Panic Attack Caused Fear of Heart Problem. Ruining My Life Posted: 01-02-06 20:57pm
Hi,im 19 years old male. About two years
ago I suffered a panic attack,
i think it was enduced from smoking pot,i
had a few more after that also. The
panic attacks have stopped, however since
then ive had horrible and debilatating
hypochondria, I was never worried about my
health before.Im convinced im going to die
from a heart attack,especially when im
hungover, I get small uncomfortable pains
in my left arm, left hand and chest, I get
pins and needles very easily and muscle
twitches all over my body, I also get
pains anywhere where there seems to be a
pulse in my body, small fluttery
palpitation like sensations are not
uncommon either. Ive been to hospital on
several terrifying occassions, convinced I
was in the preliminary stages of a heart
attack and had several ecg tests done.
The doctors said everything was fine and
normal, but this reassurance only lasts a
while before I start worrying again. I
keep thinking maybe I have one of these
'undetectable heart conditions' even
though there is no history in my family of
heart problems.I quit smoking pot a few
months ago and quit smoking cigarettes
a few weeks ago but was never a heavy
smoker. I used to be quite fit, and play
alot of football, however in the past
couple of years I became
aware of young, fit, healthy people who
died of heart attacks when playing sports,
and this really terrified me and put me
off sports and traumatisedme with the
prospect of dying young.I am aware that
all the symptoms I get are caused by this
fixated fear of a heart attack but it is
ruining my life.The fact that I worry and
stress about it even causes me to think
ill cause myself a heart attack. I
devise ridiculous rationale and diagnosis
in my head and avoid many things like,
lying on the left side of my body at night
in case that puts some sort of pressure on
my heart. Anytime I get those sensations
in my arm I panic and feel I have to take
aspirin. If I get a pain in my toe I
somehow manage to link it to my heart. I
have just got into the way of thinking
that some small aches and pains just
shouldnt be there. I worry about
everything from eating more than two eggs
in a week to having sex with my
girlfriend, that it will all cause me to
have a heart attack.
I dont want to spend the rest of my life
like this. So please help with any
shared experience or advice.
Loving life.
|
daisy123
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 7 Location: australia
Panic Attacks Posted: 01-03-06 05:41am
Hi hang in there I know what you are going
through I go through it to ...I also have
had plenty of test done over the years
...I worry about every ache and pain and
when my children have headaches to I make
them go to the er ...Im afraid I will make
them like me .. Please know that this
what you are feeling isnt real your mind
is playing with you it will go away ...But
you have to fight it and tell yourself its
ok there is nothing wrong with you ...I
have just started on anti depressants and
the have been helping me I was taking my
pulse all the time it was driving me mad
...Know your not alone :d
|
CrusaderX
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Virginia
Posted: 01-03-06 07:51am
Don't let it get you man. I'm 17, and I
deal with the exact same thing, and I mean
exact. I constantly put my hand over my
chest just to make sure it's beating
normal, i'll sleep on my right side or
back as to not put a strain on my heart,
i've quit every sport, i've almost stopped
playing video games, I avoid any situation
where I think I might be at rish, really.
And to be honest, I don't know whats wrong
either, my ekg showed up normal, but it
was only comforting for about 2 days, and
i'm back in the same routine. Hang in
there, i'm sure we'll get better
someday...
|
littlecap
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Dec 2005 Posts: 2
Posted: 01-03-06 09:12am
You sound just like me last year. I had
this horrible fear of having a sudden
heart attack and dropping dead! I went
to the er twice for chest pains. I was
afraid to sleep...Afraid to work out
afraid to do anything!
I was a smoker..And I quit cold turkey and
I think that had a lot to do with the
panic attacks.
I went to a cardiologist and begged him
for a echo cardiogram, even though I had
had 3 ekgs. It wasn't until the echo
came back normal that I sort of started to
relax. Those detected everything. Or
at least that is what my dr told me.
I went for counsling and they wanted to
put me on medication but I refused so they
recommended a book for me to read called
the
anxiety and phobia workbook. It was
truly a lifesaver and I still use it to
this day.
What you need to realize when you start
having those panic feelings is this you
had them before and you didn't die. You
will not die this time. Keep telling
yourself that as you are going through the
attack. Keep remiding yourself this has
happened before and you got through
it...You will again!
|
Stevesy
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 16
Posted: 01-05-06 19:48pm
I've had the same experiences.
The first time I really got scared about
my heart was when I was high. I have
since totally stopped smoking marijuana.
I also used to use smokeless tobacco, and
that made my heart race as well and I just
totally stopped that and I think it might
be contributing to my anxiety and "heart
problems." i've been having a tough time
with exercising and even watching intense
tv shows or sporting events. My heart
races and I worry about it way too much.
It's awful, but it's comforting to know
that a lot of you are going through the
same thing and are around the same age as
me. I hope we can all get through this.
|
Betsy7244
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Dec 2005 Posts: 18 Location: Morgantown, WV,
Posted: 01-07-06 00:20am
Part of an anxiety attack is to fear
having a heart attack..The symptoms mimic
eachother...So you are still experiencing
panic attaks they just feel different
now.
I went through the same thing...Had panic
attacks all of my life and all of a sudden
they started to feel like a heart attack.
Turns out that is just part of the
disease.
Talk with your doc...There are meds that
can help this.
|
jdm74
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Ohio
Re: Panic Attack Caused Fear of Heart Problem. Ruining My Li Posted: 01-07-06 14:41pm
Hi, I just used this reply below for
someone else on this forum, but it applies
to your condition perfectly as well.
The weird feelings/fear you're
experiencing are caused by an unresolved
response to trauma.
You must allow the thoughts/symptoms to
peak on their own, without fighting them.
The more distressed you are by the
symptoms, no matter how weird or strange
they feel, the more likely they are to
persist.
[ traumatic symptoms are not caused by the
''triggering'' event itself. They stem
from the frozen residue of energy that has
not been resolved and discharged; this
residue remains trapped in the nervous
system where it can wreak havoc on our
bodies and spirits. The long-term,
alarming, debilitating, and often bizarre
symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder
(ptsd) develop when we cannot complete the
process of moving in, through and out of
the ''immobility'' or ''freezing'' state.
However, we can thaw by initiating and
encouraging our innate drive to return to
a state of dynamic equilibrium. ]
i recommend reading peter levine's books
on trauma. I think they'll help you move
on, and rather quickly. Nip this in the
bud now; don't lose 11 years of your life,
as I did.
Best regards,
jeff
|
quoting
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 51 Location: South Carolina
Posted: 01-07-06 16:08pm
I suffer to. I am 22 and have had alot of
test done like echo, ekg, anrysum test,
stroke test, all came back normal. But I
still worry. Like right now my chest
feels weird. I take lexapro for my
anxiety which has helped.
|
Lennon
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 81 Location: Canada
Posted: 01-07-06 23:24pm
This is a quote from a doctor...."a
healthy heart can tolerate a rate of over
two hundred beats per minute for many
hours, even days, without evidence of
damage." if anyone goes to a doctor and
has everything checked out with their
heart at normal levels. The rest is just
in your head. Let it go......Your heart
knew how to beat before you focussed on it
too much. It still does when you're
asleep and worrying about it is a waste of
time.
|
quoting
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 51 Location: South Carolina
Posted: 01-07-06 23:56pm
lennon
wrote:
this is a quote from a
doctor...."a healthy heart can tolerate a
rate of over two hundred beats per minute
for many hours, even days, without
evidence of damage." if anyone goes to a
doctor and has everything checked out with
their heart at normal levels. The rest
is just in your head. Let it
go......Your heart knew how to beat before
you focussed on it too much. It still
does when you're asleep and worrying about
it is a waste of
time.
very true
|
Stevesy
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 16
Posted: 01-08-06 01:58am
Thanks for that piece of wisdom lennon!
It's nice to hear stuff like that.
|
towerofbau
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Canada
Anxiety Posted: 01-08-06 23:46pm
Hey im 18 male, used to smoke pot too,
i dont know if my anxiety is related to
that but I know if attributed it to asmany
things as I can name. I have had blood
tests and ekg tests and holter monitors to
insure my heart is fine, and im really
sure it is, my anxiety comes back day to
day and I dont knwo hwo to deal with it, I
stay up pretty late alot of night because
thats when im least in control, how have
some of you dealt with this disorder? I
need help!
Thanks
|
jdm74
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Ohio
Claire Weekes Posted: 01-09-06 08:39am
lennon
wrote:
this is a quote from a
doctor...."a healthy heart can tolerate a
rate of over two hundred beats per minute
for many hours, even days, without
evidence of damage." if anyone goes to a
doctor and has everything checked out with
their heart at normal levels. The rest
is just in your head. Let it
go......Your heart knew how to beat before
you focussed on it too much. It still
does when you're asleep and worrying about
it is a waste of
time.
yep, that doctor was claire weekes.
I recommend all of her books very
highly.
Jeff
|
Palidor
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 12 Location: Florida
Same Situation Posted: 11-10-06 23:06pm
Hey guys,
about 9 months ago, I had a panic attack
and I development a case of hypochondria,
a couple of days ago I started having a
weird sensation in my right arm. Prior to
that I went the gym and did some chest
exercises.
Even though I know for a fact that I
probably pulled a muscle, I got this idea
that i'm having a heart attack, even
though, I have no chest pains, feel nice
and calm, eat lots of fiber, vegs, fruits,
do plenty of excersise and have no known
family history of heart disease.
What is it about hypochondria that makes
you worry about every little detail?
|
maia
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 49
Posted: 11-17-06 14:31pm
I was like that for 3 years. I know how
it is, it sucks.
I would go to the emergency room and have
ekg's, chest x-rays, everything and it
always came back fine.
First I thought it was because I had been
doing coke, so I stopped. Then I stopped
smoking weed and cigarettes, it still
didn't help. Then I got obsessed with my
caffiene intake and every little thing.
Then I started with the aspirin. It's
wierd though, but to me it felt like the
aspirin helped. That just reinforced my
idea that there was something really wrong
with me.
Every little thing that I did revolved
around how it would affect my heart. It
was an obsession.
Then it stopped. I don't know, I just
woke up one morning and realized that I
had been feeling normal for about a week.
Thinking back though, that was around the
time that I had resolved some issues that
had been causing a lot of stress. Or
maybe I just got lucky, I don't really
know.
And it seems to have started at a time
that there was a lot going on, like work,
school, family problems, every day drama.
That's not traumatic, or at least I didn't
think so. But I guess just because I
didn't let it bother me doesn't mean that
it didn't impact me physically and
mentally.
I'm all good now, I can run (it feels so
good to be able to do a 2 or 3 mile run
again), I can go out and party again, I
can get mad and not think i'm having a
coronary. So it does get better, I just
wish I could tell you exactly how.
But I do know that it is definitely in
your head, not your chest. So maybe try
and think about something that caused it
for you. What happened when it started.
A major life change - good or bad, a death
in the family, anything and try to deal
with that. From what i've read, I guess
that things like this cause stress for
people and we don't even feel it.
And most definitely see your doctor, your
family doctor. If they can't help they
can refer you to someone who can.
I wonder why this happens to young people
so much? I was 18 when this started for
me, and a lot of the people that responded
to this post are young, that's kind of
weird.
|
Shortfroggy
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 49 Location: Pinehurst, Tx
Re: Panic Attack Caused Fear of Heart Problem. Ruining My Li Posted: 11-17-06 15:22pm
dermo
wrote:
hi,im 19 years old male.
About two years ago I suffered a panic
attack,
i think it was enduced from smoking pot,i
had a few more after that also. The
panic attacks have stopped, however since
then ive had horrible and debilatating
hypochondria, I was never worried about my
health before.Im convinced im going to die
from a heart attack,especially when im
hungover, I get small uncomfortable pains
in my left arm, left hand and chest, I get
pins and needles very easily and muscle
twitches all over my body, I also get
pains anywhere where there seems to be a
pulse in my body, small fluttery
palpitation like sensations are not
uncommon either. Ive been to hospital
on several terrifying occassions,
convinced I was in the preliminary stages
of a heart attack and had several ecg
tests done. The doctors said everything
was fine and normal, but this reassurance
only lasts a while before I start worrying
again. I keep thinking maybe I have one
of these 'undetectable heart conditions'
even though there is no history in my
family of heart problems.I quit smoking
pot a few months ago and quit smoking
cigarettes
a few weeks ago but was never a heavy
smoker. I used to be quite fit, and
play alot of football, however in the past
couple of years I became
aware of young, fit, healthy people who
died of heart attacks when playing sports,
and this really terrified me and put me
off sports and traumatisedme with the
prospect of dying young.I am aware that
all the symptoms I get are caused by this
fixated fear of a heart attack but it is
ruining my life.The fact that I worry and
stress about it even causes me to think
ill cause myself a heart attack. I
devise ridiculous rationale and diagnosis
in my head and avoid many things like,
lying on the left side of my body at night
in case that puts some sort of pressure on
my heart. Anytime I get those
sensations in my arm I panic and feel I
have to take aspirin. If I get a pain
in my toe I somehow manage to link it to
my heart. I have just got into the way
of thinking that some small aches and
pains just shouldnt be there. I worry
about everything from eating more than two
eggs in a week to having sex with my
girlfriend, that it will all cause me to
have a heart attack.
I dont want to spend the rest of my life
like this. So please help with any
shared experience or advice.
Loving life.
u got to live ur life, you cant be afraid
of these things, when its ur time its ur
time, u never gonna know when thats going
to be so u mise well make the best in it
...... Keep up not smoking pot and
cigs.....
Live ur life to the fullest.... Dont
worry about the things u cant control....
Eat well, excerise, get plenty of rest,
check up with ur doctors as offending as
your should and u should be fine....
Hope you get to feeling better....
|
omegaguy
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Nov 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Colombia
Too Much Omega 6 Posted: 11-20-06 15:09pm
Some of the symptoms you have may be
related to a high omega 6 diet, low
exercise and low omega 3 consumption. You
should have a heavy unbalance in the omega
6/ omega 3 ratio.
In order to bring balance back into your
life you could cut down, or eliminate, the
omega 6 oil ingestion(all vegetable oils,
except olive oil). These include all
fried food, margarines, cookies, crackers,
pies and the like.
include butter, omega 3 fish oil
supplements( at least 3-6 grams/day).
Omega 3 are well know for its
cardiovascular protective action.
Specially reduce sudden death
disorder(arrhythmia). They are also know
for their calming, stability and general
well being they bring to your life.
