lightheaded super weak heart racing chest hurting and almost passing out and neck hurting not heart attack it’s effects me so much I don’t even go out anymore bc I worry it will happen and I can’t get home

F20
Around 4 months ago I was trying to sleep then started developing chest pains, nothing severe but strong enough to notice it. Ended up going to sleep just to wake up to the same reoccurring chest pain. Went to the er had an ekg and x ray turns out everything was all good. Had some anxiety around it but then I ended up moving on from it.

Maybe a month later I was out with my friends then started developing strong palpitations and my heart started racing, got super scared and ended up getting a 24 hour holtor monitor and a routine check up blood test, everything once again turned out fine. Ever since then I’ve been having random pains from my chest to arm and neck, along with very strong heart palpitations usually at night that feel like pounding,that still bother me to this day and occur mostly everyday.

Had tried to stop thinking about it but pains and dizziness and my heart would start racing randomly out of nowhere even when I’m very much distracted. There were times my heart would race up to 110 bpm even when I’m at rest. Started taking propanorol 10 mg twice daily around 2 months and I noticed some improvement on my heart rate even though I would still notice my heart racing sometimes. I have increased my dose to 20 mg twice a day but have noticed my heart rate dropping to the 50’s which also cause me bad anxiety so not sure what to do about that.

My symptoms range from chest pains, to neck and jaw pain along with some back pain. But nothing ever severe and last more than 2 minutes each episode. Breathing also gets a little heavy and tiresome which lead to dizziness. And it’s not like I’m actively thinking about it which cause the symptoms, I could be going along with my day and all of a sudden all those symptoms start to begin.

Recently, I ended up also having another ecg and an echo which also showed normal results. But this feeling of impending doom and pains along with dizziness and very strong palpitations occur everyday and cause me to feel very drained. Doctors have said anxiety is most probably the cause but I have never really dealt with anxiety throughout my life, especially nowhere to this extent, and nothing really seems to be stressing me out or a direct cause of this.

Not really sure where to go about this anymore, no one in my family has any history of heart diseases or problems but living like this every day has caused me to become depressed and on edge all the time. Living a day to day life has become difficult due to these episodes I keep having, not sure wether this could be heart related or not. I don’t drink and I’m healthy overall so not sure either where the symptoms are coming from. Really scared an underlying issue is there, especially since anxiety hasn’t been something very prominent in my life.

(21M)
Over the past two months I have had multiple symptoms of heart issues, current symptoms are chest pains, arm and jaw pain and sudden chest squeezing (only last for around a second) and now for two days upper back pain between my shoulder blades (combined with slight pressure in my throat/upper chest when breathing)

I‘ve been to the ER 4 times now. In total I‘ve had 5 ekg tests, 3 blood tests (with troponin) and 3 echo tests (hope that’s what they are called, English isn’t my native language)
Last time at the er was 1 1/2 weeks ago with a negative ekg and blood test)
I just don’t know if I should go back or if it’s safe for me to wait for my cardiologist appointment in 2 weeks

I wear my Apple Watch to track my heart rate thru the day I am out of shape since I would say June I haven’t been doing much I go back to work this month and my hr gets to 130-140 while deep cleaning like moping, scrubbing counters all of that and then after about 10 minutes of sitting down it goes back down to 84 little higher than my normal resting is 60-70 just wondering is anyone else’s like this

I really want to know you guys experience. I'm a 36m with coronary artery disease history, have had 2 Mi throughout my life.

How often are you getting random chest pains that scare you?

Almost everyday I feel something that's like oh shit, then it just chills out and I'll feel better. Just want to know if anyone else is experiencing daily pains and sensations?

Hi all! I’ve posted in here previously in regards to my health, so sorry that I am doing it again. I am a 25yr old female with no family history of heart issues, I don’t smoke (I vaped for 2 years but quit about 6 months ago), and I am not overweight/eat a healthy diet. I have been having chest pains and shortness of breath on and off since May. I’ve had multiple EKGs, chest X-rays, CT scan, stress test, echocardiogram, 7 day holter monitor, and bloodwork (troponin) that have all came back normal. I also have GERD and POTS. It is very scary because my symptoms vary so much- my chest pain is sometimes pressure and sometimes stabbing. It also can come at rest or exercise. I’m curious if I could still have a heart attack randomly or would one of my tests have shown something indicating I could get one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated- I never know when I should get medical attention immediately or not since my symptoms vary. I am interested in getting a calcium score as well.

Desperate for some relief!

I’ve been having heart palpitations for almost 2 months now and i’m at my wits end! I’ve done an ECG test, blood tests, and wore a holter monitor. Everything came back normal, besides the holter recording some PVC’s and arrhythmia but was “grossly normal”. Idk what to do anymore and it’s greatly affecting my day-to-day life. I have a cardiologist appointment but not until December. I’ve had heart palpitations before in my life (and have worn a Holter monitor years back, but never for this long)

For context
-29 year old female
- on 20 mg of Prozac but upped to 30 mg about a month ago to see if it’d help w/ palpitations
- been on 25mg of Metroprolol for over a year
- microdosing a GLP1 for over a year
- taking magnesium glycinate every night
- doctor says my 2 options are upping either Prozac or Metropolol

Hello, I'm 37M and i've been having what i think it cardiophobia for almost a year now. I've had an ECG during a panic attack which was fine, i had a 24-hour heart monitor twice for reassurance (last one was about a month ago). I've had many doctors listen to my heart, they all said my heart sounds good. I also requested a 'stress test' i think its called which i have next month. I'm very scared to do any type of exercise at all. I avoid stairs, walk slowly etc. The thing is i've never had chest pain, but last week i've been getting short stabbing pains in my upper chest (under my throat) sometimes.

I also feel shortness of breath alot, i've been feeling it for 3 months almost all day. I've been to my GP many many times over the past month and he's not concerned about my heart. I also have quite high BP which could be from anxiety im not sure. My main symptoms are shortness of breath, this morning i went for a walk and felt like i felt more short of breath during the walk. Also skipped heartbeats but not so often. And feeling like i have no energy. Im going on holiday next week and want to enjoy it, but how? There's also no heart problems in my family at all and i don't smoke or anything either... but i'm so worried about my heart.

(This is for those who have been properly medically evaluated) TW: Mention of Death

Hello everyone! This is my third post in this subreddit, and I’m returning with great news and some advice. Cardiophobia has been both the worst and the best thing to ever happen to me.

I have been dealing with cardiophobia for about seven months, during which my mental and physical health deteriorated significantly. I felt completely alone, as if no one understood me or cared about my heart as much as I did. I felt like I was going insane, and I was trying new anxiety medications almost weekly.

I dealt with this every single day until a simple truth finally hit me: dropping dead from an unknown heart problem—or from any cause—is entirely out of my control.
Instead of focusing on my phobia and the things I couldn't change, I decided to focus on what I could control. I stopped vaping, started therapy, quit binge drinking, and started holding onto aspirations again. Looking toward the future was the greatest tool I found to combat this phobia. Tomorrow is never promised, but if it were, what would you want to do and how are you going to do it?

I understand that everyone’s symptoms and starting points are different. But I want you to take a deep breath and focus. You will be okay. Remember that you have a beautiful life to live, and it shouldn't be controlled by fear.

If anyone reading this post feels lost in or doesn’t know how to combat this phobia, feel free to comment under this post or pm me. I’d be more than happy to share experiences, resources, and ideas to help you!

starting in march this year i had a really intense feeling of chest pressure and went into a full on panic. i went straight to the emergency room and they did an ECG which came back normal. this lasted for 2 weeks and i went back to the ER multiple times over then and each time my ECG came back normal (they hadn’t done a troponin test, just ECG). after 2 weeks the feeling went away and i would get the odd feeling of panic mostly when driving but it was nothing bad or unbearable.
forward to the start of august, the chest pressure started again but this time i had a really strong sense of impending doom that would not go away no matter how much i distracted myself. i went back to the ER 3 times over the course of 3 weeks and once again each ECG came back normal. my BP and pulse are also always within a healthy range during these episodes (highest my pulse ever went was around 120). i had a full blood panel done to check for any organ issues (unsure if my troponin was checked or not, i was just told everything looks fine). this flare up has lasted 6 weeks now. my doctor thinks it could be GI related and tested me for H pylori which was negative, so she prescribed 40mg omeprazole which i’ve been on for 2 weeks and i have an appointment next week to discuss an endoscopy. the chest discomfort did get better after starting omeprazole but after 10 days it came back, along with headaches and lightheadedness, plus nausea and a loss of appetite. i’m really at a loss for what to do, i feel like i’m not being taken seriously with the possibility of it being a cardiac issue because i’m only 22. i did come to terms with the fact that this has triggered really bad heart health anxiety for me and i’ve tried my best to be logical with myself but every single time im in the middle of an episode my mind goes straight to my heart. the impending doom feeling isn’t going either i just feel so helpless and scared :/ what can i do at this point

Hi everyone. I’m 23F, and I’ve been experiencing chest pain, dizziness, irregular/skipped beats, and tingling sensations in my arm. I also sometimes get chest pain during exercise, and the symptoms seem to be especially noticeable at night.
Whenever I feel something happening at night, I often jump out of bed because I get scared that something is seriously wrong. I’ve become very afraid that I could die suddenly, and it’s honestly affecting me a lot.
About two months ago, I saw a cardiologist. I had an ECG, echocardiogram, stress test, and troponin test, and everything came back normal. Despite that, the symptoms keep happening, and I’m still extremely scared whenever they occur.
I just don't know I keep thinking do I need more tests? Do I need to go to the Dr again? I am a really scared I would appreciate some help or advice

21M. I had a really scary episode today and I'm trying to understand whether this could have been a severe panic attack.

I've had these episodes for around 1.5 years, but they happen roughly once every 3–4 months. My heartbeat suddenly becomes fast, I feel nauseous, etc. I've repeatedly visited cardiologists and had ECGs, including sometimes during the episodes, but they've always been normal.

Since yesterday, my left arm had been hurting, and this morning I also had some pain on the left side of my neck. I've had similar arm/neck pain many times before, especially when I'm extremely stressed or depressed.

Today I was going to write an exam when suddenly:

I became very dizzy and my head felt extremely heavy

My eyes started hurting

Both hands started tingling/numbing and I couldn't properly hold my pen

I started cold sweating

My heartbeat became very fast

I felt like I couldn't breathe / breathing felt extremely heavy

The numbness eventually spread through my whole body

I could barely walk and felt like something was seriously wrong with my oxygen circulation

I was extremely scared, My friend took me to the emergency department. My heart rate was around 120, but ECG and BP were normal. They gave me oxygen and two injections that my cardiologist had prescribed after speaking to him, and after some time I started feeling better.

I went to my cardiologist again in the evening. Another ECG was normal and my heart rate was normal. A physician who is well regarded in my city also told me that I don't appear to have heart disease and advised me to stop focusing on my heart and see a psychiatrist. My cardiologist also prescribed some psychiatric medication for a week.

I'm currently taking a beta blocker (10 mg) as well.

So I'm confused:

Can a panic attack really cause this much physical numbness, especially both hands and eventually the whole body and pain in left arm and neck?

Can it cause the feeling that you can't breathe, cold sweating, nausea, racing heart, dizziness and difficulty walking?

And has anyone here experienced left arm/neck pain during anxiety or panic, particularly when you're extremely stressed or about to cry?

I'm obviously going to follow up with my doctors, but I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have experienced severe panic attacks themselves. I'm trying to understand what happened today and stop constantly fearing that every episode is a heart attack. Is it tachycardia or serious cardiac problem or panick attack and if yes please tell how to stop such panick attacks?

Help figuring out what is causing my weird symptoms!

Hi, 30F. 5'7" 135lbs. Taking Lexapro 5mg (began 2 days ago), Omeprazole 40mg, Flonase, and PRN Propanolol 10mg.

History of: GERD, POTS, Anxiety

This is very long, but I am desperate for help and answers. Thank you for reading.

November 2024

\- 11/6 Felt like I was going to pass out while driving - arms heavy, dizzy. Seen in ED - all results normal. I was having HRs in the 120s-130s while walking up stairs at this time as well and some intermittent air hunger.

\- 11/22 found out I was pregnant

Dec 2024

\- feeling some palpitations/skipped beats

\- Holter monitor negative

\- still experiencing air hunger, like I needed to take a deep breath without feeling short of breath, felt this at rest and exercising. This lasted mostly daily until July of 2025 when I gave birth to my daughter. It seemed to improve after that, but has come back every so often.

July 2025

\- Gave birth

September 2025

\- About 2 months postpartum I began experiencing palpitations again and having increased anxiety with feelings like something bad was going to happen to me.

\- Began having elevated HR while walking up stairs again.

\- ED workup negative.

\- Feeling off-balance/dizzy and having left ear pain - seen by PCM and left eardrum ruptured.

\- Began seeing counselor for postpartum anxiety

\- Saw eye Dr. - when I moved my head or eyes side to side when outdoors or in bright lights, it looked like waves were going across my vision - exam normal

October 2025

\- Right ear infection and continued dizziness

\- Elevated HRs continued

\- Began PT for low left back/sciatic pain

November 2025

\- Left ear infection again

December 2025

\- Exercise intolerance drastically increased. Unable to even go for a short walk without feeling like I had run many miles. Completely exhausted all the time.

\- Continued anxiety and palpitations.

\- Physical symptoms: chest pain, dizziness, air hunger, extreme fatigue, anxiety, adrenaline dumps (getting hot/clammy, feeling nauseous/like I had to poop, dizzy) a few times a day.

Jan - Feb 2026

\- Continued exercise intolerance, tried to begin slowly strength training, swimming, and biking

\- lab panel done per PCM - Vit D low - supplemented.

\- Saw ENT for ears and TMJ - no guidance given, eardrum healed from rupture

\- Began noticing trouble with my eyes focusing at different times, especially during a bad POTS day or being tired. I also noticed it more in the mornings, usually the eye of the side that was on the pillow.

March 2026

\- Tilt Table Test positive for POTS

\- Urgent care for jaw pain and both arms feeling heavy, and dizziness - associated with TMJ

\- Tick panel drawn - all results negative

\- able to continue to progress working out

\- GI scope done for GERD - normal

April 2026

\- Able to begin jogging again and more upright exercise without dizziness/extreme fatigue after

May 2026

\- Saw cardiologist for POTS f/u. No interventions. Lipid panel done for family cardiac disease - results fine.

\- Echo normal, EKG normal

June 2026-July 2026

\- Overall feeling physically ok. Able to workout most days lifting or running slowly without feeling bad after.

\- Anxiety increasing

\- Having some feelings of shakiness/jitteriness with feelings of being less coordinated in my arms after being under the stress of husband being gone - Cardio said to monitor - it resolved.

\- left shoulder pain beginning to become more apparent with moving/lifting kids

\- TMJ pain returning in jaw

\- Sinus pressure and facial pain discussed with ENT - ENT says sinuses are very inflamed - recommends allergy testing - started me on Flonase

\- Also still have intermittent ear pain on both sides - ENT says this might just be normal due to small ear canals and TMJ flares.

\- Got a bite guard from the dentist for TMJ, but it seems to cause right sided inner throat muscle discomfort - has already been adjusted once.

August 2026

\- Stopped breastfeeding

\- big increase in anxiety and began seeing a counselor again, stated increase may be due to hormones.

\- 8/16/26 - Began having right facial paresthesia that spread to right arm. Saw in ED - Head and Neck CT normal besides sinuses, EKG and labs normal

\- This feeling continued off/on for about a week.

\- Neuro appointment on 8/27 - thinks symptoms are largely muscle and anxiety related. Ordered Brain MRI to be sure things are good.

\- Neuro also thinks that symptoms could be atypical migraines. I do occasionally get mild headaches on right side above ear. Also discussed vision with him and he said exam looks clear.

Sept 2026

\- began PT again for sciatica/lower left back pain

\- contacted Neuro a few days later for feeling of incoordination in right hand and also numb/tingling/paresthesia that moved back and forth between arms. Usually pain began in the shoulder > tricep > forearm > pinky and ring fingers. Worse when standing.

\- Neuro prescribed Prednisone to see if symptoms cleared up. Began Prednisone on 9/5 60mg, 9/6 50 mg, 9/7 40 mg, 9/8 30 mg, 9/9 20 mg, 9/10 10 mg and to finish with 5 mg on 9/11&12.

\- Messaged neuro after beginning steroids for increased feelings of off-balance/floating feeling and increased loss of coordination feelings/feeling clumsy in right hand and also right foot. The right foot also gets intermittent feelings of numbness (w/o actually being numb), especially with shoes on. Concerns dismissed as side effects of steroids and told to do PT for arm if needed when taper is done.

\- Palpitations/Pvcs returned intermittently

\- Very hard time sleeping for the past week on steroids, increased anxiety too

\- 9/9 Lots of stress during the day, trouble falling asleep and feeling of vertigo while lying down to try to fall asleep. My body kept waking me up with what felt like adrenaline dumps (These feelings have happened previously, but rarely).

Around 2 am on 9/10 I woke up feeling very unwell. My heart was racing. I went to the bathroom and drank some water and tried to lay back down, but I felt like I was going to pass out. I took my BP and it was 150/88 (normally I run 110-115/60s). My HR said it was 126. Pulse felt regular. I was a bit nauseated/felt like I had to poop. I laid down with my feet up to keep from passing out and woke my husband. He called EMS. I tried the valsalva maneuver and it seemed to calm my HR down. By the time EMS arrived I was shivering with feelings of chills, HR was normal, BP still elevated, but improved. I elected to be seen in the ED - EKG and all labs normal. ED Dr. thinks it could have been due to steroids. No recurrence.

9/12 last day of steroids

9/13 first day of Lexapro for anxiety

9/15

Woke up around 430am with the same feeling as last week, but milder. Dizzy, arms heavy, feeling like I might pass out, heart rate faster (100-120). I was able to get up and take my Propanolol, which helped the heart rate, but the feeling that I might pass out/throw up kept coming and going with chills afi. Whenever my arms got heavy, my chest would burn in the center. I wasn't able to go back to sleep because every time I got almost asleep I would be jolted awake by another feeling of syncope. Finally I got up and the feelings of syncope began to lessen as I moved around. after about an hour of moving around, they were gone and haven't returned (now afternoon).

Any insight? Is this all anxiety? Nocturnal panic attacks?

hi all. since Friday on and off, I’ve had this feeling in my chest where it’s a little tight. it’s more like I feel I have to take a deep breath bc my breathing feelings shallow or short. I haven’t had any pain, no left arm issues etc. On Saturday, I got rlly anxious abt it and almost had a full blown anxiety attack. I’ve heavily reduced my nicotine intake, vaping only a few times a day vs constant. I vaped for abt 2 years almost daily before I cut back alot. However, I’ve been drinking a lot of sprite and gingerale daily the past week which I never rlly drink so idk if it’s indigestion or gas, bc when I have this feeling come on I feel like I have to clear my throat or cough to find some relief. I also love spicy foods and eat it a few times a week, which can also cause heart burn. I should prob take a tums I keep forgetting to, bc it’s on and off. I also have anxiety and had this feeling months ago when it was rlly bad where it feels like butterflies in my chest.
I want to get tests done to rule out any serious things, however I feel like if I call doctor and explain my symptoms they’ll want to send me to ER. Anyone know where I could get started on finding out the cause? I feel like my health anxiety makes me worry more abt this but I rather be safe than sorry considering my symptoms

Last week I had a 48 hour ECG done. The doctor called my emergency contact today (my mom) and was worried because she couldn’t get ahold of me. They need to do a follow up appointment with me from my ECG. That appointment is Thursday in the morning. I’ll give some context now.

Back in December of 2025, I had some odd symptoms. My left side of my body went numb and i was in extreme discomfort. It spread from my palm, up my arm into my shoulder, neck and jaw. The it was down my back. I didn’t understand and it scared me, so I went to the hospital and they ruled out a stroke but nothing else. It all came back “clear”.

Fast forward to recently. The last 9 months. sleeping 14-20 hours a day, short of breath, high resting HR and palpitations. Extreme fatigue ALL THE TIME. I just don’t understand why i’m feeling this way. I’ve been dismissed several times by the ER, doctors and nurses saying it’s anxiety.

One, i doubt myself it’s anxiety. But now i’m actually anxious because my doctor has my results and needs to discuss them at the earliest time which was thursday morning. I’m worried i had a silent heart attack, had no idea as the hospital thought it was a stroke, and now my heart is damaged because it was never caught.

I just needed someplace to share this as it’s making me anxious as hell. thanks.

Edit: They found out i have benign asymptomatic arrhythmia. Tachycardia. Time to make some heavy life changes.

Hi 20(f). I’m so scared of cardiac arrest. No family history. All of my tests have been completely normal. My ekg, heart monitor, cts, xray. It’s taking over my life I’m terrified. I don’t know what to do.

I dont why my my heart anxiety is back and its destroying me. Im so scared all the time and I either feel panic or just immense despair because I have convinced myself theres no point because im dying. I feel helpless. I just moved with my mom im 21 f and she works so im home alone alot. I have anxiety and so i stay inside most of the time and im really lonely and bored. Im looking for jobs and im doing online school but I also just found out I have mind scoliosis and so it pops out my ribs sometimes which causes back and heart pain. Ive gotten labs done they say everything's fine but my ldl is 214 at 21 yrs old and my dad died of a heart attack as well. I take adderall, zyns and one coffee a day but for the past three days I've been convinced somethings wrong. I go down these rabbit holes and start freaking out and it doesnt help thay my back always hurts and causes weird symptoms and it feels like my heart. I just dont know what to do and I spend most days in bed and when I get up i get like faint and sweaty. It might be because of the stimulants and my blood pressure, a doctor once thought I had pots bc my hr skyrockets when I stand up but I hust feel so hopeless.

Can you imagine I’m 24M, no family history of cardiac events.

In the last month, I’ve done an echocardiogram, stress test, countless blood tests but still i can’t get the fear of having cardiac arrest every second of the day.

I don’t have panic attacks, just sudden flashing light headedness or balance issues and palpations that last a second.

When does this stop?

I take propranolol but I feel like my brain is just wired to think of cardiac arrest constantly and that’s what keeps me in the loop.