Heart Attack Scare - Anxiety

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Hello -
I am mostly looking for advice/help calming down

I began becoming scared earlier today that I was going to have a heart attack - I have been becoming short of breath easily when going up and down stairs or talking while walking/worked up. This has been happening on and off for a few months, maybe longer? But my thoughts start reeling and I begin to become convinced that I'm going to have a heart attack. I don't think I am...but I'm getting so scared and worked up that I think I'm making things worse (especially because people say anxiety attacks and heart attacks are similar)...

I have...tightness? Or pain? (Very background and minimal) in my very upper pectorals - by my collar bones. Was mostly focused on one side for most of the day now feeling on others. My arms have also been feeling like the circulation is limited although there is no visible sign of that. I have been carrying loads of tension in my upper shoulders, neck (especially around my ears) and jaw for a few weeks, so those are in pain now...but then online it says that is also a symptom of a heart attack! When I start thinking about it too much, I sweat too but I don't know if this is symptomatic. It is late in the evening where I live and this has been going on all day for reference.

I won't think about any of this until I do then I fixate on it. Also, I have noticed a couple of times this evening it feels worse after I do something very strenuous. For clarity: I have been more sedentary the past couple of years although I regularly walk 2 miles, briskly, with my mom (we do this most days) and so I'm not...completely sedentary? I also don't eat the best but I try to make an effort when I feel like I can and recently I wanted to make more of an effort but then ended up eating a frozen pizza last night to celebrate being alone for the first time in forever...can one meal cause this? I hope so, honestly, so it passes.

I tried online messaging my doctor but one of his nurse's is just trying to schedule me for a teleconference with him tomorrow and I work full time and am too early in the job to start asking for time off. I say this to say: I would talk to my doctor but that seems impossible now. And my parents are out of town so I feel very alone to deal with this.

Sorry for all of that but if anyone has...advice? I don't know...or just wants to help me calm down lol it would be appreciated.

Somehow I suspect WP is not the best place to get urgent medical care.

If I had to guess you might do better with your Mom, a 24-hr walk-in clinic, a hospital ER, or (if you didn't) telling your doctor's nurse that you suspect a heart problem.

But I can only guess and wish you good luck.

^
Thank you, I think I probably should but of course I'm scared to as well...I am going to talk to a friend very soon and maybe she can help me decide what to do. I may go to a clinic tonight. I am just...wondering if it's just high anxiety and if so I need to figure that out before I pay who knows how much to be told that.

Uhmm. I will think of relaxing things for you? The sound of a model train passing on a garden railway? The sound of water?

I will also pray for you.

Thank you so much MG, that means a lot to me

You are welcome.

I am dreadfully sorry you are having such worrisome symptoms. We always have to say to have a doctor check you out and we are not medical professionals, etc. I will just relay to you my experiences.

I have gone through several periods of symptoms similar to yours. I would feel so short of breath and have chest pain and skipped beats. I was terrified. I went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a panic attack. If you are 24 years old, it would be extremely unlikely for you to have a heart attack, but by all means check it out.

Once I learned about panic attacks, I learned how to accept them and just wait for them to go away. There are tricks like breathing into a paper bag, which never worked for me. I would just have to lie down and try to think positive thoughts, which is very difficult during a panic attack, but eventually becomes easier.

I hope you get medical advice and then try to learn some anxiety reducing exercises.

Been there, panic attacks are very physical. Use caution in describing the severity if you go in, getting stuck in the hospital did not help me in this regard.

_________________
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I'm glad you have a friend to come over. I always found it reassuring to have a trusted person around during an attack.

A symptoms of panic attack generally includes 10 physiologic symptoms and 3 psychological symptoms. These symptoms are:
* shortness of breath,
* heart racing,
* dizziness,
* chest pain,
* sweating,
* chills or hot flashes,
* trembling,
* choking,
* nausea,
* numbness or tingling in the limbs or entire body,
* feeling of unreality or being detached from the world,
* fear of losing control,
* fear of dying.

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Both men and women experience heart attacks but their symptoms are different. For women:
Although some women have no symptoms, others may have
* Angina (dull and heavy or sharp chest pain or discomfort)
* Pain in the neck, jaw, or throat
* Pain in the upper abdomen or back

These symptoms may happen when you are resting or when you are doing regular daily activities. Women also may have other symptoms, including
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Fatigue

Sometimes heart disease may be “silent” and not diagnosed until you have other symptoms or emergencies, including
* Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath
* Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations)
* Heart failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins

Source: Women and Heart Disease
------------------------------
Another possibility is that you contracted the flu or the coronavirus and this has caused your body to create some blood clots. So normally if you ran a fever recently then you might exhibit the following symptoms.
* Symptoms of blood clots in legs (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) are pain, redness, and swelling.
* Symptoms of an arterial blood clot in a limb (leg or arm) include pain, pale color, numbness, loss of feeling, and coolness to the touch.
* Symptoms of blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolus, or PE) include chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, and rapid pulse and breathing.
* Symptoms of a stroke (blood clot in an artery of the brain) include possible loss of speech, vision, profound dizziness, and weakness on one side of the body.
* Symptoms of a heart attack (blood clot in a coronary artery) are chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, indigestion, and sweating. Women, people with diabetes, and the elderly may experience other non-specific symptoms.
* Symptoms of mesenteric ischemia (blood clot to an artery that supplies the intestine) include abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, and blood in the stool.

Source: Blood Clots
--------------------------------

Now I am not a medical professional. So if you are concerned, then you need to be checked out by medical professionals. In the meantime, it might be wise to take a low dose 81 mg. aspirin. Aspirin is a blood thinner and is recommended for individuals suffering heart attacks and also for preventing blood clots. Because of your age, I suspect that the probability that you are suffering a heart attack is relatively low.

Sorry to re-boost my post but I just wanted to pop in and say thank you very much to everyone who replied here - your responses sincerely played a big part in helping me begin to calm down last night. My friend stayed the night with me (first sleepover I've had in years haha) to calm my fear of dying in my sleep.

Anyhow I had a conversation with my doctor today and he believed, based on my age and symptoms I described that I was not actually having heart problems, but was likely just panicking myself over and over which led to the physical things I was freaking out over (it makes sense)

But I wanted to just say that I am doing much better today and I thank everyone who replied here for their encouragement/advice. I know this was somewhat of a dramatic post on my part.

I am glad that all is good and you are ok.

Glad to hear that you are O.K.