So I’ve been having extreme anxiety the past 6 weeks to where I don’t even leave the house and mostly just stay on the couch. Plus I smoke cigarettes (maybe a half-3/4 of a pack a day). My bad panic started when I started having chest pains, but everyone reassured me I was too young to have a heart attack. Then a few weeks later a girl my age (21) died of a heart attack so I have been obsessing over it since then. I’ve had several EKGs and then had chest X-ray, blood work, and saw a cardiologist for an echocardiogram about a month ago. They said everything looked normal, But I’m still having chest pains and severe anxiety so I’m worried I’ve made myself worse because of the constant panic and stress and not eating good and smoking cigarettes and sitting around a lot. I’m constantly thinking that I’m about to have a heart attack and it’s terrifying. I try to go for walks but then I get anxious and dizzy and stop. Could things have changed that fast? Should I see the cardiologist again? My chest pains kinda feel like a tightness or squeezing on the left side of my chest (can’t tell if it’s the breast muscle or my heart) and sometimes a sharper pain in the center of my chest. And sometimes it feels like I can’t breathe that well but I can’t tell if it’s anxiety or not. It’s like I spend every day waiting to have a heart attack. Plus I’m exhausted but can’t tell if that’s just because I just restarted Zoloft about a week ago or because somethings wrong with my heart 
. It’s like every little thing makes me more sure that I’m about to have a heart attack. My hands and feet get super cold and sometimes my nose too. And I feel like any amount of stress or one more panic attack is gonna make me have a heart attack. I feel insane because I literally picture it all day even when I try to do something else to distract myself
Samantha
When I was in my twenties I was in a stressful job and would smoke near on sixty cigarettes a day, eventually I became ill with several chronic disorders attached to smoking. One problem with smoking is the complexity, chemical breakdown of drugs in a cigarette and I was becoming ill, they actually were changing the chemical make up of my blood. I stopped smoking when I was twenty six and it took about seven years to get the tar etc out of my lungs. It had even stained my teeth and people standing around me could smell the tobacco that hung around me
Now a Pensioner I never smoke since in my twenties, I was very ill when I smoked and my then doctor laid it ou for me it may shorten my Life
Your Anxiety and Panic attacks need treating and your GP will help you control your fears
BOB
My personal feeling is that your anxiety levels would come down significantly if you quit smoking. The cardiovascular effects of smoking start to diminish the day you quit. After a few years from what I understand your heart attack and vascular system issues go back to normal. As difficult as it is to quit the lessening of your anxiety would be a great help to you. Find some way of learning how to deal with the withdrawal of smoking.
Do you think I’m at immediate risk? And what’s a pensioner?
Do you think I’m at immediate risk of heart attack/stroke? I tried to quit cold turkey a few weeks ago and it made my anxiety sky rocket so my therapist suggested slowly tapering off
Samantha
I have no idea, Many people who smoked in the past died in their forties, while others lived into their seventies and died of something else. I depends on many things including genetics.
One thing in my eyes is it is strange to worry and feel anxious about your health, yet be a smoker who smokes fifteen cigarettes a day
Consider you will feel better health wise if you pack up the cigarettes. Generally smokers feel breathless from smoking, their lungs get clogged up and you suffer various things like cold and congestion from the tar in the lungs. etc
BOB
I think your chances of a stroke or heart attack at your age are slim to none. But maybe this can be the wake up call that you need. If you need to wean yourself off of smoking instead of quitting cold turkey so be it. It will be so much better for your emotional health not to mention your physical health.
By the way a pensioner is a term used by the British for a retiree or someone who is on their equivalent of Social Security.
I started smoking a few years ago before I developed these fears
So it’s hard to stop. Especially when my anxiety is even worse it makes me crave more cigarettes
Even though I’ve been sitting in one spot and smoking for so long? And high stress?
All I know isthat the smoking and the worry are a vicious cycle. The more you smoke the more you worry the more you worry the more you smoke. See the picture?
Yes that’s exactly right
Hello Sam
You need to understand if you are worried regards your heart, smoking actually, can cause heart problems. Your blood picks up many of the chemicals in burning tobacco and in turn it is not just the heart it is the lungs that give you a wallop
Sorry regards your Anxiety, your GP may arrange treatment for that. I only smoked for seven years approx and it was on its way to see me off.
You will save money and go on holiday with the Savings, I travelled around the old Soviet Union on the money I saved.
Have you got kids, the smell in the house must smell rank, We went down shopping today, when we got out the car the cigarette smoke was potent
Start looking after yourself, smoking can make you more Anxious, the smoking habit
Good Luck, always here
BOB
Samantha
Tell the GP you are considering stopping smoking He can help with smoking cessation medications, I think they are free
BOB
I’m already on new medication for anxiety so I don’t want to add anymore medicine to the mix right now. I’m 21 and don’t have any children
Good Luck
Samantha
BOB
Chest pains are a very common symptom of anxiety i get them often ive had ecgs blood tests mri the works and they all came back fine but the more you worry about it the more youll get as it will set off your anxiety also the dizzyness is very common there are so many symptoms that come with anxiety that are also symptoms of worse things i stopped taking meds years ago i just use distractions to help mine its the only thing that works for me
I'm the exact same as you. 21, smoker, heart anxiety, and feelings of breathlessness on occasion. It's horrible and I cant keep a job because of it. All I want to do is stay in my room. But then again I want to go out and do things but my anxiety stops me. I get heart palpitations as well. I've seen doctors and they say I'm fine. If you quit smoking, make sure to do it slowly because the withdrawal can cause horrific panic attacks. I don't think we should worry but it is hard when the symptoms are so real. When I feel panic I like to drink tea. Caffeine free. Lemon balm and nettle leaf help me a lot and lemon balm helps repair the nervous system. Your adrenal glands might be fatigued too, which is nothing to worry about, but it does make anxiety worse. Look up foods and other things that help repair your adrenal glands. Keep us updated!
Thank you! Is there a way we can private message on here?
Yes, there is. But I don't know how to do it xD I've only received messages before. I don't know how to start them.