u/parsniplab

My Dad was very healthy. He ate a completely clean diet, never smoked, seldom drank, healthy weight, cycled everywhere, swam 3 times a week, hiked and ran often. He retired early and suddenly went into cardiac arrest shortly after. He suffered severe brain damage from it until he eventually died a few years later.

He had 2 notable symptoms before he died. The first was chest pain at rest which was attributed to heart burn after ECGs were performed and blood tests were taken which were all clear. The second was fainting, including once while sitting down, which was dismissed as benign after nothing of significance was found on his echocardiogram.

Post-cardiac arrest, a CT angiogram (I believe) revealed something like 4 of his valves were blocked. It meant that he would need a quadruple bypass, which he could not have due to the brain damage.

I'm mid-20s female, 164cm (5'5") / 56kg (123lbs). I'm less fit than my dad was; I've been improving my diet (I now eat more nutrient-dense, less ultra processed foods - in my late teens / early 20s I ate a lot of sugary foods) but I don't really exercise, partially on account of feeling so weak a lot of the time. I also don't drink or smoke and I'm a healthy weight.

I've been getting quite severe symptoms for over a year now. Including: severe weakness, fainting (including passing out while sitting down), palpitations, severe chest pain (also attributed to heart burn like my dad, although my endoscopy came back as normal), nausea.

I mostly experience the weakness, fainting, nausea, and palpitations separately to the chest pain, just like my dad did.

I had an ultrasound of my gallbladder during an episode of chest pain and no gallstones were found.

I've had many ECGs including 5-day holter monitors. Only occasional ectopic beats and a fast heart rate (resting 90s) were found, according to a doctor.

I've had an echocardiogram and various blood tests, all clear.

I'm suspected to have POTS but I can't help but worry something else is going on. I haven't had any more tests than my dad had before his cardiac arrest and all the tests before then were clear for him.

If it matters, my average HRV has diminished from high 60s to mid 20s ms over the last half a year.

Heart disease does run in the family and is thought to be genetic, especially due to the fact my dad had a very healthy lifestyle. His brother also had heart condition (I don't know the details but he had a cardiac bypass in his 40s) and my dad's dad died of a heart attack in his 30s.

I've asked for a lipoprotein(a) test but I need to wait a while for it.

Is there anything else I can ask for in terms of tests? Am I overthinking things?

I haven't been able to comfortably read a novel or play a game that isn't something like a lighthearted comedy or puzzle in almost a year 😢

I've avoided horror and dark philosophical works entirely because even lighter genres have resulted in panic attacks and existential crises.

If I read about a society where human civilisation has been taken over by aliens, I'll start believing that that's happening or it will happen tomorrow even if I know logically that's not true. I'll start panicking physically because my mind catches up.

Does anyone else have this?

I haven't been formally diagnosed with dpdr, but my therapist suggested that I have problems with dissociation and derealisation. (I'm not in therapy anymore cuz I ran out of free sessions)

(CW for trauma description) >! My symptoms came after a traumatic event in the last few years where I watched my dad slowly painfully die and then started getting the same symptoms he got. !<

My therapist also suggested a mind task to do: try and lift up a pen with my mind. If I can't do it, that's evidence that the "magic" I'm imagining doesn't exist and I can't control things with my mind. I also repeat the mantra "the thought of a tiger isn't a tiger". Just because I imagine things, doesn't make it reality. Both of these help a bit. But man, the panic attacks are really bad and sometimes I feel like I'm fighting thoughts with thoughts.