Every time i think i'm past all this anxiety thing it just comes back and smacks me in the face, i'm 22 and had health anxiety for two years which has gotten quiet bad and one of my main symptoms has always been chest pains. I've diagnosed myself with countless diseases constantly for 2 years, any little niggel, dodgy mole, pain means to me that i've got something seriously wrong.
I started getting chest pains right from the start, took me about 3 months (and plenty of trips to the doctors, 3 ECG's, one stress ECG) to come to terms with the fact these chest pains aren't to do with my heart. They went for a couple of months and i got on with my life, but then they come back, and they started happening when i was in the gym, so i went back to the doctors. He said he could hear a heart murmur, of course i googled this as soon as i got home from the doctors and there is divided opinion on whether anxiety can cause a heart murmur, most people said very extreme anxiety can do. The doctor said it's probably what they call a 'innocent murmur' which is where your heart is just fine, its just a sound your heart makes but he'll send me to a cardiologist. Of course me having health anxiety didnt think that, i was googling and diagnosed myself with a prolapsed heart valve.
Anyway long story short, the cardiologist said its probably an innocent murmur but said its standard procedure that he has to do an ECG, Echocardiogram & a 72 hour ECG which all come back fine. I made sure on the 72 hour ECG that i got symptoms, i went into the gym where i kept getting chest pains, i went for a run, so i'm happy that i had all the symptoms while i was hooked up.
So basically now i've had every single test they can do on my heart, all come back fine. But i just can't get my head round these chest pains, i can't ignore them. At work yesterday I was helping load the van with some heavy items, everything was fine then afterwards when i sat back down i started getting chest pains. Blaa! I should just think well its not a problem with my heart because i've passed every single test they can do but i just can't think that, i get scared it's my heart. I can't go back to the doctors because what more can they do? I've had everything now.
Had does everybody else carry on with it? The heart murmur didnt help even though it's been diagnosed as innocent. Anxiety has got me by the bollocks no matter how hard i try convince myself other wise.
Hi, I've had chest pains and an irregular heartbeat (missed beats) for the last40 yrs as I'm constantly anxious, and I'm still alive. The NHS are doing unnecessary checks 'just in case' and searching the Internet is making you worry even more.
What you need to do now and I'm surprised your Doc hasn't already done this, you need to ask him for some beta blockers-probably Propananol, this medication stops all the physical symptoms that you experience as a result of your high anxiety. The chest muscles contract (or get into a physical knot) as a result of your anxiety, this gives you the impression that your taking a heart attack, your not taking a heart attack, chest muscles have no connection with your heart, but high anxiety might speed up your heart...this is normal, anyway get the tablets, they are not addictive or anything like that, I take them sometimes when I'm very tense, and stop them when the tension goes away..simple and safe..Best wishes
Hi there, OMG can't believe everything you have described is the same for me except am 27 male and ha this for 7 years. All tests ok ect... Believe me , it's just anxiety like bluepeter said. I have had warm rushes, stabbing pain left of chest, needle pain left of chest, centre chest being crushed, ectopic heart beats, a kind of vibration feeling on chest and all these come and go from my anxiety. I do gym and keep fit but that don't matter. The fittest and the unfittest can both suffer anxiety. I think the key for you is to teach your self it's just anxiety and try ignore it, as hard ad that sounds but it's works for me . Yeah I still get the pains but usually when very anxious and sometimes when just resting. I have gone for say a month tops symptoms free and can't believe it when I feel normal. Then for some reason boom back with pains/dizzy/ ext.... No link to anything apart from underlying anxiety. Talking to people helps also so don't hide it away, maybe try therapy... All the best and remember your not alone and loads of people live long physically healthy life's with anxiety.....
Hi, 40 years, wow you should be working with anxiety sufferers as you got most experience with suffering. Do you find alcohol has a negative impact over the years ??
Thanks! deep down i know it's just anxiety but i have a hard time convincing myself sometimes, i have good and bad days. They actually prescribed me beta blockers right when i first got diagnosed with anxiety but i refused to take them as i want to do it without medication. Thanks again for your reply it's made me feel better.
That vibration in chest thing is wierd isnt it! haha i get that alot too, i've always thought it was like blood struggling to get through to my heart but then i read it happens with anxiety. Like i said to bluepeter, i know deep down that it's all anxiety but then my health anxiety tells me it's not, crazy how they both work against each other isnt it, it's like devil and angel in my head haha.
Ha, yep I though the same at first too, but if it was blood struggling, why did I not collapse when exercising. I used to do 100s of press ups when I first started getting chest pains because then all I would feel is sore chest muscles for a few day and I Knew what that was, my anxiety chest pains would never appear when I had sore chest muscles from push ups. Sad I know but it made me feel better lol....when you get over chest pains you will probably get other pains, Iv started with stomach issues now my brain understands the chest pains don't bother me any more... Wish I could drop kick anxiety in the nads!!! Lol
yeah exactly, that's what i mean anybody looking in from the outside of my life would be like 'what so, your 22, youve had nearly every relevant test on your heart, youve had these chest pains for two years yet your still standing but you still think youve got something wrong with your heart?' but its so hard to tell yourself that.
Around a year and half ago i was feeling abit sluggish and i was messing about at my house when i came over all faint and had to rush to the bathroom where all the little black dots come over in my eyes and you think your going to faint, didnt actually faint but was very close. i was like what if that was to do with heart? it's never happened since, and theres 100's of reasons why i could of nearly fainted like a virus or something, but it's always there when im trying to weigh up whether theres something wrong with my heart ha, but like i said ive had all the tests and my hearts fine, all roundabouts, your positive, then your negative, positive, negative. the life of anxiety!
tO ajb8711 & REST OF SUFFERERS
I get horrible indigestion and horrifying chest pains to go along with it and all the docs say nothings wrong with you - at my wits end!
To Gyda, ajb8711& rest of suffers: I think that having Anxiety all my conscious life has yes taught me a lot and I pleased help people in a safe way, although I'm not a qualifed Doctor, but I know some information about various legal drugs, and how Anxiety can 'fool' your mind into thinking that sound advice coming to you is wrong, as I did when I was in my young adult life. I can understand why some of you don't want to get into taking drugs recommended from your Doctor, but if your anxiey is depriving you of a lot of your sleep, then you may have to take a small amount of Benzos, ie Diazepam but only for about 2 weeks and using the lowest posible amount, as Benzoes as you probably know are more addictive than street drugs, I'm still on a maintenance dose, but because they in the very long term (years), they can cause short term memory loss which I have, but I reduced by 20% after being on them for 42 yrs, now that I've reduced, my mind is more alert and emotions are not as blunted, but I do go through 'bad' phases, especially when I awaken in the morning, I can cry to get the built up stress that everybody encounters but can receive relief by means that are not psyco-active drugs, crying is my method, but it might not suit everybody, so do be careful in case it re-enforces the negative anxious thoughts that you are experiencing.
Whenever I feel that my 'head is about to explode' I try to take a walk outdoors about 20 mins, and it is enhanced if you can encourage a friend to come along as you can 'empty your mind' by talking to them. On one or two occassions I took a very small amount (approximately 1/4 glass of wine) and it worked on one occassion, but you must not take alcohol especially if you are on prescribed medication as it can interfer with the action of your medicine. I know that taking alcohol can feel beneficial for maybe an hour or longer, but the rebound or hangover actually makes me depressed the next day. So I wouldn't recommend that you take alcohol (even if you are not on medications) regularly, as in the long term regular consumption especially on your own, will in the long term will lead to addiction which is liable to damage you emotionally, and takes avery long time (possibly many years) to get off, and even when you do get off alcohol, it can leave your mind badly 'marked', ie you feel badly depressed, and not able to function, so try to stay off it. Some times people who are not depressed or anxious, do drink lightly, say a glass of wine with a meal irregularly may not experience any long term effects. As you know Alcohol is a depressant, so in the long term it can trigger bad mental health. There is a train of thought amongst researchers that walking is best and that jogging sends shoch waves up your spinal column and may when you are 'older' it will show up as 'a bad back', so if you are jogging try to jog on a soft surface grass surface, and also buy trainers that have a spongy heel to minimise the shock wave.
Thanks for that pete, helped a lot 