new :)

[dazed_confused]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I'm 16 years old and I'm from America. For the last year or year and a half I've been having heart issues. I also struggle heavily with depression, anxiety, and ADHD amongst many other more minor things. My GP has always believed that my heart is a result of my anxiety but I disagree. I don't have words as to why I disagree, it's just a gut feeling. I'm not sure if it's technically arythmia or not but it's been very bad lately. More recently I've been struggling with severe migraines and dizzy spells. I've been wondering if maybe the three are related or all desperate or if the heart is separate from the other two. I have no clue and would love some input. Thank you all :*

[helenosborne1978]

Your GP is right, anxiety does affect the rhythm of your heart. However, if you strongly believe that your symptoms are due to other factors it might be worth requesting further investigations e.g wear a heart monitor that can record physical symptoms and keep a diary to note your level of anxiety. I must stress that I'm not a doctor and this forum aims to provide support to patients rather than diagnoses. However, many of us have experienced arrhythmia and appreciate the frustration of trying to identify and treat the condition! Good luck with your next appointment with the GP - keep us posted as this site can offer great moral support!!

Helen

[dazed_confused in reply to helenosborne1978]

Thank you so much! I really do appreciate this. I've been dealing with physical and mental health problems all my life.

[pip_pip]

Hi. Sorry to hear all this. If you can't get support from your doctor get a new one. Alternately next time you feel that bad, go to the ER.

My GP told me years ago it was all stress, how wrong he was.

Hope you can work it all out soon.

Phil

[Polski]

All those problems, including ADHD, can be treated through diet and supplements. If you have not already done so exclude all processed food and drinks in order to avoid all chemical additives eg aspartame, MSG and others.

You could also try Patrick Holford's website and books. Following his diet would be a good starting point.

With the help of an alternative nutritionist all these problems can be tackled and improved, and this approach would help the arrythmia as well, whether it is stress related or not. Then you will know much more clearly where you actually do need medical help.

Best wishes on your journey.

[Hidden]

Hi,

With diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety and depression – have you been prescribed medication? Sometimes certain medications can affect the heart rhythm – I would seek advice on this if you are taking medication or anything similar particularly if your heart beat is fast.

Having said this, please don't panic about your medication, and DO NOT stop taking it. If you are taking any other psych meds such as antidepressants, antipsychotics or benzodiazepines, please be aware that stopping these drugs suddenly can be very dangerous. Always take medical advice!

The website rxisk.org may be helpful. It is run by psychiatrists and biomedical scientists who are interested in the field of psychiatric meds and their effects. They listen to people who are taking these meds and offer support in terms of downloadable personalised reports to take to your doctor which publish your stated symptoms alongside other patient reports of the same symptoms.

Are you able to discuss with your parents or a teacher at school? If you (and they) feel that the drugs you are taking could be causing the fast heart beats, a downloadable report might help you share your concerns with your doctor..

On a similar topic, can you take a trusted relative/teacher with you to see the doctor; they can support and back up what you are saying if needed? They will also understand and be able to support you better when you are at home.

Let us know how you get on, but please run my suggestions past your parents/carers before acting on them. It is important to use internet based sources of support and advice with caution particularly when the advice concerns medication and particularly at the age of 16. I only have a snapshot of your symptoms and life, and my suggestions are based on my own experiences, not yours. You need to keep in mind that I am not medically qualified and your doctor, parents/carers and indeed you ( yourself!) are the people who are best placed to make judgements as to the best course of action.

You should however, be taken seriously and I hear what you are saying and respect your concerns as very valid.

take care x take care x

[Kam73]

You have not said what your heart symptoms are....hard to talk about the issue if we don't know what it is.

[Janco]

Dazed

I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks a year of so after my first AFIB attacks(I was 23), it is a road I do not want to walk again, I really "feel" your pain.

At 23 I thought my world will end - I'm 45 now.

Read my blog post about my panic attacks myafibheart.com/home/heart-...

This is only a small part of it, and I can still remember nights I did not want to go to sleep, afraid of not waking up the next morning.

There definitely is hope out there!

Your will find your cure.

[goddessart]

hi, you are very brave and eloquent :o) I would get your blood pressure checked. Something as simple as this can tell the dr a lot about what might be going on inside your body. Good luck and keep on truckin' xx

[Goldfish_]

It sounds like this is all "health anxiety " from what you state there seems to be absolutely no evidence of any physical problem (correct me if you have any evidence of any abnormal tests or examination).

Health anxiety is hugely common in teenagers and young people. It can blight your life believing you have a physical problem, continually seeing doctors , getting loads of normal tests done and still worrying there is something being missed,. Then checking on the Internet for more unlikely diagnoses. Visiting the ER, never getting an abnormal test but believing the doctors are wrong.

Why not try and enjoy life for a while, ignore the symptoms, see if you can rise above it all.

By all means have a go with diet and lifestyle things.

Checkout this site and do the self test to see if you have health anxiety

anxietyuk.org.uk/our-servic...

You have your life ahead of you and this is likely to all be in your head, so I hope you can find a way around it

If you go to the anxiety section of the forum, you will find loads of others struggling with similar beliefs, who have never found a cure for their symptoms. Anxiety can be toxically destructive, you are young and have your life ahead of you, so try and get away from all this crap.