Anxiety about my heart - how to get rid?

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I’ve had it on and off since I was a teenager, aged about 15 or 16 - I’m now 29 . GP has said it’s panic attacks, OCD, generalised anxiety, I’ve had various forms of psychotherapy and I’m on meds - beta blockers and mirtazapine - but it keeps coming back .

I have heart palpitations - ectopics - and I’m utterly convinced they’re a sign of serious heart disease . I’ve previously limited my life hugely because of them - ie not going out for walks, or moving around the house much, and I’m sure that’s made it worse .

It’s triggered by all sorts of thoughts but biggest fear is defibrillators - I won’t go near them as I feel like I’m ‘tempting fate’ .

I get like a weird sensation where my ears ring, then my heart Seems to flutter for 4-5 seconds and then it stops . Usually linked to eating and drinking, especially fizzy juice, bending over, or after exercise . I’ve had every test in the book short of an angiogram and MRI - GP said they’re keeping me on cardiology books and will do echo/stress test every 2/3 years but honestly not worried at all . GP did say she actually wondered if it were gastric issues instead .

I am though, worried I mean, I’m sitting on the floor desperate to get up just now and yet utterly terrified of moving . I’m absolutely exhausted after so many years of the same horrible horrible feeling . It’s like having a horrible day that’s never ending, I can never relax properly . I’ve tried looking for the answer in the wrong places eg self harm, alcohol, codeine, all sorts and not found it yet .

Current GP said there’s nothing anyone can do, it’s for me to sort myself somehow . I’ve been referred again to ‘self help therapy’ for minor anxiety .

I don’t know what to do anymore , I’m absolutely exhausted and fed up of feeling so scared constantly .

Hi OP, I have a similar anxiety and worry my heart rate goes too high- but that is mainly due to my anxiety! (makes it beat fast) So I try and remember that, staying calm and breathing etc helps it get less fast. I also worry about blood pressure which seems linked.

I'm trying to tackle it by thinking about being less stressed to help, however I am struggling with it and do empathise. I get palpitations too, I had sepsis a few years ago and since then it has been like that. I find exercise helps with the anxiety, but I too tend to do things like drink alcohol or something which is not so helpful.

You sounds self aware which is the first step, maybe CBT might help. Also, they GO could check properly with e.g. an ECG to reassure you that things are physically OK Kind thoughts

GP

I think this sounds like health anxiety (previously called hypochondriasis) - a specific type of anxiety disorder. It sounds very difficult for you OP. I would consider going back to another GP and outlining exactly how much it is limiting your life. Have you had therapy in the past for anxiety? Is there any way to access specific CBT for this?

@Emelene

I think this sounds like health anxiety (previously called hypochondriasis) - a specific type of anxiety disorder. It sounds very difficult for you OP. I would consider going back to another GP and outlining exactly how much it is limiting your life. Have you had therapy in the past for anxiety? Is there any way to access specific CBT for this?

I’ve seen a psychologist once for eighteen months I think around 2013 or so ... which got me well enough to be able to graduate university and work, and then saw a private therapist through work which kept me well enough there to function really very well .

Had a big breakdown Jan 2019 though, and have been this way sort of since then .

I do think it is anxiety, but it’s absolute hell , I’ve had an ECG dozens of times, echo, stress test, 24 and 72 hour tape and always OK ... I find it almost impossible to believe them though and almost always come back home from doctor in just the same state .

It’s so bloody hard, I’m desperate to get back to some sort of normal existence. I want to be able to shower, dress, tidy the house without the constant nagging reminder that I might die and can’t control when it will happen .

if it were gastric issues instead

As I was reading your OP, this crossed my mind (not a doctor lol)

I kept getting heart palpitations when I had severe acid reflux. My tragus nerve was being aggravated when I ate or drank certain things, like fizzy drinks. It really terrified me. I went on Omeprazole and they stopped. Did the GP look into this further? Do you have any other symptoms of gastric issues?

I feel for you because I do suffer with health anxiety myself, it's horrible.

Tbh I'm realising that I have the same, also a cough that +++ increases with anxiety, because I smoke/asthma I never even entertained the idea that it could be exacerbated by anxiety, but it obviously is.

The only time I have ever fainted was when I was pregnant and took a drink of fizzy juice, it felt like it expanded on the way down. My very unqualified opinion is that it irritated the vagus nerve.

Our mental and physical health are so interlinked, a psychologist mentioned to me (CBT) It could help to read about the stress response / fight or flight..I got this little book recently called No more panic I think, which helped a bit. You can get books on Health Anxiety I think

The other thing I noticed was you ask 'how to get rid' of the anxiety...it might help to think of not getting rid, but managing the thoughts, so for example labelling them might help.

When thoughts about health arise try to say to yourself 'oh here it is worrying about my health again' not in a berating yourself kind of way but to label it can mean a less emotional response, a kind of break from immediately going on to other worries.

That's a bit like mindfulness really. There is a book Mindfulness for health and it has a cd with it, might be useful too. Sounds a bit wishy washy but it can help sometimes.

You are very young op, so there is unlikely to be something terrible going on, but.....I too was convinced something was wrong with my heart, I am in my 60's though and am also being treated for high blood pressure. I had a 24 heart monitor which showed nothing. I then went private, had an echocardiogram and a 14 day monitor fitted. Turns out I have SVT (supra ventricular tachycardia), which accounts for the 'my heart is trying to get out of my chest' feeling. It is currently being treated with medication, but I have been told I might need a pacemaker because of the vagaries of my heart rate.
I am much much older than you, and it is not unusual for someone my age to start having problems, but I was dismissed by my gp after the first 24 hour test, and told I was suffering from panic attacks. I know how frightening it is to be aware of your heart doing strange things for hours. Is there any chance you could see a cardiologist privately to put your mind at rest? (NHS waits around here at the moment are ridiculous because of bloody covid).

I've had healthy anxiety and it was ruining my life. I had lots of tests and no diagnosis which just made me think I had some rare disease. In reality I think it was stress and anxiety. I had a real fear of what the future had in store for me and gradually recognised that my fear for the future was ruining my life now. I started to contradict the thoughts and fears by saying "...yes but I'm ok now!" It took a while but enabled me to be more present now which is all any of us are guaranteed.

I also found that eating high carb food gave me what felt like an irregular heart beat feeling. So, when I do eat a carby meal I again remind myself why I'm experiencing the feeling.

I didn't get on with meds but ended up seeing a medical herbalist who made me something up to calm my mind and my adrenals and it worked.

My heart was all over the place, I was told for years it was caused by anxiety. Finally I was put on a ECG tape for a week and it was picked up that I have SVT. Now; it’s not dangerous or anything but it explains why my heart goes all over the place.

Could be worth looking into?

I do actually have a heart condition- and that isn't meant to scare you- I doubt that's what you have from what you've said. But I just wanted to add that my cardiologist has said that my palpitations are harmless in themselves- they're not a sign I'm about to collapse or anything. And in fact when I have an exercise test it shows that my heart rhythm evens out during exercise so you really shouldn't restrict yourself from moving around!
The other thing is that gastric issues could well be contributing on top of the anxiety - I have diagnosed food intolerances and I know when I can't resist a bit of bread or other carbs that I don't tolerate well my palpitations go crazy!

Gastric issues such as heartburn and IBS can also be linked to stress and anxiety