So random question. I have bad health anxiety and constantly think I'm going to die from a heart attack. I'm 29 years old and a female. I have had a number of EKG's, had a stress test over a year ago, and an echocardiogram probably 4-5 months ago. I think a lot of my problems are due to anxiety, but the health anxiety takes over and makes me believe I'm dying. I have shortness of breath all the time, tight chest and throat, nausea, dizzy, the list goes on and on. My main question is.....how long after a good echocardiogram (since it was only like 4-5 months ago) could I develop a heart problem? I've always wondered how fast things could go downhill after having good results. I've also in February had a chest x-ray which came back fine. Thank you!
No one here could hazard a guess at that but you has a decent cardiac work up and so I wouldn't worry about a heart attack any time soon.
Make an appt with your Dr and discuss your symptoms with him/her. If it's determined you are suffering from anxiety and from what you write it sounds like you are, there are many ways to manage it. Don't suffer in silence. There is no shame in needing help. Once you get the anxiety under control you will begin to feel much better ♡
THanks for your reply! I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and health anxiety. I have tried antidepressants that just make me worse and I've been through just about all of them. Have tried homeopathic meds, acupuncture, reiki, over the counter supplements, therapy, and nothing has worked unfortunately. I've been dealing with this going on 3 years now and it's awful.
I also suffer from health anxiety focused on my heart. I ve been to the doctor too and all my heart test came back normal. The doctor also told me that these tests detect underline problems and tendencies. If they didn t detect one in you it is very very rare that you will develop a heart problem out of the blue. Doctor said it just doesn t work like that, it s not like the flu or the stomach bugs that you can get them anytime. Also, my grandma had a serious heart disease. She never took any serious medication apart from the ocassional valium, as she was superstitious and didn t trust the doctors. She died at the age of 89 from flu. I am telling you this just to ease your fears a bit. Our hearts are much stronger than we feel. I know that health anxiety can make us paranoid about every tiny change in our bodies but I always try to remember that they are all sensations, not symptoms.
I know very well how it feels to live with debilitating anxiety, Amykins. I have tried talking to my friends but they look at me as if I m a crazy chick, so I pretend to play the game of the strong, confident, high functioning person when inside I m a hot mess. I am gratreful that I have found this wonderful forum, where people are non judgemental, understanding and never tire to give us advice and encouragement. It takes patience, time and unfortunately enormous amounts of energy to manage our anxiety but I promise you that it will work with practice. Just always, even in your lowest of lows try to cling to the thought that it s all just sensations and that there is nothing wrong with your health, it s just our head generating thoughts about things that haven t happened and most likely will never happen. We have all this brain power that we use to make ourselves feel physically sick. We can use exatly the same mind power to make ourselves feel good. So many times I ve stayed in my room, crying, worrying, dwelling over litterally unexistant maladies and things that could go wrong (which surprise surprise never do) when the weather is great outside and all my friends are having fun. I could be doing a million more pleasant and productive things insted of pacing up and down, constantly checking my heart, my body for anomalies, lumps and bumps, panicing and feeling helpless. Life is short and I end up wasting it away. I wish someone could shake me awake but unfortunately, I have to be this person for myself and I am recently starting to see how not believing everything that my mind tells me can really work. I wish you the best.
UGh... I know this all too well. I suffered with the same thing. I got my echo done three years ago and was told I had a leaky tricuspid valve. I stressed SO much about it. I got my second echo done a month ago, and it was negative for any leaky valves or any deficiency. My anxiety cured my leaky valve! lol But really, you have NOTHING to worry about. There is no way you could have developed a serious heart issue in that short period of time unless you've had serious trauma to that area. I know it's hard to believe, but it is definitely all anxiety related. I hate health anxiety more than anything in this world. It's so difficult for people who have never suffered with it to understand. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to message me. I'm suffering with panic disorder and unable to sleep, so I'll be around most of the time.
Thank you so much for the kind motivating words. It is extremely hard to try to talk to friends and family who just don't understand. My husband tries as much as he can to empathize with me, but he will never truly get it. I actually cannot drive or work anymore do to this anxiety. I just don't know how to change my thought process and just learn to understand it's all in my head and anxiety is causing me to over react. It's just so extremely hard for me. I often lose hope, but then think I can't let anxiety win. I would love to start a family one day, but that's just not in the cards for me if I have anxiety. And I'm also a type 1 diabetic. Have been for 20 years. I know that plays a huge role in my health anxiety bc I know of complications that can happen due to diabetes.
I totally understand were your coming from I feel constantly like this and I am 32 years old. I think what makes us scares is the constant chedt pain/pressure due to anxiety . I notice when I am oh anxious it's not there but I have health anxiety so it's there most of the time anyway. All we can do is take day by day . Have you started any treatment such as therapy or meds or both ?