I’ve been dealing with health anxiety for about 3 years, as well as anxiety and body dysmorphia for 5 although I’ve largely moved past my dysmorphia. I’m 17 years old.
I can track my fear of heart related issues back to when I first went to hospital with issues about anxiety and self image, as my eating habits had changed they tested my blood and found I had low potassium levels and decided to do an ECG which came back clear but there was confusion about prolonged QT syndrome, it was just a misreading on the doctors part and it was checked by a specialist who ruled it out although that moment would forever change me, the panic I felt when being told that my heart had been damaged by my mind was terrifying.
I was fine for the following year until I had my first experience with chest pain. It was sharp in my left side and lasted only a few seconds this would trigger a line of panic attacks until one day I had a panic attack so severe about my heart and pain I went to the ER they did an ECG, blood tests and an x-ray and found nothing except for lower potassium yet again. worried about long qt syndrome as low potassium can be a symptom of it my GP and I decided I should see a cardiologist. Had an echocardiogram and another ECG and my heart was in perfect conduction and my QT was perfectly within the limit. I continued to fear my pains that would continue as well as heart palpitations that were a lot rarer than the pain itself but felt like 1 or 2 very loud beats like my heart was changing gears.
I decided to get help for the anxiety and after being prescribed medication and seeing a therapist a went a year without panic attack constant cardiac fear.
This was success for me as my pain was still there but I could tell that it was muscular skeletal and not related to my heart but rather my back and sternum.
BUT recently 6 months after coming off my mediation and stopping therapy I a had a panic attack with the stabbing pain again and now I get constant heart attack symptoms I went to ER got an ECG a X-ray and blood tests and was told I was fine although again, low potassium. I felt amazing for a day until I found that prolonged QT syndrome and low potassium were closely linked and rushed myself to a hospital to get another ECG, there they found my QT was again normal and assured me that prolonged QT syndrome would always be present in ECGs and I was fine.
I felt good for a day but now i’m crippled with anxiety i’m scared to exercise, I feel so ill and alone.
