Health Anxiety & COVID Vaccine

[Always_Anxious_]

Hello all,

I am wondering if anyone is experiencing anything similar. I have always had severe health anxiety after one of my friend's passed away from bowel cancer. I can't shake the feeling that it could happen to me too.

However, after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine (prior to it being put on hold) every twang or twitch I feel in my body I attribute to being a CSVT clot from the vaccine.

I have been speaking to a psychologist about this, however, my anxiety has been getting worse and I am experiencing more physical symptoms of anxiety - the vicious cycle that it is.

Does anyone have any coping strategies for a situation like this? Thanks in advance.

[BeforeCare]

I can relate.

I've been managing my anxieties quite well, well I thought

After my vaccine (6 days ago) I had the usual fever but my heart rate (monitored on my watch) had been over 100 resting, down to 80-90 for sleep for two nights, then the next days I was feeling palpatations and monitored these myself which were quite irregular but I was kept busy. Ive started to take some medications given for my tremmor but needed 10x the dose to have any effect on my heart rate/ ?anxiety. The palpatations (which were skipped beats on a fast rate) subsided now and I'm getting intermittent upper back pain and heaviness in my chest up to my neck. I've taken Nurofen for this but it didn't make it go away.

I booked to a GP teleheath yesterday and he said to go to hospital "if I have chest pain". I've been to ED twice now for chest concerns and sent away fine both times, (the first cured with antacids and the second time ruling out a PE with a CT). I've since had some tests to follow up on my shortness of breath (holter monitor and echo) which both were fine and am waiting till next month to see a cardiologist. The GP said the other option is to go to the clinic for an ecg. I got there, waited for 1.5hrs for him to tell me he can't do an ecg (which just pissed me off as he said on the phone to come in) and I would have to drive to the hospital (another town) or come back tomorrow (thismorning).

Considering he didn't really seem concerned I assume it must just be my anxiety so I had a couple of Ativan to get to sleep.

I called thw clinic as soon as they opened, expecting to be told a time to come in for an ecg and they made me have another telehealth appt with another GP who seemed fine that I was taking 100mg of a beta blocker a couple times a day, and wrote another script (although it still said to take 10mg) she said not to come into clinic but go to hospital if I suffer with Chest Pain. I have a heightened awareness of my heart rate now and feel so stupid and maybe it is all just health anxiety. I also feel bluffed off/neglected from both of the GPs, they just read out my last test results and said they were fine and I shouldn't worry. I'm going to try to wean back from the dose of the propanolol tomorrow and monitor for heart racing.

How do we determine what is just anxiety or what could really be something serious that I won't wake up with/or collapse when out alone??

[BeforeCare]

I can relate!
After my vaccine (6 days ago) I had the usual fever but my heart rate had been over 100 resting, down to 80-90 for sleep, then the next days I was feeling palpatations, Ive started to take some medications prescribed to me but needed 10x the dose to have any effect on my heart rate/ ?anxiety. The palpatations subsided now and I'm getting intermittent upper back pain and heaviness in my chest up to my neck. I've taken supermarket pain relief tablets for this but it didn't make it go away.
I booked to a GP teleheath yesterday and he said to go to hospital "if I have chest pain". I've been to ED twice now for chest concerns and sent away fine both times, (the first cured with antacids and the second time ruling out a PE with a CT). I've since had some tests to follow up on my shortness of breath (holter monitor and echo) which both were fine and am waiting till next month to see a cardiologist. The GP said the other option is to go to the clinic for an ecg. I got there, waited for 1.5hrs for him to tell me he can't do an ecg (which just pissed me off as he said on the phone to come in) and I would have to drive to the hospital (another town) or come back tomorrow (thismorning). I then took a couple of strong presription anxiety medications to get to sleep.
I called the clinic as soon as they opened thismorning, expecting to be told a time to come in for an ecg and they made me have another telehealth appt with another GP who seemed fine that I was taking ten times the amount of my beta blocker a couple times a day, and wrote another script (although it still said to take the original dose) she said not to come into clinic but go to hospital if I suffer with Chest Pain. I have a heightened awareness of my heart rate now and feel so stupid and maybe it is all just health anxiety. I also feel bluffed off/neglected from both of the GPs, they just read out my last test results and said they were fine and I shouldn't worry.

Not asking for heath advise but those diagnosed with health anxiety, How do you determine what is just anxiety or what could really be something serious and that I won't wake up with/or collapse when out alone?? Things are finally going good for me again and Id like to be around for this life alot longer, I feel very much needed now but I worry that Ill just drop off one day and I seem to be having every reaction or health issue that comes in my head.

[Bell87]

I was the same. I got my first Pfizer and got short of breath.. completely freaked out calmed down and I was fine. It still comes and goes when I worry about it. I am due for my second dose tomorrow