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.

But this is where the anxiety 'loop' continues. You have been reassured that you do not have a heart condition, but that's not acceptable proof for you. And so it goes on. If you had further tests, and they too indicated no cause for concern, how do you think you would feel? My guess is that it wouldn't be enough.

OP, for your own benefit, I think you need to come off this thread. In fact, stay off the internet altogether. You refuse to listen to your doctors and are being swayed by the (few) people who are attempting to diagnose you. You know the issues. I appreciate that MH difficulties can be difficult to treat, but "being convinced" that you have some non-specific heart problem is just perpetuating all of this. Take some gentle exercise, enjoy your life and your family and try to stop thinking about your health - you are not doing yourself any favours.

You would definitely meet the criteria for weight loss surgery. You speak to GP, then the next level is online or in person course then once that is completed you are referred to the weight loss surgery team.

I was talking about weight loss injections. I don't meet the criteria. And I don't want to have weight loss surgery...I've lost the weight before and I'll do it again 🤦 I'm just struggling right now.. I don't know when this turned into some sort of intervention with people telling me I need weight loss surgery. I will be closing the thread because honetsly. Some people are just mindless idiots. It's not the people that are apparently feeding my anxiety that are upsetting, it's the people that are judging me and telling me what I need to do espebailly about my weight. It's not what I came for. I came for advice, experiences and knowledge. Not to be belittled and ridiculed, and I feel like I am being absolutely ridiculed. Especially for my weight. Wish I didn't bother now.

OP, I’ve been following this thread and I sympathise with you.

If you say that you've had these symptoms before you became obese, then it is worth considering that they're not obesity-related, as you've said.

WLI is out of the question anyway because even if you qualified on the NHS or had the money for private, having gallstones disqualifies you from taking it as far as I'm aware due to the potential side effects.

I can understand what you're saying about being unable to swallow medication unless your mind sort of convinces itself that it's a life or death situation, which it knows your anxiety disorder isn't necessarily. At this point, you'd need some sort of therapy or hypnosis to be able to take medicine for anxiety.

Quick question: Have you asked your GP for a different type of anxiety meds in liquid form or melt-in-the-mouth form or nasal spray? Are you able to handle those? Some anxiety meds like beta blockers are also used to treat some heart problems and high blood pressure. So they could actually be of immense help to you in many ways with or without other diagnosis.

I do believe that having "normal" blood tests, ecg, etc, and you not being able to show that you can treat the primary condition (anxiety) will make them believe there's nothing else they can do. It's unfair but it's how the NHS works. Realistically there's really nothing else they can do unless you're showing signs of a different illness other than what they already know you have.

Try and see if you can get a different type of medication for your anxiety, then see how you feel.

Perhaps you can also request another blood test if the last one isn't recent. Ask them to go over your test results with you, and anything not optimal, ask for treatment for those. Hopefully that and the anxiety meds will help things. I hope you find a good solution.

There's no shame in advocating for yourself still. You can still ask for specialist referral, go over the symptoms you have, mention how long you've had them and other relevant info, then ask them to suggest a treatment or assessment plan.

Op not one poster has belittled or ridiculed you. Not one.

people are trying to help. I understand you don’t like the answers, and possibly are sensitive about weight, but the reality of rhe situation is both weighr and anxiety together can cause all the symptoms you list. It is overwhelmingly likely your doctors are correct.

You say you will feel comfort in not being diagnosed, but you’ve been tested you’ve not been diagnosed , given the all clear, and you don’t beleive it. It has given you no comfort. You believe your doctors are wrong or have missed something and sadly people on line, eager to tell their own stories, or behave like doctors are egging you on.

its a vicious circle and as you won’t take meds for your mental health , I feel very difficult to get out of.

It’s unlikely you’d have been walking round for years with an untreated heart condition. A sick heart will only last so long untreated therefore, combined with all the many tests you’ve already had, it’s highly likely that all of the doctors and tests are correct and there’s nothing wrong with it. However, your anxiety is putting a strain on your heart. Why don’t you consider that a matter of life and death when it comes to taking medication? You DO have a choice. I understand phobias and anxiety but you have to decide which is worse-putting your heart under immense strain by worrying about it alongside the anxiety itself, or taking a tablet once or twice a day? Consider your son in all this. My Ds is 11 and his dad dropped dead of a massive heart attack 18 months ago. He was obese, wouldn’t take medication, poor diet etc. We weren’t together and he had no contact with Ds but Ds is still devastated and now worries about me dying even though I’m a healthy weight, good lifestyle and take the medication prescribed for me. It’s had a huge impact on him. He is also autistic with ADHD. You have the power to change things on your life to make things better for you and your son. I’ve mentioned upthread about how propranolol has pretty much sorted my palpitations and chest pains. Other people have posted similar but you haven’t commented on those posts. Lots of people have said it might be xyz but if you won’t take medication for it then there’s no point you even being investigated.
I used to work in cardiology and we had a lady who used to come in regularly with chest pain. She’d demand a cardiac monitor even though her ECG was normal. All other tests normal. She’d demand a commode even though she’d just been walking up and down the ward independently chatting to other patients. There was nothing wrong with her heart but she wouldn’t accept it. She used to go to the local press to complain. We had a man who used to come in with chest pain. Again ECG normal. All tests normal. He’d be discharged then “collapse” on one of the hospital corridors or in the car park and get readmitted via A&E. Nothing wrong with his heart. These patients needed psychiatric input once cleared by cardiology but the system isn’t great so they kept coming back to us taking up a bed and resources on cardiology when it was psychiatric care they needed. I’m not saying they didn’t experience the pain, they did, but the cause was not cardiac and needed to be treated under mental health. The lady in particular was convinced there was something really wrong with her heart but she kept presenting at A&E for many years with no cardiac events whatsoever.
You owe it to yourself and your son to treat your anxiety. This is no way to live. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Or stay as you are. It’s your choice. I wish you well.

OP, you need to go and get yourself some proper, real life support for your anxiety - it’s destroying your life.

gerd causes chest pain you should ask your daughter to discuss your 2022 report that you have gerd

GERD can also cause palpitations!