I don’t want to go to A&E but I’m so bloody anxious

[ifindyouveryattractive]

Health anxiety - manifests itself in heart palpitations. I’ve been having them all ruddy day.

I spoke to an OOH GP earlier who said she’s fairly certain the trouble is panic attacks and to do a bit of deep breathing, and take PRN meds, which I’ve done. She went through my notes, I had an ECG just a fortnight ago and she said that was fine. She said A&E will be chaotic, stressful, and reinforce that there’s something to be concerned about.

I’ve been told the same in CBT before.

I’m beyond exhausted. I’m still getting fluttery heartbeats every so often. My anxious brain is saying to go to A&E and ask for another ECG, the teeny tiny sensible part is saying that I don’t need to go there and it won’t help.

I don’t feel safe going for a sleep and ignoring the feelings I’m having but I’m
so bloody tired.

OP, while I gave the caveat that Mirtazapine and other ADs can cause palpitations (quite separate to the long QT syndrome which you have definitely tested negative for) - what you’re describing is very, very typical anxiety.

Anxiety makes the heart race, skip beats and flutter a little, it also makes you breathless and clammy.

If you want to get to the bottom of what’s going wrong - you need to tackle our anxiety, specifically the fixed belief you may drop dead.

Essentially you need to stop focusing on heart, which is fine, and focus on your mental health which is not.

Are you in therapy?

What really helped my anxiety was staying busy. I have a demanding job where I don't have time to dwell on things.

I walk (used to go to the gym) and volunteering helped in the past.

You mention student accommodation. Are you on a course with low contact hours? If so, get a part time job and join some student groups.

You need to focus more on the external.

Next time your heart is racing don't go to A&E. When you find that you don't die, next time your heart races you'll be less worried.

Saying that again, as someone with panic attacks and both a parent who had heart surgery and grandparent who died from a heart attack.

Panic attacks are normal. They're psychiatric. A&E is the wrong place, but you know that and went anyway.

I don’t know how other people go about their daily life not constantly worried that they’re going to drop dead, as that’s the only thought in my mind all day long.

And people like me can't understand OP, I suppose. I'm like a farmer. I want hard proof that I'm about to die or my body literally cannot function before I would drag myself to a doctor. There's so much better stuff to be doing than thinking about tiny health symptoms. My default mode is Why The F would I go see a doctor ever about anything?