need some serious advice
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allsherote
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:57 pm
I have had panic disorder on and off for several years. Originally diagnosed in 1992. I have peaks and valleys and had some very good calm times. I went through some serious work stress last year and got high BP and chest pain. Got put on meds for high BP and they did a cardiolite stress test and echo. The echo showed a false positive of pulmonary hypertension and it kept showing it so they finally did a heart cath on me in March of this year. My heart cath was totally normal. All my arteries and vessels were clean good size, etc.. and no pulmonary hypertension. My pain went away almost overnight. That was in April. I had a fair summer. Had some bad reflux but dealt with it but stayed pretty calm for the most part. My chest pain just came back out of the blue two weeks ago. I wasn't even that stressed but not all the way better either. Had more a generalzied anxiety than constant panic attacks at the time. I was stunned. Here I have had a normal heart cath and I am now scared to death again. The cath was 6 months ago today! This chest pain is back and scaring me to death again. It's above the left breast mainly into the shoulder down the arm sometimes in the back and very rarely in the center. It's sometimes a stabbing pain or all day long dull ache. I really need help in understanding this is not heart related. I keep arguing with my husband that when it cam back I was not worried at all about my heart so how can it be anxiety. I even found some info that 2% of women with angina can have a normal cath and have spasms in the heart that can cause the artery to temporarily constrict hence the pain but they didn't even diagnose me with angina. Said it was aypical chest pain with a non cardiac cause probably anxiety. This spasm thing is common with people with small vessels too and all of mine were large and open and clear. Not too mention 2% of everyone in the world with angina. What are the odds? Yet I still worry I am going to drop dead of a heart attack. I am female 41 years old, never ever smoked, am 5'3 126 pounds and I don't exercise much now because I am afraid to. I do have controlled high bp by taking a beta blocker but my high BP was probably due to stress to begin with! Please help. I was doing so much better and feel I am going down the dark hall again. As I type my shoulder aches
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Guest
Hi,
Sorry you are having a hard time. I know I'm not a medical doctor, but from the information you provided, it sounds like anxiety. I think that all of us can have aches and pains and that can then trigger anxiety about the worst case scenario. You could have just pulled a muscle, had some reflux, etc., and then you quickly became afraid that it could be your heart. That could have suddenly caused adrenaline to flood through your body, which then increased the pain. Adrenaline is very powerful, and it's actually meant to save our lives. Your quick thinking could have set off your fight or flight when it didn't need to go off.
From what you've said, you sound pretty healthy other than the blood pressure issues that are under control with meds. Also, if you haven't went through menopause yet, unless a woman has a heart problem such as something congenital and you don't because the tests confirmed that, she's very protected by estrogen from heart attacks. The media announced that the singer, Lisa Loeb, is expecting her first child now, and she's 41. Will that help put things into perspective?:)
I know you are afraid to exercise, and unless you've been medically told not to, I really think that if you start out small, it will help you feel better in so many ways. Just walk 15 minutes around your home or in your yard to start out, or put on some favorite music and move your body. I would think that your physician would encourage that. When anxiety makes us do what is opposite of what is best for us to keep us safe, that's when we need to put things into perspective. Exercise just has so many benefits regarding anxiety, depression, and health and giving you peace of mind as you continue to age. I mean, exercise is so powerful that it can reverse the aging process!:) Also, look at a healthier diet too.
I know you've had peaks and valleys, and that those valleys tend to go along with stress, but if your tests were just six months ago, it is possible that you are still having stress symptoms from the adrenaline in your system and perhaps, some trauma. Exercise, eating healthy, sleeping well, having a spiritual support system, and doing fun and enjoyable activities and being nice to yourself are really good ways to combat the stress, at least that's what I've experienced in dealing with the chronic stress of taking care of a child with severe autism. Hope something I said helps.
Take care,
luvpiggy
Sorry you are having a hard time. I know I'm not a medical doctor, but from the information you provided, it sounds like anxiety. I think that all of us can have aches and pains and that can then trigger anxiety about the worst case scenario. You could have just pulled a muscle, had some reflux, etc., and then you quickly became afraid that it could be your heart. That could have suddenly caused adrenaline to flood through your body, which then increased the pain. Adrenaline is very powerful, and it's actually meant to save our lives. Your quick thinking could have set off your fight or flight when it didn't need to go off.
From what you've said, you sound pretty healthy other than the blood pressure issues that are under control with meds. Also, if you haven't went through menopause yet, unless a woman has a heart problem such as something congenital and you don't because the tests confirmed that, she's very protected by estrogen from heart attacks. The media announced that the singer, Lisa Loeb, is expecting her first child now, and she's 41. Will that help put things into perspective?:)
I know you are afraid to exercise, and unless you've been medically told not to, I really think that if you start out small, it will help you feel better in so many ways. Just walk 15 minutes around your home or in your yard to start out, or put on some favorite music and move your body. I would think that your physician would encourage that. When anxiety makes us do what is opposite of what is best for us to keep us safe, that's when we need to put things into perspective. Exercise just has so many benefits regarding anxiety, depression, and health and giving you peace of mind as you continue to age. I mean, exercise is so powerful that it can reverse the aging process!:) Also, look at a healthier diet too.
I know you've had peaks and valleys, and that those valleys tend to go along with stress, but if your tests were just six months ago, it is possible that you are still having stress symptoms from the adrenaline in your system and perhaps, some trauma. Exercise, eating healthy, sleeping well, having a spiritual support system, and doing fun and enjoyable activities and being nice to yourself are really good ways to combat the stress, at least that's what I've experienced in dealing with the chronic stress of taking care of a child with severe autism. Hope something I said helps.
Take care,
luvpiggy
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Guest
Hi There-
What do you do for your daily job? Does it involve sitting alot or driving alot? When you are anxious do you curl your shoulders and hunch? I found out that my chest/neck muscles were much too tight and that made my upper back muscles stretched out and too weak and they couldn't hold my shoulder blades down flat as they were designed to do. This left me with tight muscles, pain in the upper left quadrant of my body, lessened upper body strength and sometimes my shoulders hurt when I pushed myself too hard. I went to the PT and learned how to strengthen my back and it has helped the "heart attack muscle" to relax and not twinge up tight when I feel anxiety.
I agree with the exercise recommendation. Can you afford to go to a gym and get a trainer? That's what I did. She was very gentle and let me cry from fear the first appt. without freaking out. I have learned that raising my heart rate is not a death sentence, but is prolonging my life and making each day here a joy. I go to the gym almost daily-- now more for the psychological release than the wanting to get skinny, etc. Make it a non-negotiable. A valuable appt. with yourself. And looking at your diet and eating food in an unprocessed form is a great idea too.
I hope you feel better soon. It's scary to be scared like that. If you need to talk, please message me. I'm 45, female and used to be afraid of the heart issue all day every day.
What do you do for your daily job? Does it involve sitting alot or driving alot? When you are anxious do you curl your shoulders and hunch? I found out that my chest/neck muscles were much too tight and that made my upper back muscles stretched out and too weak and they couldn't hold my shoulder blades down flat as they were designed to do. This left me with tight muscles, pain in the upper left quadrant of my body, lessened upper body strength and sometimes my shoulders hurt when I pushed myself too hard. I went to the PT and learned how to strengthen my back and it has helped the "heart attack muscle" to relax and not twinge up tight when I feel anxiety.
I agree with the exercise recommendation. Can you afford to go to a gym and get a trainer? That's what I did. She was very gentle and let me cry from fear the first appt. without freaking out. I have learned that raising my heart rate is not a death sentence, but is prolonging my life and making each day here a joy. I go to the gym almost daily-- now more for the psychological release than the wanting to get skinny, etc. Make it a non-negotiable. A valuable appt. with yourself. And looking at your diet and eating food in an unprocessed form is a great idea too.
I hope you feel better soon. It's scary to be scared like that. If you need to talk, please message me. I'm 45, female and used to be afraid of the heart issue all day every day.
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Guest
Thanks for your replies. Yes I do sit at a desk all day and I do admit I have terrible posture. I even sit with my chin resting in my left hand and prop my elbow up on my desk. I did a test today and paid attention to how much that tenses up my chest when I do that. I brought in a pillow and now when I find myself doing that I immediately put my elbow on the pillow instead of my hard top desk. I am trying so hard to get through this w/o running to the ER. My EKGs are NEVER normal due to always hyperventilating while being there due to fear yet my cath was perfect. I am just so frustrated that this has come back to haunt me. Can anyone recommend a good site for back stretches? I am trying to realize I had this before; before my normal cath! Thanks again and any more advice would be appreciated.
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Guest