Hi. I'm a 31 year old woman, 5'3" and 190 lbs but am otherwise healthy. I do not smoke/drink, and my cholesterol levels in the past years were good (due to have another test next month but do not anticipate that history changing). I have a tremendous fear of heart problems due to my doctor several years ago thinking she heard a "fluttering" in my chest. She sent me downstairs where they did an echocardiogram, and the technician told me she thought she saw a hole in my heart and a blood clot on my lung. Scared half to death, I then had a CT scan which revealed that there was no blood clot at all, and so then I was referred to see the clinic cardiologist A MONTH LATER. I decided I couldn't wait that long, and didn't really trust the clinic's doctors anyway, so I went to the city where they have an EXCELLENT heart doctor who saw me within a week. He stood right beside the tech while an echo was done on my heart and they also looked at my lungs. He told me he saw nothing wrong with my heart whatsoever, that my lungs looked great, and my arteries looked to be in great condition. That was 2 1/2 years ago.
I know I have panic attacks, especially when it comes to worrying about my health/trusting doctors. After that situation, I've been scared to death that the doctor might be wrong; that I might, in fact, have a heart condition. Any time I have a slight chest pain or something, I get anxious and panicky. This week, I've had problems with my asthma that has caused me to have trouble breathing. But the panicker in me also wonders since the breathing is difficult, if I might not be having a heart problem instead. Today I've been so panicky/shaky that I've got some discomfort in my left arm/shoulder. It's not a pain but feels like it's heavy. My chest is not hurting and I have no other symptoms of a heart attack. I experience this from time to time and it goes away when I calm down. Do you think I should go back and see that cardiologist in the city, or is this simply anxiety that is causing my symptoms? My family tells me I'm just having anxiety attacks, but the symptoms of anxiety attacks often mimic a heart attack, so I'm not sure what to think.
Basically, what I want to know is that should I trust that 2 1/2 year old diagnosis? Is it possible that since then I could have developed problems?