Health anxiety about heart

[Anon222]

Hello, this is my first time posting and I’m not sure if anyone will be able to relate or not but I always have chest pains and I am constantly getting heart palpitations and I have convinced myself there is something wrong with my heart, I have had ECG and blood test and chest X-ray and my GP and the doctors from the hospital (I’ve been to emergency) have said it’s most likely not my heart but they can’t tell me what it actually is which gives me really bad anxiety. I can spend hours googling my symptoms online. My heart feels like it skips a beat sometimes and then a thud and then beats really hard, sometimes I’ll just be watching tv and it happens... it doesn’t hurt but it scares me and then I get anxiety about it. I’m pretty healthy I’m 29 year old female not overweight and my cholesterol and everything is normal I’m just paranoid that the doctors are missing something. My actual chest pin varies from burning sometimes to little twitches that hurt & sharp pains and it’s forever changing. I don’t know how to stop worrying about it and going to the doctor every week for them to tell me it’s nothing

[Meladjusted]

Hi,
I can totally relate, you're not alone. 5 years ago I was having heart palpitations, I'd go to bed at night and my heart would feel like a butterfly in my chest. It felt all over the place and the doctors couldn't find anything wrong.
It's clear to me now, I had a hormonal imbalance and the Doctors missing it really set up a bad panic attack loop for me. They did test my thyroid but no other hormones, plus having not had those tests before there was no baseline for what was normal for me.

[Anon222]

Thank you so much! I asked my doctor about hormonal imbalance because I have a few other symptoms as well and he just shrugged it off! I might get a second opinion. Thank you 🙏🏽

[Meladjusted]

Definitely get another opinion. I found it really hard to trust they had listened to me and actually checked properly. I even took myself off to emergency when I wasn't coping one night. I think there's a lot GP's miss with hormones. I got more help from a meditation app and an oral spray to calm myself down.

My doctor shrugged off so many symptoms, 3 months with no period, mouth ulcers (from the stress probably), sinus issues. One suggested the iodine in my multivitamins could be causing the thyroid problems. They told me I was just depressed and to go to a psych. The psych was confident there was an underlying physical issue. After a few months it turned out I had a serious tooth access (probably a result of an ulcer that went untreated). After the first round of antibiotics my thyroid returned to normal size. I can't explain it but I found it interesting.


Good luck, you've got this.

[Karlsbad]

Hi there,

when I read your post it immediately took me back 12 months ago. I started having pain on the right side of my chest and I could feel my heart thudding when rev I laid down. I started having palpitations as well! I did a stress test and went to the ER and my GP twice for an ecg. I hate to say it but, I think it was anxiety causing it. I too would google my symptoms and drop hints to my Dr about things I’d read and they would tell me my test were clear. I made the decision to stop obsessing over it and I know only get sharp pains when I’m stressed or anxious. I hope your okay! It will get better 🙂

[Anon222]

Hello, thank you for replying and I'm happy I'm not the only one, I just work myself up too much! I think it probably is anxiety and i tell myself that to calm myself down and I feel better for a while until I get palpitations or chest pains, and it just starts the process of freaking out over again. I have dropped hints to my doctor too haha but they just say its probably stress etc. Its just hard because ill get fluttering in my chest when I'm just watching Tv not even stressed so it makes me think it's something else. Thank you for the reassurance 🙂

[Dilly2]

I've always been extremely healthy, active and happy but a few months ago I had some worries and one day some very strange feelings so my husband took me to hospital. I had convinced mysefl it was my heart (last year I found I have minor leaking valves which they reckon I was born with and I've never had any symptoms).

X-ray, ECG. blood tests, ultrasound and finally an angiogram revealed I have a strong, healthy heart. I asked my cardiologist if it could be anxiety (my husband's health, worries about the future) and he smiled reassuringly and told me I actually had depression - and was no longer a cardiac patient!

I'm now taking an antidepressant which is really helping but recently I've been getting horrible palpitations, mostly when I first lie down and again when I wake in the morning. My heart thunders and seems to miss and catch new beats and I really freak out, even though I tell myself it really is only anxiety. And sometimes it comes on during the day for no apparent reason. Mind you it has become worse since recently finding out my husband needs surgery so it really does come back to anxiety but it's still scary but also kind of reassuring to know I'm definitely not alone!

[Anon222]

The same thing happens to me when waking up! I read somewhere that its because your cortisol levels are elevated in the mornings (to help wake you up) but if you have anxiety it just gives you anxiety! Well for me it does. Yes, mine comes on during the day for no reason as well that's the most stressful one because its like WHY!? Sometimes it feels dumb asking my doctor to have all these tests when I can tell they just think I have anxiety but for me I need proof otherwise I cant stop thinking about it! It makes me feel better that it isn't just me as well!