fear of a heart attack

hi rose

you sound like me lol

i do this all the time, even with ECG/heart echo and always think what if there was something but couldn't find it!!! this mind of ours is not good, this kind of thinking causes to stress more which can give more anxiety and lead to depression!!!

how to switch it off???? have no clue, distraction does not help all the time!!!

you are not alone!!

xx

yes hun me too.. its horrible isn't it ! like a circle . try not to dwell on it.. and reassure yourself that if anything was wrong they would find it x

i do it too not just heart attack, any symptom i have if i have a headache i think its a brain tumour, if its stomache ache its cancer. im not a hypocondriac, i just always think the worst. ive now got a gall stone if i get pain around my right side under my ribs or a feeling of bad indegestion, i go into overdrive, im so scared at the thought of having to have surgery. so your not the only one as you can see from peoples answers.xxx

Thanks for your replies. What makes a person worry like this I wonder. Maybe it is genetic, my mum is a worrier so maybe she has passed it to me. There is the theory that there is the hypersensitive personality. I have 2 books on my shelf still not read but will share them incase there are any readers out there. 1 The Highly Sensitive Person Survival Guide: Ted Zeff. 2 The Highly Sensitive Person How To Survive When The World Overwhelmes You. : Elaine N. Aron. Maybe I should read them !! Although not a diret link to health anxiety I think it is all connected and if you are hypersensitive you notice any bodily sensation.

i was told it part of my make up. but i was never like this before anxiety. i feel as though ive lead 2 lives 1 before anxiety & now this 1 with anxiety.

Hi, I just wanted you to know that you should not worry about having a heart attack.

I know this may sound strange but it is true. I am 55 now. My farther died when he was 52 from pneumonia after having a stroke. That was back in 1968 when little was known about the condition. I was 10 years old at the time and was traumatized by the event. As a result I became obsessed with the fear that the same thing would happen to me. I carried that fear around with me for years and missed out on a lot of joy because of it. Eventually, I became ill with fibromyalgia and depression. Then in 2010 I had a heart attack. I felt a little uncomfortable and thought it was indigestion. I hadn't improved after 15 mins so my wife phoned the Dr for advice. She was told to call an ambulance. I was so sure that the ambulance crew would be annoyed at me for wasting their time. They arrived, examined me and told me I needed to go into hospital for further checks. By this time I was feeling fine so was sure It had all been a mistake. It turned out that I had suffered a heart attack and needed a heart by-pass. Five of the arteries around my heart were blocked. I couldn't believe how calm I was when I was told. I had always thought I would not be able to cope with anything like this. When I was taken to the theater I was given a sedative by injection.

That was nothing really, I hardly felt a thing.

The next thing I knew was that I'd had the operation and was on my way to recovery.

I enjoyed the few days in hospital and would not hesitate to go in again if I needed to.

The one thing I have learned from that experience is that I wasted so many years worrying and then when my greatest fear happened, it was so easy and all over in a few days.

I can't get those lost years back now but I can live the rest of my life without fear of illness.

Please do not worry about illness. It's not worth the time.

Thankyou so much for this valuable post. I tell myself all the time to stop worrying but the irrational part of the mind doesn't like to listen !! Fortunately I dont spend all my time worrying but I would say I still spend too much . I think fear of pain is a possibilty or the fact that I have children so if anything happened to me what would they do . I think being a single mum makes this worse though I have a good family it is still basically me on my own having to be strong and fit. I have been feeling unwell today and have palpitation like feelings in the right side of my chest. I don't usually have this so now I am worrying why. I have also noted aches and pains in my body alot today. I used to drink alcohol and smoke and as I don't do this now apart from the odd glass of wine I should feel good but I don't . I really helps having someone to chat to so thankyou and hope to chat again

Hi Rose, this was, and still is, my biggest fear... it used to happen whenever I was having a panic attack, which of course made the panic attack I was having seem worse and therefore seem even more like a heart attack. Even knowing that panic attacks generate feelings that are similar to heart attacks (i'm told), I still thought I was going to have a heart attack. I thought that the strain the panic attacks were putting my heart through would trigger a heart attack... it's a vicious circle. Couple that with health anxiety then it really starts to get messy. I also had an ECG which came out as fine. I think what you experience, which is exactly what I've experienced, is a bit of both panic disorder and health anxiety, at least that's what my problem is. The doctors you've spoken to clearly don't know much about these otherwise he'd recognise it! Health anxiety is called 'hypochondriasis' after all... The good news is that various techniques (mainly via CBT) can help manage this horrible feeling better, it's not easy but simple techniques like rationalising and not checking your heart rate can help over time. I hope you can overcome this

I don't think there is a day post anxiety that I haven't had pains in my chest that makes me think the worse, that and my sudden spikes of temperature keep me in this vicious cycle. I often scream in my head to some unknown presence to just be done with it and take me, let the heart attack happen if that's what it wants, I often think then at least I'll be done with all this day in day out struggle with anxiety it is so draining having to do battle each and every day. Pre anxiety I walked the earth like I was virtually indestructible, not in an arrogant manner but confident that my heart beating faster is simply that, pains in my chest are just that, etc etc. If I was ill I had to be ordered to stop and take time off work or visit my GP which i rarely did. I've stopped checking my BP and temp and resigned myself to the fact if it's going to happen then it's going to happen but this still doesn't remove the anxiety which you would think it would. It's sad to say but I don't enjoy life or living anymore because of this stupid feckin disorder, I am but existing.

We can all avoid getting sick. If we only eat the right kind of food. I mean, I've been a vegetarian for two years now and I've never been better all my life. I figured eating meat or pork risks my health because of the toxins they injected to those poor animals we saw at the farm. However, I'm also using kechara protection chakras to keep me strong and protected.

Hi mate I've had a heart attack it wasn't nice but strangely I don't worry about heart attacks just evry thing else panic attacks anxiety health anxiety brings in fact every thing we all talk about and mention on here I'm an old hand at these I'm 58 I've had it on and off for 35yrs and I've had many really bad panic attacks but only one heart attack which was nothing to do my anxiety and other problems like you I've had many tests especially after the heart attack perfusion tests ECGs ultrasounds MRI scans and heart wise I feel fine but like you it doesn't stop me thinking I'm having heart problems mid panic attack and as for feeling like a hyperchondriac your like all of us on here ultra sensitive about your health problems and there's nothing wrong with that and the fact that there's so many of us on here talking about it hardly suggests the anxiety problem is totally imaginary does it .....you take care and enjoy the good bits in between the bad bits all the best.....Mel

Hello Rose thanks for getting in touch...How do I manage it I take the dog out I listen to music I read a lot I look on the Internet for answers I luckily found this site and write about it but otherwise I still have panic attacks health anxiety sudden pains that I know are nothing but they feel real to me I had a dr ask me something once during one of my many visits he said look Mel is it a pain or is it a feeling and I had to admit it was a feeling and admitting that made me feel a bit better deep down. Now as to what set it all off I was working nights and I'd felt ill during the day but I still went to work and telling me mate who I was working with about feeling ill he said my dad had something like that he died from it and that hit me like a bullet and I couldnt get it out of my mind . Something that trivial and here I am still suffering from health anxiety panic disorder and all that goes with it I have good days I have bad days I enjoy the good I dread the bad but one bit of advice is get help early don't have anxiety symptoms over many days and say no it's just tiredness or whatever get up the docs and get checked out catch it early... oh and ime not to bad at the moment I'm never too bad in the autumn for some reason ...... I hope your ok too......Mel

Hi Mel

What an impact one persons words can have ! I understand this as I remember comments that have stuck mostly about blushing as I am lucky to have that too !! Pain is often hard to explain. Is it sharp or dull doctors ask .... I dont know it just bloody hurts I want to say !

I studied health psychology a little and there is a whole topic of the psychology of pain . I may have another look at that .... very interesting. We all have different tolerance and perception of pain too , how can you explain to someone else ? I get pain in my wrist / fingers/ neck . I would say it is a sharp shooting pain . In my head it has varied from being nerve pain to cardiac pain. The GP doesn't even know / care. They offered me a MRI scan but I haven't been so I guess they think well live with it which I do.

I am glad you are not too bad at the moment. So Autumn agrees with you ? Try to challenge / rationalise your fears and hopefully get support from wherever you can

Best Wishes

Rose

Your fear is not that unsual, which is clear from the amount of similar posts and comments.

Can I ask you a quick question...does it feel like your heart is racing/having palpitations?

When that is happening have you ever considered taking your pulse? Often it can feel like our heart is racing, but when we take the time to sit down and examine the evidence (by taking our pulse) we find it is not going anywhere near as fast as we think.

I have been working with a client with similar fears, who often felt like their heart was racing. Just the other day I asked them to take her pulse...I also took mine at the same time. To be honest I was fizzing when their pulse was lower than mine, but it served as an excellent example of how what we think and feel is not always based in fact, but in opinion.

Since then pulse taking is part of our therapy sessions. We take them at the beginning middle and the end of the session. I even made them run on the spot..I suggested 30 seconds, but they wanted to run for a minute. Naturally our pulse rate was higher after running on the spot, but by the end of the session our pulses had returned to what is considered the normal rate.

The normal resting heart rate, according to medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

is considered to be between 60 - 100 beats per minute. It is also age dependent, and will differ depending on your fitness levels. Some athletes have a resting heart rate of 40 bpm.

If you are really concerned then speak to your doctor, and they will help to put your mind at rest (easier said than done).

Of course, it may be the fact you are standing next to someone hot that your heart rate is increasing.

Good luck and happy heart rate.

That's exactly like me . When I feel a dull pain or sharp I get anxious and scared,and can't sleep.And I haven't went to the doctor and it scares me even more. But I feel better now knowing that someone had the same feeling as me

I've just come across this site. I am constantly worried I'm going to have a heart attack. My friends don't u understand. At night my heart feels like it's going so fast and I go dizzy through worry. I've had an ECG but they said it was fine. I don't understand how they know that without a 24 hour monitor. It's taking over. I'm worried to have a drink with friends or even play football with my son! I'm glad to see there are other people worried about this too! I don't know what's wrong with me but sure am looking for answers! Thanks all for sharing your worries too!

Klair.

Omg man. You sound like me. Lol

I know these are old posts but I am reading this in tears as I've finally found people who not only describe the 'symptoms' of my anxiety but the feelings of utter despair that come with it - so many people just tbinking you're being silly or tell you to just get over it.... I know there are people who are really really ill and dying and I know I'm a terrible person for 'makibg stuff up' but I really wish people would try it some time -

I'm 31, nearly 32. My anxiety started after I found my grandad dead in bed. He had had a heart attack which took him peacefully and quickly but he had had a silent heart attack three weeks previously which had hospitalised him... About a week or two after it started and I've put up with it for two years since... I've been to the doctor who did an ECG and said everything was fine and gave me omeprazole, told me to lose some weight which I've been doing slowly and steadily since then - still a long way to go but moving in the right direction... Since then, I've had an array of 'symptoms' - unexplainable pain usually in my chest, shoulders, back and stomach. I eat antacids like sweets, went through a phase of taking large daily doses of aspirin (and still take them from time to time as it helps me to worry less) I have painful pressure points on my chest and at the tops of my arms, and a viscious set of knots on my back between and beneath my shoulders - at tbe moment, it is really sharp pain in mh lower ribcage - stupid I know, but I take comfort from constantly pressing these points because all the while they hurt, it reassures me that the pain isn't coming from my heart. I rarely go to sleep before 2am because my brain tells me that if I make it til then, I'll survive til the morning... I know that all of this is totally irrational... Its nothing for me to walk three or four miles pushing my mum (who I care for) in her wheelchair - I don't get out of breathe and, except on hot days, barely break a sweat, hardly the reaction of someone with heart disease or who has a heart attack looming... I am also a teacher and work in busy, inner city schools (although am currently between jobs) All logic tells me that if it was going to happen, it would have by now but whats logic next to a brain that has decided to over indulge in neurotic hypochondria... It tells me all the time that 'grandad didn' t have any symptoms either'... In the Uk sitcom one foot in the grave, the main character, Victor Meldrew, is a hypochondriac. In one episode, he reads it and finds an obscure and terrible, inevitably fatal illness. The description reads 'no symptoms in the early stages' to which Victor remarks 'thats exactly what I' ve got' - thats how I feel most of the time - althoygh unlike Victor, I have the internet which is far worse than a dictionary. I sometimes find I experience 'symptoms' I've read about within ten minutes of reading... If I really had everything I'd read about online, I'd have been quarantined by the World Health Organisation by now. My brain and my body seem to be conspiring to make me miserable in a seemingly unbreakable cycle of pain and worry and worry and pain... I used to be so happy... I had a great sense of humour, I was fun to be with and enjoyed spending time with myself, I was optimistic and positive about the future... But at the moment, I am so unhappy in and with myself... I work so hard to pretend everything's fine as I don't want people worrying or getting fed up with me... At the moment, there's an unwelcome lodger living with me, and he's making my life a misery and I really wish he'd move out...

Oh I know this feeling all to well, have had Anxiety since a teenager, and the one symptom I hate the most is always worrying about a heart attack or problems with the heart. I can go months without anxiety when I am not stressed in life or nothing bad happens and I don't get the horrible feeling or is my heart okay, then BOOM something bad happens my anxiety starts up and the feeling again, I recently had a fall which was not my fault I went flying on uneven pathing, ended up badly breaking my elbow, surgery to put 2 metal plates in and 8 pins, worked my self up so much my anxiety went mad, 2 months after surgery and I still got the anxiety I hate it hate the feeling of my chest feels tight ie the muscles, the racing heart feeling, worrying every day is my heart okay. I had a ecg done at hospital before surgery as my bp went high with nervousness and the ecg was okay, I have been to see my doctor told him how feel and he said it is palpitations due to anxiety and stress from my accident. What makes it worse with me is my grandad died of heart attack, my nan had heart attack, stroke and heart problems, and my dad had to have one them stints put in his, scares me.

I am the same x

Absolutely. I'm a 39 year old male. I've always been a "no big deal" "don't worry about it" kind of guy. Well, about three years ago I began obsessing that I had some sort of heart issue. I've had every test known to man and heart is healthy. This year a dramatic experience broke open a severe anxiety attack that landed me In the ER. Again test were run and I'm fine and healthy. They said anxiety. Started seeing a therapist and same thing I have generalized anxiety. Well, this week my chest has been having sharp pains etc but doc said AGAIN it's acid reflux and me worrying to much. Every little pain in arms or chest I immediately think heart attack lol. It's all a mind screw. I was out on Paxil 20mg for my anxiety and also klonopine when needed. The klonopine is amazing lol it makes me not worry about anything and I can have a normal life. However I constantly worry about everything now . Rather its finances. Family, health or you name it I worry to much. Your not alone.

I'm 25 and I have the same feelings. Every pain near my chest sends me off for weeks with anxiety. I have palpitations and anemia (that I am currently going to the doctor for) and today my doctor scheduled an appointment for me for a cardiologist and Im pretty sure he did that to settle my nerves. It all started after my dad passed away from a heart attack. Some days I feel like I'm falling apart and I'm going crazy.

I had an echocardiogram, stress test, ekg's, chest x rays, wore an event monitor for 30 days, all kinds of blood tests, seen countless of medical doctors AND still to this day when I get a panic attack or have any kind of weird sensation in my chest area, I think I am having a heart attack!!!  I don't know why I can't seem to stop thinking this way!  It is extremely hard not to when your body is having all these uncomfortable and even painful sensations.  I pray a lot and that really helps me.  Or I go outside and pace around my yard and take deep slow breaths.  I am with you 100% on this.

I'm glad I found this site because I have been going through the same exact things that almost everyone on here has. I'm 27 years old and never had any problems of worry or anxiety or heart problems until this year. I recently graduated from college and felt kinda in limbo about what I was going to due next and then all of sudden this overwhelming anxiety hit me and I didn't know what to do. It got so bad that I couldn't even leave the house some days and my back would hurt and driving anywhere past 2 or 3 miles was out of the question. I started going to my old chiropractor (had spine problems when I was younger) and that helped a lot, but then one day at night my heart started pumping uncontrollably for at least 30 min to a hour after I smoked a lil marijuana. Now keep in mind I had been using marijuana for some time now off and on since I was 18 or 19 so I've done it hundreds or thousands of times by now. Either way since that day I always have this notion that any pain or feeling I can't even definitely say pain because it doesn't hurt, is some heart problem. I had kawasaki disesese when I was younger and that also brings worry to my mind. I've had 2 EKG test and like everyone it came back good no issues, I've had blood test as well and came back super good yet the worry still continue. Not as bad as before yet still there from time to time. Its so reassuring to hear other people also experience this and I am not alone. If anyone else is reading this for the first time YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I have a psychology degree and I'm planning my masters in social work and plan to put a majority of my efforts to help people like us to find out why this anxiety controls some much of our lives and how to improve our wellbeing. Thank you to everyone who read this and everyone who put their story on here and STAY STRONG EVERYBODY. "If you can make it through the night, there's a brighter day"-Tupac Shakur

Same story here... It's comforting to see so many other anxiety sufferers making such similar complaints (i feel like they've taken the words from my own experience, so similar). It seems to be evidence that in most cases, it's all in our heads. Now heart disease is a very real and common problem. I would hate for an Anx' sufferer to disregard what could potentially be a serious condition. Having an anxious disposition doesn't make one immune to Heart and blood pressure problems. I'd suggest anyone who hasn't already sought out an opinion from a medical Dr. if for no other reason than peace of mind, be checked out thoroughly for any possible cardiovascular issues, by a trustworthy Doctor who specializes in the heart. I don't know if you saw a heart specialist, or were treated in an emergency room as I was at first.. Of course I distrusted their opinion. Worst case scenario, you catch something that could be life threatening early. Speaking for myself, and hopefully anyone else who takes this route, you'll waste a few hours and walk out with professional reassurance that the symptoms are psychosomatic and your life isn't truly in danger. This revelation in my case actually decreased the regularity of my panic attacks. It still happens, but most of the time I'm able to get over it at home, clinging to the hope that the Dr. didn't miss something (I still get it in my head that they made a mistake, and I'm on death's door with a bum heart, others have reported a similar deficit in faith concerning their prognosis ) From what I understand, modern medicine is advanced enough to detect even the slightest heart defect with a simple eeg (or ekg, which is it?) aren't perfect, but they're still very helpful tools and more often than not work perfectly. Never the less, a follow up ultrasound, if necessary, should most assuredly rule anything else out. Not to get too long winded, but I've had 4 panic attacks that ended with me losing consciousness at home and waking up either in an ambulance or the emergency room. Pounding heart, sharp chest pain, sharp shooting pains in the limbs and thighs, pain & tightness around the arteries in the neck; everything I'm told a heart attack feels like... they were panic each time. Panic and a legit heart attack can feel almost indistinguishable. It's not fair, your fears are justified, it really feels like death, but look at all these similar stories. Chances are it's the cursed anxiety. You've got the power, you're the one in control. I was treated by a cardio Dr. He was very thorough, respectful. He probably knew within a minute that I was fine, but he took the time to really look at everything he could and rule it all out.. I've remained awake through every panic attack since, and even stop them in their track sometimes when I feel them coming on, this Dr visit being a comforting piece of evidence to grasp onto, as I breathe into my shirt, or a pillow, trying to adjust the co2 levels in my blood, or doing my breathing exercises... anything can help if you just believe it will. I have a mantra when I feel one coming on. I Think, if I do die, thank god. Life sucks anyway. And I repeat "In heaven everything is fine, In heaven everything's alright." A line from a film I love... and more often than not, it slows, the air starts flowing and I'm okay... Beating a panic attack or two, stopping them with your mind... Once I did that a few times, I started to realize "I have the power here, fu*k you anxiaty, I've got sh*t to do, no time for this" No one should have to live in fear, especially if they haven't got anything life threatening to face yet. We'll all have to confront death one day, there's no sense in suffering before it's your time, it's not fair. You and only you can take the reins, and tell your body who's boss. It's easier said than done, but it's not only possible, but likely, with the right help, to manage this awful illness and find comfort.

I hate that this was posted 4 years ago. My friends 30 year old wife just died from a clot in her heart, in thr weeks since many celebrities have died from heart attacks. I keep thinking I have chest pain or pain in my left arm, but I keep thinking that just hearing about it and being afraid of it happening had caused these symptoms. Still I am horrified of it happening and wondering if I should ignore it or just go in for peace of mind. I honestly think my brain is just tricking me because it only became an issue when I thought about it a lot

I always say if you think of you or a phone 999 because it's better to be told he's just an anxiety attack or indigestion don't take chances even if you think it's an anxiety attack phone for an ambulance straight away it's never in ferrocene paramedics will not think any less or more love you it doesn't matter how many times you go to hospital still from still phone for an ambulance it's always best to be your anxiety heart attack it doesn't matter if you get one or more of those symptoms are you feeling distress phone an ambulance or phone and out of surgery in the UK1111 she don't hesitate don't try and diagnose yourself because it could be dangerous my advice is no matter what you think you've got have a phone and out of hour doctors or phone straight for an ambulance don't try diagnose yourself it's not worth it cost anything less of you that's not their job is job is to help and at least phone and out of hours doctors and speak to them I hope this helps

Hi rose I have same issue can we please chat ?