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Suggest Treatment For Symptoms Of Anxiety
Question: I'm a 26 year old female and I suffer with extreme health anxiety. I'm really having a hard time with my fear of a heart attack especially from scad. I read that it happens to completely healthy young women with no heart conditions or problems. this is making it really hard for me to live my life I don't know the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack I have chest pains arm pain jaw pain and dizziness. this is really worrying me and any input would be really appreciated
Brief Answer:
Your symptoms seem to be related to anxiety.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome back on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that your symptoms are not characteristic of any cardiac disorders (including coronary artery disease).
Anxiety is also called the big mimicker, as it can mimic many clinical conditions like a heart attack, asthma, blinding, abdominal pain, cardiac arrhythmia, vomiting and nausea, dizziness, pain in different parts of the body, etc..
All your performed cardiac tests have shown a normal and healthy heart.
You have nothing to worry about!
There is no reason for you to suffer from a heart attack. I would recommend you not to believe everything you read on the internet, as the information is very wide, especially when it derives by non scientific sites and it can be misleading.
I recommend you to focus on your anxiety.
Alprazolam can be helpful for short term relief of your symptoms. But you may need to start an antidepressant, which are really effective as long term therapy in controlling anxiety symptoms. It will also help you push away these bad thoughts and these irrational fears.
Yoga and meditation coupled with a lot of physical activity (walking, recreational sports) can help feel better and optimize your physical performance.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
I remain at your disposal if you have any other uncertainties!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Your symptoms seem to be related to anxiety.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome back on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that your symptoms are not characteristic of any cardiac disorders (including coronary artery disease).
Anxiety is also called the big mimicker, as it can mimic many clinical conditions like a heart attack, asthma, blinding, abdominal pain, cardiac arrhythmia, vomiting and nausea, dizziness, pain in different parts of the body, etc..
All your performed cardiac tests have shown a normal and healthy heart.
You have nothing to worry about!
There is no reason for you to suffer from a heart attack. I would recommend you not to believe everything you read on the internet, as the information is very wide, especially when it derives by non scientific sites and it can be misleading.
I recommend you to focus on your anxiety.
Alprazolam can be helpful for short term relief of your symptoms. But you may need to start an antidepressant, which are really effective as long term therapy in controlling anxiety symptoms. It will also help you push away these bad thoughts and these irrational fears.
Yoga and meditation coupled with a lot of physical activity (walking, recreational sports) can help feel better and optimize your physical performance.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
I remain at your disposal if you have any other uncertainties!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you. I've came to terms with the fact that I don't have any underlying problems right now but the whole Scad thing scares me. how would you recommend I get over something like that. something that can Happen at any time to anyone
Brief Answer:
My answer as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
I understand your concern, but you should understand that usually persons do not think at their death all the time.
Because it can happen at any moment (an accident just walking out the door, or with the car, etc.). But these are just irrational predictions or suppositions.
Nobody known what is going to happen tomorrow.
The secret is just not to think about it and enjoy your life!
If you are anxious all the time about what is going to happen tomorrow, you will lose the present. And the present is all what we have.
The past is gone and we can not live it any more. The future is unknown and we can not make predictions about it because it is probable that it will not be just as we think it will.
So try to live in the present. It is passing by and you are losing your time running after irrational fears.
I would recommend consulting with a psychotherapist in order to help you manage your fears.
An antidepressant (paroxetine, sertraline, escitalopram, enlafaxine, etc.)would also help push away those bad thoughts that come forcefully into your mind.
You should discuss with a specialist of this field.
Hope to have been helpful!
If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask me!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
My answer as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
I understand your concern, but you should understand that usually persons do not think at their death all the time.
Because it can happen at any moment (an accident just walking out the door, or with the car, etc.). But these are just irrational predictions or suppositions.
Nobody known what is going to happen tomorrow.
The secret is just not to think about it and enjoy your life!
If you are anxious all the time about what is going to happen tomorrow, you will lose the present. And the present is all what we have.
The past is gone and we can not live it any more. The future is unknown and we can not make predictions about it because it is probable that it will not be just as we think it will.
So try to live in the present. It is passing by and you are losing your time running after irrational fears.
I would recommend consulting with a psychotherapist in order to help you manage your fears.
An antidepressant (paroxetine, sertraline, escitalopram, enlafaxine, etc.)would also help push away those bad thoughts that come forcefully into your mind.
You should discuss with a specialist of this field.
Hope to have been helpful!
If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask me!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you I appreciate your time. I have one last question. ... how common actually is SCAD and what can cause it to happen. how can I tell the difference from anxiety and a heart problem
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
SCAD is a really rare disorder. There are really not many clinical studies on its incidence (to show how frequent it is), because it is difficult to make studies on very rare disorders.
There is not a specific risk factor but there are many conditions which can trigger this situation:
- pregnancy (postpartum period)
- inflammation and vasculitis
- disorders affecting the connective tissue like Marfan and Ehlers- Danlos
- Cocaine intoxication
- some autoimmune disorders.
So, just forget about it! If we passed through all the disorders you can read on the internet, no one would be alive.
Regarding the difference between cardiac disorder and anxiety, I would explain as follows:
- the pain characteristics in heart disorder are usually related to physical activity. It is triggered by straining physical activity and the location is in the precordial region. The distribution of the pain is a little different in cardiac disorder and anxiety.
- cardiac disorders are usually associated to other hemodinamic changes such as low blood pressure, ectopic heart beats or bradycardia, shortness of breath (with a decrease in blood oxygen saturation), dizziness, and fainting.
- there are changes in resting ECG and cardiac enzymes performed in the ER after the episode
- there are changes in cardiac stress test indicating coronary artery disease.
You have no one of these features.
So just relax and do not worry about it! You are perfectly normal. Try to enjoy your life!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
SCAD is a really rare disorder. There are really not many clinical studies on its incidence (to show how frequent it is), because it is difficult to make studies on very rare disorders.
There is not a specific risk factor but there are many conditions which can trigger this situation:
- pregnancy (postpartum period)
- inflammation and vasculitis
- disorders affecting the connective tissue like Marfan and Ehlers- Danlos
- Cocaine intoxication
- some autoimmune disorders.
So, just forget about it! If we passed through all the disorders you can read on the internet, no one would be alive.
Regarding the difference between cardiac disorder and anxiety, I would explain as follows:
- the pain characteristics in heart disorder are usually related to physical activity. It is triggered by straining physical activity and the location is in the precordial region. The distribution of the pain is a little different in cardiac disorder and anxiety.
- cardiac disorders are usually associated to other hemodinamic changes such as low blood pressure, ectopic heart beats or bradycardia, shortness of breath (with a decrease in blood oxygen saturation), dizziness, and fainting.
- there are changes in resting ECG and cardiac enzymes performed in the ER after the episode
- there are changes in cardiac stress test indicating coronary artery disease.
You have no one of these features.
So just relax and do not worry about it! You are perfectly normal. Try to enjoy your life!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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