28 years old get Enlarged Heart?

[Turtle90]

Hi all have posted here before and had some great advice so hoping you may be able to help again.

For almost 4 months after a panic attack I have had pain in chest which comes and goes normally left, right, middle, beneath left breast area, left side again beneath breast area and light headeness.

Been hospital and to doctors, have had 2 ECG's, Chest Xray, Blood Tests, Kidney/Bladder/Prostate ultrasound but all fine and am told its "anxiety" Blood pressure is high 150/90 but again told its anxiety.

Have being on zoloft/sertraline 6 weeks now and last couple weeks have been ok up until about 48 hours ago when I paid attention to the pains again. Also noticed my appetite is ridicolous now and i weigh 18 stone (have put a stone on almost since starting the tablets)

Now I worried myself again went back doctors friday still saying it is anxiety and the weight gain should settle in the new year as should the Blood pressure but got to diet and go back to doctors couple weeks into Jan.

I now think I have enlarged heart, heart disease, ready for a heart attack etc and have a head ache because I keep on thinking the worse.... it feels like the doctors dont want to help bjt off course they do (I hope) I feel I need a head to toe scan, or at least a echocardiogram but when i mentioned the MRI or CT scan to my doctor Friday he said no need. I am going to try and get another appointment tommorow and ask for a echocardiogram so that someone can see my heart and its valves but have a feeling my doctors wont be abke to refer me for this, I have being reffered to a cardiologist but because it isnt serious there is up to a 5 month wait.

My left breast area seems to have a dull pain all the time at the moment, combined with the high blood pressure and I am adamant my breast has got bigger on that side I have self diagnosed heart enlarged.

I also noticed when I lay on my back for a period of time my stomach feels like it is squashing and if I take a deep breath it hurts until I get up and walk about.

[Hidden]

An enlarged heart would be visible on a chest X-ray.

The best thing you could do would be to help yourself by learning how to eat healthily and counteract the medications. I understand your worries; the best way to investigate them would be to get yourself to the healthiest you can (physically and mentally) within your control - this will help eliminate lots of possibilities for the doctors. I hope this is helpful,

[Chappychap in reply to Hidden]

That sounds like good advice to me.

Your chest Xray clearly showed your heart size, standard practise is to measure the heart dimensions on the Xray. So it's just not very plausible that an enlarged heart is one of your health problems.

However, being 18 stone and trending heavier, well that's a really, really serious health problem.

[isobelhannah18]

Anxiety can cause genuine physical symptoms, so your aches and pains are real but the cause is anxiety. I have been recommended yoga for anxiety and start after Christmas. There are lots of other things you can try. However, your weight is a real health risk and it usually isn't the tablets that are to blame. I have a tendency to put on weight and the only answer is to eat healthily and exercise for life. Look at Dr. Michael Mosley's 5/2 fast. I fast (600 calories) once a week and that maintains a steady weight but there are lots of other ideas from people on the forum.

[Turtle90 in reply to isobelhannah18]

Thankyou for replying, I do struggle accepting it is anxiety but slowly thinking ok it may be anxiety and am taking the tablets (begrudgingly) to try and help but I look into things to much and then panic.

I have being about 15-16 stone for the past 4 years (ish) but at the start of this year I went through a phase of drinking mango monster energy drinks which in turn I lost muscle and went up to about 17 stone, scales told me but friends and family said i hadn't and it got me down that no one was listening (maybe contributed to my anxiety)

Then I started the sertraline begrudgingly and within 6/7 weeks of being on them I am weighing 18 stone, my partner has said in the 10 years shes being with me shes never seen me eat the way I am now so I went to the doctors and he said I am unlucky as there is a small chance of appetite boost in sertraline but it should balance itself out.

I have it firmly in my head that January 1st thats it No more Chocolate, biscuits,sweets, crisps etc and going to do dash diet (chicken, rice, peas, nuts, fruit, veg)

I shall check Dr Michael Mosley out. Thankyou for the advice

[Prada47]

Hello Turtle,

A question to ask yourself is what can you not do ?? Can you walk upstairs , do you manage to go shopping etc . 18 stone is a little heavy, but if your 6' 2" or so it's not to bad. Your Dr should be able to recommend a weight loss programme WW or the 5 : 2 diet, just try to relax, do you have a partner or someone who can help you ? it's much easier learning to cope when you have help. It doesn't sound as though you have major heart problems after your investigations ECG etc. People on here will help you just hang in there as we approach Christmas. We went into a major retailer yesterday M & S and I picked up lots of things looked at the label and put it back on the shelf. My Heart Nurse said 3 reds on a label a couple of times a week or as a treat otherwise leave it alone ( even though it is difficult )

I wish you well, soon the start of a New Year and a New You if you want it.

Best Wishes

[Turtle90 in reply to Prada47]

Hi Thankyou for the reply, I still do everything I did at the start of the year when I was 16 stone. (Have walked 3 miles today to do some shopping although in thr past 2/3 months I havent being out as much as I have feared passing out, have being on my porch roof putting decorations up etc) I am about 5 foot 12 and my bmi is "obese" now.

I went up to 17 stone middme of the year after drinking monster energy drinks and started hating myself for doing it persuaded myself I had beart disease and everyone around me didnt believe I put a stone on (I guess muscle dissapeared and fat took its place) which got me down and annoyed me possibly what got mw into this anxious state. Went doctors and i kid you not my appetite is like im santa in the training at the moment. Have being doctors and being told I am unlucky as there is a small chance of weight gain with the sertraline but it should balance itself out (although hes just upped them to 100mg a day)

In the new year i am going on dassh diet regardless I have got rhis embedded in my head already just really hope i dont have a PE, its not the fear of dying but its children I want tonbe there for aslomg as possible for them..... (maybe that sounds selfish and my apologies if so)

I have got an app called food scanner which scans barcodes on foods and tells you sugar etc really useful but at the moment I not really used it. Just wanr Christmas out the way and thats it no chocolate, biscuits, crisps in the house.

[isobelhannah18]

Dieting's fine for the initial weight loss but it really is a lifetime of eating healthily and regular exercise. I had a terrible diet but now really enjoy all the healthy stuff and don't want anything sweet. It's tough at first but worth it. Don't buy the unhealthy stuff. I found if it was in the house I ate it!

Good luck.