Cardiac anxiety 😟

[Lostworrier82]

Hi all, I’m new here and after reading a lot of peoples posts it gave me courage to share mine.
I’m suffering badly with cardiac anxiety. I had a full check up with the cardiologist back in 2020, everything was clear, had no calcium in arteries so the pain in my chest and arm was left unknown. Over time it went away. I have two small children so life went on. But over the last month I have been suffering intermittent chest pain, left shoulder blade and a throbbing pain in my left arm. I also get sharp pain in my jaw but mainly around my teeth section. As I type my arm is throbbing on and off. You visit google to check your symptoms and as a long time health anxiety person is a massive no no but I did it anyway and of course it comes up heart attack warning signs. I think I got myself into such a stage tonight I really thought I was having one and I started crying and hugging my children. But after a bit I calmed down and it went away. But came back in an hour or so. I’ve told my GP about my symptoms and I’m getting full bloods done tomorrow but she thinks it could be bad reflux. Sigh. It’s just hard. I’m so scared of Something Happening and leaving my kids which makes me more down. I could do with loosing some weight and need to lower my cholesterol a bit but I stress going for a walk if I get arm or chest pain. How can you convince yourself these thoughts are just in your head? Has anyone had this experience before? Thank you for letting me vent.

[Sara88]

Hi Lostworrier82,

I know this thread is a few months old but how are you going now?

I also have been having cardiac anxiety. Mine started also a few years ago - chest pains, numb arm, weird feelings in my chest which i thought was to do with my heart and waking me up when id be falling asleep panicking. I have a history of heart palpitations anyway but they never bothered me before this started happening and always been told they were harmless.. but when id focus on them they were more noticeable and would scare me. It consumed all my thoughts. So i did end up at the hospital one night and they did ECG, MRI, bloods, i went to a cardiologist and had a halter monitor for 24hrs. Everything came back fine. So i convinced myself it was anxiety driven and they gave me valium to help and gradually it went away and i had no issues for years.

Well a few months ago it came back out of nowhere, i didnt think i was anxious but all the same symptoms as last time and i keep trying to tell myself its just anxiety and must be due to stress etc but its so hard when your mind takes over. I watch tv shows like you also to take my mind off it at night.. but going to sleep is the worst because im always worried about it. Its very frustrating when you tell yourself your being silly and overthinking and it still happens as the mind is so powerful. I have a doc appt booked in a few weeks to do a checkup to make sure its nothing more but i know more than likely they wont find anything and i have to try and be strong like last time and get through it. It helps so much to know i'm not alone.

Hoping  things have gotten better for you since your last post.

Sara 🙂

[jeremiahqu]

Thank you for bravely sharing your experience with us. Dealing with cardiac anxiety can be incredibly challenging, but please know that you're not alone in this journey. It's reassuring to hear that you had a clear check-up with the cardiologist back in 2020, but it's understandable that new symptoms can be concerning.
Remember to prioritize self-care and stress management techniques to help alleviate your anxiety. Taking deep breaths, practicing mindfulness, and engaging in activities you enjoy can all be helpful.