Dear Andrea, I will pray for you. I went through a month when I was convinced I was having a heart attack, pain in the chest, fluttering heart etc... I never had this before and then it went away, I could imagine how scared you are after such a long time. The good news is if anything was going to happen it would of happened long before this, you are very young and the chance of heart attack at 22 is next to nothing, I find when I smoke my chest hurts. I have tried ignoring it and that helps believe it not, and I know its hard to ignore when its happening to you. You are so young and have so much good happy times ahead of you, if there was a problem they would of found it. I am asking God to lead you and let these symptoms ease up, believe me I understand totally, I have lived it and have had symptoms of so many other things. God bless you, Debbie.

To: Beyond Anxiety/Outlaw or someone who can relate I suffer from GERD a lot and I have anxiety. I thought the GERD came first and then I developed a lot of anxiety symptoms, but I now think that my anxiety was underlying cause. I have been to lots of doctors and my GERD and esophagus problems are not really extreme, but the chest pains do feel extreme. If you would not mine, could you please share with me your thoughts on the GERD/anxiety link as they pertain to you and also how you have dealt with it? thanks Junior

Hey Andrea! I also am a heart worrier. One thing I've found that helps is to make yourself not check your pulse. I've had a hard time doing this myself, but when I have days that I keep noticing it and keep checking it, I remind myself that your heart rate changes constantly throughout the day for many, many reasons - your hydrations levels, your activity level at the moment, your emotional state, how you're breathing, how much sugar or caffeine you've had throughout the day, the temperature, the way you're sitting, even standing changes your heart rate. MANY things will change your heart rate. I read that the only accurate way to measure your heart rate is right after you wake up in the morning. Not when you're lying down because lying down makes your heart beat faster, but after you've gotten out of bed and are sitting comfortably. Before you've had anything to eat or drink because this will also change your heart rate. Anyways.... check your heart rate in this relaxed state. Anything between 60 and 100 is normal. But remember that it will change drastically throughout the day so this is really the only time you can get an accurate reading. When I'm noticing my heart racing throughout the day and I can't seem to stop thinking about it, I tell myself, check it in the morning and you will see that your heart rate is ok. And it always is. I still have days when I struggle with remembering this, but it is helping me to calm down about it for the most part. I hope that helps you also. About the pains in your left arm - I have this problem as well. My left arm kept going numb and I kept getting sharp pains all the way down to my fingers, even when I was relaxing. Naturally, I thought I was having a heart attack and went to the hospital. But, what I found out is that it was my back - not my heart. They told me to stretch my arms and my upper back muscles every time I get this pain and that it will take care of it. And it does! Roll your shoulders back a few times and foward a few times. Scrunch your shoulders up to your ears really hard and relax them a few times. Put your chin to your chest and you will feel all the muscles in your back that are hurting - roll your head a few times back and forth because it really stretches out those

Hi Outlaw. Thank you so much for your reply. It is amazing how speaking to some one that has the same symptoms can give you so much comfort. My symptoms are chest pain, mostly under my left breast sometimes in the center, but not usually. The top of my chest will hurt a lot too. Some times it is a sharp pain & some times it is just kind of an ache. My left shoulder and arm hurt most of the time too. I don't have to be doing anything for it to hurt. I get the pains even when I am just relaxing. My heart seems to beat very hard. I can see my chest moving with my heart beat. I am not sure if this is normal or not. My pulse is usually any where between 70 & 90 sometimes a little higher. I think this is pretty normal. I'm not sure about my blood pressure because I have no way to take it. I do try to tell myself that if it was something very serious I would not have made it over a year with these symptoms. Also, I have had a baby since all this started & I try to tell myself that if I had something wrong with my heart the symptoms would have been exagerated during my pregnancy because of all the extra blood pumping through my heart. Does this make sense? I'm just so scared & I don't want to live anymore worrying all the time. It is not a very fun life to live.

FROM OUTLAW" My worries about the heart to,i ran the holter 5 years ago,countless ekgs bloodwork up..Than in Febuary i belive i had the echo,stress test,and the stress echo in one day..All came back fine.. I dont belive this,because i feel symptoms like chest pain or flipping heart,i get heartburn from gerd..Im always worried its beating to fast..I take my bloodpressure alot,and if it is up,i will make it jump from anxiety..Really all i can tell you is i have this 5 years now,heart worries off and on..We would be dead now,and we must trust the drs..I canont say i belive this though because deep down i dont..We must find peace somehow this is running my life..explain your symptoms and daily living to me maybe we can compare..i like to help,and recive help,its great to find your not alone.. outlaw

Does anyone have any more suggestions? I'm really scared.

This sounds almost like what I've read about "obsessive" thinking. Evidentally, an area of your brain gets kind of "overheated" by stress and it's hard to stop the cycle. According to the book I read, you can stop it by either meds. or by remembering a special moment that made you feel warm and fuzzy. The more you do this, the more you let that part of the brain cool down and relax. Hope this helps---by the way the name of the book is "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life" by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. Good Luck!

Hello Everyone, It has been a really lond time since I have posted anything on this site (about a year). I have been lurking for a while & thought I would post. I was diagnosed with anxiety/panic just a little over a year ago. Honestly, this disorder is probably one of the hardest things I have ever dealt with. I am literaly scared to death of the way I feel some times. I cannot convince myself that anxiety can actually bring on the physical symptoms that I have. My biggest fear is that there is something wrong with my heart. I have chest pain almost everyday for most of the day. When all this first started I had all the usual test done (ekg, holter, & echo) which all turned out fine, but I cannont help but convince myself that they have missed something. I am really getting into a depression over this because I feel like I am waisting my life. I want to be able to do normal everyday things with out worrying that I am going to die of a heart attack. I try to convince myself that I am being rediculous. I am only 22 & have never had any health problems. I also try to tell myself that this has been going on for over a year now & if it was something very serious I would know it by now. I just can't seem to make the anxiety listen to what my mind is telling it. I guess that's the best way to put it. My rational self tells me that I am being rediculous & to just get over it, but the irration part of me keeps worrying. I'm sorry to go on & on, but it feels good to just get these feelings out to people who are going throught the same thing. I just feel like breaking down & crying.