All in the head or all in the heart
Posted , 7 users are following.
I've hit my lowest point in my life and I really don't see any hope anymore. For almost a year now, I have struggled with this mystery illness that I cannot get any answers too. I have been to the ER over 6 times, I've been to my primary care doctor at least 10, and seen countless numbers of speacialists. I am convinced I am going to have a heart attack. I am a 21 year old female who constantly is in fear now. I went from healthy and happy to bed ridden and in fear in a matter of hours. My heart skips beats, my chest is tight, I'm dizzy and lightheaded, I have pain down my arms and legs (mostly left), the left side of my face gets a funny feeling, I get random sharp back pain, sharp jaw pain, vomiting, numbness, head prsssure, loss of motor control in my hands, and diharrea. I know I should listen to the doctors considering they haven't found anything, and by now I think a heart attack would have happened considering it's been 11 months since this started happening, but I can't shake this feeling of impending doom coming. I've heard these are panic attacks and all anxiety related and recently I have been seeing an eastern medicine doctor who told me he doesn't see anything wrong with my heart but diagnosed me with liver stagnation. However, I know the symptoms of a heart attack, epescially in women, and mine line up all too well, especially this last episode I had two days ago where I was driving and all these symptoms hit me. My family is already financially struggling after all my tests and doctor/hospital visits so I really can't go anymore, but I am scared. I am scared I am scared I am scared. I am still having all these symptoms now and I can't shake them. I just need to know if I'm going to make I through this or my heart is going to give out. No tests have pointed to anything, but what if it was something small 11 months ago but now it's something big....I've tried everything but heart attack is in my mind especially because all the symptoms I have line up perfectly. Please help me. I am beyond scared.
0 likes, 23 replies
Mary_Beth08170 alex1996
Posted
Hi alex1996 and sorry you're going thru this, but I too have gone thru this just recently and since April 2017. I'm 58 yrs. old and take Lisinopril a blood pressure medication and I also took metoprolol another blood pressure medication and began experiencing strange symptoms like you described so it seemed out of the blue...plus more symptoms. I was getting numbness, tingling all over my body including my face and head and it switched from the left side to the right side and I was sure I was having this or that (rather not even put the words out there because it's the power of suggestion that can cause physical symptoms for many people. I did see my primary care and he brushed off most of my symptoms and said he thought it was muscular. Had blood work done and came back okay except for the usual vitamin d deficiency. long story short I lived in fear like you day and night believing I was going to die any minute and became basically couch bound or bed bound with nothing but horrific painful symptoms from my head to my toes... I had tests done too and even had a cardiac doctor yell at me about my symptoms which I won't get into; he made everything much worse..I decided that's it and I said to myself it has to be the Lisinopril or the metoprolol causing all these strange cardiac like symptoms so I weened off the metoprolol with the doctors knowledge first and saw drastic improvement and much fewer symptoms such as the numbness and some chest pain and bone pain and joint pain as well as muscle weakness and tightness which are all side effects of metoprolol and Lisinopril. I saw drastic improvement and realized the Lisinopril probably was causing the symptom of labored breathing so I decided to taper off of that too and I saw that symptom go away too...I was experiencing adverse side effects of 2 medications I had been taking for over 2 years when the doctor insisted no it was not the medications. I had swelling in my knee which disappeared too. I knew much of the symptoms were compounded by the fear and anxiety of fearing I was going to die and the symptoms of anxiety can cause cardiac like symptoms such as you describe so I am wondering if it's that you are suffering these symptoms as a result of your fear of having a heart attack ? Makes sense to me, but why not ask your doctor for a panic medication and try with all your might to put having a heart attack out of your mind by being with other people, getting out of your present environment; doing something you like, etc and I know how hard that is to do, but try it as best as you can.I also did end up in the ER 2x with very high blood pressure from being so scared I was going to die due to the fear put in me by the doctors saying I would have a heart attack, a stroke, etc...I was infuriated with the doctors 2 of them for saying such horrid things to me and told them so...also have your doctor check all of your vitamin levels and do complete blood work as I learned I had a salt deficiency too while in the ER...It sounds like You are not having a heart attack, but your are experiencing all the symptoms of having one because you know the symptoms and our minds are so powerful...have you checked out possible allergies and yes allergic reactions can cause strange symptoms...I started using my elliptical and riding my stationary bike and feel much much better...just have to force yourself to make the moves and overcome the fears that are doing this to you or to atleast address the fears with maybe your doctor and ask for help with that because it is an anxiety condition that's causing you great stress and fear...I hope you will try something new; leave your present environment with a friend or someone you trust and just get out of the sickness that's making you fear for your life... I think that this happens to everyone at some point in our lives where we fear we are going to die and we don't die...it is a fear at the moment to be dealt with like any other fear..panic attacks are painful for the person having them, but a medication may greatly help you with that; maybe just take for short amount of time and see if it helps...hope you recover quickly and get your mind off of it which is the answer I think and yes, even with physical pain...try ice therapy too just by using a icepack and placing in different areas going in a downward way which gets your mind off of what you're fearing and instead gets your mind on how the ice feels on your body...put ice on your pain and see what happens...that's what I did and it worked; got my mind off of my fear of dying...I guess you can use heat too or massage therapy plus any other things...I don't take pain medications except for extra strength Tylenol and I did use that and got relief too...I think something very stressful may have happened to you as it did me and caused the fear to manifest into the array of painful symptoms you're having...Good luck Alex and you will get better, but force yourself to try something new...sorry so long, but I understand how painful this is...so get rid of it because you can...we can heal our bodies with our minds and with the help of exercise...don't watch tv where all the ads are pharmaceutical; same on social media; they're trying to sell medications by making it seem like we're all very sick and unhealthy people when we are not...
alex1996 Mary_Beth08170
Posted
I really appreciate the long and thoughtful post! I wasn't on any meds when this started happening. It really just came out of the blue one night and continued to happen. But in the summer it seemed to have simmered down a lot. But now it is back in full swing. I have done EVERYTHING. Between going to the ER, the doctor, getting all tests done, trying to get out and do things, massage therapy, acupuncture, cupping, using herbs, and counseling. It won't go away. How do you fight something that won't go away? And it's painful. I mean it really mimics spot on heart attack symptoms for a female. And now back pain and jaw pain has set in, which are two huge symptoms. So it just is vsey frightening...
Mary_Beth08170 alex1996
Posted
Hi Alex1996, could it be something like fibromyalgia, TMJ plus a disc problem in the neck and back ? I tried to make one diagnosis out of my symptoms and realized that it's more than one thing that happened just about at the same time...I have TMJ and it causes jaw pain and jaw pressure as well as headaches, ear pain and even neck pain. I also have lower back disc problems from a bad mattress so I bought a new mattress and the pain goes away in my lower back for the most part. Can also be something like arthritis...I don't think it has anything to do with having a heart attack and I am not a doctor remember. I had numbness and chest pain not from the medication, but from injuries to my body and I too thought it was heart related but it's not...I have with the power of my mind caused pain in my body and then with the power of my mind took that pain away; it's not really being caused by anything other than the suggestion of pain and the power of my mind...It is very scary. When I say allergies I also mean all allergies like clothing, what you're eating, drinking, deodorants, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, etc. any type of allergy or vitamin deficiencies like I have vitamin d deficiency which affects the muscles, heart and bones as well as other things in our bodies so I took over the counter low dose of vitamin d and also drank orange juice with vitamin d in it and vit. d level went up a little as well as it takes away weakness in the muscles for me...You have to keep dealing with it which isn't easy I know. I got checked for lyme disease on my own because I know it causes strange symptoms, but no lyme disease...there are doctors who are good diagnosticians that should be able to help you figure this out. I would suggest a ENT who deals with TMJ and ask for X-Rays or MRI's catscans etc...this is what i'd do; get pictures of what might be going on inside as well as being tested for vitamin deficiencies that can cause horrific symptoms...Good Luck to you; you'll figure it out...I know that when I was in the hospital for 1 1/2 days I was given Ativan to help with my blood pressure and it did take the fear away so they prescribed just a few until I got to my primary care dr...I don't want to be addicted to any medication, but the symptoms did go away so all I can say is it worked on the fear of me dying and having a heart attack and maybe it's needed for a short time if the dr. will prescribe it or another panic type medication that works...sometimes it is fear which goes beyond anxiety...keep going Alex1996...my sister saw I think it was a rheumatologist to try and figure out what was plaguing her one year and he did...it was lyme disease...
Mary_Beth08170 alex1996
Posted
Another thought that just came to mind is a sleep disorder in which you are clenching and grinding your teeth to cause the jaw pain. I had 2 sisters plus myself with TMJ (jaw problems) and sleep apnea and both are relieved with minor adjustments such as with me I use 2 pillows and this alleviates the jaw from clenching plus ENT's or dentists can make a mouth guard to prevent clenching and grinding...check into both perhaps...you'd be surprised what may be causing your symptoms are not heart related at all...I am not a doctor remember. My primary care doctor said we have muscles all around our heart and breasts and these muscles can become inflamed and injured and cause pain that would make us believe it's to do with the heart when it is not...I just hate to see so many people believing they have heart trouble when it could be heart burn and relieved with an ant-acid..etc..I've had acid reflux that went thru my entire body so it seemed; down into my leg; who knows, but it went away and I realize my reaction to the strange symptoms are worse than the symptoms; it causes us to panic; freak out and then our hearts palpitate; start thumping and that's when our minds have to come in and be sensible and take deep breaths talk to yourself, tell yourself you'll be okay, you'll get over these panic attacks, the pain won't kill you, give yourself pep talks to get out of a panic attack...believe me; it's panic due to the symptoms and then the heart reacts which makes you say they're heart attack symptoms...and they're not...talk to yourself; take slow deep breaths; move to an area where you can sit down and take slow deep breaths; why are you fine when you're asleep ? become your best friend;; you know the movie Rocky; well; it's kind of like that; watch the video on you tube where he's running and the song is playing; eye of the tiger...you have to do it...
alex1996 Mary_Beth08170
Posted
k81975 alex1996
Posted
Back in 2015, i remember my first chest pain and i thought it was a heart attack. Keep in mind, i too (is in the healthcare industry). It was the worst chest pain i could think of and it turned out, its because i have had so much caffeine and i mixed it with a medicine. After tht, i stopped drinking anything with caffeine as i was scared. The second one was when i was hiking. I cant barely breathe and i thought i was gonna pass out. It was just a panic attack. Then i came to er on and off. I then Visited Italy and got seen overthere too, this time they did an Ultra sound with my heart. It was fine. But i was told i could be having an angina which is common in women. And then back in US again, on and off with the doctors. I even did a CAT scan but not related to the heart, everything is normal. But one thing, i have had pains as well like u, and im still feeling them sometimes, how ever i ignore it and think i was just having a panic attack. And take note, i have an acid reflux and all my stress are the pains in my body. Because ur muscles are gonna react when they detect that you have a high stress hormones in ur body. Instead of seeing a doctor for ur heart, why dont you see a therapist. I will do that too.