Anxiety or heart issue

[RHyslop]

Hi, im a 29 year old male in pretty good shape. All my issues started when I was 14. One day playing football my heart rate elevated like crazy and left me short of breath so I went and sat down. Another time playing basketball i jumped up for the ball and my heart rate went crazy im sure it was around 140 150bpm. Also that time short of breath so I sat down till my heart rate slowed down. Went to see a cardiologist because laying in bed at night I would be severely short of breath and would have palpitations and fast heart rates. They found nothing. I also wore a holter monitor which didnt show any different. Several years went by my problems would come and go. Always constantly still short of breath no matter what I did. I had a severe panic attack in 09, that left me worried I was gonna have a heart attack any day. They said it was anxiety. Took me a few months to feel like myself again but pushed through it. All the while still having shortness of breath constantly. I only seem to get rid of most of the issues when I start lifting weights again. Now 6 years later my grandfather passed away in november and all my panic and anxiety have come back in full force. Almost immediately after I heard he wasnt gonna make it my anxiety hit me and I had to go home. I was a state away with my gf. Everytime I have these anxiety issues I have a safe zone because Im constantly worried im gonna have a heart attack. I even get where I wont drive very far away from the house. I also find comfort knowing if there is a hospital nearby, sometimes that takes my anxiety down a notch. So a few weeks ago i was laying in my room and my heart rate went crazy for no reason and was so short of breath, chest was numb and tight, couldnt move my hands and my face and arms were numb and tingly, heart rate was 170bpm when ems arrived. I was looked over at the hospital and they didnt find anything. They put me on beta blockers for heart rate and blood pressure and lorazepam for anxiety. Went to see a cardiologist again who didnt think there was anything wrong but I am scheduled for a stress test on the 18th of this month. I feel worse since being on this medicine. The metoprolol was 50mg twice daily. The side effects made me feel terrible, slow heart rate, terrible back and sternum pain and made my breathing very shallow, so I cut it to quarter doses and feel a lot less side effects. Tired of feeling short of breath all the time and worrying im going to have a heart attack and being paranoid to go far from the house or my safe zone. Also I feel like a hypochondriac always looking up my symptoms, convinced that it is a heart problem. Any help would be much appreciated. ..thanks so much.

[CFS56]

When my problems first started I was given metoprolol and it made me feel like crap.  My doctor put me on bystolic and I have way fewer problems with it, I've been taking it now for 6 years almost.  Ask him to switch your  meds, there are several different beta blockers.
What you are describing with the numbness, heart racing and difficulty breathing sounds like anxiety to me.  I have always had anxiety and panic attacks started in my 20s.  I totally understand about the safe places. Best advice I can give you is the more you give into it and let it limit your life, the worse it's going to get. You need to try to recognize it for what it is (anxiety) and convince yourself that it isn't going to kill you, you will live through a panic attack.  When you remove the fear from the panic attacks you are a long way into controlling them.  It is hard to do that and takes practice but you can do it.  Good luck.

[RHyslop]

Yeah the lorazepam helps..it works fairly quickly when I feel panicky I take one and I noticed if I do have a panic attack it really shortens the attack and eases my symptoms. The metoprolol just has seemed to make my anxiety worse which I have read one of the side effects of metoprolol is increased anxiety. I lowered my dosage because of the side effects I was feeling and it was taking my resting heart rate is the low 50's and made my breathing feel very low and shallow.

[Braxnum1]

I Am on metoprolol also 50 mg but it didn't bother me as it has you. I Am experiencing breathing "problems" myself but not short of breath just feel like I control and monitor my breathing. Does the lorazepam help you? I have dealt with anxiety since I was 15 and now I'm 37. I believe you are fine physically my opinion and it's all anxiety you are dealing with. I too lost my grandpa last year and a couple months later boom, here comes the anxiety x 20. I hope your tests are okay. I suggest you find a anti depressants you can tolerate well and hope it can help you. Believe me if it improves your quality of life meds are well worth it.