Ever since I was a teenager and I am now 67 I have worried about having a heart attack.Well 3 weeks ago it happened.It was 1AM and I woke up with severe crushing pains.I called 999 and was rushed to hospital.I had to be revived 3 times.I eventually woke up in the ICU two days later.Now I am home but I am still running scared.Cannot sleep,always scared and frightened.
It seems that I worried myself into a heart attack but now I have heart failure and I am still worrying myself to death.Panic attacks always get me as it starts to get dark.
Oh, Grogboy, how frightening for you - I'm so so sorry!!! If its any consolation, my eldest sister had a heart attack about 12 years ago, and is still going strong Has the hospital/your GP referred you for follow-on care? Relaxation, stress management, exercise and so on?
You might find this link helpful - and they might have a support group near you. You don't and shouldn't have to go through this alone! Do keep blogging, there;s lots of wonderful support on here!
Thank you Rose.I was in the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford Kent and the treatment there was excellent.They monitored my heart 24hrs a day,took blood and adjusted medication day and night.My biggest problem was nightmares.I would fall asleep and wake up every night after about an hour convinced that I was dead.After the ICU I was in cardiac rehab for a while and got one to one nursing 24/7.Before I left I was visited be some lady from the BHF who gave me lots of advice.Upon discharge my notes were sent to my GP and local hospital.The hospital nurse has been round once and offered more good advice.My GP has shown no interest at all.
I have read my own notes and know that I have heart failure.I am on 18 tablets per day for this and they were supplied by the hospital.My wife is 67 and absolutely great she nurses me 24/7.The biggest problem is the night time when I get panic attacks and cannot sleep.My wife phoned the GP but he could offer no help.Many thanks for your interest and I hope to keep in touch.
That's disgraceful with your GP!!!! My sister got wonderful treatment/support/monitoring from her two GPs - one retired, but they have both been brilliant, and keep a very close eye on her!
I think you should change your GP - either to another at the same surgery, or to another practice, whichever is easiest. If you want any help doing this, PM me, I used to work in the NHS. Unfortunately, some Gps have no interest in/understanding of MH problems, but the stupidest of them should realise that stress in no good for heart conditions! Grrrrrr.......
Change your doctor, Grogboy, you and your wife shouldn't be coping with this alone!
Thanks for the info.Today the BHF nurse called.She took my BP and pulse and was pleased with the results.
She said the same as you about my GP.Unfortunately he is a one man practice and my nearest GP by far.
At the moment I am unable to go out as I have no strength at all.The nurse said I should have a blood test to check if any of the drugs are harming my liver.My wife phoned the GP.IT appears that he is one of the few surgeries that do not do their own blood tests.He has now told me that I must collect a form from him--he will not post it---and then somehow get to the hospital which is 4 miles away,to let them take my blood.
I wish I could change my GP but who is going to take an old man with heart failure as a patient.
Grogboy - you could contact the PALS at your local PCT - if you want to know how to do this, PM me and i'll walk you through it. Not surprised he's a one man practice, don't suppose anyone else will work with the bastard!!! But the PCT should be able to help, specially if the BHF nurse is backing you up. Like I say, PM me and I'll see what advice i can come up with!
This reminds me of what an elderly friend of the family once told me when I was 18, & terrified that I was going to inherit my mother`s heart condition. She told me that if if someone constantly worries about an illness, Then they can actually cause it to happen. I try to take her advice, & not think about it too much, but this post has me scared that I`ll actually make myself develop heart disease just by thinking about it.
Please believe me it is not my intention to try and frighten anybody Anxiety and fear especially for no apparent reasons are terrible things and I am unable to deal with them even after 65 years of suffering.
I have been afraid of dying since I was 3 or 4 years old.As a schoolboy I used to fall asleep in school because I was too afraid to sleep at night.In fact I was still in my parents room at night when I was 14.
As an only child I used to do a lot of reading and soon found out that what caused death was the heart stopping.So I used to walk everywhere holding my chest so that I could feel my heart beating.This has lasted all my life..Fear and anxiety have made me an invalid for most of my life.I do not think that my worrying about my heart,actually caused the attack.Rather because of my constant anxiety and especially as I got older I smoked too much drank too much and never took any exercise..This is what caused the attack.I have tried almost every thing and cannot get rid of irrational fear.
Last night,I read,played card games,listened to the radio and done everything to keep awake Eventually I fell asleep at 5am and was awake again at 6.30am.This is not going to help my recovery AND is going to make my poor wife ill.
So the only advice I can offer you is try everything you can to eliminate anxiety because it is that which does the damage.GOOD LUCK.
I used to smoke & drink quite a bit when in my 20`s & 30`s, I thought, what the hell, I`m young, & my body can handle it! When I got close to the age that my mother first became ill with angina, I had a rethink & decided to start taking good care of myself. I stopped binge drinking & quit smoking altogether. It seems to have worked because I`m past 60, & have had heart test to be on the safe side, they have all checked out fine, but I do keep an eye out for any strange symptoms because I`m a hypochondriac.
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Has the hospital/your GP referred you for follow-on care? Relaxation, stress management, exercise and so on? 
My sister got wonderful treatment/support/monitoring from her two GPs - one retired, but they have both been brilliant, and keep a very close eye on her! 
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