Heart attack or panic disorder?
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Hi. I am 21 years old and have had panic disorder since 18 and consider myself a hypochondriac (health anxiety). Pretty much every day between those years I have had anxiety about my health(constant chest pains, ice pick headaches, left arm pain) pretty much tricking myself into feeling life threatening sensations. I have been to the ER multiple times for thinking I am experiencing a heart attack. So many EKG’s, blood tests, x rays and everything comes back normal, only thing that is abnormal during the tests is high blood pressure Due to the hyperventilating and stress levels but soon resides after they tell me everything is ok. I use to take Xanax but they took me off of it cuz of its addictive qualities. They put me on Prozac and I had a bad reaction to it. Since then I have been taking no medications. I had it under control for the most part until recently. For about two weeks now all I’ve been thinking about is dying from a heart attack. Because of this I’ve had come and go chest pains, but this morning I almost had another ER episode. While driving to work at about 5:30 this morning, my chest started to tighten with sharp pains. But this one was different then the others. I got a sharp radiating almost irritating pain in my throat and jaw and along with the chest pain that is a sign of a heart attack. I started freaking out while telling myself it was just a panic attack but something was telling me it wasnt(then again idk if this is my anxiety or not) but this lasted for about 10 mins. After I felt very neasuas and very tired with residual chest pains and short breathing. The day has pretty much passed and now the chest and jaw pains comes and go but not as severe. Should I be worried? Could it be angina? Someone help I’m tired of feeling like this and tired of feeling like the only one. Could it be heartburn? I do burp a lot when I feel chest pains.
1 like, 2 replies
albert48271 estefan40089
Posted
kathleen84854 estefan40089
Posted
I am not a doctor and I am just trying to learn about my own heart problems. However I have had panic attacks for 35 years plus so I know how scary these can be. Most of the time when these happen to me I have either been exhausted from walking uphill perhaps or certainly very tired from what I am doing. Sometimes it has happened when I have been upset about something. It is certainly terrible to feel like this and takes time to get over it and can start again very easily within a few minutes of feeling better. The thing is these are panic attacks NOT heart problems and though I now do have a heart problem this has no connection with panic attacks. I am a sensitive person, easily get upset and can easily get very stressed.
I have learned over the years to try to relax more but these attacks can happen. Perhaps they happen more easily to people who do soon get panicky or upset.
I wonder what you were thinking about Estefan when you drove to work this morning. I assume you didn`t get lost and were panicking about that since you most likely make the same journey every day. Was there something else on your mind, something that is stressing you out? You say you are worried all the time about having a heart attack though I assume you have been told by the doctor there is nothing wrong. Yes you agree you are a hypochrondriac and since you took prozac for a time it would seem to be the case. I have never until now taken any medication but tried other methods of relaxing. Yoga is said to be very good and certainly you can stay off caffeine drinks and try to eat and drink healthily, keep your weight down, read something about relaxation and most of all enjoy each day. Both you and Albert are very young and you should not be wasting your time worrying and imagining things. Albert you have seen three cardiologists and have had all sorts of tests done. These people are specialists in their field and know what they are talking about.
Hope that helps a little.
Kind regards,
Kathleen