Anxiety around heart

[Lukew20]

Not sure if I should post here but feel it could be a good group to get advice,so basically for a good year and a half I’ve been having frequent panic attacks around that my heart has a problem or I’m gonna have a heart attack the scary part is my heart will thump or beat fast even when I’m not anxious , like I’m scared to exercise because how fast my heart beats it’s scary and when I go up and down the stairs it’s so rapid and I get breathless sorry if I seem silly for posting here 😞

[Hidden]

Not silly at all! My first suggestion is that you keep a check on your pulse and record the findings. Check it when you have been resting for a while, and again in different situations to get an idea of the pattern.

Online stopwatches are useful for this.

If it is regular that is not such a worry, but if it is very irregular and fast, you should call 111 for advice.

[Madgranny2 in reply to Hidden]

I agree with Flyingcarpet. This needs to be checked out, may be panic attack but you won't know until tears are done. Good luck

[Lukew20 in reply to Madgranny2]

Tears ?

[Madgranny2 in reply to Lukew20]

Tests ☺️

[Sunnie2day]

Just to add to the excellent suggestions the others have posted, panic attacks don't usually happen on stairs (or inclines). The shortness of breath combined with the rapid heartbeat you report happening when you climb those stairs would probably only be a panic attack if you've ever fallen up or down stairs or had some other physical or emotional trauma whilst on stairs.

I especially like Flyingcarpet's suggestion you log your pulse in both resting and active periods, and want to add you might also log what you were doing and any other symptoms occurring at the same time as the rapid pulse. Your GP will find the log a very helpful diagnostic tool.

You write you've anxiety about your heart - does heart trouble run in your family, or have you previously had a heart problem that required medical intervention? It isn't uncommon for someone who has familial heart health worries or who has had a previous heart event to be anxious to the point of panic attacks, but again, the panic attacks don't usually happen whilst climbing stairs (unless a physical or emotional trauma occurred on stairs).

Please do talk to your GP. Also helpful would be the BHF Heart Helpline cardiac nurses - I believe they're quite busy the now owing to the pandemic but if you keep trying, they do answer. The Helpline is open Monday through Friday 9am-5pm on normal working days (today is a Bank Holiday) on:

0300 330 3311

Please update us.

[Lukew20 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thanks you so much I’ll give them a call tomorrow, I’m only 17 and no there’s no heart problems down the line in my family just scared how fast my heart goes and yes I’ve been logging my heart for a good 6 months so can show them that this is really tying my life can’t stand it all I can feel is my heart

[Sunnie2day in reply to Lukew20]

Thank-you for replying, and after you've made the telephone call, please update us. You're young to have heart worries where there is no familial heart health history, so we're going to be sitting here worrying about you until we hear you've got medical care in motion.

Heart conditions with no family history do happen - for example, I was 7yo when I was diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Syndrome - I had a sore throat (strep) that didn't seem to be serious, and it wasn't until I collapsed with rheumatic fever anyone realised I was quite ill. By the time I collapsed it was too late to prevent complications - the delay in treatment meant the fever caused me to develop the Syndrome. I was lucky, really, to have collapsed and eventually diagnosed early enough in my life to mean I grew up aware I had a heart condition I would have to pay attention to. My life has been great so far and I think it's owing to knowing why I tire a bit more easily than my more heart healthy friends. My heart condition, because I knew about it, didn't slow me down as much as it would have had I not known about it. I had a very active youth and to mid-life so far including active military service and carrying two children to delivery and then bringing them up

Children don't always realise they're not well - I didn't - so things go on unseen to cause problems that don't show up for years. I was six when I had my fever and it took another year for the Syndrome to be discovered. Others have gone years without whatever complication 'a flu' or 'cold' or some chest trauma (hockey puck, cricket ball, similar blow to the chest that didn't seem 'all that' at the time) caused are discovered.

So, you may well have something that has developed as a complication of what seemed a mild illness or injury - your memory and your log will be a great help to the doctor to determine what is going on and needs further investigation.

Sorry for the long answer but it may be helpful in motivating you to seek medical investigation, and to ease a bit of the worry as you go on. Again, please update us so we know how you're getting on.

[jonesy78]

Great suggestions here. I often wondered why my heart rate was so high when exercising (evident by the pulse monitor on the machine) until I discovered, by accident, that I had arrhythmia. Not suggesting that’s what you have at all but it’s best to get it checked out. It’ll set your mind at rest and if there is something that needs addressing, you can get on it. All the best 👍

[Lukew20 in reply to jonesy78]

Thanks Im gonna have to get a 24 hour ecg something like that as I’m so scared of my heart beat 😞

[jonesy78]

That might be one of the tests that’s done Luke if you need one. Def get medical advice before doing anything though mate, just so it’s all interpreted properly. Sure it will all get sorted chap. This kind of stuff is manageable, often with relatively little disruption to your life, that’s even if you need it so try not to worry to much about it in the meantime 🙂

[scotsrish]

I have to put my 2 cents in here because you are so young. When i was very young i had similar problems. It turns out after being put on vitamin B and iron plus lots of water i started to feel better and stronger. I later took a real good multi vitamin and carried water. To this day i do not absorb vitamins properly from food and have to replace them plus drinking water is so important you can be borderline dehydrated and feel weak, heart pounding, dizzy, headache, sore joints. Give these a try as it can't hurt.

[w33SHAZ1234]

Have it checked out by your GP but do as the flying carpet told you and keep a note,try not to worry to much stress can play a big part aswell