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Do I have heart problems or what?

Posted , 6 users are following.

chri630
chri630

My name is chris and im 17, almost 18 and healthy as far as I used to think, not overweight . I've been suffering from anxiety for at least 4 months now. I have alot of family issues going on atm so I'm not surprised I have anxiety. The problem is I feel pains all the time, even when I'm relaxed. And every time I get one of those pains I check my pulse. Sometimes I feel like my pulse is weaker or feels different. I got an ekg done shortly after I developed anxiety and they said I was fine but they only did it for a few seconds so I was skeptical. I also experience these things I believe are pvcs or ectopic beats. It either occurs when I'm stressed or more frequently when I bend down. My pain is not limited to one area. I feel pain in my head, sometimes my arm, abdomen, but alot of the pain occurs in my left chest area. Right on it or below the nipple. Some of them are very mild while others are more severe. None of the pain lasts very long but the severe ones really make me think I'm having a heart attack. I just had one right now below the sternum. Where u can press in with your finger and slightly above u cannot. I'm not well versed in body parts so I hope that helps. Most of the pain I can describe as sharp but some of it is achy and does last a few minutes but yeah. Of course I have all the symptoms of anxiety. I haven't had a full on panic attack in a while but I did have 2 of them a few months ago where I felt a big pain and generally assumed I was having a heart attack so I panicked and took a shower to calm myself but it made it worse and I started to loose my hearing and vision. I felt like I was loosing consciousness as well and layed down in the tub but I forced myself to stand back up thinking I wouldn't let myself die. Anyway I had another one similar to this but it wasn't pain but I felt like my heart stopped and beated strangely 3 times and then anxiety set in. Everytime this happens I start to get cold. Anyway both happened before i got the ekg but yeah. I've tried my best to keep calm but these severe sharp pains really get me. Anyway if anyone has advice please help me.

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • chri630
    chri630

    Posted

    Also I've experienced a very severe pain in my stomach area and it kinda radiated around my abdomen. I've also been burping alot more lately and farting. Burping to the point where its kind of concerning. At least 10+ times a day. Sometimes I feel like it's hard to breathe but I think my nose is just plugged cause I don't feel restriction as much when I use my mouth.

  • Sway
    Sway chri630

    Posted

    From my understanding about ekgs which i have had a lot. The only time it will catch something is if your heart is in the middle of having an issue. So if its something that comes and goes and they do the ekg when its not there then it will not show. Could it be just anxiety and pvcs which millions of people have? Absolutely. But if it eases your mind see if your doctor will do an echocardiogram to make sure that your heart is normal size, ejection fraction is accurate that its basically functioning the way it should. I did but then i found out I had diostolic dysfunction. But its treatable.
  • Celia9050
    Celia9050 chri630

    Posted

    In regards to your EKG. I am a cardiac nurse on keave right now. In no way am I giving you advice but an EKG can show certain abnormalities of your heart. That is why they perform them. I will say with people having chest pain from a heart attack, it usually progresses to other symptoms. Heart attacks don't just come and go. Have you been googling heart attack symptoms? Everyone has PVC's. They are normal. I would see your doctor and get his opinion. As my psychiatrists tells me. "No one dies from a panic attack." Hope you feel better.

  • Philly89
    Philly89 chri630

    Posted

    In my personal opinion this is all anxiety, there's nothing wrong with you. The reason I say this is bc I've experienced pretty much all of the things you described from anxiety at one point or another.

    I too had bad chest pains, it lasted for about 3 months. Sometimes they hurt so much that it was painful to even laugh. Then my arm and face started feeling numb, I started sweating, I freaked out and thought I was having heart attack. I went to urgent care and had an EKG done and nope - all fine! lol. I swear as soon as I got confirmation that I was okay, I calmed down and slowly the symptoms went away and they haven't been back since (but now I'm onto other more fun physical anxiety symptoms like muscle tension in my neck/head).

    If you've been to the Dr and they say you're fine, then I really believe you are. I've had truly amazing things happen from being too anxious... Horrible but amazing really, when you think of what your mind can do to your body physically. It's crazy.

    I had cluster headaches for a month on the left side of my head, and dizziness every day, so naturally I thought I had a brain tumor. Guess what - all those symptoms are gone now too lol. It's like as soon as I find out a symptom is just being caused by my anxiety, it goes away and a new one pops up ready to scare me.

    I highly recommend seeing a therapist for ur anxiety! I do and it helps me a lottt. I tried 2 before I found one I really liked so if u don't like one try a different person. Also try to find someone who specializes in anxiety, I find this more beneficial.

    • alithehealer
      alithehealer Philly89

      Posted

      My fellow brethren lmao! The cluster headaches are the WORST or how about the ocular migraines that blow out half your vision I get those from my anxiety as well. The placebo effect, although at times controversial, proves to us that the power of the mind and truly believing something can actually have very REAL physical effects. This action works vice versa, if you sit there and focus on cardiac abnormalities you’re more likely to falsely feel things and create things in your head. Unless you are out of breath, cannot walk because you will physically become syncopus, or feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest then 99% I’m sure it’s anxiety. But like we’ll all tell you, go see your primary care physician and get some tests ran, it can’t hurt. But for mostly practical and logical purposes unless you have any of the above symptoms, you’re A- OK!
    • Philly89
      Philly89 alithehealer

      Posted

      Yeppp! It's so true -_- So frustrating dealing with the physical symptoms of anxiety, mostly bc for me I don't even FEEL anxious half the time when I have them! lol

    • alithehealer
      alithehealer Philly89

      Posted

      That’s the tricky part! Just because your flight or fight isn’t being detected to your conscious mind, there are still stres hormones flowing through your blood due to previous increased anxiety levels. If you remain calm more often you’ll reduce stress hormones and ultimately will no longer feel all these things. Try doing something you’ve been wanting to do as it will take your mind off all of this, and make you accomplished in a goal which will start the chain reaction of happy hormones, right now it’s the opposite for you. Best of luck, always here to help! You’re gonna live a great life!!!
  • chri630
    chri630

    Posted

    Thanks for the replies guy, I appreciate it. But I have another question. Sometimes when I'm feeling my pulse I feel like my heart stops for a second. I think its different from pvcs cause I don't feel a second beat. Its more like it stops for a split second then resumes. Also my chest has been tingling a bit for the past week so it has me worried. If any of you guys have advice or knowledge please let me know.

    • alithehealer
      alithehealer chri630

      Posted

      The placebo effect, although at times controversial, proves to us that the power of the mind and truly believing something can actually have very REAL physical effects. This action works vice versa, if you sit there and focus on cardiac abnormalities you’re more likely to falsely feel things and create things in your head. Unless you are out of breath, cannot walk because you will physically become syncopus, or feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest then 99% I’m sure it’s anxiety. But like we’ll all tell you, go see your primary care physician and get some tests ran, it can’t hurt. But for mostly practical and logical purposes unless you have any of the above symptoms, you’re A- OK!
  • unlucky63610
    unlucky63610 chri630

    Posted

    Hi Chri, sorry to hear about your symptoms you are so young just 17 or 18 if your ekg is fine then mean you don’t have problem i m 31 and i feel heaviness in my left chest my stomach bloating most of the time and the way u say that u feel like u r heart stop beating i feel the same for peace of your mind i have done ekg 17 times 16 is normal in one they caught pause of heart and its not to much but my cardiologist send me for 24 hours holter ecg. The result was normal 99% and he say to me some time my heart rate become slow but it didnot mean mostly every one has fast or slow rate some time i have done echo 2 times,ct angiography of heart,endoscopy,colonscopy,stool tests,abdomen ultrasounds8+ times stool tests blood tests urine tests every thing is normal if u want as some one say to u also go for heart echo and also i advise you to request to your doc for at least 24 hour holter ekg... if that tests of you is normal then just try to take some stomach medicine like PPI along with stress tablets like lexapro etc
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