Heart Anxiety

I have a problem that I REALLY need some help on. I have been to so many Doctors & wasted so much money on therapy. In 1999 I had a really bad episode in my car where my heart was racing so fast I thought I was having a heart attack at 27. By the time I drove home it had subsided & I had no idea what happened. I don't smoke or drink caffiene & I'm not overweight & never had any problems with anxiety. Anyway since that time I had several more episodes like that & became VERY aware of my heart beat. I went for every heart test there is & was told that my heart was normal but they did find Trace mitral regurgitation without prolapse. Which to me sounds like a problem but the DR's say no so that bothers me. So now its 3 yrs later & I havent had an "attack" in over a year but every day I am aware of my heartbeat. Even if I am just sitting watching TV I constantly feel like my chest is jumping inside & it's not a nervous feeling it's like energy. Sometimes it will feel fast & if I check my pulse it is only 80bpm. It is a big problem for me & I dont want to try meds because the side efects are racing heart. I want to just be able to have a day where I dont notice my heartbeat, & I dont know if I feel it becuase I am thinking about it OR I am always thinking about it because I feel like there is something wrong with my heart.I read about something called cardiophobia but havent found a DR that ever heard of it. I avoid things that will raise my heart rate like exercising. Im hoping that you've dealt with this before & can offer any help Thanks Jean :)

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Your problem is about heart consciousness,not phobia. You are obviously afraid of two things. One is that you really have heart disease, and everything you said suggests that you don't. You did have a very classical panic attack and you are afraid it will come back.  all of your life's anxieties have been telescoped into this preoccupation.  the best thing you can do is go to a therapist and open that up, as a way to prevent another attack.

[shubunkin]

I know exactly how you feel. I have developed a phobia about my heart. I was diagnosed with anxiety/panic disorder. One night I was sitting at my computer and all of the sudden it hit me, I thought I was having a heart attack. My heartwas racing, short of breath, lightheaded and my hands were tingling. I went to the er and they diagnosed me as having a panic attack. It subsided while I was there. They gave me Xanax which helped me alot be if I knew what I know now I would not have taken it. It is very addicting and I am now weaning myself off of it. But I do take Paxil 20mg a day and that has made a world of difference. But I have also heard about withdrawel effects from it to. Damed if you do and damed if you do not. I saw a cardiologist and had an echo,stress test, and chest xray. He said everything looked perfect. I do have pvc's from time to time but by going to the doctor it gave me the comfort that they will not hurt me. So I have learned to not obsess over them and I am doing allot better. But I still check my pulse from time to time. Just part of the obbsession I guess. I am only 28 and hate they I have these feelings but they are getting better. I wish you all the luck.Danielle

[Jean27]

Danielle,
thanks for the reply. You mentioned that you learned not to obsess over your heart anymore I was wondering if you have any advice on how to do that. I find myself "checking" my pulse through the day just to see if it is fast. Also does it ever stop you from doing things? Thanks so much Jean :)

[shubunkin]

You had mentioned that you had a heart test. Was it an echocardiogram? That was what I had plus a stress test. The cardiologist told me that my heart looked great and that my stress test showed that I could do anything I wanted as far as exercise and activities. That alone helped me alot with my OCD concerning my heart. But I am also on Paxil 20mg a day. That has helped me alot also. You have your people that tell you not to take the Paxil because of withdrawel effects and then you have the people that say they work wonders. I will not say it has worked wonders(maybe I need a higher dose) but it has certainly helped. I still have my days that I check my pulse and obsess over my heart but it takes time. And having a cardiologist tell you that your heart is fine really takes a load off. Did you mention you have MVP? My cardiologist told me that alot of people have it and do not even know it. And that it is a fairly benign condition. My phobias used to affect everything I did. I was scared I would have cardiac arrest. Silly me! I have made myself resume all of my normal activities and I am now doing pretty good. If you are worried about exercise and your heart, for your own peace of mind you may want to have a stress test done.And if everything is fine, you can put your mind at rest. The test can be expensive though, especially when you do not have any insurance like me. But it was worth it because it put my mind at ease. Good luck, Danielle

[red562]

Jean, it's been what? 3 years you say?  I would think if there was anything seriously wrong you would know it by now.  What your suffering from is anxiety.  You worry day in and day out about your heart, what it's doing, what it's going to do.  I know I've been there.  I used to take my pulse 5-6 times an hour.  Everytime I would get a little winded I would freak out and think I was having another attack.  I would say from what I've read your heart is not the problem here, anxiety is what you should be concerned about. How did I get over it?  Well it wasn't easy.  I did a lot of reading and talking to other people and finally realized that I cannot let this control my life.  I once read a book about this that said, and this is so true, "What goes on in your head controls your heart."  The brain is a very powerful thing.  I have been having panic attacks now for 10 years.  They come and they go and I know I will live and guess what, I do, every time. Your constant pulse taking sounds like it has become an obsession, that's the way I was.  Nice to hear that your not alone right?  That's what helped me too.  Realizing that your not alone, your not a freak, there are others out there just like you. Once you realize and accept the fact that there is nothing wrong with your heart then you can move on and not constantly be worrying it.  It won't happen over night, it is a slow process.  The next time you want to take your pulse, get up instead and do something else, get your mind off of it, take some deep breaths, learn to relax. That's another thing I did relaxation tapes.  In time you can break yourself of this habit and your life will get better for you.

[Jean27]

What you said makes so much sense. I try so hard to not be concerned with my heart and my life has been on hold for 3 years. I start a new job on Friday and I have not worked in 2 years because of this problem. I dont like to drive alone but I am at the point that I HAVE to try. Sitting around taking my pulse all day has not helped me. I am just scared that I wont be able to handle working and I worry that if my herat acts up I will not be able to handle it and have to quit. Did you ever go through this with working and anxiety?? or driving. Thanks so much :)

[shubunkin]

I did have severe anxiety over driving. I was constantly waiting to have another attack while driving and have to pull over. I did not want to have to drive somewhere where I thought there was not a hospital nearby. But eventually it did get better. But with me it took being on medication. I am not at all pushing the meds, by all means if you can do it without, please do. You just have to take a deep breath and tell yourself" stop having these thoughts, nothing is wrong." I know it is hard but the more situations you work yourself through the easier it gets. And you have to make yourself get out there. Sitting at home does not help. I know so much what you are going through because this sounds just like me.Danielle

[jerry78]

Hi Everyone on this post.
Yes. I have been there and done that.  I also suffered for over a year with cardiopobia.  Same symptoms you all describe:  Aware of heartbeat, pulse checking, panic attack, fear of heart attack, etc., etc., etc.  I had many tests done but still nothing convinced me.  I had a good psyciatrist who practiced COGNITIVE THERAPY (talk therapy) and that really helped.  I had to shop around to 4 or 5 doctors until I found one that understood.  I also was afraid of the meds and did not take them.  I also recommend an excellent paperback book called THE ANXIETY DISEASE by a DR. Sheehan...of all the books I read this was a Lifesaver.......Good Luck...JJ

[Morenorm]

I've been there too. I had atrial fibrillation two years ago and began obsessing over my heart rate. I was constantly checking my pulse, obsessing over my problem, having constant anxiety, etc. I was basically in the same boat you are in. I went for some CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) and was prescribed 20mg. Paxil once daily and Klonopin .5 mg. three times daily. This, along with a diet change and regular exercise routine have made all the difference. You are having anxiety and need to address that. It is not uncommon for this to happen to heart patients. The therapy and meds have helped me accept my situation. Get help and you'll be okay.

[red562]

Jean, I think this new job will be good for you.  If anything it will keep your mind off of your heart and focused on other things.  Look at it as a positive.  This could be just the thing you need to break you of this.  Instead of thinking about it while your driving turn the radio on to A M and listen to a talk show while your driving, it will keep your mind off yourself and focused on the people who call in on the shows. Just from things you have said I gather that you have become agoraphobic (afraid to leave the home and go out in public places). This is also normal behavior of someone who suffers from anxiety of this kind. This new job should help you to over come this fear and get you out with other people. Best of luck, it will be normal for you to be nervous your first day so don't worry about it.  Keep us posted.

[red562]

P.S. Here is a link to great site for anxiety, go check it out.
http://www.paems.com.au/

[LCD]

I am going to give everyone the abridged version of my story.  My dad passed away last year and 3 months prior to his death I started to get severe chest pains.  I was at work one day and my heart was beating so fast that is was clocked at 210 bpm.  I called 911 and was taken to the hospital.  The doctor hooked me up to the EKG and said everything was normal.  He said I had a panic attack.  

Once in a blue moon I get severe palpitations but I do notice that everyday I am listening to my heart.  I was still suffering from chest pain and stomach discomfort so I checked myself into the hospital where I got a sonogram of my whole stomach and then a catscan of my upper and lower abdominal area.  Then they went down through my mouth and looked around and found nothing.  They prescribed Prilosec.  

I still was not satisfied because now I started to become afraid of going out that I was going to drop dead in font of everyone in NY.  I missed a lot of work.  I would find comfort in my house because I would say it is better to die at home than at work in front of everyone.  

To make matters worse, I lost my cousin at the age of 35 in the World Trade Center.  He was a fireman.  It's funny, I tell everyone I am not a nervous person.  I handle stress very well.  As a matter of fact, so many people told me that I handle crisis with such calmness.  I did CPR on my dad when he passed away in front of us.  I always remain calm.  That is probably why I can't understand why I still am getting this till today.  I had 3 EKG's done, 2 Echocardiograms done, 1 regular stress test and then a thallium stress done (that's the one where they inject dye into you take pictures of your heart after you exercise and at rest).  My doctor did discover that I had a small case of mitral valve prolapse(he was shocked because he never heard it with the stethoscope) and also I get every once in a while PVC.  He said that it is normal in healthy people.  When I was on the stress test the PVC's where more than a regular person but as the exercise became more intense they left.  He said I should loose some weight and start exercising again.

I never had these problems 3 years ago and I am only 33 years old.  I have a fear everyday that I am never going to wake up in the morning because my heart will stop.  I so desperately want to start living my life again.  I see a psychiatrist but all he is interested in is the medication I am taking.  I was so upset that I stopped Paxil and Zoloft in March.  I know I shouldn't but I can't stand the idea of taking pills.  I never did.  All I keep in my purse it a bottle of Zanex just incase I get a severe attack.  That pill is the best but they say it's very additive.  I just don't know how to handle this anymore.  Some days I feel like my old self but some days it feels as if I am walking around with bricks on my chest.  I gained 30lbs because I was afraid of doing anything.  I always exercised but now till today, I feel that if I go to the gym I am going to collapse.

It's so good to know that it is not in my mind (that's what people where saying to me).  Any ideas on how to get back into a normal lifestyle again will be appeciated.  I use to love life and now all I ever think about is death and this pain.  Thanks for listening...  

[brooktrout]

Thank you for everyone's input thus far.

I too find myself checking and rechecking and rechecking my pulse throughtout the day.  Giving myself more anxiety especially if I detect something out of "whack". These symptoms didn't manifest until I stopped taking Paxil in March of 2002, after approximately 7 years of 20mg day.  The withdrawal process was hell and sometimes I feel as though I am still going through withdrawal but my psychiatrist says otherwise. I still get the weird dizziness/headache and the zaps. Paxil was great for my anxiety and panic don't get me wrong, but it also took away all of my feelings and libido and almost ruined my relationship with my fiance. It also contributed to high blood pressure, abnormal ECG, and excerbated my asthma to the point where I was going through a canister of albuterol per month.
I have a very severe fear of death and dying and more specifically dropping dead or sudden death. I also fear getting hurt, disfigured, contracting a terrible disease like cancer or MS, or going blind and or deaf, just to name a few.  I'm thinking of trying another SSRI maybe in tandem with a benzodiazepine?  I know about the addiction and withdrawals but the anxiety/panic/ocd is getting difficult to deal with.  Does anybody have any success stories with SSRI's other than Paxil for panic/gad/ocd?  What about non-drug methodology?  Thank you.

[Msb4Mets]

Ok, here's the deal.  the thing that causes this is fear of suddenly dropping dead.  and i'm not trying to be funny.  i totally know what everyone is going through. in my 7 plus years of pulse taking i am convinced that the only way out is actually dropping dead.  I think people like us who deal with this have a heightened awareness of the inevitable.  

My ordeal started the year my 40 year old sister in-law was found dead (brain aneurysm) and my 12 year old cousin dropped dead from a unknown heart problem.  no one is safe.  

My opinion is it is totally a fear of death and knowing that one way or another we are human and doomed to die.  (It totally doesn't help either that i believe we live in a godless universe.  no faith really is a downer.)

If you can come to grips with the fact that someday, somehow, you're going to drop dead, you'll be fine.  and i know a lot of you are in your 20's and you're thinking you don't want to die now but newsflash, no one ever wants to die at any age. you'll never get to an age where you think, ok, i'm ready now.  in fact, as you get older it just gets worse.  

If you don't fear the inevitable, you won't fear the sound of your own heart. and if you don't fear the sound of your heart, you will have no anxiety and feel better and probably live longer.  but that's the big problem.  how do we not to fear the inevitable?

oh, and by the way, worrying about this leads to reflux (heartburn) disease and reflux leads to symptoms that feel like heart attack.  life is cruel.

[Anxiousalot]

I am also constantly worried about my heart.  It started 2 months ago when I had what was later described as a panic attack.  the funny thing is, I used to be as cool as a cucumber.  Now I am afraid that my heart is beating too hard/too slow/fast.  I am only 23 years old.  I started checking my pulse every hour.  I find it rather ridiculous that we have these obsessions.  I took an EKG and it was fine, the doctor said that I had nothing to worry about.  So, why am I still so worried??  I feel I can't go on living like this.  It is like being a walking dead person.

Does anyone have any advise besides "It is just anxiety, it will go away"???  

Thanks, and good luck to all.

[Msb4Mets]

Get your Cholesterol checked.  if the ldl is not high and the hdl is good then that combined with your ekg the doctor said was fine should tell you that you have no heart problem.  plus if you have no family history of heart disease, you are prob fine. If you are not satisfied with that, you can always get a stress test done.  

the fact is that at young age with no history in the family and good general health, the chances of a problem are minute.

My own problem has been that i feel they never really know until it's too late. and that even though the chances are minute, someone in two million will have it so why not me.  If you have a genetic birth defect they may not find that.  reality tells me it is all in my head.  but reality is sometimes hard to find. Know what i mean?

this is a good forum though.  nice to know there are other people that have experienced the exact same thing that i have. now as long as none of you drop dead from a heart attack, this may actually help me.

[Anxiousalot]

Reality is hard to find indeed.  When my doctor told me that I had nothing to worry about, I felt great and almost releived.  That lasted about 3 hours.  I think I read some newspaper aricle that said some guy died mysteriously of some heart realted condition and I said "That could happen to me".  It begins to really get frustrating.  I am starting to think that I am a hypochondriat.  I feel like I need to have an exorcism performed on me, like there is some evil spirit residing in me.  I guess every person has some problem.  I look at some people and think, it must be nice to be rich, have a no health problems, drive a nice car.  What a F%&*ed up world we live in.