What has been the best treatment you have had for heart/health anxiety?
Medication - 0.0% - 0 votes
Medication and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - 50.0% - 3 votes
Hypnosis - 0.0% - 0 votes
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - 33.3% - 2 votes
Self Help Courses - 16.7% - 1 votes
Other (If so please let me know what you used) - 0.0% - 0 votes
CharlieG
New Member
Joined : Nov 2010
Posts : 7
Posted Today 10:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,
I am writing for a bit of help as I am really starting to freak out over the same thing over and over the last few days.
I have suffered constant GAD pretty much for the last 20 years non-stop, visiting many psychologists, psyciatrists, etc. and I just can't get it out of my head that if I have been so anxious in pretty much everything I do in life from waking up to going to bed then this must have seriously damaged both my heart and my circulatory system.
Instead of trying to think of other things I will look on the internet to see if anxiety affects health in the long term and as soon as I see phrases such as "extended periods of anxiety lead to tiring of the heart, hardening of the arteries" and other such ailments I just panic myself to death and cannot imagine ever being able to lead a normal life anymore and that I am just going to keel over and die any minute now leaving my wife and 2 year old son behind.
Please give me your feedback and support as I am really not sure what else to do now.
I went to the doctors last week and he prescribed be Remeron but so far nothing. I am due to see the psychiatrist but not until the 21st of December. I am thinking of ringing to make another appointment with the doctor to get tests on my heart but I am pretty sure that even if my heart tests are all ok I will still think that my arteries are as hard as rocks and that I have not got a great deal of time left.
I had an ECG done about 4 or 5 years ago and that cam back ok but ignorance is not always a good thing in this casa as I don't know if that shows signs of hardened arteries and damage caused by anxiety so I keep scaring myself to death.
I am always a nervous person and always worry even in silly situations but right now it is way out of control as these thoughts are just taking me over.
Thanks for any help...
Posted Today 1:06 PM (GMT 0)
I can feel you I have had anxiety, pa & agoraphobia for the last 40 years I have taken xanax for the last 30, I am so much better then years ago, but I still cant drive alone or go in a store for long, the best therapist I ever had told me once do you notice every thing that is wrong with you is a vital thing such as heart racing, cant breath etc, he said so your heart pounds so do people who exercise, jog or do any activity, I really don't think anxiety has anything to do with heart attacks ( lol even tho in the middle of an attack you couldn't convince me of that either) or strokes, it is a mind thing In My Opinion I am not a Dr. My Med Dr has ordered so many test for me I refuse to take cause I am scared to I also hate to take meds I keep it to a minimum I think if anxiety had anything to do with ruining our health I would be dead by now. Good Luck to you
stkitt
Elite Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 32602
Posted Today 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
The initial dose of Remeron is 15mg. If no improvement is felt within two weeks, that may be increased to 30mg. If you're still not feeling better a month after that, you can go up to 45mg and officially that's it, although there are reports of some psychiatrists experimenting with doses up to 90mg.
Hope this helps with your questions re Remeron. Do talk over your fears with your Psychiatrist.
I wish you peace,
Kitt
Just_a_girl
Regular Member
Joined : Nov 2010
Posts : 43
Posted Today 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
Nice to meet you Charlie...
When I read your post, I thought I was reading something I had written. I have had anxiety over my heart for years. But this year has been especially bad. I think ive been to the ER about a dozen times because of worries over my heart. I have had several EKGs, stress tests, echoes, you name it. Problem is this:
Im constantly reading on cnn, or some other news website that they have new studies out about stress and the heart, or anxiety and the heart, or depression and how it affects your heart.. and I know they are trying to be helpful by posting all this health news so that you can make informed decisions about you health, but for those of us who worry its more detrimental than anything. It causes constant worry.
My husband says its like medicine warnings. The bottle may say that that particular medicine can cause 100 different adverse reactions, but they only do that to cover their butt. It doesnt mean that 100 adverse reactions are going to happen to you.
The last time I saw a cardiologist he laughed at me. I told him I was having pain directly over my heart, and that it was sometimes accompanied by shortness of breath. He said "your cholesterol is 168. thats excellent. all your ekgs are normal. many things can give you heart pain. you have gerd. gerd can cause chest pain as can asthma, which you also have." I said "yeah, but, I also get this pain when i exert myself, such as when i go upstairs. I get short of breath, sometimes light headed, and chest pain. isnt that angina?" he said, "your stressed. all your tests came back fine." I said, "yeah but I recently read that (and I said this too!) having depression and anxiety for years can cause heart problems. And ive been treated for depression and anxiety for the past 20 years. " He said, "stop worrying. your heart is fine. all those things you describe could be anything. Stress. Anxiety. Gerd. Asthma. just relax."
Easy for him to say. Ive had ER doctors tell me that if I had plaque in my arteries that it would show up in my EKGs. But if you have heart pain, and shortness of breath and ignore it and it really is a heart attack then what?? I wish there was one set of rules. If you have A B C and D then its definitely a heart attack, but if you only have B then its stress. It would make life so much easier!
My therapist tells me you can worry about your heart and heart attacks for years and die one morning from being hit by a bus. One things for sure.. Since I have been back on Paxil my worrying has gone from a 10 to a 6. Not much better but better enough where I can rationalize a little bit better. Maybe by seeing a therapist and getting on meds you can start to feel a little bit better, even if its only a few points on the 1-10 scale. Good luck to you! Keep in touch!