So since my last post a couple of week ago I thought things were getting a bit better.
My meds and therapy were getting on top of my anxiety and I thought the bisoprolol was keeping my heart in check whilst waiting for my CT Angiogram( 29th).
I'd been discharged by my Private Cardio following a normal Echo and treadmill test (despite sweating like a pig).
However last Thursday I had result of a private blood test I had paid for (it was mainly a testosterone one which incidentally is low but not low enough for NHS treatment), and my cholesterol was back up to 5.7 with triglycerides at 3.41 despite me eating like a vegan monk and not touching alcohol (I'd had a test at 6.9 and a follow up test at 4.9 but all with low HDL)!
I tried to brush this off but sent a message to my GP who said it was ok and to just carry on with healthy lifestyle.
I went out that evening to do something normal (go to a local car meet and for a meal with friends). Got in fairly late and felt like utter bobbar on Friday morning with chest pains again and my calves hurting. Pushed on and took my wife out Friday night for dinner which made me tired led to yet more feeling bobbar on Saturday morning and being quite tearful. Sunday I couldn't go with my family to the coast as I couldn't get up in the morning.
Something though I did manage 12 miles with the dog in the afternoon (through some minor to moderate chest pain and the pains in my legs).
Monday rolls around and I got the kids to school but when I got home the chest pain was becoming worse rather than the discomfort I'm starting to become accustomed to.
Not wanting to waste A&E resources I called my GP for some advice but predictably upon hearing chest pain they sent me to A&E where I went through the usual Normal ECG, blood tests and despatched home. Doctor did however say to raise the leg pain with my GP and ask for an ABPI Doppler test so that is on my list for my next appointment on the 6th (medication review).
My fear is that at 41 I've got scuzzed up heart and peripheral arteries (to me the symptoms point to this although I am no expert) and that this isn't just my anxiety, however the not knowing is crippling me mentally with anxiety and depression. Does anyone else go through this?
Out of interest anyone else out there developed such a condition at such and age? How have you coped and what did you have to do? Obviously fingers crossed the investigations I am having will lead to show this is an anxiety condition but I can't help but think about "what if".
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AnxiousGuy23
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Reading your post despite how you are feeling you have a little sense of humour in there hang on to that it can help us get through what sometimes feels like the worse time in our life's
You also seem to be doing a lot I wonder if you are pushing yourself to quickly but doing a 12 mile walk wow that was brilliant
I think the not knowing is the worst thing once we do know we know then what needs to be done and somehow we seem to start coping a little better meanwhile we are just in limbo which is a horrible place to be
I suffer with anxiety and depression before my heart events and since it has got so much worse you have been doing everything you can to try and deal with this and with anxiety for some it can come and then get better it is like a little monster wants control over us we start to take that control back and so it appears again but don't fight it or fear it know you are stronger than how it makes you feel and when the feelings overwhelm you tell yourself this will pass but I am not going to let it take over
It is fine to cry and feel upset and good to have a cry if I did not which I tend to quite a bit I would be worse these emotions have to come out somehow
As for your age there are plenty on here so much younger 18 upwards maybe even younger than that heart issues seem to not take into account what age we are even though we can sometimes think we are ok till we start to get older but this is not always regretfully the case but what is a positive is you are under the radar now and even though things are not going as quick as you like you will get the answers and treatment if needed so stay focused stay positive not easy but you can do it and life will come good again but for now just go with it till it does x
BeKind28 you are spot on . Anxious male read again I can’t add anything except good luck going forward. Keep talking to your GP and medical team and don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Slow but sure is a good way to go x
Ahh what a nightmare so sorry to hear how you been feeling mate ☹️. Glad your GP sent you to A&E always better to be safe then sorry! Hope your appointment comes though soon for the appointment with your leg, what sort of leg pain you been experiencing? I have had nothing but trouble with my legs for a long time and each time been brushed off like it's nothing so I'm beginning to think it's physiological 🙈, although saying that I wake up in the morning and my legs are killing me literally wakes me up! My mum thinks it's my cat sleeping on my legs which she's only started doing recently?? But she's tiny and hardly weighs anything to do that much damage to my legs lol. Anway sorry I'm rambling wish you all the best and hope you find out what's making you feel like this x
Your story rings with me. We are both on different paths but the mental anguish is just the same. I just feel like a broken toy and iam not a husband or a father any more, just some bloke going through the motions of living with a broken body. It is very hard and I will not try and cover up my anguish. The what ifs, the why me thoughts. What does the future hold. I try and battle through the days but it is hard. What do I say how do I explain the symptoms. I do feel your concerns and your frustration. I wish I had the answers. I wish I had not been born with my condition but then we all have issues big or small, that we have to live with. What makes me different to anyone else. I am trying all the mental phycology I can lay my hands on but it still come down to the person within the except and move forward. But my big boy pants and my stiff upper lip are not there.
Wow! It's like you've scooped this out of my life! Feel for you, thanks for sharing.
Cheers remember you are not alone but it is frustrating. I am struggling but it come and goes some days good some bad. I think it is the mind trying to come to terms with what has been found or your mind trying to get re assurance like a child wanting re assurance. The waiting is the worst and the nhs does not help with this. You have tests and then it can take time to get the results the answers the re assurance. That's why we turn to Google or you tube just to find some form of re assurance, exceptance, understanding. Bit like me these last few weeks I just feel yuck carnt explain it really. Legs ache not a bad pain just an ache. Get light head especially when you go from sitting to standing. So I told this to doctor and we had a full blood test and it came back normal but there was one thing that caught my eye my creatinine had gone up. That then changes the gfr value of your kidneys, so the kidneys are not functioning as effiently. But that can be due to the lisinopril. Could have been de hydration. But that then puts something else in your brain. An ace inhibitor can protect the kidneys but the bloods need regular checking to see if there are changes. But more hassle. More waiting more anxiety. It just goes on. It's horrible.
I’m 42 and had a severe blockage of the LAD sorted with a stent procedure back in April. I also have fairly severe health anxiety - and this made the whole event way more stressful than it needed to be.
By the time I had my angiogram I had convinced myself all my arteries were blocked, I had peripheral artery disease, my carotid artery was blocked and I was a walking dead man. This, obviously was not true. At all.
I saw a therapist to try and deal with the mental rubbish - and it helped. So, my advice (if you’re asking) would be to find a good therapist and listen to them. If you do have a health issue, you’ll handle it much better if you have a clear mind.
As a side note - eating vegan won’t necessarily reduce Trygs, but low carb vegan might.
Thanks Harry. The Vegan bit was a joke. I can't do without my animal products so whilst I respect the vegan lifestyle it's not for me.
I'm keeping my carbs down which is what confused me, perhaps I'm a loser in the generic lottery and will need statins?
Whilst I'm not a doctor and I'm in limbo land at the minute waiting for a scan I'm pretty convinced I've got a problem.
I'm on with the therapy and he is good. I usually come out feeling refreshed and renewed with sense of hope and purpose. I just need to make it stick (like the plaque I fear is in my arteries 😆).
I've got 2 9yr old kids who I need to be there for and a loving wife so I'm not ready to give up yet, despite feeling hopeless at times.
Hopefully these next few weeks will bring me some answers and mental peace whatever the results may be.
I'll be sure to check in here as you're all a lovely lot!
Hi there, I'm sorry you're having such a rough time of it at the moment. The mental battle is the toughest of all of them. I'm always telling myself that worry doesn't change anything, but living by that maxim is difficult. You're only a couple of years older than me and your cholesterol level is about what mine was when I was put on statins after a CT Angiogram picked up moderate blockage on my LAD. Before my heart surgery (to correct a congential defect that was recently discovered) I was very fit and healthy, ate well, very active. I asked my consultant if I could just cut out the approx monthly bacon roll or whatever and she said you can't out-diet your genetics. Yup, Dad started statins at 40, didn't think to mention it to me... So I'm now on megastatins and my cholesterol has gone from 5.4 to 2.9 in less than 6 months.
So. Lifestyle is important but there will be stuff in your genetic code that makes you more predisposed. Once you have the CT you'll know what's going on and the docs will be able to make a plan. Most people our age would never be investigated for coronary artery disease and the first you'd know of it would be when you had the heart attack 20 years down the line. The not-knowing is terrible but once there's more certainty it does get easier. Then you've got the mental battle of trusting what the doctors have said (lots of 'If we do this I would HOPE...' sort of language which you always want to be 'do this and I guarantee you'll be absolutely fine') and getting your head around your new normal. It's not easy, but so many people on here have succeeded and gone on to have rich, happy, long lives after their diagnosis. Medicine is amazing.
Keep up with the therapy (I really ought to go back, I'm not 'OK' yet!) and keep up posted, yes?
Hi On the anxiety issues you are facing. I suffer from similar symptoms. I am seeing a counsellor to sort my muddled mind out. I over think things and this drives me into this state of mind. I have found that drinking Calamine tea calms me down, especially at night time if I have a cup before going to bed I have a much more restful sleep. Sleep is very important to keep your Triglyceride's down I have just started Tai Chi which I discovered at my cardio rehab gym, its all about being in control of your body. Every movement is slow and thought about. I have also reduced my carb intake and feel much better for it, losing a considerable amount of weight in the process. On the 12 mile walk, well done, but I am wondering if it was a bit too long, maybe gradually build up the distance walking instead. I hope you feel better soon.
I went through a similar period of feeling very weak and anxious about the future. My advice would be to follow your doctor’s advice most of all and make yourself walk for 15 minutes, 2 or 3 times every day. Don’t over do it. You may start to feel a bit fitter hopefully ? Avoid walking up hills if you can?
This is not a criticism because I too suffer from crippling health anxiety so I know what it's like. ask yourself, If you had tests and were told there's nothing wrong, would you believe them or would you still think they'd missed something?
If that's the case then you need counselling which is very hard to get these days and can have very long waiting times. Anxiety produces some very real physical symptoms including chest pain, muscle aches , rashes, breathing difficulties, acne, stomach problems and lots more. It's not just feeling worried. The mind has a huge effect on the body. Very often it's something that happened in the past that starts it off, maybe an unthinking comment or a sudden mild illness that scared you or even something that happened to someone else. If you can find and deal with that initial trigger it can help you to understand why its tarted and deal with it.
For me it was a very flippant remark by a GP when I was 18 . I found a breast lump and he simply said " Oh it could be cancer so you need a biopsy to check". No explanation or possible alternatives, just that brief comment. My anxiety built up until I had a total breakdown and ended up in hospital then years of panic attacks. I now know that remark was what started it and it's helped me to now control my anxiety. I still think the worst when I get new symptoms but I can control it and stop worrying about it.
I learned to be honest with my GP and said to him, "I know most of my problems are caused by anxiety but I need to know you will take them seriously, tell me honestly what's wrong and explain it then I can cope" and he does. I don't necessarily need treatment but I do need explanations.He doesn't just brush me off.
I'm 5 years on now from a heart attack and started worrying that two other blockages they found could have got worse. One new GP just said it was very unlikely and did nothing but my own GP immediately sent me for various tests; possibly not essential but he knew I needed proof. Go and have a serious talk with your GP. Ask him to get you some urgent counselling to help you understand it all.
I'm not saying there's nothing wrong with you. Your GP still needs to arrange tests but you also need help to deal with the anxiety
Sorry you’re going through this. I, and I think a lot of people here, have been through the same thing. The sheer mental anguish caused by not knowing if you’ve got a time bomb ticking away in your chest is something I’m still not completely over 5 years after my 4 MIs (I was 38). I think part of the problem is that it took 3 years before a different cardiologist finally said “oh, your heart is actually fine”. THREE YEARS. Every single chest pain, tightness, weird symptom, and the first thought in my head was “oh God this is it, this is the one”. For THREE YEARS. And after countless trips to the A&E no-one batted an eye-lid until I moved to a different post code and my new GP was like “hang on…”
I had to go for CBT during that time to try and get over the PTSD. It worked, kind of, because I wasn’t obsessing over my demise (as much). It certainly was a big help, so maybe ask your GP for a referral. The symptoms, however, persisted so I eventually went for an angiogram which led to another stent. If I hadn’t pushed and my new cardiologist wasn’t a baller, who knows where that blocked artery would’ve led to? But, lo-and-behold, I still had the random episodes of feeling like crap with tachycardia, so I’ve now got an ILR implanted for investigation. Hopefully something is discovered so that I can get it treated and go back to living a “normal” life.
My advice? Keep pushing your GP and your cardiologist if you don’t feel tip top. And like my cardiac nurse told me: NEVER fret about A&E resources, it’s what they’re there for. It’s better to go there and not need it, than need it one day and not go. You may not get another chance.
Hi. I've had similar feelings of anxiety possibly bordering on panic disorder. I've started meditating about 2 months ago. I use a free app Healthy Minds. I've also started looking at some materials re anxiety produced by Exeter University under Cedar I think. Again free. They help me. Good luck
Hi, I don't think I can add much more to what others have said. Anxiety is a huge problem for many of us and it's very hard to prove we have nothing physically wrong. Your chest pains could be stress but they could be caused by something more serious. My cholesterol was at 5.9 for a while and I wasn't worried as no early deaths from heart disease in the family. Now I am in my 70s the doc says a, good idea to take statins so I take a low dose. Bisoprolol seems to reduce my ectopics beats which is why I take it and I don't have any unpleasant side effects... thus far!!Good luck.
Hi AnxiousGuy23,Similar to what others have posted, I to suffer from health anxiety. My dad passed when I was only 15 years old and this seems to have been the trigger for me.
I had a heart attack at the age of 43 and required 3 stents. My anxiety went through the roof and I realised I wasn't coping. I asked for counselling and got an amazing counsellor and through talking with her I realised that I needed some chemical support as well. I continued with the counselling along with anxiety meds and this allowed me to work through some issues and gain back some confidence in my body. I only needed the meds for 6 months.
I hope you find your own path to better mental health, always remember to ask for help. Also, I hope you get the answers to what is causing your symptoms
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Not prepared for the anxiety that follows heart surgery
Update from Fridays post can just a virus make me feel so unwell , were my symptoms put down to anxiety 🤔
Anyone else struggled with being told anxiety 
Introducing me and my situation! Apologies for such a long post! 
Anxiety v cardiac issue? 
