l have generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks(lucky me), l have been to a dr been told physically there is nothing wrong w/ me, was given Xanax to take as needed and been encouraged to get exercise. l went for a 15 minute walk today and l felt like my heart was racing when l got back, which got me worried l was going to give myself a heart attack at the ripe old age of 27. What are the chances that a healthy female like myself, would have a exercise induced heart attack? The last two times my bp was checked it was 112/84 and 121/71, I am not overweight and try to eat pretty healthy.
heart rate went back to normal probably within 10-20 minutes of sitting down and now an hour later is 76bpm

ur chances of exercise induced heart attack r NIL, ZERO, NADA. You r perhaps using these panic symptoms as an excuse to not have to exercise.but it is not ur heart that is the problem here, it is ur mind. The drugs he is given u will help a little..but until u learn the skills for coping with panic, u will continue to be anxious & have such symptoms & freak out over them too. Call ur local mental health agency, there r classes available to teach u the skills u need to cope with panic disorder.

The reason your heart rate was up is because you are out of shape. As you get more exercise you will be able to walk for longer periods without your heartrate going up. If you are in otherwise good health exercise is not going to cause a heart attack.

l agree with the above RN. Your chance of having a heart attack/ sudden death at the age of 27 is virtually nil. (The incidence of heart attacks starts to go up for women after menopause, so u have a few years). If ur parents/ sibs etc have not died at a young age of unknown causes, then l would not worry (about having a heart attack or sudden death).
You should have had a TSH checked to make sure u do not have an overactive thyroid ( l am sure ur doctor already did that) & if u check u heart rate & find it to be going at 150 beats or more & u did not physically exert yourself & do not feel like u have having a panic attack, then u might ask ur doctor for a ''cardiac event monitor'' where a device records ur heart rate when u r having ''panic attacks'' to see if u r having a cardiac arrhythmia (like SVT).
That being said however, l would worry most about untreated anxiety disorder, which can be more debilitating than heart disease. It sounds like u should see a psychiatrist to get started on some ''maintenance'' medication like Paxil that may prevent/ decrease these panic attacks that u r having.
l wish u well.

Hi Pretty Face. You have received a diverse set of to ur complex question. l would like to offer a different perspective. l will also provide u the scientific references that support my position (so this information is more than 'my opinion').

l used to suffer from severe Panic Attacks. ''Used to'' means l am now well (unlike the nurse who continues to suffer because she has not corrected the CAUSE of her attacks). You can get well too.

First, ur doctor was intellectually 'dishonest' when he/she told u there was nothing wrong. Obviously, something IS wrong. What he/she should have said is that she could not find what was wrong. That is a very different statement than saying nothing is wrong.

l will assume that ur doc is a typical M.D. & is, therefore, not trained in environmental medicine or nutritional biochemistry. Thus, l assume ur doctor did not evaluate u for environmental issues (e.g. chemical sensitivity) or nutritional imbalances (which can cause ALL of ur symptoms, including ur racing heart).

Let is look at some of the potential causes of ur anxiety/panic disorder issues. They include: chemical sensitivities, food allergies/intolerances, Celiac Disease, Thyroid issues, nutritional imbalances, & more. Note: many of these issues 'co-exist' - e.g. Celiac Disease leads to nutritional imbalances, food allergies, & thyroid disorders. Full disclosure, MY Panic Disorder resolved itself when l was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease (after 40 years of suffering & medical doctors telling me ''there is nothing wrong with me!''). Adhering to a gluten-free diet & following a healthy diet has resolved my Panic Disorder.

Something or somethings r causing ur health problems. Nothing happens by 'magic'. Every symptom has a physiological and/or biochemical cause.

You will need to look for a 'real' doctor that is trained in environmental medicine, functional medicine or nutritional biochemistry. You can also begin to educate yourself. l recommend u start with a fantastic book by Sherry Rogers, M.D. Dr. Rogers is a world-renowned specialist in environmental medicine & nutritional biochemistry. The book is called: ''Depression Cured At Last''. Do not let the name confuse you. Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Bi-polar Disorder, & Obssessive-Compulsive Disorder r all a part of the class of disorders known as ''Affective Disorders''. They have similar & overlapping biochemistry/causes. The book may be hard to find, but it is often available used at Amazon.com or from the publisher at 1-800-846-6687 (prestigepublishing.com).

Here r some quotes from the scientific literature & the references l promised above.

1) ''Patients affected with celiac disease tend to show a highh prevalence of PD (Panic Disorder) & MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) & association with subclinical thyroid disease appears to represent a significant risk factor for these psychiatric disorders.'' (note: Celiac Disease is very common, is rarely diagnosed by medical doctors, & causes subclinical thyroid disease.)

2) Preliminary results ''indicate that lifestyle . & environmental factors including weather conditions could play a partial role in the development of Panic Attack & Panic Disorder.''

3) ''Clinical studies have also demonstrated high comorbidity between bipolar disorder & panic disorder, OCD, social phobia, & post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychobiological mechanisms that may account for these high comorbidity rates likely involve a complicated interplay among various neurotransmiiter systems.'' ''The second-messenger system constitutent, inositol, may also be involved.''

4) ''Several . studies have identified associations between allergies & depressive symptoms.''

5) ''The study seems to suggest that individuals in the community with thyroid autoimmunity may be at high risk for mood & anxiety disorders.'' ''The psychiatric disorders & the autoimmune reaction seem to be rooted in a same . aberrancy in the immuno-endocrine system.''

6) Mutiple chemical sensitivity has been linked with panic disorder.

7) ''The present results indicate that panic disorder patients may be more sensitive to seasonal & meteorological factors than the general population.'' ''This might assist in the development of preventive measures for the frequent recurrence of symptoms of panic disorder.''

8, 9 & 10) Several clinical trials have shown the nutritional supplement Inositol is a safe & effective treatment for Panic disorder & can be used in place of dangerous prescription drugs. See above, for the comment on the role of inositol in the biochemistry of panic disorder.

In summary, l have given u a lot of scientifically supported information to help u grasp the concept that something IS wrong. Most if not all of ur health problems r related to whatever is the underlying problem (problems). You do NOT have to live with the problems u r facing, but u may have to educate yourself & find an educated doctor to assist you. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Chiropractors, Certified Clinical Nutritionists (CCNs), & those few medical doctors trained in functional medicine or environemental/nutritional medicine may be able to assist u in ur journey of discovery.

Finally, again, l recommend u start with Dr. Roger is book.

Best wishes & good luck.