I'm convinced I have an undiagnosed heart problem

[Alwaysworrying25]

Just that really. I'm convinced I have an undiagnosed heart condition and I'm a ticking time bomb, but the doctors don't listen to me. I've had periods for years, of heart palpitations, chest pains at rest and with exercise, breathlessness, light headedness, random episodes of racing heart to the point I feel unable breathe or move properly, which do actually fuel my anxiety. I've been to th GP many times, I've been to A & E many times. Every time they say my heart is fine but how do they know that? I had a 24 hrs holter monitor about 2 years ago, which found ectopic beats, they said every other beat was an extra bear but that this was normal and benign? But how do they know that? Without doing other tests?

I do have a history of OCD, and health anxiety and I think this is why the doctors say it's all in my head but it's really affecting my life. I'm sure something is seriously wrong and I truly feel like I'm a ticking time bomb and I'll drop dead at any moment. I'm so scared.

I looked at seeing a private cardiologist but I just couldn't no afford to do it. How can I make them listen to me and give me the neccesry tests to check my heart? I have a young son with special needs and I'm making myself sick that I'm not going to be here for him one day soon when this happens.

To add, I am overweight so I guess this does contribute to some of my symptoms and I'm working on losing weight.

Iv had all the blood tests, vitamin d, iron etc which all day sufficient. This is ongoing since my son was born so almost four years I've been having these symptoms.

Medically we used to think iron stores just sat there waiting to be used doing nothing.

It's now known that your ferritin, the stored iron, is busy doing lots of jobs around the body and people with a low ferritin often feel tired and short of breath.

You can buy iron tablets over the counter in the UK.

Are you by any chance sitting anywhere on the hyper mobile spectrum?

I have a couple of heart conditions but also suffer with ectopic beats which are really quite frightening but do not cause problems.

Maybe worth seeing a private cardiologist just to put your mind at rest/make sure

I don't think so?

That’s bollocks.

You need ferrous fulminate.

I looked at private but I can't justify £200 just for a consult. I don't even have a spare £200 as a single mum out of work at the moment.

This often makes people much worse, especially if they are already very anxious. A healthy heart often doesn't beat regularly at rest. My resting heart rate is 38 and I have sinus arrhythmia which means my heart rate is highly variable. I am fit and this is normal.

It's definitely worth looking into POTS. NHS referrals can have a long wait but if you have a heart rate monitor of some sort you could do a quick check for yourself. If no heart rate monitor, then you could take your heart rate manually. Google 'poor man''s tilt test' for instructions and when you do it, make sure you stand for the full ten minutes (unless it makes you very unwell, in which case do it for as long as you can tolerate).

Anxiety can very much mimic the signs of a heart condition

I have had OCD for 55 years - unfort its genetic in my family and several other family members have had it.
What is it about anxiety meds you don't get on with? Do you have contamination OCD and are worried about taking medicine?
Although SSRIs are standard for OCD - have you considered propanol? My daughter has POTS of which anxiety is a main symptom - and propanol is used as a standard for POTs patients to keep heart beat regular without the spikes and lows which in turn helps with anxiety. It's a med which has been around before they developed antidepressants.
Propranolol: medicine for heart problems, anxiety and migraine - NHS
POTS website
Home - PoTS UK

You can get a finger tip monitor for about £12-20 on amazon - use this to track your heart beat with evidence for the dr you are experiencing heart beat spikes.

I think also you would find it helpful to belly breathe - after a baby your stomach can get a bit higher and anxious people can breathe too high up in your chest so you are not taking deep breathes. If you are taking short breathes all the time you will be feeling physically anxious so you will feel mentally anxious.

Anxiety is horrible and is often associated with the feeling that there is something wrong with the heart. What is your diet like OP? Could you try going for a gentle walk each day. You could start by telling yourself you're only going out for 10 mins and see if that helps. I don't take many supplements (and I am on medication for anxiety) but I do find magnesium particularly helpful. I use it to recover from workouts but I also find it very useful to help me relax and sleep well at night.

I don't have a specific type of OCD. I have several themes, I have more of the obsessions and intrusive thought than the compulsions. I think the meds is the fear of side effects. I was offered propranalol to slow my heart rate but then became so scared it would slow it down so much that it stopped. People don't understand the fear I have around medicines. I physically cannot bring myself to take the medications. Send me into a pain just thinking about it.

I will look into the POTS. Thank you.

Yes I can go for walks. I used to be active before all my weight gain and I used to love walking..but now my heart races and it sends me into a pain where I think I'm about to keel over to the point I can't walk or even move. I don't know if this is actually physical or my anxiety making me believe it's physical if that's makes sense. But I do know that excercise is a trigger for whatever is going on. I also bought a treadmill to use at home and have the same issues.

I’ve been there myself and understand how difficult it is to lose weight.

The biggest thing is you need to just keep at it - if you have a binge, forget it and carry on with the healthier eating.

And don’t worry about the exercise.
Its amazing for MH benefits but it doesn’t actually help you lose that much weight compared to what you’re eating.

If you track your calories then eat as much as you can within that calorie deficit - you should never starve yourself.

Your weight will be affecting your heart and doctors won’t take you seriously if you’re overweight (even if it’s not related).

I would download my fitness pal today and just type in what you’re eating over the next few days (don’t lie to yourself).
Once you work out how many calories you’re roughly eating every day then just knock off 500kcals.
Weigh yourself once a week and see how you get on.

I would definitely go to bed as early as possible too - I feel this helped me so much without too much actual effort.

I hate telling people to lose weight but I think you would feel so much better, the doctors will take you more seriously and your heart will thank you too.

I have an app on my phone called the team RH app, it works it all out for you, that I've had for two years, I've been in and out of it and recently I've been tracking all my calls and every thing on that. I have had a binge. It's slow but I lost 6 lbs in three months. And then I've been up and down, up and down. I am trying. I want to be healthy and I do know that my weight isn't doing me any favours.

What is it you're expecting the NHS to do for you? You've had ECGs and a 24hr monitor and you've been offered medication for your anxiety and also to slow down your heart rate, both of which you have declined. You are aware that your weight and anxiety can cause lots of the symptoms you are experiencing so that should be the first focus for you. It seems unrealistic for the NHS to fork out thousands on tests that aren't likely to show anything other than an overworked heart. Of course if your symptoms continue post weight loss they may be more likely to investigate further. I absolutely know it's not that simple but it may be helpful to really consider what is realistic and what is your irrational mind talking.

I had palpitations and a racing heart which started during COVID and it was put down to anxiety, stress, menopause, costlchondritis(!). 48 hours after attending A&E I went into fast AF and ened up in resus and eventually had an ablation. I still get palpitations three years on despite being on beta blockers but a recent holter showed not causing a significant ‘burden’ on the heart. Bloods are fine. On HRT. Don’t smoke, drink or have caffeine. I just ignore them now.
My ferritin was borderline at one point and GP wouldn’t prescribe so I buy Ferrous Funerate online.

So - they started my daughter at 14 years old on a toddler dose of propanol. I think it was about 2.5mg of liquid and then built her up slowly. In theory she could have started on 20mg and she eventually she built up to something like 80mg but could have gone higher.

I also have medicine anxiety with my ocd. I find it very hard to take new meds for fear of side effects. I overcome this by eating before each new med (delays it breaking down) and making sure someone is with me incase I have a reaction. The problem you might have is even if the doctor said yes I think you have X wrong with your heart … do you think you take the medicine to help?

can I recommend you ask your gp if you can start on a toddler dose of propanol due to your anxiety? You would not feel anything at that level but it would prove to you your body is ok with it and you can increase slowly. Propanol or similar will steady your heart beat - or you can learn breathing techniques to steady your heart beat too.

From reading your posts OP, the reality is that your heart is under massive strain because of your weight. It is double what it should be, so effectively your heart is doing the work for 2 whole people. And yet it's doing it anyway, so you likely have a very strong heart. Your heart is working so hard anyway, that walking upstairs/exercise makes your heart work even harder and that's why you get lightheaded/ringing in your ears. You're extremely lucky to not be on blood pressure meds at that weight. And I'm not being deiberately rude - I was 19 stone at my heaviest. I've lost 5 stone from low carbing. And it's a battle every day, but as a Mum and now grandmother, I want to set a better example.

You're the only person who can help yourself out of this, and I mean that kindly.

I used to be really really active and walk miles and miles but now I'm too scared, even brisk walking, send my heart beating out of my chest, then I panic and it's a vicious circle
OP I have a diagnosed heart condition and my cardiologist tells me that exercise is the best thing and I shouldn't avoid it. Even people who have had heart attacks, heart surgery are encouraged to get fit and keep active.

But as lots of people have pointed out the most likely cause of your symptoms is anxiety. If that was treated the symptoms would likely go away. Win win.

The thing is, even when I feel like my anxiety is under control, I still get these symptoms. Which then makes me anxious if that makes sense. I guess my fear is that there is so much strain on my heart that I fear it will just give in and the added worry that there may already be something wrong anyway.

What do you want from this? You’ve been offered different types of medication and have declined both and you’re also morbidly obese - unless you change those things (lose the weight and take the medication) then nothing is going to change.

I don't think it is just weight gain or anxiety- you really should get a sleep study done as not all apnea involves snoring. Your ferritin needs to be at least 70 and you need to check Vitamin D, b12 and folate. Any of these can cause the symptoms you're having if not optimal.

Not sure if you have heard of Sanjay Gupta a cardiologist on You Tube. He has some videos that help explain heart issues. Very kind caring no nonsense videos.

Might be worth a listen to see if he can reassure you or give advice on how to proceed

Dr Gupta also lots of excellent videos on POTS (he's my cardiologist).