I'm worried still

melody,

Hello and here I am. If you look to the Left you will see a blue envelope icon and that is the link to my email. Just click on that and send me your question and I will try to help you out.



It is also good to count on all the wise and wonderful members here in the forum who are willing to support you and show you how much they care so don't be afraid to post your feelings.



We are all here for each other.



Hugs



Kitt

Hi Melody,

Sorry your are going through this health anxiety. It is truly terrible. I battle it every day. I have some health problems and combine that with the anxiety I am one hot mess.

I do the same thing you do. I concentrate on every symptom I have and I just come to the most catastrophic diagnosis there is. Little chest pain means I am having a heart attack. Head pain means I for sure have an aneursym. Like you, I have had diagnostic tests and they came back normal.

I might not be much help but this is what I try and do. When it is happening I tell myself "I have lived with this for so long if it was a heart attack or stroke I would have had it by now" or try to tell myself if something is going to happen then I will deal with it.

Remember, people with anxiety are over sensitive to their bodies. We feel every little twinge and pain that most people just either don't feel or don't pay attention too.

I hate it and I am sure you do too. I have also been limiting myself from looking any symptoms up on the internet. You guessed it...I read it and I have it.

Please be easy on yourself. Your not alone. There are many who suffer through this.

Best wishes.

Dear Melody


It feels to me like you are having Health Anxiety and worrying about the accuracy of the EKG reading. Chest pains are a sx of anxiety and yes a very important sx of heart problems but so far your EKGs are normal.



Health anxiety is characterized by excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness, despite medical testing and reassurance to the contrary. The pains you feel with health anxiety are real but they are most likely caused from your worrying about your heart and not the heart itself. Remember I am not a physician so do not ever use the inforamation here to substitute for a visit to your physician if you feel the need.



The two main treatments for health anxiety are
* psychotherapy and medications. Psychotherapy is the primary treatment for health anxiety. Some research shows that a form of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy is most effective.


There is a free online CBT that you may want to try and I know it has helped many people here in HW, Melody so do take a look, sign up for free and just work through the program online at your own pace.

Here is the link for you:

theMoodGYM: ]http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome

That being said I would like you to know that you are not alone and coming here to HealingWell was very brave of you so do stick with us as we know where you are coming from and what you are going through. Turst us to care for you and support you in whatever way you need.

I will be gone for a few days but the other members will be here and our other Moderators are wise and wonderful so keep on talking with us.

Gentle Hugs to you my friend,

Kitt

Melody,

Have you asked your doctor to test you for GERD/Acid Reflux? That can cause pain that feels similar to chest pains. My husband just found out that that was causing his chest pains and was prescribed Prilosec and he is doing much better now. It could very well be that its just your Health Anxiety, but this is something simple that can be easily treated.

Hugs
Gail*Nanners*

He was having a little stomach upset too, but yes he and I both have experienced the pain in the left side with our GERD. Just a thought.

I agree with Nanners.  If you suffer from hearburn you may want to just get that checked out with an endoscopy.  I had GERD and hiatus hernia and it causes me chest pain.  Sometimes it can get really bad ... like, make me fall down painful.  But is goes away.

So yes, that would be the first thing I would check first.

Now, if you really really want peace of mind and insurance will cover it, get yourself scheduled for an echo.