why do i always think I am going to have a heart attack

[contrarymary]

I am 60 years and always think I am going to have a heart attack.  I do not have any problems with my heart had plenty tests - GP says the chest pains I keep having are anxiety/stress of course as soom as i have a pain in chest i panic which of course doesnt help.  GP says learn to accept nothing wrong with heart - easier said than done.  I can get a pain in morning after some stress and during the course of day gets worse end up at doctors he does ecg nothing shows i then feel better for a while.  Any advice re this anxiety

[Zeal]

Hi Mary,

Welcome to the forum!

From your description, I am quite certain you have health anxiety. It also sounds as though your GP isn't giving you strategies to manage this anxiety, but just reassurance, which doesn't help you to deal with the anxious thoughts themselves. If you have a good patient-doctor relationship with your GP, then go back and ask for a referral to a counsellor or psychologist. If not, make an appointment with a different GP and say that you think you have health anxiety, and explain your symptoms.

Here are two forum threads relating to health anxiety:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/physical-symptoms-is-it-anxiety

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety-in-overdrive-help

Good luck with seeking help 🙂

Best wishes,

SM

[contrarymary]

Updating my post 17 months later I still have the same problems had every heart test possible all ok. Problem seems to be a night its a vicious circle cant sleep get anxious get chest pain so get more anxious and so it goes on. It happens about once a week so have learned to accept itand lie in bed awake listening to music and eventually drop off

[Starwolf]

Well done for learning to cope with this scary issue. Your doctor has given you good advice.

Music is a great way to focus the mind elsewhere.

Have you tried online treatment for anxiety (MoodGym, MindSpot) ? Have you checked the Smiling Mind and Buddhify apps ?

[contrarymary]

Update it is nearly 2 years since my original post and I still have the problems. I have times when i just cant relax mainly at night i pace up and getting more and more agitated its like a vicious circle. I have had every test on my heart including angiogram, stress tests, echo you name it ive had it. I can be ok for months and then it happens its happened 3 times this week. I have just learned to live with it

[blondguy]

Hi Contrarymary

Great to see you back and thanks for posting again too

Ive had the same unsettling feelings in my chest/heart too and it can be scary for sure

Just for me it ended up being anxiety (after 13 years of thinking it was a physical issue...oops)

After years of my heart/chest feeling a similar way I learned that our adrenaline gland can work overtime with even medium level anxiety thus making the palpitations and 'missed beats' more frequent....unfortunately

I still occasionally get the same feelings (no pain though) about 4 times a year and they are a reminder for me that I have too much on my plate or my environment is not working for me

You are proactive by having all the tests done and good on you! Its only my humble opinion as per my experience with similar symptoms that anxiety could be an issue

I hope you can stick around ContraryMary. Your thoughts or questions are always welcome 🙂

My kind thoughts

Paul

[contrarymary]

Update here I am over 3 years still have problems last night was bad awake till 4am pacing floor been to GP this morning nothing physically wrong and learn to control it. Is it time to find another GP. I woke up at 7am which was 5 hours ago just been lying around doing nothing

[blondguy]

Hi Contrarymary

Good to see you again!

Waking up in the small hours can sometimes be a sign of ongoing stress/fatigue. Can I ask if you have had any joy with seeing your GP and/or counselor? They can provide us with a solid foundation on which we can heal......as long as we can really discuss whats on our mind

What are your thoughts?

my kind thoughts

Paul

[contrarymary]

Still having problems in fact lying awake now unable to sleep. Gp gave me some sleeping tablets but I have not taken any scared to. I was also referred to physiologist but can't see him for a weeks. We have visitors from overseas just now they are all fast asleep I am wide awake and can't sleep but my eyes keep shutting for a few seconds then wide awake

[contrarymary]

Update

i am now 65 years old and still have the same problems. Was so bad a few weeks ago that I went to emergency after all the tests chest pain was diagnosed as muscular. Really bad today less than 2 hours sleep so very agitated and stressed. Trying to relax. Can go for weeks and months feeling really so don't know what the trigger point is.