Please help... I need input from experts.

[hoosier1907]

Hi all.

Thanks for your replies upfront.

Last week I thought I was having an heart attack after two days of chest pain. Anyways, I got done all the tests like Echo, EKG, holter and three different cardiologists assured me that nothing is wrong with my heart.

Tonight, out of sudden my heart strated to beat little fast and pounding! And I got very dizzy, my legs felt very weak, I thought I was about to faint. Also, I felt like some numbness, tingling sensations, and strange feeling. I felt so weak. It lasted about an hour an half and it is slowly going away now I guess.

Doctors say there is nothing wrong in my heart. Can it be some anxiety attack. My blood pressure was little elevated. I have never had this before. I also feel little shortness of breath and a very bad weakness in my entire body, specially the legs and feet.

What does this sound like? Please help.

Thanks.

[nursegirl6572]

Your symptoms sound like classic anxiety, IMO.  I think most of us have experienced something similar to what you describe.  Your mitral valve prolapse absolutely goes hand in hand with anxiety.  The two conditions are like salt and pepper with one another.  One makes the other worse...and vice versa.    Additionally...when one is out of control...usually the other will be as well.  A LOT of people who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders are found to have MVP (myself included).

The good thing is....it sounds like you've had a pretty thorough work-up...and any big scary possibility has been ruled out at this point.  Trust what the doctor's are telling you....and start addressing the anxiety.  Ask your doctor for some guidance on how to proceeed...whether that be with a referral to a psychiatrist (my personal preference in most cases) who can help you to formulate a plan of attack for the anxiety...and there are all sorts of treatment methods out there....some people have had luck with meds, therapy or a combo of both.  The combo approach is the best way, IMO...because it covers all the bases...and tends to be more effective long term.

Once you start addressing the anxiety...I think you will be pleased to see the rest of your symptoms will start to subside as well.  It takes some time and is usually gradual, but you'll get there.  Please continue to share with us...we have all been able to help one another out quite a bit.

Take Care...hope you're feeling better soon.

[hoosier1907]

Thank you for the comments. The cardilogists said I should not worry but one indicated I may have MVP which is a benign heart condition. I do not know if my anxiety makes everything worse. The pain I have is more like a dull continuous ache around upper left chest close to the sternum. It is not associated with the pounding of my heart, i.e. it does not increase when my heart strats pounding.

I have this strange feeling for the last two days: lightheadedness especially if I walk and strange tingling/buzzing/stitching in my feet and hands.

Anyone else here with similar symptoms?

[crystalfresh]

I think we can help each other. Can you describe the chest pain that you feel during this pounding heart feeling. Does it feel like the heart is tearing apart like the blood can't get out or sharp pain.

Do you get dizzy or whooosh feeling like you need to sit down.

What would really be helpful when this happens is to get your blood pressure when your heart is acting strange. Elevated pressure is normal since blood flow is moving. Dropping pressure with pumping heart may not be normal since blood flow might not be good. However I suspect if flow was a problem it would be 100% constant. If it comes and goes then that may be anxiety.

When you get shortness of breath trying laying down to see if blood flow pressure change helps. Also when you feel that strange tingling thats probably too much oxygen flowing in the blood. Holding your breath for 20 seconds in between breaths will make it go away if that is the case. It's a chain reaction. More breathing faster causes more oxygen and that give the tingling and make it harder to breathe and the cycle goes on until you can't stand up. Thats where breathing tricks like holding your breath for 20 seconds in between breaths helps. If it is this.

I found out when my blood pressure drops because blood is not flowing I don't have tingling since I loose feeling. But I will feel tingling when I breathe too much.

A simple experiment to see if the feeling you have is too much air is to just take 2 - 4 deep breaths fast and blow out the air fast all of it. That should be enough to make you feel tingling until the oxygen levels drop to normal again. If you want to see how the 20 second hold works try that too to return oxygen levels back faster. Just it slowly because you can pass out from over breathing.

If that is the tingling you feel with light headedness that sounds like anxiety. But identifying what the symptoms are might be enough to make them stop.

This would help you identify it maybe it is anxiety. I will leave it up to the doctors to rule out heart conditions.

If you don't mind please be as specific as possible to describe any chest pain, where and if directly in the heart and what it feels like. Thank you.