Constantly suffer with 'Heart attack' symptoms.

[JamesPilestone]

Hello,

This has been a huge part of my anxiety for a few years now and I've still not grown out of it, even after stopping alcohol which also caused may anxiety to get so bad.

So basically I get pains in my heart, left shoulder and left jaw and it freaks my out so much and It makes me so anxious and ruins my whole day. These are heart related symptoms but I've been checked out and I'm healthy. Is there anything I can do to stop this because it's really having a negative impact on my life.

One time I was getting these pains so severe for about 7 days, left arm, left jaw, chest pain so I went to A&E for the 2nd time in that week and they gave me some diazepam (valium) and I was like I don't need this im not anxious.. anyway, I took it and not thinking anything will happen after about 10 minutes I felt so relaxed and the pains went away from that day on.. just having that 1 tablet they went even days later I was getting no pains.

Should I go to doctors and try and get something like this to help with my anxiety/relax my muscles? I know my dads on something similar but not as strong as valium it's some kind of a beta blocker and it relaxes him. But I really don't want to become reliant on something like this but at the same time my life can't continue on like this, this has happened for years.

Anyone's thoughts, advice or if anyone else is going through something very similar please reach out. I'm seeking as much help as I can.

 

[JustMe]

I have i think Ativan that I can use when I'm super scared or having bad anxiety. I used to take 1/2 of a pill and it would help. I only used it on really bad episodes and now I'm too affraid of pills so I won't use it but it used to help a lot.

 

[matisworried]

sorry you're so anxious. i understand how you're feeling as i worry about my heart as well.

it sounds like the pain you're experiencing is anxiety-related. i get similar pains from time to time, too. when you experience this, it may be helpful to remind yourself that this has happened before, many times, and you're still alive... your heart is still fine... there's no reason to think that the next time it happens will be any different than the last. what you are experiencing is not a heart attack and it is more than likely not how a heart attack is going to feel.

i have had ativan, klonopin, xanax, etc. prescribed to me over the years for panic attacks. in my experience, none of them really did all that much for me and for how often i'd be tempted to take them, it wasn't worth the risks of addiction. i think they have their place in the treatment of anxiety, but i'd suggest trying non-medical forms of treatment first, like therapy, meditation, yoga... stuff like that.

 

[JamesPilestone]

sorry you're so anxious. i understand how you're feeling as i worry about my heart as well.

it sounds like the pain you're experiencing is anxiety-related. i get similar pains from time to time, too. when you experience this, it may be helpful to remind yourself that this has happened before, many times, and you're still alive... your heart is still fine... there's no reason to think that the next time it happens will be any different than the last. what you are experiencing is not a heart attack and it is more than likely not how a heart attack is going to feel.

i have had ativan, klonopin, xanax, etc. prescribed to me over the years for panic attacks. in my experience, none of them really did all that much for me and for how often i'd be tempted to take them, it wasn't worth the risks of addiction. i think they have their place in the treatment of anxiety, but i'd suggest trying non-medical forms of treatment first, like therapy, meditation, yoga... stuff like that.

Thank you so much for your response. I’m so grateful for anyone that takes their time to try and help me.
Im also worried about getting prescribed some pills that may lead me to take them too often and become dependent on them. I think I’m going to ring the doctors tomorrow and get checked over and tell him what’s happening. I also have a severe breathing problem where I tend to take really deep breaths through my mouth when I’m anxious, I have since learned to control it much better but i still do it sometimes. It’s like I Don’t feel like I’m getting enough air so I have to take a really deep breath.

 

[bin_tenn]

Should I go to doctors and try and get something like this to help with my anxiety/relax my muscles? I know my dads on something similar but not as strong as valium it's some kind of a beta blocker and it relaxes him. But I really don't want to become reliant on something like this but at the same time my life can't continue on like this, this has happened for years.

It would be worth discussing with your primary doctor to see what your options are. I'm not sure what it's like where you live, but where I live (Tennessee, USA) primary care physicians will not prescribe any controlled substances like Ativan, Valium, etc. You'd need to see a psychiatrist, because they specialize in those medications and their long term effects and addiction potential. There's no shame in taking a medication if it helps you take back control of your own life.

Im also worried about getting prescribed some pills that may lead me to take them too often and become dependent on them. I think I’m going to ring the doctors tomorrow and get checked over and tell him what’s happening.

As I mentioned above, where I live you'd need to see a psychiatrist to see about Valium and similar medications. Even if you take it as needed (not on a strict one-a-day or similar schedule) they're often reluctant to prescribe it, because it's such a problem these days, re: opioid crisis. Your doctor or psychiatrist can help you gauge your risk of addiction and they can also help determine the appropriate course of treatment.

I also have a severe breathing problem where I tend to take really deep breaths through my mouth when I’m anxious, I have since learned to control it much better but i still do it sometimes. It’s like I Don’t feel like I’m getting enough air so I have to take a really deep breath.

That's a common anxiety symptom. I also tend to do this when I'm anxious, and I'll also start yawning a lot when I feel anxious. It's called "manual breathing", which can lead to hyperventilation, which also drives anxiety. It's a vicious cycle, and we often don't realize that we're making things worse. We may feel like there's "no reason at all" for the anxiety, but in reality we are exacerbating the symptoms.

 

[Ms.Honey]

I’ve been having these symptoms too! I try to tell myself I’ve had them before, I am ok. It’s very scary though. I’m trying to just breathe through the times I’m feeling so scared.

 

[Katej528]

Hi James.. I came here searching for anyone else feeling like this... I’ve had depression/anxiety for as long as I can remember and finally decided to get off medication 2 years ago and try a natural approach. Until a few months ago, things were great. But now for some reason I have fixated on thinking that there is something terribly wrong with my heart, even though I am in my late 20s and completely healthy. My heart races, I have shortness of breath and discomfort in my chest. I feel physically better knowing that this is a common anxiety symptom. So far I’ve found that drinking a couple glasses of water and doing breathing exercises help slow my racing heart and calm me down. I use an app for the breathing exercises and for meditation and that’s helpful as well. Hang in there, James. You aren’t alone