Health anxiety or health issue

[Froller]

So before i start, let me make clear that i do have some health issue Well had, i was born with a unicuspid valve and had open heart surgery 2 years ago. Up to the surgery i was a mental wreck more than before. Now after the surgery ive been Well for the most part. I have had alot of fears after that actually got worse over the two years instead of better. Now to start This story up we gotta rewind a few months, its a few days after Christmas, im at granny inlaw having a good time, when My girlfriend notice My right ankle is a little swollen above the achilles tendon, we call the emergency eoc and he wants ud to Come in, he frels it and want it scanned with ultrasound. It was fine. Now i didnt Think much of it then, but im sure My ankle above the achilles always was swollen but i havent ever really looked much at My ancles.Now here is where it gets difficult two days later we Are home, i wake up and notice i have a coin sized point bit left from My sternum with minor pain,and I get spells of dizziness.

At night i get admitted to the ER and they do ultra sound, ekg, bloodwork work etc. And everythings fine, except from slightly elevated troponin which could be scar tissue, though they think i have a minor infection in my heart and release me sayinf i should be fine sfter some time but i dont feel fine. Onde home i get This feeling of not being able to get enough air when I breath. A week later im back in the ER, they do the usual checks plus a ct and guess what, im fine except for the same slightly elevated troponin and they release me Again sayings its just a minor infektion.

3 weeks later i have an appointment with a specialised cardiologist that is educated for valve disease and has byen following me for over a decade. She checks me and im fine My heart is in a good condition. Now i didnt feel happy when told so, but extreme dissapointment, i started to get a feeling of fear of Them having made a mistake or missed something . The reason being is that before My surgery the hospital i was in the ER at, didnt see that My heart wasnt doing Well when I was in for chest pain(wasnt a heart attack, but My valve failing badly) the Same pain i have Now.

Now i startede going to a psych every third week and its good. But at this point im uncertain of what is wrong, ive been checked at the hospital 3times and at a specialized cardiologist, and they havent found much that could explain the pain.

So im trying to accept the fact it could be anxiety driven, but the moment i started trying it, i got issues with breathing Again. Its like something in me wants to keeper me in pain and afraid. I Hope some Will read this and give some input.

[Agora1]

You know what Froller, at this point in time, you know more than any of us regarding

your heart issue. The fact that you have repeatedly had in checked by both the ER visits

as well as a specialized Cardiologist may just well be Health Anxiety creeping in.

We may not be therapists or doctors but we all understand the effects and symptoms of

Anxiety.

The coin size point of minor sternum pain could very well come from a nerve. (I've had it

myself) The dizziness w/o other heart symptoms may come from hyperventilation. Once

fear settles in, our breathing is shallow and rapid causing not enough oxygen to our brain.

Feeling like we can't get enough breath also one of the many anxiety symptoms due to

tightness in the solar plexus. You see my friend, one we get caught up in that spiral of

fear, it becomes a never ending cycle.

Starting your psyche therapy is a good way to go. Working together with your

Cardiologist and Psychiatrist is important until you start feeling better. This isn't

unusual when someone has gone through all you have to develop Anxiety along side

the physical issues. The Mind/Body Connection is a powerful one. Finding out what

is causing what will be the "key" to your success. xx

[Froller in reply to Agora1]

Thanks😊 i Will keep bugging Them til we can narrow it Down and find the cause of My ailment

[Agora1 in reply to Froller]

Absolutely, your body, your life xx

[Emest86]

the comment you made about something wanting to keep you in pain and afraid is actually true hun. Your body has been living with a high level of adrenaline because of anxiety and although our body’s are fabulous as you know they do get things muddled up at times and this is one of those times. Basically your body has gotten so used to having all this extra adrenaline that it now finds ways to create more adrenaline, the best way to do that is by firing up the amygdala, to do that it creates fear.

I thought for years that my panics would happen because of the pains i was getting but actually my panics were creating the pains.

I don’t have an underlying heart issue so I cannot empathise however I do understand how difficult it is to try and differentiate between health anxiety and health issues.