Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

20 year old Female, Terrified I'm Having Heart Attack

Hi all. I am a 20 year-old, active female, 5'4, ~100 pounds. I am a vegetarian and I eat very healthily. Unfortunately, I am a smoker, but I only smoke about 5 cigarettes a day and am trying to quit. I have a history of generalized anxiety and anorexia nervosa, but no physical illnesses to speak of.
Recently, I have been racked with extreme anxiety about my health. This began with an incident about a month ago where I was bitten by a stray cat and was terrified I had developed rabies. I had not, of course, but the shock of my own mortality has stuck with me and really thrown me for a loop. Then, about a week later, I was out with my friends and suddenly experienced a numbness/tingling in my lower jaw. It went away after drinking water, so I chalked it up to dehydration, but it was a significant scare. After that, I managed to convince myself variously that I was having a stroke, that I had throat/mouth cancer, lymphoma, and Lyme disease. Within the last week, my anxiety has been out of hand. I have been having episodes lasting 15-30 minutes in which I feel short of breath and as if my heart were pounding out of my chest. For the last 4-5 days, these episodes have been accompanied by sudden hot flashes, dry mouth, diarrhea, vision that is somehow "strange" (not blurred or obstructed, just a bit off), feeling not quite dizzy but off-balance, and the sensation of brain fog that makes me feel strangely absent but does not hinder my ability to read, talk, or write. The vision and feelings of absence sometimes linger past the attack itself. For the last 2 days, I have had a sensation of dull pressure (not painful, just unusual) that comes and goes under my left clavicle, about midway between the middle of my chest and my shoulder. I just went to the campus health center at my college today, where the doctor checked my heart with a stethoscope and assured me that everything seemed completely fine and healthy. I have been trying to ignore it; I even went to the gym and did a fairly strenuous workout to try to reassure myself. But I am absolutely terrified that I'm having a heart attack. My dad had a heart attack at 52, and I am terrified of it happening to me.
2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Are you still anorexic?  How long were you anorexic?  You say you're a vegetarian, but that in itself is no guarantee of a healthy diet.  The reason I ask is, not everything is anxiety, but almost nothing at your age is heart related.  I would ask if your Dad was a smoker -- there's virtually nothing you can do that guarantees health problem down the road more than smoking, but you won't notice at your age.  But it is possible you're experiencing thyroid problems or B12 anemia, more common in vegetarians because B12 is virtually non-existent in common plant foods (some uncommon ones have it, such as spirulina).  You might have a magnesium deficiency, especially if you're turning to dairy a lot for your protein (very high in calcium but deficient in magnesium, and too much calcium can leach magnesium out of the body -- green leafy vegetables have a good balance of the two).  Some of what you describe might also be the kind of vascular condition that causes migraine headaches.  You are at the age where anxiety and depression break out, and because you're citing a lot of symptoms that don't go together, it does sound like you're having anxious thoughts.  Now, if you get to an age where heart problems are more of an issue, and that will depend on your individual situation, a stethoscope won't tell anyone anything.  But at your age with your habits, just so improbable.  But there are other things it might be.  The point is, anxiety can be a big problem and still not be the cause of everything that's happening, but when symptoms are all over the place such as yours the doctor needs to look at the things that cause symptoms all over the place -- heck, with the jaw and the neck area, it could even be something as simple as teeth clenching.  But what anxiousnomore is saying is, a person who isn't suffering from being over-anxious either does something about stuff or doesn't, but doesn't spend the time worrying about it.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Your reaction to the realization that you can die unexpectedly is natural, but most people don't dwell on it because it likely won't happen at your age. Here are some stats on what could get you and cardiac is way, way down the list. http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/10LCID_All_Deaths_By_Age_Group_2010-a.pdf
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
The fact your doc said nothing is wrong with the heart means you go way down below the normal tiny chance those of your age have of cardiac death too.
Over-analyzing yourself actually creates fear which makes the "symptoms" real as you sweat and feel short of breath etc. In the ER the only time I went the doc said if I had a heart issue all week like I feared that I would be dead so that convinced me that she was right and I forgot about my symptoms. Not everyone can relax like that, but it is the only way the "symptoms" will stop because it is a vicious circle if anxiety has its way.

Lots of people on this chat site have gone to ER with some of the "symptoms" you have because it just feels so real that your mind won't give it up until someone tells you it isn't really happening or at least not from your healthy heart.
Also, good luck with quitting smoking -- it is a powerful addiction but one well worth escaping from too.
Thank you so much. Hearing outside reassurance helps more than you know :)
Let us know how you are doing in the next few days or sooner.
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community

Top Anxiety Answerers
Avatar universal
Arlington, VA
370181 tn?1595629445
Arlington, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?