Can people share their onset heart failure? How did it happen

34f - Mines was so sudden without any symptoms prior except had a lot of anxiety attacks like I couldn’t breathe months prior. I was misdiagnosed with anxiety disorder and was given 3 bottles of anxiety meds that actually accelerated my heart issue.

I was doing internship and was exposed to hospital based environments and I tend to get sick easily. Not sure if I got sick from environmental or severe food poisoning. I woke up from my sleep bc my heart rate was 180 and felt it was going to race out my chest rushed to the er and again told it was anxiety. I developed fever, aggressive vomiting, and other symptoms of stomach bug. Same state for 2 weeks then developed severe chest pain my lungs felt hard to breathe and my body started feeling heavy and started full body tremors, it felt like my body was going into shock. Another er visit and my left arm went limp so did the half of my body and collapsed. I started feeling severe chest pain, burning sensation as if I had water in my chest. It hurt to lay down felt like I was suffocating. Dizzy spells lost of balance and then loss of sensation over my arms and legs. My left arm was completely numb.

It was pain and agony since the beginning late July 2024,and first hospital admission I was diagnosed with Guillan barre syndrome for those that don’t know you completely become paralyzed and it makes it hard to breathe on your own. I felt my inner chest cavity struggling to move/breathe. I had supplemental O2, treated with IVIG, blood thinner shots and steroid shots. The IVIG was strong and my body was deteriorating and still high heart and chest pain first echo 56 EF. Discharged a week later completely collapsed and was rushed to the hospital 2nd admission (first week Aug 2024) CT scans, blood work and echo. Echo showed 46 EF got cardiac mri that showed my diagnosis of possible myocarditis, DCM, LVH and acute HF. I remember them giving me breathing treatments that almost made my body go into shock so they stopped those. I couldn’t walk or get off the bed was bed bound for 4 months after. I had my 3rd hospital admission in Oct 2024 to stabilize my hf, started Metropolol, and then added lisinopril, spirolactone in October 2024. Fluid restriction and PT for 2 months (Nov-Dec). Dec 2024 I was fully able to walk on my own without issue. Jan 2025, second mri at heart hospital no LVH, no signs of cardiomyopathy, and EF 51. My Dr gave the clear to go back to work and keep taking meds. No signs of myocarditis.

Jan 25 2025 I returned to work 5 hrs a day and now my body is feeling it, I feel like I returned to fast so I’m gna step back and give my body some grace to recover. I still have symptoms mind you but they are less than before; however, I have no choice but to work. I’m 7 months post after the madness… how long did it take yall to become stable? And be able to function or work again after hf onset