I’m back with this heart fear crap… I... - British Heart Fou...

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I’m back with this heart fear crap… I hate it

My life just feels like endless torture sometimes with the symptoms I get, like I’m a 21 male I’m overweight but have no other heart risk factors.

Was up AE again after a 3 month time out. Everything fine after a 9 hour wait, trops were 4 and ECG perfect. Just high HR and BP usually from my anxiety. Doctor again said you’re 21 it’s ok.

Like everyday feels dreadful, I get so many symptoms related to my heart it’s unbelievable to me.

- Chest Tightness/pressure

- Left arm pain (numbness, ache, burning)

- Jaw pain

- Neck pain

- Back pain/tightness

- Shoulder Pain

- Feeling tired a lot and sometimes breathless.

But you know I’ve had all the tests they wanna give me. Over 25 ECGs, 2 heart echos, countless blood tests, chest X-rays and a heart monitor. Never found one thing wrong other that discovering my Hypothyroidism.

The symptoms get worse then better, it’s never endless. I saw a cardiologist last year, he said I shouldn’t worry about having a heart attack at my age and all the testing but like why do I get these symptoms. I have health anxiety, so they assume that (somatic symptom disorder), gastric related they’ve suggested, gonna run some tests. Can’t really get anymore heart tests apart from a stress one as they think anything invasive is pointless which I kinda get.

It’s so depressing tbh, I know most people on here have suffered with an actual heart event and I’m not trying to seem like a bad person for endlessly thinking I do. Maybe I just need to keep working on myself and CBT to be better but these symptoms can be dreadful.

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Dshadzz07

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12 Replies

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2 years ago

Hello

You are not a bad person but someone that needs help and support

We know each other a little bit now I think and I know or hope you would never take offense to anything I say as I suffer with my won MH problems but you know you are overweight you may over eat through your anxiety and depression as this is something we can do and you know you will get away with it a lot better while you are young but I really wish you would get it under control now as in later life this is not going to help your heart or your health in general

You have had every test I think they can do and if they are saying your heart is fine then it will be and the symptoms you keep feeling will be your anxiety they can feel very real but keep reminding yourself you have been given the all clear regarding your heart

I would keep up your CBT look at losing some weight and really put your all in those two things and as you start to feel healthier your confidence will improve and these symptoms will get less till you feel them no more

You can do this x

Dshadzz07• in reply to2 years ago

Thank you Bekind, always with really helpful and great responses. I think a lot of it is focusing on my mental health and moving forward with weight loss just these symptoms kind of prevent me in some ways.

It’s dreadful.

Yeah mental health issues can lead to me overeating I know it does to help with my problems. Doesn’t help in the long run of keeping healthy though.

• in reply toDshadzz072 years ago

Hello

I do understand what you are saying and anxiety always likes to win and is very powerful but we have to push through it and stop it winning

Get healthy snacks and food in I know maybe not as nice but even if you feel the need to eat they are healthier and will help you to lose some weight , resist buying junk food in I love junk food but I no longer buy it and if it is not in the house I cannot eat it

Put everything you have all yours fears into changing this around you can do it and then you will have such a good life to enjoy and that is what I really wish for you x

2 years ago

hello it is difficult when we can’t find an answer for symptoms. While you wait for a stress test, the main thing would be to look at lifestyle changes which will be a huge pay off at this early age. I wish I knew then what I know now but I have a congenital heart defect so it could have flared up even if fit and slim. But I might have been coping better now.

Working on your anxiety is key as well as diet (mainly) and exercise, don’t go mad just make a few or even just one change at a time.

Then it’s a matter of whether do these symptoms persist or can they subside with less anxiety and lifestyle changes.

good Luck

Dshadzz07• in reply to2 years ago

The issue with it is that due to the 2 heart echos they can’t see it being a structural issue. My age points to it not being a plaque issue.

I’ve been looking into micro vascular angina and a different one that happens when the vessels get out under stress that can cause chest tightness.

But then again anxiety, GERD and costochondritis can do the same. It’s so shit tbh honestly I don’t think they’ll give me the stress test I’ve asked but they’ve said no so far.

Yumz1997252 years ago

It is difficult because these symptoms sound heart related but unfortunately also anxiety, I also suffer with anxiety and depression as I think most people do these days especially when you suffer with some form of chronic illness 💔. I really feel for you and I wish you all the best and please get some help and and support, I recently went to the gp for my mental health wasn't easy but I did it and I feel so much better for it! ❤️

scentedgardener2 years ago

It's absolute rubbish, isn't it? I'm so sorry you are feeling like this.You mention that you're overweight, everything these days seems to be geared up to making us feel guilty if we are heavier. Have you considered going to Slimming World. I ask as I know several people who have had great success through them, and have kept the weight off. In my area the local GPs can refer you so you can attend for something like 12 weeks for either nothing or a very reduced cost. If that's not for you, are you in a position to do Noom? The advantage with them is they teach you why you have gained weight and give you the tools to deal with it.

Personally, I did things like having a healthy option for a snack, weighing my portions to be sure I wasn't being over generous to myself, and moving more, even if it was just walking up and down my living room for 10 minutes at a time, several times a day.

I've still got some weight to shift but I will get there. It was nearly a year after my diagnosis that anyone bothered to tell me I would be better off if I lost some weight. Okay, maybe it should have been obvious, but I was also pretty fit, so it wasn't obvious to me.

Definitely do something like CBT, it can only help.

Maybe you could ask your GP what actions you can take to improve your health with a view to lessening/getting rid of your symptoms, and ask him/her to put them in a priority order.

I'm very sure you can do this, with support and encouragement, you have already reached out to this community. Until someone has walked in your shoes they cannot know the demons you face. What one person can deal with easily is a huge hurdle for another person.

Keep us updated, we want to know how you're getting on.

2 years ago

You have, apparently, been told several times after what appear to be numerous tests and investigations, that you heart health is fine. It is possible however, as has been pointed out several times over the months you have posted on here, that your young heart is under a bit of stress and strain due to your excessive weight. Several months ago you came to us and explained your problems (repeated above) and told us you were over 300lb but were losing weight, then returned a few weeks later and told us you had actually gained more weight! I do not doubt that you have health problems due to the thyroid issues you told us about in another post, which may affect your mental state, but that is not really related to your heart. So in short and with the greatest of respect I think you are on the wrong forum. You should really be looking to a weight control or management forum for help and empathy, and with that sort of positive encouragement you will be better placed to get your weight management under control and if that happens you could well find that the perceived problems which you attribute to your heart just disappear, and in general terms the world feels a much better place. 👍

2 years ago

Hello

For me you are always welcome on here but getting all the support we can will never be to much so as you may know you can be a member on as many Communities on here as you like and I am going to give you all the links I can think of and find to Communities on here that you may want to look at and see if any will help as well as getting support when you need it here to x

The links will take you straight to the Communities x

healthunlocked.com/mental-h...

healthunlocked.com/anxiety-...

healthunlocked.com/anxietys...

healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

healthunlocked.com/weight-l...

Rainfern2 years ago

Hi and hope you find sharing your problem helpful - you remind me of my own long-ago past! By the time I was 21 I was convinced my heart was malfunctioning on a regular basis. All those symptoms you describe above, palpitations and frequent visits to the GP but not able to believe their reassurances. I had a hole in heart as a kid but this was fixed and no longer a problem. The problem was the close wiring between anxiety and normal functioning of the heart. And not having the coping strategies to bring down the anxiety so my brain was working overtime with its doom laden interpretations of what was going on. We can know these things rationally, but that doesn't mean we can just stop it at will. So I just want you to know you CAN get over it but it takes time and only you can do it. With support of course. Take a look at John Cabot Zinn online, a meditation app like Balance (great for breath exercises too), maybe book a course of counselling as you maybe have life issues triggering the anxiety. And stop exploring medical sites unless you want to train in medicine yourself!

Bingo882 years ago

Good morning Dshadzz07. You have had great advice from behind and others. I also had problems with anxiety and panicking and I also needed to loose weight. And although I am now a retired guy with more health problems that make it hard to do exercises at the gym. Try going because I found it really helped me loose weight and also helped my Anxiety. Good luck and hope you try while you are still young and have your life still to live. Brian

2 years ago

Hi Dshadzz07 ,

Thanks for being part of our community!

Unfortunately, as some of the replies have gone against our community guidelines, I have turned off the replies in this instance.

If you found any of the peer to peer support shared here useful, please reach out to other members by using the chat function.

Many thanks!