Heart palpitations and stabbing heart pain

[TaraGirl28]

I've been having heart palpitations since Halloween 09 it come along with fear of dying and high anxiety, the first 2 times it happened to me I took an ambulance to the hospital thinking the worst....they told me i was having panic attacks and prescribed me anti depressants and lorazapam ,  I stopped taking the depressants 2 months ago now because of not believing it was panic attacks I was having and continued to take lorazapam, then I started having some other symptoms, not at the same time as the palpitations but I have chest pain and I get stabbing pain going right through my heart, I have a echo cardiogram and it came back normal but I am still in disbelief, I went tot the gym with a girlfriend and 10 mins on the elliptical machine I was having the stabbing heart pain, I also have shortness of breath, heavy chest and it feels like my heart is working harder than normal,cough, my Dr. doesn't think there is anything wrong but had made me an apt to see a cardiologist anyways at the end of this month, I'm 28 years old and have 2 children and my husband is military and going over sea at the end of April, I'm terrified that I'm going to die, and I'm searching in the mean time for some sort of answers to help me but I don't really know what I'm looking for, please help!

[TaraGirl28]

I will for sure! And Thanks!

[kenkeith]

Good luck on finding a competent doctor who will take your symptoms seriously.  Keep us informed as your situation is interesting and your experience may help other similar situationed individuals.  

[TaraGirl28]

I don't like the Dr.s around here, seems like they don't know what they are doing half the time, I have had an EKG and a echo cardiogram, and blood work, thats about as far as it has gotten,they tried to tell me that I'm having panic attacks but I know my body, it's something much more than that. I have a Dr. apt with a cardiologist on the 22nd, I'm really looking forward to it, it's a Dr. that come from Ottawa Ont so he should be a good one, maybe he can give me some answers, because at the moment life isn't so fun, going through this on a daily basis since the beginning on Nov, its been a long 4 months!

I voiced to my Dr. that it's not uncommon for people my age to have heart attacks, strokes, my mother had a stroke when she was 30 and her left side is paralyzed, my grandmother died of a heart attack at 50,  I've been hard on my body in the past but thought I was way past that and exercising regularly, I was in shape and had no health problems then all of a sudden all these things started happening to me, I've had to literally bug my Dr. to get an apt. with a cardiologist, hopefully I will get some answers soon, if I had to take a guess it's one of 3 things, enlarged aorta, heart disease or lung cancer, but I may totally be wrong, who knows....  

[kenkeith]

Have you had EKG to determine if there are any electrophysiological abnormalities causing the palpitations?. Was there a blood workup, chest x-ray to rule out respiratory problem or a heart attack when admitted to emergency care.

Usually a doctor does a differential diagnosis, meaning all the possible serious conditions are considered and evaluated.  When everything else is ruled out, then the diagnosis is usually stress, panic, etc.

You do have the symptoms of a heart problem and also extreme anxiety.  Sometimes a heart problem is ruled out based on a young age...unfortunately, young people do develop heart problems!