25 and scared

[Abirjo94]

Hi, is there anyone on here young like myself and have heart failure? I am so scared, my doctor isnt taking me seriously. I get chest pains bad when exercising as well as dizziness, my hands swell and my left leg (calf) has started to become larger than my right. With spider veins and little pea sized lumps.

I also have been getting real bad trapped nerves down my left side from head to toe. Right side a little too but left side mainly.

I keep searching my symptoms because the foctor wont see me or when he does he writes everything off as anxiety!!

My left eye is also slightly affected, my vision feels different. I am scared and alone with my thoughts.

I have been to a&e previously due to a bad few hours of palpitations. they did bloods and found nothing abnormal apart from abnormal platelet functioning (without co clusion) have also seen a haematologist withoit any answers. They also obviously did an ECG and found nothing. Is it possible for these two to be normal but for me to have heart disease?

I an aware none of you are doctors (maybe) and cant diagnose but please give me something. Your experienced with heart disease or something? Maybe you suffer from another heart problem which sounds a lot like mine? Anything please im so scared.

Thank you

[lettingoffsteam]

I'm so sorry to hear how you are suffering Abirjo.I have suffered from anxiety all my life...I'm 56 and now, due to high blood pressure, I have a mildly enlarged heart and I suffer from arrhythmia.Why am I telling you this?Well, when I was younger my heart would have palpitations and yet everything looked normal and was normal.I also had strange symptoms that affected my vision.Anxiety can cause a huge variety of symptoms and leave you feeling that you are dying but longer term your physical health is affected.Doctors believe a large factor in my high bp is anxiety but the end result is the same.Have you had any help for your anxiety? Talk to your GP about getting CBT....it's excellent at helping those with health anxiety and can be accessed free online.Now maybe you do have a physical problem but dealing with your anxiety will enable you to see you through this and prevent stress induced illness.I wish you the very best.

[Abirjo94 in reply to lettingoffsteam]

Hi thank you so much for your reply. It's so hard to know what to do, I am in pain every day down my arms, legs, back, neck. I have TMJ.. and suffering from trapped nerves at the moment so its very hard to not focus on how I'm feeling all the time because of this constant pain. At least with these symptoms I know it's just a trapped nerve but the heart symptoms make me feel like its something more.

I just need to call the doctors again really and have them do all necessary tests instead of googling and worrying. It just makes me feel crazy every time I go and them saying I am fine with each test they do but I just dont feel fine at all. I have been suffering all my life with anxiety so I know what it feels like and now I dont recognise these feelings as anxiety, its grown past that almost. The anxiety now comes after the symptoms instead of anxiety bringing on my symptoms like it does with my trapped nerves.

Thank you so much for your support

[Abirjo94 in reply to lettingoffsteam]

Also I have just had an assessment to have some CBT and hopefully some counselling so I can talk to someone about these feelings. Thank you x

[lettingoffsteam in reply to Abirjo94]

I'm pleased to hear that you are going down the CBT route, I'm sure it will help.Also, as a counsellor myself, I would thoroughly recommend that too.

The thing is an anxious stressed body generates physical pain in response to the stress hormones circulating around, so it really is a vicious circle.I went through a traumatic event just over twenty years ago and after that I had the most frightening symptoms including terrible headaches, swollen glands and, of course, palpitations.I was convinced I was dying!What helped me was the care of my family and a good friend and a book...a very old book called 'Self help for your nerves' by Claire Weekes.This book finally enabled me to make the connection between mind and body and I recovered.

Now twenty years on the mind body connection is much better understood and there are so many other resources out there so I'm sure you can find something useful.As I said before, focus on your emotional and mental health to put yourself in a better place to focus objectively on your physical health.Take care.🙂

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Yes you can have bloods in range and a normal ECG, and have heart disease. I am assuming you had a resting ECG. Both of these were normal for me with four coronary arteries between 70% and 85% blocked. In my view the better test is the Exercise ECG carried on on a treadmill or exercise bike. Another relatively simple test is an Echocardiogram. If you have not had these (Exercise ECG and Echo) it might be worth asking for these.

The miscellaneous symptoms you describe make me think of two very different things, either a series of TIAs (transient ischaemic attack or mini stroke) or health anxiety.

Can we assume you are of a healthy weight and BMI, eat healthily, do not smoke, exercise, drink in moderation and do not take recreational drugs? I know one person who needed stents at 30 after over a decade of near daily junk food and cigarettes between meals!

Not a lot else I can think of at the moment. Keep us updated.

[Abirjo94 in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi there thank you so much for your reply. Unfortunately I have been a smoker since I was around 17/18 and have had a bad lifestyle very inactive. Also I have had a history of using illegal drugs at parties in the past. Uppers and downers all mixed together with alcohol. This was mostly a lot of weekends for a few years and Daily cannabis use. I am aware this makes me even more prone to heart problems which is why I worry. I am clean now and dont even party anymore, I'm too tired by the end of the day to be going all night and drugs dont appeal to me anymore, not now I have finally discovered the world outside of my drug induced box. And it is only now I am trying to better myself that I am noticing all of these problems.

Its very scary. I dont smoke anymore since around 3 weeks ago, stopped all caffeine etc. Healthy eating with lots of fish and exercising every day.

I haven't noticed my heart palpitations very much when exercising usually.. only since it's been hot. And even then it feels like more of a slight flutter and I lose my breath for a split second.

Thank you for your reassurance, although unfortunately I have mostly hit all of the risk factors on the head with my lifestyle in the past which makes me worry even more.

I am calling my doctor back up now to try and pretty much beg for a echo gram thingmabob and stress test as I have only had a resting ECG.

Again thank you, nice to wake up to someone to talk to. My boyfriend doesn't know what to do, I was laying there last night sobbing and he did and said nothing. I dont know what I expect from him but just to talk about how I'm feeling would be nice.

[Yasyass]

Anxiety makes anything worse try not to focus on uself have hobbies try helping others who need your health u r very lucky to be healthy don’t worry about something that isn’t there enjoy the things that are there wishing you best

[Abirjo94 in reply to Yasyass]

Thank you, you are right I know it could very much be down to anxiety. But my symptoms are so real even when I'm having a fantastic week enjoying the outdoors and anxiety free pretty much, my symptoms hit me then which makes me think it's not all in my head?

Thank you so much for your reply

[Yasyass in reply to Abirjo94]

As long ur results r fine try not to think about it even if you have symptons kp remb it will pass I think it’s one of those things you’ll have to live with but try to enjoy your life i enjoyed my life until had ha and stil try to carry on and went gp said heart failure and other illnesses but don’t feel it so plz look after uself make the most of your life and enjoy what u do take care

[SmokeAKipper]

Did you have any erations or you just on Heart drugs

[Abirjo94 in reply to SmokeAKipper]

I am on no heart drugs and nothing diagnosed from doctor. Normal resting ECG bur I dont feel normal

[SmokeAKipper]

Operation

[SmokeAKipper]

If your doctor is not doing anything get another doctor. Doctors vary ... good and average... some only give you 10 minutes... so get another doctor ASAP... I had symptoms.. dizziness... blurred vision... then had heart attack in Spain had stent placed... this should have been picked up... they can put a dye in in your system. .. and it will tell if your blood flow is being stopped.. my cardiologist recommended magnesium citrate powder 375 mg... and vitamin D. and vegetarian diet... if you have BUPA. ... ring their nurse... so first things first get a new doctor today... and you need a cardiologist

[Abirjo94 in reply to SmokeAKipper]

Thank you, I have just made an appointment. Unfortunately they are only doing telephone appointments due to Covid still around our area i presume. But I will try get him to listen to me, fortunately it's a new doctor this time and maybe he can shed a different light on this.

Did you get any eye floaters with your visual disturbances? Because I get them awful when I'm even waking, anything more physical makes it hard to see.

Thanks for the recommendations on supplements and diet, I'm really keen on making amendments to this lately. I have refused all anxiety medication and opted for natural green tea extract. Also I have been vegetarian in the past and considering going mostly back.. apart from chicken here and there! Red meat I know is bad so I'm completely cutting that out for now. I will have a look at these magnesium tablets.

Thanks so much for your advice, makes me feel less alone

[SmokeAKipper in reply to Abirjo94]

Yep cut out red meat.... regarding eyes and floaters... I had blurred vision in one eye then it would go....

Your diet can help ou also... emotionally have you someone you can rely on ... things will improve be positive.. set yourself goals and a diary see what new doctor says... if you are really unwell... go to casually that’s what they are their for

[Sunnie2day]

Can you afford to go private? Given you describe chest pain on exertion I'm surprised your GP is 'fobbing you off' but that's not unusual for GPs particularly if you are young (and you are). If you're female you are even more likely to be fobbed off when complaining about chest pain.

I'm female in my early sixties, have had a lifelong heart condition (and now a few more) and it wasn't until I showed up to my GP 'in distress' that I was taken seriously (after the dentist realised I was in serious trouble and said if I didn't go straight over to the GP he was going to telephone 999), in pain and so short of breath I had to stop three times on my way into her exam room.

That convinced her and I was referred as urgent to the Rapid Access Chest Pain unit. Long story short, a year on I'm finally feeling better than I have in decades.

Anxiety can cause chest pain and other symptoms - but chest pain should always be investigated, not fobbed off as anxiety without investigations. If your GP continues to 'fob you off' calling your symptoms 'anxiety', you really might want to consider going private or at least speaking to the practice manager and asking for a different GP.

[Abirjo94 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thank you for your understanding. I have rang the doctors and have a telephone appointment for a bit later, they are still only doing this at the moment due to covid I assume. But I have a different doctor this time, maybe he can shed a different light on it.

It makes me feel so crazy, I can be having a normal week and normal day feeling fantastic in myself, anxiety free some would say then bam heart flutters and extreme dizziness like I'm going to pass out and feeling like I cant catch my breath properly.

I have considered private before, maybe I definitely will when again nothing gets sorted.

Thank you for your advice

[Sunnie2day in reply to Abirjo94]

I would make a strong point about the chest pain on exertion - be honest but if it's awful, call it that. If it nearly brings you to your knees, say so.

Great to hear you'll be speaking with a different doctor! Please update us.

[Yasyass in reply to Abirjo94]

Best to get another check up but anxiety can bring chest pains and diet and stress so try and change your lifestyle around if needed and I hope that your results come bk normal at least peace of mind my sister last had some similar symptons went a e had all tests they all came bk normal so she changed her diet and try stop stress already her bp is down chest pain stopped but like I said for reassurance do another checkup

[Bichon76]

Hi

I am so sorry to hear this and I can understand you being scared. I have had major heart surgery I’ve twice had cancer and pulmonary embolisms etc. But each time I followed my gut instincts. As Like you I was ignored by doctors telling me I was imagining things etc. But turned out I was right. Insist on someone listening and taking you seriously otherwise you will complain to a medical ombudsman they soon change their tune then. If I were you I would contact one anyway as they will give you honest advice on what you should do

I hope you get this sorted please keep me posted as I would like to know the outcome

Stay strong and don’t give up trying to get to the bottom of this Don’t let anyone say your imagining it as you know your own body x

[Helen_BHF]

Hi there Abirjo94 , our cardiac nurses are always here if you ever want to chat. Contact details here bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo... Really hope this helps.