Chest pains and palpitations for a month. Anxiety or heart disease?
Posted , 6 users are following.
About a month ago I visited a&e with palpitations and high blood pressure (which i measured at home - it was 160/100). It was in the morning and I'd be out the night before and drank 5 pints. I also had a tight/heaviness in my chest. They did an ECG and did the enzyme test - troponin?? - to see if I'd suffered a heart attack. The tests were fine and I was sent home.
Since that first visit I've been back to a&e 2 more times and had my partner call an ambulance for me due to chest pains I've been having. I've convinced myself that the pains are due to coronary heart disease. Doctors at the hospital haven't done any tests to rule out heart disease but because I am only 23 they just dismiss it when I mention it. I have an appointment with a cardiologist in a couple of days so hopefully will get some answers.
I've had a history of high blood pressure which seemed to resolve itself. Secondary causes were being investigated due to me being young but nothing was found. I've also got a history of severe health anxiety. I've diagnosed myself with lung cancer, lymphoma, brain tumours and melanoma in the past.
The thing that's worrying me at the minute is the chest pains/discomfort. Has anyone else experienced angina like chest pains due to anxiety?
My blood pressure is being controlled with 4mg of cadesartan and have submitted a 24 hour urine to see if there is any underlying cause of the high bp.
0 likes, 7 replies
lee27mcgoo sean2395
Posted
im no expert but from what i am hearing you are the cause of your high bp . seek help either cognative behavioral theraphy or councelling for your anxiety. Believing you have these issues will make your brain develop real symptoms ! get regular exercise ! stop taking your pulse, stop taking your bp, stay away from google !! You are worrying your self in to a early grave ! Hospitals will know from a simple blood test and ecg if you warrant further assistance ! trust them and try to live your life
lee58590 sean2395
Posted
yes your not alone as i type ! even now as a 42 yr old that started suffering with chronick anxiaty from 16 im going through same symptoms and more ! ive got pain in my left shoulder and arm plust tight and sharp chest pains ! i recomend trying not to google symtoms as youll only make your self 100 times worse
MrFrisky sean2395
Posted
They did the right thing in testing your troponin levels. It is the most accurate test to tell whether you've had a heart attack.
It's highly unlkely to be heart related at your age. At least you are seeing a cardologist to confirm, who may recommend a Bruce exercise tolerance test, an echocardiogram or a holter monitor.
sean45913 sean2395
Posted
I've been in your shoes. Twice to the ER with chest pains. Then followed up with a cardio for a stress echo. All normal. I've learned more about hearts than I ever cared to know. Negative troponin test. The troponin test will generally not miss a heart attack, the newer tests will catch even very minor attacks early on.
My pains varied a lot, but were atypical for a heart attack. At times it felt like shooting nerve pain into my left arm and at others it was quite localized. I recall the ER doctor saying that for men you'll really feel a more diffuse type pressure with nausea, sweating, and very often neck/back/jaw pain. I had none of those things.
Still the anxiety persisted and when I get chest pains now, I still get anxiety but can generally reason my way out of a panic attack as long as the symptoms aren't what the ER doc and Cardio described to me. I am a lot like you it sounds like (even the same spelling of the name) with severe health anxiety. It seems that if it's not one thing, it's another. One month its appendicitis, the next its brains tumors, and heart attacks, etc.
When you follow up with the cardio, make sure you ask lots of questions. Is my EKG "normal?" What would an heart attack feel like? Were my symptoms typical of a heart attack? Were my symptoms more typical of muskuloskelatal pain? Is any more follow-up needed?
Good luck. I am sure you will be fine. I just got over the chest pain episode myself (onto ALS for me) and I can confidently say that 10 months after my last ER visit, I have not had a heart attack.
sean2395 sean45913
Posted
seen cardiologist today, didnt seem very concerned haha. booked me in for a treadmill test. Told him I was concerned about heart disease, he said it's unlikely due to my age.
lee27mcgoo sean2395
Posted
Anxiety is a nasty ass thing ! You have likely ignored all of the things i said in the first reply ! i said them for good reason !
i had health anxiety (now under control) everything you have been through i can relate too! after your exercise test ! stay off the internet eat better and exercise ! remember this you will always have anxiety ! But it will not beat you. Remember you are hypersensitised to your physical sensations caused by your fight or flight ! dont panic just embrace it and move forward. accept you have anxiety and you can beat it
angela78519 sean2395
Posted
hi, I have been talking mirtazapine for a while now but like you I have been having palpitations and chest tightness. went to a&e they did eCG and bloodwork all ok and sent home, I'm inclined to think its because of mitazapan use which I am weaning myself off. are you taking any antidepressants, they nearly all have some side effects but we all react differently. hope you feel better soon