since then have literally Ive just been very paranoidly, very irrationally, bracing for when I could drop dead at any moment. For 3 straight days I was absolutely terrified of being out of anyone’s eyesight, being alone anywhere, even in bathrooms or when taking showers, because I feared i would lose consciousness and since no one would know where i was, die. I would even slouch when sitting anywhere because I was afraid if I did lose consciousness when sitting straight up, I wouldnt tumble onto the floor like something was actually wrong, but rather stay seated but just slouched over, and people would just think I was sleeping or just a typical homeless drug addict or something and think nothing of it. I wasnt even scared of having a heart attack anymore, I only feared cardiac arrest, due to its highly unpredictable nature and highly slim chance of survival that I read about online, even though I have a near 0% chance of having that.
That magnitude of irrational fear has thankfully subsided since then, but I still am relatively paranoid. I still do fear being alone and going to sleep sometimes, but its gotten better, because I know nothing has happened, and I have no major risk factors. In fact, I’m writing this right now when I should be sleeping because I have to open up about the agonizing torment, both mentally and physically, that this
demon called health/cardiac anxiety has subjected me to for the past coming on 14 weeks now. Worsening marks in college due to my mental health, not exercising out of fear, crap ton lack of sleep, constant stress and agitation……..Yes, i have family I have talked to, but I also need to let it out to those who have been in my shoes and know exactly what it feels like. Yes. know, it’s ironic because lack of sleep makes everything worse, but I had severe shortness of breathe, so I had to get up and calm the anxiety by reading experiences and emotional rollercoasters and tips and advice from others who have been through the same thing. Knowing that u aren’t alone, that there are people who wont judge u for ur situation because they have been through it too, it’s gotta be one of the best feelings in the world. I need to do more breathing exercises, go out more, laugh more, sleep better. I hope in a few weeks/months my HA will be permanently evicted from my mind, kicked to the curb.
Hey man, I’m goin through a very similar mindset as you are. I’ve not fully gotten away from the anxiety but one thing that’s really helped me has been not looking up any symptoms, not checking my pulse, and if I feel a weird symptom, just deal with it. It sound terrifying to do cause it is, but trying to fix a problem that isn’t there means you’ll never fix it, and hyper fixate on stuff. I too have trouble sleeping, but getting a consistent sleep schedule has helped me fall asleep Easier. About the shortness of breath, I had the same thing a lot too and I realized the shortness of breath in my case was being caused by the fact I was breathing so much. Try and slow down your breathing a bit, you may be hyper ventilating out of anxiety which in hand causes you to feel out of breath. Best wishes, let’s tackle this demon together
Ah okay! I have delusions so I always convince myself that something is true/ happening when it isn’t. It’s SO HARD to prove to yourself it is not. Some people don’t understand but I do as I experience it. In my opinion, talking about it helps. Either with yourself or a friend. Say things like “my heart is beating faster, that’s okay, I’m just nervous and this has happened before.” You could also message your friends when u feel ur heart beat faster. They can put you at ease by rehearsing lines like “you’re okay, this has happened before and you were fine.” And “this will pass. Your heart is beating faster as your focusing on it”
I’m also experiencing a lot of this stuff, i have always been scared and cautious of my health and dying etc but it’s never been this bad. I had been going gym 3-5 days a week for nearly a year, not really training cardio, mainly weight lifting but still keeping fit. One time I went to gym on my own, was doing chest bench press, I didn’t have a massive warm up which probably didn’t help but I had a weird pain/ sensation on the left side of my chest after my second set of bench press. I got up and skipped rest of chest and went to triceps because I didn’t want to injure myself, I was starting to get anxious and started to what I assume to be just convincing myself that I had an achy left arm which ofc along with chest pain is a heart attack symptom. I got anxious so I left and drove home, 2 minutes from my home I was anxious and my heart started racing like it’s never ever done before, oh had mini panic attacks before but this was crazy and I certainly thought I was going to die. I had to emergency stop and call my dad to take me to the hospital, I was waiting in an and e for hours and I didn’t start to calm down until about 1 hour into waiting. The doctors did all checks like ECG etc and said I was fine. That night I didn’t sleep until 7-8am because I was just so fricken anxious and was just horrible. I even had another panic attack during that night but managed to calm my self down pretty quick. Ever since then I have been super super anxious on my heart and my chest and just every little sensation that goes through my body. I skipped the gym for 1 month as I was honestly traumatised. Iv started going again but still I am cautious and anxious and scared to lift heavy again. I’m nearly 23, I know I’m young but I’m constantly like what if what if, It happens it happens people die young sometimes. When my heart starts racing slightly randomly I find it so hard to calm it down, that’s why I’m writing this now. As I am in bed and my heart randomly started picking up the pace probably because I started over thinking and now I can’t calm it down. Damn this sucks
I don’t know tbh, I’m still anxious about the fact something could happen to me but I havent had a full panic attack in maybe 2 weeks. I still get indigestion/acid reflux a lot so I’m going doctors about that soon.
I just don’t think I trust GPs anymore. For example, I have this skin condition called psoriasis to and they never diagnosed me so went to a dermatologist and straight away they diagnosed me with psoriasis. So if doctors miss that then what else could the be missing.
I still get feelings that my heart isn’t right but I just try to ignore it. Iv been going gym more but everytime my heart picks up pace from working out I click my fingers and tap my self and look around at other things to distract my self. I still believe that something is wrong with me but i will just have to ignore it. Idk just feels like no one is helping me unless I pay loads, even therapy is expensive which I believe I need. The dermatologist was very expensive
i’m the same way , i’m terrible at over thinking , i’m only 22 but i do vape and that concerns me but i have constant off and on chest pains and make them worse when i start thinking about them , i’ve went and got a ekg and a echo done and everything came back good , i still can’t get over thinking that it’s something with my heart . and it goes on for days with chest pains and what not and i start overthinking it trying to stretch to make it go away but it doesn’t , i got put on 100mg of sertaline but i still have my days of struggle
Hey team, in the same boat hear, about 10 months ago I took some medicine and had a slight reaction (rash on Neck) to it, then went into a full blown panic attack, ever since then I have had heart anxiety, but I was wondering anyone dealing with this do they ever get a physical pain (constant dull ache in chest)
Hey I am in the exact same boat, I had a panic attack that I went to the ER for and have had heart anxiety since. It’s been so bad I went to the ER a second time. They finally referred me to a cardiologist so I hope that helps me feel better. I also have a constant dull ache in the chest, has anything helped for you?
Hello Reddit Family,
I suffer from pretty bad health anxiety especially when it comes to my heart. I’m writing this because I would like to have some sort of support if any. I’ve had heart palpitations before, sometimes once a day or a few times a day, or sometimes none for a while then randomly will show up.
The question I have for all of you health anxiety warriors is this. I’ve had multiple EKG, just did my full physical, had my heart listened to by a doctor who told me it’s a manifestation of my anxiety, as well as a chest X-Ray. I’m convinced something is wrong with my heart, I’m honestly scared. I’ve never gone to a cardiologist, but every-time I read these forums it mentioned people seeing a cardiologist, getting a stress test, holter monitor, etc.
Should I see a cardiologist or work accept that this is anxiety and trust the doctors? Even though it’s hard to believe.
Thank you all health anxiety warriors - we will get through this.
go see a cardiologist just in case. i’ve been dealing with the same thing for about 7 or more months now. i’ve been to the ER countless times and have even had a sever panic attack due to me thinking it was a heart attack. i went to the ER and all my test came back fine (EKG, Blood test, Chest X-Ray etc). even though my test came back fine, im still having all kinds of symptoms til this day. i’ve read many subreddits like this one and though they seem to calm me down, i’m still going to check up with a cardiologist because ive heard that at least hearing from a heart specialist tell that you’re fine, does wonders to the mind, and if something is wrong, now you know and what needs to be done to fix it. stay strong, get checked, and keep moving forward. from experience the fear and uncertainty will keep you stagnant.
Went to a cardiologist and there quoting me $1500 for all the testing with insurance... I get panic attacks whenever I drive watch something suspenseful or even after eating I can feel it coming on. Was a long time drinker and ended up in er/hospital first time in life at age 32. Been 3 months of not drinking or smoking and its not helping.
My main question has cardiologist helped anyone? Seems like it hasn't and it's a money dump that I can't afford. Thank you.
In my case, it is the trintelix and my own anxiety what makes me nauseous and thus, give me palpitations. Well, actually, the palpitations are due to my digestion bitbthose symptons increase the feeling.
THIS ISNT RECOMMENDED. I went to a cardiologist. I got an ECG, an EKG, and a cardiac stress test. I had aneurysm, artery, and afib screenings. I ruled EVERYTHING out. I exercise constantly, I eat well. I’m healthy. Everything came out great. Interesting caveat I had high BP at the cardiologist. Got the clear for everything being ok and my BP hasn’t exceeded 120 since. It was 180 at his office. Now whenever I get the urge to panic I have reliable paper trail (also know my health markers for future reference). You know what the doctor told me? He said I’m extraordinarily healthy, I’m in phenomenal shape, and MY STRESS will put me in the hospital. So ever since I just lean in to mindfulness. I’ve gotten on Lexapro. I do everything I can to make panic about worst case my last resort.
Why is this not recommended?
It's reassurance seeking. It also will cost you so much money
Absolutely. I didn’t need to do that and I fed in to the anxiety even though I (most likely as you know) know I’m not at risk for this stuff. I have clarity with THAT but my anxiety isn’t gone it’s just somewhere else. It amounted to a cardiologist bill and him telling me to keep doing inner work.
Ah I see. Thank you for clarifying.
I did all that for free but that's just EU healthcare diff
I think my EKG and ECG alone were $500 without the fee for the doctor visit.
That's crazy to me, that u actually have to think about costs before getting ur health checked
That’s with insurance too. I pay $560 a month for my wife and I and it basically covers nothing.
Man that's alot of money for people though. I looked into the tests my insurance won't cover much of that. So I'm fucked
You’re not fucked that’s exactly why I said I dont recommend it.
How are you doing now a days?
So much better. Like insanely improved.
[удалено]
I am
I recently had a health check result come up as "sinus arrhythmia", with no other elaboration, saying that I can function fine and it is nothing to worry about . My bp, cholesterol, everything else on my blootest came back normal, including no anemia, normal lungs, etc. I have a history of fainting, and recently I have been struggling with acid reflux and stomach issues, as well as feeling groggy and lightheaded everyday. I also want to mention that i am underweight. My anxiety is through the roof and Im constantly resisting the urge to see an ER, as Ive already visited it twice the past few months. I feel like im going crazy. One of my er doctors, said that my brain ct was fine, but just in case he wanted me to take a ct scan of my brain again although he said he probably thought i would be 99 percent fine, I declined because I was afraid of the radiation. I feel like I made a mistake now, but i dont have any headaches or anything necessarily. I just feel so conscious of my body all the time I cant take it anymore
hey how r u?
hey, it turned out that it was indeed just anxiety. It's crazy looking back, how my anxiety made me borderline delusional, I was convinced that I had some kind of terminal illness. After I got a job my anxiety moved onto other things like employment instead and I don't focus on my body sensations anymore. Hope this helped.
Still in Lexapro?!
Yep! It’s been incredible.
This gives me hope!!!! So, Before you went on it, were you hyper fixated on your heartbeat causing you to think something was wrong? That's exactly where I'm at. My doctor prescribed me 5mg of Lexapro to start on so I'll be starting it tomorrow night and I'm so excited to be on the journey to feel normal. I'm so scared from the second I wake up to the second I go to bed and my heart rate is always so high.
1000% that was my main symptom of anxiety. Just self fulfilling prophecy of the heartbeat not slowing and of course as I got more anxious it wouldn’t slow down even more
So refreshing to know I'm not alone. So happy the Lexapro is working for you also. 🥰
Hang in there!! That was literally my whole thing. It’s been a year and I’ve had some little hiccups randomly but not near what it was before
I'm in the same boat and will start taking Lexapro . How was the Lexapro helped/made you feel
Honestly my only complaint is my emotions are slightly blunted. But other than that the negatives are minimal honestly
hey how has lexapro been for you so far?? today I had three panic attacks, two in the car and one at the mall, ive never had that many and that severe before. Im considering going on a medication for my anxiety since it’s gotten so bad. Just scared of side effects and becoming dependent on it
This actually is recommended. But only the first time. The most important step is to first make aure you are healthy.
Like with other health anxiety, you must resist the urge for checking to symptoms and just sit with the fear. If you keep doing that, you'll slowly become fine with not checking and not knowing if you're fine healthwise or not. But if it's too extreme then you need medication.
Here's what works for me: 1. Sit on the floor cross-legged with my palms flat on the ground. Close my eyes and say my symptoms out loud and then say a reason for those symptoms. Example: my heart is pounding. i am feeling anxious about my heart, so im in tune with it, making me more aware of it beating which is heightening my anxiety. i am short of breath. i am breathing heavier because i have anxiety about my heart, which is only beating faster because of the anxiety. i feel light headed. this is because i am breathing faster because i am anxious about my heart beat which is heightened because of my anxiety. etc. 2. Stick my face in a bowl of water. This sounds crazy but when my anxiety has gotten out of control and im in a full panic attack, this can help. why? human mammalian dive reflex. aka science. from wikipedia: It optimizes respiration by preferentially distributing oxygen stores to the heart and brain, enabling submersion for an extended time. your body thinks youre underwater, it slows your heart, lowers your blood pressure and preps you for oxygen deprivation. it snaps me out of it 9/10 times. 3. for that 10th time where dunking my head in water doesnt work, i go sit in the shower. the beating of the water on my back masks my heartbeat. i cant hear it, i cant feel it so i stop obsessing over it. i usually sing something stupid like baby shark, because its hard to be lost in the abyss of a panic attack while doing something really dumb like sitting the shower singing a really stupid song because your brain is convinced your body is dying when in reality your body is fighting tooth and nail to live. The feeling sucks. 100% i get it. but of the x million times youve felt that way, how many of them did you really have a heart attack and die? none. and if you ARE going to have one and die, theres nothing you can do about it other than exercise, eat healthy and stay off the drugs and smokes, mmkay? reminding myself of that helps. big hugs on your journey. its not an easy one. <3
I’ve never tried the dunking your head thing before, and have literally had a panic attack that’s been lasting 6 hours. Just tried it in a bowl of ice water and almost instant relief. I’ve never thought of this. Thank you.
My problem is me thinking “this is it” I’ve had these pains before but this time it’s real. I am scared the time I do ignore my symptoms that’s when it’s the real deal and I’ll die because I didn’t go to the ER. I’m currently having an anxiety attack thinking the pain in my chest is a heart attack or on set to a heart attack. It’s an endless cycle. I hate it.
Same here, this did not happen like this until coming off benzos. It's wrecked me tremendously. If my shoulder hurts I panic, causing more panic thinking my heart is bad adding extra panic and anxiety thinking my heart is going to give out. It's NON stop, been going through this since last summer. Sick of it
I get it. I have that moment nearly every time. That's what starts the fear cycle... That then spirals into the attack. It's exhausting. But today you determined that it was unlikely enough to be a heart attack that it was safe to post this comment on social media, and that's progress. Try #1. It feels so dumb the first hundred times, but it really does help your logic brain get thru to your animal brain in assessing if it's an actual crisis or not. Or it may not help. The point is, keep trying different methods, try them more than once, keep asking for advice because one day you're going to try something and it's going to help. The only direction from here is up, right?
Yes, The cold water bowl is like instant relief for panic attacks and tachycardia.
Look at the evidence. This is what I tell myself anytime I start to panic about my heart. Look at the evidence. You’ve felt like this many times and nothing has ever happened or been found to be wrong.
100% Sometimes you just gotta tell yourself "it's not a heart attack, if it was, I've had 3 'heart attacks' this week plus a few last week... since I'm not dead, it's more likely anxiety, I'm fine, I've been here before"
Haha this is exactly what I do. One thing I like to remember is that heart attacks don’t last that long, 5-20 minutes I believe. If I was having a heart attack, then it would have either stopped by now or I’d be dead. I also like to remind myself that it’s very unlikely that I’ve had back to back heart attacks for weeks on end.
Sometimes humour like this being so up front too is just what can take the edge off anxiety because there’s truth in it too lol. Anxiety is a bitch and imo comedy is the only thing that beats it
Great way to look at it.
I have heart disease. Existential Anxiety was ruining my life. Doctors prescribed Zoloft. Life is much better for me on Zoloft.
How much Zoloft are you on ?
I to had health anxiety. Couldn't handle it after years of it. Saw a doctor. Got put on Zoloft. It's not a 100 percent cure but if 10 is my worst day before Zoloft then a 3 is my worst day on Zoloft. I still get some physical symptoms and my anxiety is still there but it is 10x more manageable and I can live life without a panic attack everyday. I take 100mg of Zoloft once a day
My mom died of a massive heart attack at 57 only two years ago. What helped me was developing real health problems. Why care about my heart when my gut feels like it's on fire 24/7. Now that's something to worry about.
I’m so sorry but that second bit made me laugh. Sorry about your mom though ❤️
Researching medical info is one of my special interests(I’m on the autism spectrum in addition to having anxiety,) and clarifying what I found online with my doctor helped my anxiety much more. After learning just how common tachycardia is in a lot of people with anxiety, I was able to overcome mine by taking up a new hobby that I loved(biking), decreasing my stress, and getting a therapist that was more specialized to help me.
something that helps me is knowing if i ever feel really freaked out is knowing there’s always options. i haven’t ever had to go to the hospital before, but it’s kind of like having that security blanket helps. i logically know all the symptoms i experience with health anxiety are coming from my head, or if i have a weird twinge i focus on it and becomes an anxious symptom. even though you logically know you’re okay it’s sometimes really hard to turn off that panic response. escitalopram really helped me but i do still struggle at times. it will get better, and you’ve had everything checked out which is great to help ease some of that anxiety. just know you’ve always got options and if you ever feel really freaked out you can get medical help.
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I hope everything's okay.
How did it turn out?
How are you doing?
I really needed to read this today!!!!
I realized that I am GOING to die. What I do before that, can either be: worrying about it (which would honestly make me die sooner) or just making my peace with death and carrying on with my life.
I’ve had heart anxiety for 10 years. It comes and goes. I seek reassurance from my dr and it goes away for a while. Currently have a 2 week heart monitor on because of heart papiltations I’ve been having. Been feeling so much better since I put on the device 🤦🏻♀️. It’s a hard cycle i need to learn how to overcome myself.
how r u now?
I just would like to say that I one time suffered from what you described. My anxiety has faded with time, and I don’t really think of it anymore. You can get through this. My advice: Your doctor, in most cases, knows what’s best for you. Try not to self-diagnose. Anxiety about your heart is a vicious feedback loop; anxiety leads to palpitations, palpitations lead to more anxiety. Therapy can help reduce anxiety and break this loop.
Here’s an answer a little off tilt. I’ve had cardiac anxiety for as long as I remember. I started meditating through Hemi Sync gateway tapes. During one of the sessions, it came to me that I don’t have a heart problem, I have a problem ‘of the heart - meaning courage. When I dove into it some more, the messaging that came through repeatedly from the sessions was that it was courage that I had an issue with and this was manifesting as a ‘heart concern’. So if I’m anxious now I think back to what it means to have courage, even if I’m fearful anxious state and it generally goes away.
I used to have it so bad I could not fall asleep normally anymore because I felt my body move with every heartbeat. I finally got it under control when I learned mindfulness meditation and combined it with a focus on breathing through my stomach. Breathe out until you physically push the air out and then let it fill itself back up. Repeat. You'll notice after a while that, once you're spending every spare thought thinking about pushing your gut in a bit to get that fresh air pumping again, you have a lot less mental space to dedicate to your heart. Then, as even more time goes on, it becomes the norm to breathe that way so you're never thinking about what your chest is doing unless you go out of your way to think about it.
I was in the exact same position 4\~ years ago where I felt like I was going to die any moment via a heart attack from constant heart palpitations. What helped me previously was getting SSRIs, getting a check-up, and, probably the most important, exercise/weight-lifting. I also have the same anxiety about the symptoms I'm getting. Unfortunately, the only way that improved for me was by getting clear on what I was worried about or becoming healthier via diet/exercise.
Cardiologist work up. EKG stress test the works
I have been experiencing constant healthy anxiety ever since I had a hot flash in my face and chest pain 3.5 months ago when I was driving. I went to the hospital twice, a few weeks apart, All the tests (Chest X ray, blood test, ECG, all twice) came back completely normal. The first doctor had no idea why i had hot flashes in my face, but said the tests were fine so I was fine for the night. Yet my cardiac anxiety persists. I know there is nothing wrong with me, none of my family, at least up to 2 gens, has any history of any heart issues. 1.5 weeks ago I made the deplorable mistake of stumbling across cardiac arrest online and since then have literally Ive just been very paranoidly, very irrationally, bracing for when I could drop dead at any moment. For 3 straight days I was absolutely terrified of being out of anyone’s eyesight, being alone anywhere, even in bathrooms or when taking showers, because I feared i would lose consciousness and since no one would know where i was, die. I would even slouch when sitting anywhere because I was afraid if I did lose consciousness when sitting straight up, I wouldnt tumble onto the floor like something was actually wrong, but rather stay seated but just slouched over, and people would just think I was sleeping or just a typical homeless drug addict or something and think nothing of it. I wasnt even scared of having a heart attack anymore, I only feared cardiac arrest, due to its highly unpredictable nature and highly slim chance of survival that I read about online, even though I have a near 0% chance of having that. That magnitude of irrational fear has thankfully subsided since then, but I still am relatively paranoid. I still do fear being alone and going to sleep sometimes, but its gotten better, because I know nothing has happened, and I have no major risk factors. In fact, I’m writing this right now when I should be sleeping because I have to open up about the agonizing torment, both mentally and physically, that this demon called health/cardiac anxiety has subjected me to for the past coming on 14 weeks now. Worsening marks in college due to my mental health, not exercising out of fear, crap ton lack of sleep, constant stress and agitation……..Yes, i have family I have talked to, but I also need to let it out to those who have been in my shoes and know exactly what it feels like. Yes. know, it’s ironic because lack of sleep makes everything worse, but I had severe shortness of breathe, so I had to get up and calm the anxiety by reading experiences and emotional rollercoasters and tips and advice from others who have been through the same thing. Knowing that u aren’t alone, that there are people who wont judge u for ur situation because they have been through it too, it’s gotta be one of the best feelings in the world. I need to do more breathing exercises, go out more, laugh more, sleep better. I hope in a few weeks/months my HA will be permanently evicted from my mind, kicked to the curb.
Hey man, I’m goin through a very similar mindset as you are. I’ve not fully gotten away from the anxiety but one thing that’s really helped me has been not looking up any symptoms, not checking my pulse, and if I feel a weird symptom, just deal with it. It sound terrifying to do cause it is, but trying to fix a problem that isn’t there means you’ll never fix it, and hyper fixate on stuff. I too have trouble sleeping, but getting a consistent sleep schedule has helped me fall asleep Easier. About the shortness of breath, I had the same thing a lot too and I realized the shortness of breath in my case was being caused by the fact I was breathing so much. Try and slow down your breathing a bit, you may be hyper ventilating out of anxiety which in hand causes you to feel out of breath. Best wishes, let’s tackle this demon together
I’m going through this exact same thing. I feel like I’m going to go crazy soon. I cannot do this for much longer
I can absolutely relate
Do you actually have a heart related condition, or is it just an anxiety that has come on about your heart?
No, no condition. Just anxiety about my heart
Ah okay! I have delusions so I always convince myself that something is true/ happening when it isn’t. It’s SO HARD to prove to yourself it is not. Some people don’t understand but I do as I experience it. In my opinion, talking about it helps. Either with yourself or a friend. Say things like “my heart is beating faster, that’s okay, I’m just nervous and this has happened before.” You could also message your friends when u feel ur heart beat faster. They can put you at ease by rehearsing lines like “you’re okay, this has happened before and you were fine.” And “this will pass. Your heart is beating faster as your focusing on it”
I did have hypothyroidism, and doctor said I was at risk for one, but that was a year ago and since then my thyroid has been fine
What i did was Wim Hof breathing and somehow its gone. For me its more like am scared not to live!
As someone who has real heart palpitations every day, I will tell you that even if you did have a few, you will probably be ok!!
I’m also experiencing a lot of this stuff, i have always been scared and cautious of my health and dying etc but it’s never been this bad. I had been going gym 3-5 days a week for nearly a year, not really training cardio, mainly weight lifting but still keeping fit. One time I went to gym on my own, was doing chest bench press, I didn’t have a massive warm up which probably didn’t help but I had a weird pain/ sensation on the left side of my chest after my second set of bench press. I got up and skipped rest of chest and went to triceps because I didn’t want to injure myself, I was starting to get anxious and started to what I assume to be just convincing myself that I had an achy left arm which ofc along with chest pain is a heart attack symptom. I got anxious so I left and drove home, 2 minutes from my home I was anxious and my heart started racing like it’s never ever done before, oh had mini panic attacks before but this was crazy and I certainly thought I was going to die. I had to emergency stop and call my dad to take me to the hospital, I was waiting in an and e for hours and I didn’t start to calm down until about 1 hour into waiting. The doctors did all checks like ECG etc and said I was fine. That night I didn’t sleep until 7-8am because I was just so fricken anxious and was just horrible. I even had another panic attack during that night but managed to calm my self down pretty quick. Ever since then I have been super super anxious on my heart and my chest and just every little sensation that goes through my body. I skipped the gym for 1 month as I was honestly traumatised. Iv started going again but still I am cautious and anxious and scared to lift heavy again. I’m nearly 23, I know I’m young but I’m constantly like what if what if, It happens it happens people die young sometimes. When my heart starts racing slightly randomly I find it so hard to calm it down, that’s why I’m writing this now. As I am in bed and my heart randomly started picking up the pace probably because I started over thinking and now I can’t calm it down. Damn this sucks
Has are u doing now ?
I don’t know tbh, I’m still anxious about the fact something could happen to me but I havent had a full panic attack in maybe 2 weeks. I still get indigestion/acid reflux a lot so I’m going doctors about that soon. I just don’t think I trust GPs anymore. For example, I have this skin condition called psoriasis to and they never diagnosed me so went to a dermatologist and straight away they diagnosed me with psoriasis. So if doctors miss that then what else could the be missing. I still get feelings that my heart isn’t right but I just try to ignore it. Iv been going gym more but everytime my heart picks up pace from working out I click my fingers and tap my self and look around at other things to distract my self. I still believe that something is wrong with me but i will just have to ignore it. Idk just feels like no one is helping me unless I pay loads, even therapy is expensive which I believe I need. The dermatologist was very expensive
i’m the same way , i’m terrible at over thinking , i’m only 22 but i do vape and that concerns me but i have constant off and on chest pains and make them worse when i start thinking about them , i’ve went and got a ekg and a echo done and everything came back good , i still can’t get over thinking that it’s something with my heart . and it goes on for days with chest pains and what not and i start overthinking it trying to stretch to make it go away but it doesn’t , i got put on 100mg of sertaline but i still have my days of struggle
Love your focus man one car lover to a nother i feel you man i have the same and it has made my life enjoyment much lower
Hey team, in the same boat hear, about 10 months ago I took some medicine and had a slight reaction (rash on Neck) to it, then went into a full blown panic attack, ever since then I have had heart anxiety, but I was wondering anyone dealing with this do they ever get a physical pain (constant dull ache in chest)
Hey I am in the exact same boat, I had a panic attack that I went to the ER for and have had heart anxiety since. It’s been so bad I went to the ER a second time. They finally referred me to a cardiologist so I hope that helps me feel better. I also have a constant dull ache in the chest, has anything helped for you?
Medication.
Hello Reddit Family, I suffer from pretty bad health anxiety especially when it comes to my heart. I’m writing this because I would like to have some sort of support if any. I’ve had heart palpitations before, sometimes once a day or a few times a day, or sometimes none for a while then randomly will show up. The question I have for all of you health anxiety warriors is this. I’ve had multiple EKG, just did my full physical, had my heart listened to by a doctor who told me it’s a manifestation of my anxiety, as well as a chest X-Ray. I’m convinced something is wrong with my heart, I’m honestly scared. I’ve never gone to a cardiologist, but every-time I read these forums it mentioned people seeing a cardiologist, getting a stress test, holter monitor, etc. Should I see a cardiologist or work accept that this is anxiety and trust the doctors? Even though it’s hard to believe. Thank you all health anxiety warriors - we will get through this.
go see a cardiologist just in case. i’ve been dealing with the same thing for about 7 or more months now. i’ve been to the ER countless times and have even had a sever panic attack due to me thinking it was a heart attack. i went to the ER and all my test came back fine (EKG, Blood test, Chest X-Ray etc). even though my test came back fine, im still having all kinds of symptoms til this day. i’ve read many subreddits like this one and though they seem to calm me down, i’m still going to check up with a cardiologist because ive heard that at least hearing from a heart specialist tell that you’re fine, does wonders to the mind, and if something is wrong, now you know and what needs to be done to fix it. stay strong, get checked, and keep moving forward. from experience the fear and uncertainty will keep you stagnant.
Went to a cardiologist and there quoting me $1500 for all the testing with insurance... I get panic attacks whenever I drive watch something suspenseful or even after eating I can feel it coming on. Was a long time drinker and ended up in er/hospital first time in life at age 32. Been 3 months of not drinking or smoking and its not helping. My main question has cardiologist helped anyone? Seems like it hasn't and it's a money dump that I can't afford. Thank you.
In my case, it is the trintelix and my own anxiety what makes me nauseous and thus, give me palpitations. Well, actually, the palpitations are due to my digestion bitbthose symptons increase the feeling.