Health anxiety

[Kingchris]

Hi my name is Chris im 21 years old and I've been dealing with health anxiety for a few years now. I used to be really active worked out all the time but since I've had anxiety I've stopped for the most part. I've had every symptom known to man from sharp chest pains dull chest pains to skipped heart beats in a row and blood pressure fluctuations from it being high 140/98 to 106/74 and I don't know what is going on but it's scaring me! Here recently I've been felling really really weak all the time especially whenever I check my blood pressure and it's low like 106/77 for the most part I remember it normally being around 118/75 or 110/70. I've had multiple EKGs blood test chest x-rays all normal and my doctor has even listen to my heart and said that it sounds beautiful but he sent me for an echo which was normal as well... any ideas what going on?!

[Agora1]

Hi Kingchris, I think what is going on is that you stopped your working out. I've done that myself in the last several years. Went from 5 days a week intense strength training to nothing when anxiety and agoraphobia hit me. Was the worse thing I could have done. Chest pains could very well be from stopping the workouts. The anxiety has you fixated on heart related issues. Skipped heart beats can come from the extra adrenaline caused by anxiousness. We are human and fluctuating blood pressure is a normal part of life. A b/p of 106/77 is not considered low but healthy. Most of us want that medical book number of 118/75 (not realistic) EKGs, chest xray and Echo all but proved your heart is healthy. I think now you have to convince yourself and your mind that you are okay. with your doctor's approval, I think the best thing to do would be to get back to working out again. Starting out slow and working up to the pace you had before. Get back to the burn, sting, and some chest pain be due from muscles rebuilding and not from pain manifested in your mind. I think you will feel better all in all. Take care and feel better again.

[Kingchris in reply to Agora1]

Thank you so much and yes I do think that I need to start back slower because I tried working out again like I used to and ended up having a panic attack afterwards