[+Fight+The+Illness+]

Greetings Sweet-Hearted and Gentle-People,

In a couple of weeks I'll be heading back to my pdoc to get more refills of Zoloft and Lamictal. Now I've had heart problems for about 10 years or so and I had to go to the health center on my college's campus b/c my chest pains were so bad. I told the nurse that I've had heart problems for roughly 10 years and have a very lengthy history of social anxiety. ...her brilliant deduction was to go to my family doc next time I'm home.

Anyway, I went to my therapist that same day and she said that my heart problems are becoming worse over the past few weeks b/c I'm trying to be more sociable and I'm extremely anxious b/c of that. She says that I'm always have a panic attack of sorts b/c I'm trying to be more sociable. (I didn't really take that very well..)

Long story short, I'm going to my pdoc in a few weeks and my question is: If I'm being told to go to my family doc for my heart and my therapist is telling me that I'm having a kind of panic attack all the time b/c I'm trying to be sociable, do I need to talk to my pdoc about a new medication for anxiety??

(Sorry that was long, but I figured that details were needed ^^; )

[alwaysrejoice]

I would go to pdoc first maybe they can refer you to a good doctor that understands heart conditions that go along with anxiety problems.

[Rose76]

I don't have any diagnosed heart condition, except that I do have a rapid heart beat. That could be due to just lack of physical conditioning, or from other things.

I do know from experience that anxiety can cause me to have chest pain that can be severe enough to make it painful to take a deep breath. It does feel like there is something wrong with my heart, when this happens. However, it has only happened when I have had some seriously anxiety provoking issues on my mind.

One bad "attack" was provoked by social anxiety. I was going to visit someone I had not visited in years. I didn't think I felt anxious, but I had been extremely anxious making the decision to go make the visit. I had to pull over on the highway at a rest stop and lie down in the back seat for 25 minutes, until I gradually could take normal breaths without pain and it went away.

I went to a cardiologist and nothing was found wrong with my heart, which is what I expected. I don't consider these episodes that I have had as panic attacks. I never feel panicky when it happens.

I do think you should talk to your pdoc about the chest pain and about your therapist's opinion that it is related to anxiety. A person with a heart problem could also get chest pain from anxiety that might not be caused by the heart problem. At the same time, a person with an actual cardiac problem needs to protect against things that can stress the heart, which anxiety does do.

[HassanArshad]

Ventricular Tachycardia is common in patients that have social/generalized anxiety disorder. Some patients may feel as if they just ran a one mile sprint when in a environment that initiates such symptoms. A heart rate around 132 is common among patients. However that is not the rate physicians like to see in their patients. I would recommend seeing your family physician and talk about possible medications that will help reduce and relax your body. Medications that are used for anxiety and tachycardia are ones like Propanol. Its important that you get this looked at as soon as possible. High heart rates can cause other issues. When thinking of the cardiovascular system (heart, arteries, veins) all is engaged in a increased stress from having a fast heart rate. I have seen some have severe Retina issues in the eye. When you have fast heart rate it makes vaso constriction in which the eye is made of many vessels. Once the vessels in the eyes become harmed it can cause issues to your retina such as White without pressure. White without pressure is a condition where lack of oxygen and chronic vaso contriction in the inner chambers of the eyes occur. White without pressure is thinning of the retina and makes a transparent scar tissue. After it is thinned it has a high risk of becoming detached. Detached retina can mean total blindness. These are just some simple complications that are made from having high heart rate

[+Fight+The+Illness+]

Thank you so much. I was never able to go see my pdoc over the weekend, but I know I need to go see him ASAP. The chest pains are still here and they're becoming very painful. They're becoming even worse b/c I know I have an oral presentation in a few weeks and I'm beyond terrified. It's in Spanish, but I've talked to my prof about my anxiety and he told me that if I feel as though that I can't do my presentation in front of the class, then he'll let me do it in his office.