Please help me. Cardiophobia...

[florencemermaid]

Low blood pressure, normal ECG, normal chest x-ray... yet oh my heck, I'm terrified. You see, I had anorexia nervosa when I was eleven and I currently have an underactive thyroid... which causes heart failure, funnily enough. I've just been scaring myself all weekend. I've been feeling weak, fluttery and unwell since Friday... short of breath... heart palps... I'm a vegan, and my Dad thinks I'm ruining my health and I thought, maybe he was right. So I ate 2 boiled eggs today, and a cod liver oil tablet. Also trying to eat at least 2000 calories today... I usually eat less. I'm so ill. My doctor is very busy. I can't speak to them until Thursday. I basically always have these weird fluttery feelings in my chest, and heart palps... no real pain, unless I think about it for long enough... but my anxiety is so, so bad. I keep thinking, anxiety... symptom of heart failure... please can somebody help? I'm exhausted but I'm scared to go to sleep. I read about a girl whose heart stopped in her sleep. I have heart burn, diarrhoea, incredibly gassy... and I keep thinking I'm about to die at any second. What if I am? An ECG doesn't even test for HF, does it? Is this really just anxiety? My parents told me it is. And to be fair, since I've been feeling this way for three days and nothing has happened yet... but I just keep thinking, "I'm going to die if I go to sleep, I'm going to die if I walk too much." Help! Please!

[florencemermaid]

I keep on thinking that they've missed something... you know? I had a brief period of feeling completely better earlier... then someone rang me, and all of the symptoms came back.
So I guess I'm being irrational. But I keep on thinking, 'what if I'm not? what if I'm not?' it's hard to shake.

[florencemermaid]

Three weeks ago, I was just sitting in bed reading a book when I got really dizzy, light-headed, started retching, couldn't breathe... Went straight to Google (bad idea) had a MASSIVE panic attack... Went to the doctor a day later and told them that I'd fainted. The doctor checked my heart, gave me and ECG and gave me a chest x-ray... I had bloods done a few weeks before... all were fine, apart from vitamin d, thyroid and low blood pressure... which is apparently normal.
Yet I haven't been able to stop freaking out about it since. I haven't slept... I almost called an ambulance three times over the weekend, for my parents to reassure me that I was fine.
I just feel such a mess... so ill. I keep getting indigestion and thinking; 'what if this is it?'
Anyway, thank you for your reply, and for the welcome.
I appreciate it.
Though I could use a hug right now.

[nursegirl6572]

Hello and welcome.  I'm sorry you're struggling with this.  To me, it sounds an awful lot like anxiety, and yes, anxiety can cause very real physical symptoms, and "heart" like symptoms are very common with anxiety.

You stated your doctor is busy, but have you been worked up for these symptoms?  It sounds like you have.  Have you had fears of heart health for a while?  Have you seen a cardiologist?

I think a referral to a cardiologist is a reasonable next step if you haven't seen one already, not because I think you have something wrong with your heart, but because I think you probably don't, and the cardiologist would be the best person to reassure you.  

Once you've thoroughly ruled out a medical/physical problem, then you need to start addressing your anxiety with a mental health professional.  Therapy would be the best way to treat this, as you have to learn how to change the way you think, and the way you react (to symptoms for example).  

Medications may be something to discuss with a psychiatrist, but keep in mind they're not a "cure".  They help to manage symptoms of anxiety, which allows one to function in daily life a little better while they're working on their anxiety with a professional.

Keep us updated on how you're doing, okay?  Hang in there, you're not alone!