Hi all! Been lurking for a while but this is my first post after a private cardiologist consultation today. My story started in April this year.
I'd noticed that I had a high-ish heart rate when resting sometime last year but a busy life (marriage, moving, new job etc) meant I didn't pay it and mind. Over Xmas my daughter developed epilepsy so the start of this year was spent getting that under control.
Come April I had been noticing palpitations and rapid HR so went to my GP. Ended up seeing an advanced nurse practitioner who found I indeed had a high HR and high BP. She referred me for bloods and an ECG (both in surgery and 24hr ambulatory). Bloods were ok as were ECG'S although a bit on the fast side (avg 91bpm on ambulatory).
After visiting GP again I was told I had anxiety and offered medication for it which at the time I declined and took talking therapies.
I found out July I had a high Cholesterol test in May and was being called back for another test (which was just within normal range).
I soldiered on until July with my anxiety worsening although paid a couple of A&E visits with chest pains. These chest pains are intermittent along with pains in my right calf and I'm getting exhausted very easily. Went back to GP in a state and prescribed antidepressants and 10mg propranalol 3 x a day. I asked to see a cardiologist to which GP said she didn't think I needed one but she wrote a loaded one stressing I was extremely anxious and depressed.
I managed to get my health scheme at work to get me a private cardiologist appt which I have had today. Tbh feeling a little deflated as first thing he came up with was anxiety rather than listening to my symptoms. He's agreed to an echocardiogram and a treadmill test in a couple of weeks but still I feel a bit dismissed as a mental case.
Other symptoms I'm having are high HR with even light exercise, feeling cold but getting sweaty easily, frequent pain/discomfort in chest, light headedness, sweating profusely in bed, pain in right lower leg and a lack of hair in that area.
Sorry for the moan folks but I'm at a loss what to think/do at the minute. I am eating pretty well, not drinking at all and until recently was trying to get some exercise in but I'm scared my heart is going to implode/explode!
I'll keep people posted about my tests/progress but if anyone has any tips on dealing with medical professionals please feel free to pass them on.
Written by
AnxiousGuy23
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Ahh I'm so sorry to hear your feeling so down 💔. It seems these days GPS just assume everything is anxiety with out even investigating further. Your symptoms do sound quite worrying, I would in the meantime while waiting for your appointments go to A&E if your not happy with how your feeling x wish you all the best with your echo and treadmill test will look for your update!
I was dismissed as having anxiety on a number of occasions until I had my heart attack beginning of last year. I think the difficulty is that if you’re otherwise healthy and have no risk factors, anxiety is usually assumed to be the cause of chest pain in younger people as anxiety can also mimic heart symptoms like angina.
Unfortunately, that also means that you will have to advocate for yourself when you see the GP and your cardiologist if you feel something else is going on.
A holter monitor can be a good test to have as you say you experience a high heart rate. It’s a good thing that the cardiologist is doing some heart investigations as an echo can also be useful in the diagnosis of an abnormal heart rhythm and also shows the structural elements of the heart. The treadmill test can show problems with blood flow to your heart as well.
You probably want to wait and have these tests carried out first and see what the outcome is. In the meantime, with any chest pain which causes you concern, you should give 111 a call and they can advise accordingly.
I hope the tests go well and that you will keep us updated.
Sadly not all GPs and cardiologists are equal. All the male side my family died prematurely of heart attacks though when I raised it with my then GP he was quite dismissive saying my BP and cholesterol. When I developed angina he just referred me to the Urgent Chest Pain Clinic. After the initial consultation I saw a cardiologist privately and then had an angiogram all within 10 days. He also tweaked my meds which helped tremendously. If you can afford it do some research and find a top rate cardiologist to see privately. My journey lead to a quadruple bypass five years ago.
Loss of hair and pain in the calf can be early warning signs of PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease). This can be checked for by a Doppler test with ABPI (Ankle Brachial Pressure Index). If your GP will not arrange it a podiatrist will carry this out for £200 - £250. I would get this done ASAP as PAD can ultimately lead to amputation as in my case (although I hold an incompetent vascular surgeon 90%+ responsible - he has 5* reviews on the Web for varicose veins!). I was diagnosed with PAD seven years before angina.
Are you on a mini Aspirin? If not speak to your GP as they are a good drug to prevent clots in narrowed arteries be they in the heart or leg!
To me PAD is a condition that is both under diagnosed and under treated. My original team were planning further treatment when new Vascular Lead (or should it be Pb) cancelled it and said you only intervene when there is ulceration or gangrene. So I got an ulcer and lost my leg! Pillock!
We need more than just Like as an option on posts. This is where HU forums show their age together with their clunky nature. I imagine medical negligence would be very tricky to prove as they come up with "in the patient's best interest", blah, blah, blah. Shocking though!
Same problem here over the years - you know your own body. NHS sent me home same reasons you said and 3 weeks later I went private had echocardiogram and diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy heart pumping at EF35%. It’s a good job I kept going as Cardiologist said ‘just caught it in time’. You get anxiety because you know yourself the problem you have is worse than what they keep telling you. Anxiety depression and other things happen because you’ve got a heart problem so keep pestering them until you get a proper diagnosis. Good luck and wish you well x
Apart from my HA I've been in hospital three times with issues that were possibly related to my heart.
Interestingly on all occasions I've shared a ward with people who thought they had heart issues that were diagnosed as anxiety.
I've remained in contact with one of the guys, some 9 years later he's having less bouts of anxiety and his heart is still working great!!
One thing to remember you are not a mental case. The trouble we find is that it is too easy to say it is mental. But the good thing is your ecg is good so that's a good start.
So sorry you are going through this.It could be anxiety but the other things should be ruled out too.The symptoms of anxiety are similar to heart conditions.If you feel there is something else going on don’t be put off.Being unwell makes you feel anxious too.I’m in hospital waiting for an aortic valve replacement.Got my gown on x
If you don’t get anywhere with the cardiologist ask your Gp to refer you to the Brompton they will do all the tests I was dismissed as having anxiety but a cardiac mri showed pericarditis it didn’t even show on an echocardiogram. Mine was post vax keep pushing for answers
I am the same as Tos92 - was told anxiety, made to feel like a real nutcase then BANG HA happened! Had stents and slowly on mend but this did make the anxiety so much worse!
If you have any funny feelings or feel 'not right' go to A&E, keep pestering the GP and don't let them fob you off. This is YOUR life not thiers!
It could be anxiety but perhaps not. I had high BP and fast heart rate and breathlessness. Referred to cardiologist who said everything was OK and I did not fit the profile. Left with the impression he thought it was in my head. 2 weeks later had a heart attack! Keep on at them. We know our own bodies.
Hi welcome to the group. I’m sorry to hear what you’re going through. I hope your daughter’s epilepsy is now under control. You’ve already been given some good advise and you still have the other tests. Please let us know how you get on. All the best.
Hi - Anxiety is a bitch and can result in all sorts of health problems as well as all sorts of symptoms - what is also a bitch is having more than one health problem and as soon as anxiety is mentioned it can fault in medics referring all symptoms to it and this I think can be a problem as it can be related but can mask something else - you know your body better than anyone so take advice from the medics but also listen to your body and if you’re not convinced keep asking the questions and get other possibles checked - good luck with all
Well of course it’s in your head - everything we experience is in our heads is how I see it - I don’t have anxiety by the way but one of my kids does so I have an appreciation for the difficulty anxiety brings - the difficulty is understanding and having confidence as to whether symptoms are purely due to anxiety or due to something else and I know that that’s not always an easy task (it’s not easy without anxiety or another condition that seems to be assumed to be the cause of everything) and the lack of clarity on the cause of symptoms just adds further to the anxiety - I feel for you and feel that some medics need to do more to make sure that those with anxiety do not also have something else going on before associating everything to anxiety
Just be aware that the answers you get from here are from non medically trained people. They may be right in what they are saying though or could be wildly wrong in your case. Just wait for you cardiologist tests and results and go from there. Just keep trying to be top of the waiting list by being vocal in what you want and need. I've had my heart attack and cardiac arrest but do not try and advise on my condition. But I do say if it is anxiety then seek counselling and take up mindfulness it did wonders for me.
There is no stigma to anxiety and depression. Sometimes you just have to accept it.
I accept that people here aren't medically trained (however some are probably very familiar and have stories to tell)
With regards to the anxiety and depression, I've accepted that, I'm not ashamed (although I do feel like a failure).
I'm taking the meds, I'm paying a private therapist, I'm doing the remote learning given to me by the local talking therapies provision. However I feel like I'm getting physically worse which is fuelling this anxiety and depression.
I went for counselling and did all the self health things.I’m so peaceful I’m nearly horizontal.I do meditation which is so lovely butI could feel I had something wrong with my heart.
What you have written rings exactly with me. I have a heart condition, which is congenital. So you would think he is use to it, but not the case. Found out late in life at 56. So iam being looked after but mentally it is effecting me dramatically. The trouble I have found is that I am not now on their radar so much as they know from ct scans., mri, and other tests what it is. And iam on the recommended medication, but I don't feel right. So how do I explain it. I am having therapy but it so hard to explain how I feel. Is it my heart getting worse even though they say it is stable? Is it medication? Is mental or a combination of all three. Like you I feel a failure a failure to me and a failure to my family. It is hard and it is a process. But I carnt get to the bottom of it at the present time. You take care remember you are not alone.
I was going to start by saying this often happens to women who present with chest pain and many other things. It's all blamed on anxiety but I'm sorry, I see you're a guy.. It's no wonder you are anxious after all you've had recently plus the lack of answers and feeling brushed off. I'm afraid all you can do is persist in trying to get answers; insist on the tests and tell them you feel you're being ignored. As I said to my doctor, yes I am anxious but that does not mean that there's nothing wrong. I'm anxious because you keep ignoring my symptoms and blaming everything on anxiety. So prove to me there's nothing wrong then the anxiety will go away. That made him sit up and listen.
Hang In there mate. Echo and stress test will give doctors a great chance to see how things are working and what’s going on. You’ve also had a lot on lately so that won’t be helping.? Try not to worry too much( easier said than done I know) Iv spent most of my life worrying and it can be very stressful.
hi. I was told that my heart problems were probably anxiety related and I think anxiety did contribute to them. I was then told that I had a chest infection (no bloods taken) and was prescribed antibiotics (Co-trimoxazole) for 6 months. It was during the pandemic so getting gp appointments were worse than they are now. I did, however, persist and kept going back to my gp saying that I had palpitations and one day I saw a locum who took me seriously and referred me to cardiology. I had severe mitral valve regurgitation and needed open heart surgery very quickly. I’m definitely not saying that this will be your diagnosis but I would say that you know your own body and if something isn’t right. Anxiety can be a contributory factor in all health problems but if you really feel that something isn’t right then be persistent. Good luck. Xx
First, I am very sorry that you are feeling poorly and that you are having a hard time trying to figure out what is wrong. It can feel very frustrating and scary. I am having some similar problems trying to get a diagnosis and it drives me a bit daft.
I can also say that anxiety disorder is real, and it can have a profound effect on your life. I have been diagnosed with this mental health issue, and I do take a medication as needed. The problem is that I also have heart disease, and things can become confusing when doctors, or family, or anyone, simply wants to chalk any medical symptoms, or conditions to simply being your anxiety acting up. Then, it can be difficult to obtain a diagnosis for what you are feeling/seeing physically with your body, and your anxiety can actually get worse from the constant worry, stress, and trigger points of not getting help for real physical symptoms.
I would probably discuss the anxiety with your doctor and get a prescription for that condition. I currently take low-dosage Xanax “as needed.” It honestly does help take the edge off during extremely stressful situations. I do try to not take it if I can cope with whatever is going on at the time, but it is very useful at times. I also feel that therapy can help and I also try mindfulness activities and breathing exercises. Remember that anxiety disorder tends to magnify everything. It can rob your ability to calmly and rationally deal with your other medical issues.
I saw a new cardiologist about 3-4 weeks ago. I tried to carefully explain the symptoms/cause for my visiting him. We also discussed the results from testing (nuclear stress test) done 2 weeks following my HA in March 2022. I explained that I was still having major problems with breathlessness over a year after the HA . That was my major reason for seeing him—breathing problems. I did make the mistake of mentioning that I do sometimes have heart palpitations/skipped beats and sometimes a little pain in my chest I explained that neither of these seemed serious to me. We agreed that I should have an echocardiogram, which I had last Thursday
When I got home after seeing this new cardiologist, I went online and read his medical notes from my visit Turns out, he stated that I denied having any difficulty breathing instead, he focused on the pain around my heart (which I seldom get and which is not horribly painful) and the palpitations. I saw my regular doctor in between seeing the cardiologist and having the echocardiogram. I explained to her my frustration with this doctor not really listening to me and in how the notes were the exact opposite of what I had discussed. She had referred me to a cardiologist due to our concerns about possible pulmonary issues.
I had the echocardiogram last Thursday. The report was ready for me to read by the time that I drove home. It didn’t seem to shine any light on my breathing issues, but the cardiologist wants to see me to go over the results in more detail. He did state in a note to me that I did not need to worry about something that I had not worried about to begin with .
In this case, I am going to see the cardiologist and talk in detail about the report, but I am also going to tell him about his getting the medical notes wrong. He did not listen to my symptoms and concerns when I first told him during that first visit. That lack of attention concerns me.
I shared this story to say that I can understand your frustration about not having your health issues taken seriously. I think that that happens to many of us I am going to try being honest with the cardiologist about his not really listening to me during my first visit. I don’t know how that will go, but I need to be honest if I am ever going to find out why I am often struggling to breathe.
My advice would be to discuss your medical concerns with your doctor and get the tests that you mentioned in your post. A stress test will tell you much about the functioning of your heart including EF percentages. The echocardiogram will tell you about both functioning and structure of your heart. I hope that these tests are scheduled soon for you and that you can get some answers that you need
Hi I wouldn’t take everything the doctors say as gospel, I had same symptoms took nhs 15 years to diagnose me, they done all those tests you had plus echo and treadmill test came back inconclusive I got diagnosed needing a pacemaker for 2nd degree heartblock mobitz 2 so that was 2021 and still wasn’t right then I kept on at gp and hospital threatening solicitors to them, then I was diagnosed with coronary heart disease October 2022 needed 2 stents but they could only do one I was told have to try medication to relieve symptoms and started spouting on about diet, I have always been good with my diet and been good with exercise up until treadmills automatically stopping and making alarm that was about 2020, nhs gp and doctors can’t be bothered looking into symptoms so they just guess because there overworked l, but if they don’t find anything, insist on angiogram
Your story is same as mine. I was placed on 20mg propanol 3x a day for a rapid heart rate. It's almost a year still on the propanol. It has helped to control my heart rate and chest pains rarely occur. although there are tons of side effects like exhaustion, insomnia, cold hands and feet, low blood sugar. I find a way to deal with the side effects and try to keep my heart as safe as possible by sticking to my meds.Good luck❤️
Thanks for all the replies folks! Managed to walk nearly 6 miles with the dog today and my HR behaved. Went up to 134 a couple of times but felt ok. Leg still bloody hurts though!
What gets me is yesterday I was walking with the family, little stress and quite slowly when I suddenly felt odd! HR was 189! It took a good 5 minutes to come down but I walked through it home as I thought I'm not bloody dying down by the canal!
Hi, I'm booked in for a 3xcabg for early Sept, after being told 5 years ago, oooh its a hiatus hernia, hmmmmmm ! What do I do with it? Just live with it, oh, heres some Omeprezole !
Eventually I'd had enough, couldn't walk up any incline, I pushed and pushed had bp 205/105 they THEN took me seriously.
Looking forward to my new pipes.
My lesson from this is, push, check and verify never trust . Double check .
P.S .They didn't even have my up to date history on record in the GP's practice, as in the letters from the hospitals with results of tests and referrals.
I knew they'd been sent as I had copies of them. Three weeks ago I left copies for the co-ordinators to update my records with, as of today still hadn't been done. Unbelievable ! I'll check next week then I'll blow up !
I agree with 'roughquest' to have myocarditis looked into by at very least getting your troponin/ cardiac troponins level checked - a simple blood test. Also worth remembering that when the heart rate goes up due to a heart condition we DO feel anxious because the body registers increased heart rate as anxiety. So it is all too easy to be told 'you're just anxious' when in fact the physical condition literally makes you feel anxiety (if that makes sense.). I also agree with others, keep pestering for an answer and if your cardiologist is no good then sack him and find another! Find one who listens and takes you seriously as you deserve.
Had 2 weddings Friday and Saturday then come away with family to a caravan for the week. Feeling bloody rotten! Hate not being able to do the things I'm used to with my family. Tests are a week away and I feel like I won't survive that long. High HR when doing very little in day then HR dropping to sub 40 sometimes in my sleep then springing back up and I wake.
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