Nearly 3 months, need advice...

Mental health
1

A quick bit of background... Around 12 weeks ago I spent the night in the Emergency Room because I thought I was having a heart attack. Turns out I wasn't- it was pneumonia! Gave me the biggest scare of my life, but even after the diagnosis, for weeks I was still convinced that my heart was going to give out.

Around 3 weeks later, I developed a sudden whole body tingling/itch- completely out of the blue, which seems to jump from one part of my body to the other. This was then accompanied by dry eyes (very uncomfortable,) fatigue, pins and needles in my hands, nausea, headaches, cold "trickling" sensations, and what felt like heart palpitations. In fact, the heart palps made me have another 4 trips to the ER, but every ECG normal.

During one of my trips, a doc commented that it could all be anxiety related, possibly after the heart attack scare.

My symptoms have been going on around 10 weeks now. I have seen my doc, who has run a huge amount of blood tests, but all normal- he's referring me to a cardiologist for heart palps, in order to do an echo. I had asked about a neurologist but he didn't think it necessary.

Although some of my symptoms have settled, I still have this whole body tingling/itch and terrible fatigue- some days I'm so tired I could cry... I just wanted to ask whether in anyone's experience this sounds like it could just be anxiety/stress induced? I've never been diagnosed with anxiety, but my heart attack scare spooked me like nothing ever has...

I've stayed away from googling symptoms (which I had been doing like mad to begin with) as I had convinced myself it was a neurological disorder, or even some weird postviral thing, but after 10 weeks of being told my body is healthy when it doesn't feel it, I'd really like some insight as to what is going on.

2

hey, i had an similar experience years ago. For a long time I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest, i couldn't breathe, i was always shaky and tingly. My mind was in overdrive and i couldn't eat or sleep. No one could provide me an answer and I never felt so lost in the world and with my self. Googling your symptoms is scary and may seem like the worst thing you can do. But doing so helped me to realize it was most likely some sort of anxiety disorder brought on by a mental breakdown from a personal traumatic event that sent my tired mind into over drive. Once you realise what you maybe suffering from you can take personal steps within your personal life and mental mind to help you to overcome your current thoughts and situations. Hope this helps.

3

At least your are disciplining yourself and not googling! lol. Props to you!

Yes, all of what you mentioned can happen from anxiety and too much stress. I've had some crazy and weird symptoms that all turned out to be just caused by an overload of anxiety. I had the heart attack scare as well, and had EKGs done etc also. I also had bad headaches and dizzyness, and that gave me the "brain tumor scare" which a lot of anxiety sufferers also go through. It's funny how we all seem to go through the exact same scares lol.

I see a therapist for my anxiety and it helps me a lot. I highly suggest seeing one! Specifically one who specializes in anxiety would be best.

4

I wanted to take a moment to reply to this because it was just so much like me in the past.  I would be willing to bet the farm that this is anxiety. Anxiety can trick our bodies into believing all kinds of things and every symptom you mentioned can be causesd by anxiety. The EKG's have all came back normal (yay) so really you've already been cleared. The cardiologist is probably there just to give you the piece of mind of knowing you've had it all done. My guess is that the health scare pushed your brain over to be on high alert and so you'll noticing these symptoms a lot more. I lived this way for about 4 years straight and rushed myself to the doctor/er on way more than one occasion. It sucks thinking you're about to die if you don't get to the doctor... but the truth is.. it's anxiety. That doesn't mean it's all in your head... anxiety does cause real physical symptoms. The great news is though that it won't hurt you. It will just take some time for you to calm down. Dr. Google was my go to and gave me every kind of cancer you can imagine, brain tumors, and anerysums. Then I figured out a trick. I started putting in my symptoms but then I would attach the word anxiety to it. EVERY single time there were forums with people who had the same thing I did... but it was anixety. It started to make me feel better to know it was there... but that it wasn't my health. You may want to try that. Good luck to you and I hope this helps in some way. 

5

Props to you for not giving into google. It's been 1 year, 4 months, and 8 days since my first panic attack, and I still google ever single day. I mean telling you this because I don't want you to end up like me. The truth is, the long it goes on, the harder it is to break. My story is a lot like yours... heart palpable, strange feelings, numbness, tingling, rashes, dizziness... the list goes on and on, but the moral of the story is that after an echocardiogram, five EKGs, a 24hr observation, chest X-ray, a stress test, and two visits with a cardiologist, it was all chalked up to stress and anxiety. Now, I believe my heart is fine, but now I'm consumed with the fear of a brain tumor. I was diagnosed with fluid on the ear today, and my mind goes straight to, "I need an MRI." Totally illogical, but it's what our minds do. Prayers for you. Don't let this spiral out of control. 

6

I have spent nearly a whole year worrying about my heart. I've had 12 ECGS, a cat scan of my heart and so much blood work and one hospital admission. Guess what? Its all completely normal. Do you think i can tell myself that? Nope. I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and traits of OCD along with extreme health anxiety. So im like you, im convinced my heart is going to explode or im going to have a cardiac arrest at any point i feel pain in my chest. Its ruined my life for 12 months. Dont let it do the same to you.

My anxiety took a downward spiral when my son had a feberal convulsion due to his temp rocketing up because he hand foot and mouth. I was fine right up until 5 weeks after and then it hit me. Then the health anxiety started. Our minds give us so many physical symptoms its hard not to think we are in danger or unless we run to the doctors for a diagnosis there and then we will die of a horrendous illness. But your not alone. I started to right down what was happening to me, the likely hood of it being a heart attack and the likely hood of it being an anxiety attack. Guess what out weighed the other every single time? You will be fine you just need to work hard to beat it before it beats you xx