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Anxiety and Irregular Heart Rhythm
I am a 21 year old female and for about 5 months now have been dealing with severe anxiety (or so I believe). I will get lightheaded and dizzy, hot, irregularly strong or fast heartbeat and feel like I am just going to pass out. I've seen multiple doctors, including a cardiologist, who tell me I'm fine and it's just normal anxiety. But every medicine I take doesn't help. I'd actually rather cure this without medicine but I just don't have the time with my 1 and a half year old son. I know a lot contributes to my anxiety, but I am just so concerned it could be something to do with my heart. Every time I just so much as feel an irregular beat I reach for my pulse to make sure it's still beating. This morning I was woken up in a panic around 5am and couldn't breathe. My heart was pounding and I became lightheaded. dizzy, and hot. I grabbed some water and walked around my house to calm down and my heart started racing probably like 130 to 140 and I did some breathing exercises to calm down. After about 5 or so minutes my heart rate was normal, but I was shaking and cold and felt sick to my stomach. I wasn't able to go back to sleep because when I laid down, I got hot and lightheaded again. If it weren't for the problems with my heart, I would have such severe anxiety. Please help! What on earth is going on??
help me
my heart is racing, its the middle of the night and i feel sick again! it feaks me out!
my heart is racing, its the middle of the night and i feel sick again! it feaks me out!
Hello,
Please look into Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). It is a very unheard of nervous system disorder that prevents the body from being able to properly adjust to the pull of gravity. Therefore, symptoms arise, such as: rapid heart rate upon standing, low or high blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, sweating, anxiety-like symptoms, headaches, shortness of breath, inability to exercise, digestion problems, etc. The symptoms are endless and vary person to person day to day. Very few doctors are familiar with this illness and often misdiagnose patients.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Best wishes,
Brandi
Please look into Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). It is a very unheard of nervous system disorder that prevents the body from being able to properly adjust to the pull of gravity. Therefore, symptoms arise, such as: rapid heart rate upon standing, low or high blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, sweating, anxiety-like symptoms, headaches, shortness of breath, inability to exercise, digestion problems, etc. The symptoms are endless and vary person to person day to day. Very few doctors are familiar with this illness and often misdiagnose patients.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Best wishes,
Brandi
thank you i think i fee all the symptoms you stated above... i am going to a pharmarcy right away. thank you very much again
hey! i know this post is somewhat old now, but how comforting it was to read, as you sound 100% like me! i just turned 26 in may, and the day after my birthday i had a horrible panic attack which prompted me to call 911 and spend a whole night in the ER. My blood pressure had shot up to 177/113 with all kinds of crazy racing heart/skipping beat/thudding beats going on. tight chest, cold sweat, trembling/shaking. nothing crazy was really happening either, i had just smoked a cigarette but.. it was 11:30 at night, i shouldve been tired.. i think i was even in bed trying to fall asleep when it happened. but, I really got no answers from them - I felt like i was, literally, dying, and they are all walking around like nothing is going on.. i remember asking the nurse like, when is this gonna stop?!!!!! why is this happening?!! lol it lasted 3 hours. but she just so calmly replied, oh, sometimes anxiety can cause that. the ER doctor himself told me it was an esophogial spasm, gave me some pepcid in an IV, then sent me home.? I am not sure what is wrong with me still actually, as it is still occuring quite frequently (daily at least but they are less severe, last a shorter amount of time now as i am slowly learning to control them).. i just saw a cardiologist, had an echo done yesterday, got sent home with a 24 hour holter.. and i find out the results in 2 months. 2 months!? i can only assume the Drs didnt find me to be in too critical of shape, if i dont go back for two more months?
I think what is helping me is.. I believe they are anxiety fueled. moreso than heart issue fueled. its just so scary, physically when they happen man! I have 2 small kids, family history on both sides of anxiety & high blood pressure (but absolutely no "heart disease" which is a big plus), I just split with my boyfriend of 5 years.. well am still in the "splitting" process.. he is a weirdo, an alcoholic, a drug addict, with a horrible temper.. not physically violent but just about. getting away from him has been/still is a grueling process.. come to think of it i think this began right when our breakup began. hmm. but yeah.. im trying to move to a new town, all this stuff.. it was just weird because these panic attacks just manifest so randomly.. alot of them actually happen more often when i am at rest. and they began so suddenly, i have had zero health concerns til BAM that one day 2 months ago.. and ever since the initial one, and the trip to the ER and what not.. i think about it alot, and by think i mean extreme worry that itll happen again anytime i feel my heart rate raise at all. But I have come to realize, and keep reminding myself.. that i am fine. it is normal for your heart rate to rise after meals, after caffeine marijuana or nicotine consumption.. i get it nearly everytime i smoke maryjane lately, which is a little disheartening as i used to love it.. it was my "natural" anxiety cure.. something i really enjoyed.. now i almost fear it because i never know if/when it will cause palpitations.. but even with that, an elevated heart rate is a "normal" side effect of smoking herb..it is a "normal" side effect of "anxiety". i was just never this worried/sensitive to all of this! i used to love my coffee, weed, cigs, now i fear all of these things as i believe they are triggers for me. i mean this could be a blessing in disguise honestly because i have abolished some unhealthy habits, eat better, and take more vitamins.. in an effort to control the panic attacks. i too have also lost my appetite and force myself to eat.. sometimes the fact that i dont get hungry worries me, guess its normal during anxiety/depression though. i take Vitamin D, Magnesium, and a B vitamin mix. eat bananas, drink milk :) i too had low potassium in the ER... also i have not slept well for the past few days or so either.. every single night i have been awoken at like, EXACTLY 3am with a racing heart.. cant get back to sleep til around 6ish.. then boom my kids are awake, and so am i. i hear lack of sleep can cause heart irregularities. you know, really, i hear a heck of a lot of different things can cause them. i just never used to be sooo darn sensitive to it. i think i need to exercise more too. this also kinda started around the time that i quit my job and because somewhat sedentary, perhaps that could also be related. when i find out the results of my echo/holter i am sure ill have alot more piece of mind as well. assuming its normal lol. but i have had a few ekgs and theyve always been normal so.. idk. hope you are all doing well though! oh yeah and no meds for me.. my dad gave me about 12 peach xanax when this first began, and i started taking 1/2 every night to help me sleep.. then added another 1/2 in the daytime to keep myself "even"... then, i ran out of xanax. :) so i am coping with it on my own. i refuse to take any morsel of an SSRI.. do not believe in them. i just believe becoming healthy and cleaning myself out , nixing my bad habits, lessening the amount of chemicals i put in my body... exercise... breathing.. that is what will help. i do not believe putting more chemicals into my body will help, i know many may disagree and to each his own but.. i have taken literally every popular ssri on the market, from ages 15-21.. they never helped me. do they REALLY make you "happier"? do they really get rid of your anxiety? no, its still down inside you somewhere.. you need to deal with it headon i believe.. covering it up wont help, and once you start these meds expect to be on them forever. seriously. and if you dont stay on em, expect a hard hard time coming off of them when you do. expect rebound panic attacks. noo thanks. my doc recently just tried to throw buspar in my face when i told him about my problems. i took it for a week and it actually increased my nervousness/panic/anxiety, i guess some people are like that. but i highly commend anyone who deals with this naturally.. i believe the pharm companies are bad news, and some of these drugs may even perpetuate the very problem they are designed to treat! google it! especially antianxiety meds and ssri's. alright i am done with my rambles, just wanted to share my exp. :)
I think what is helping me is.. I believe they are anxiety fueled. moreso than heart issue fueled. its just so scary, physically when they happen man! I have 2 small kids, family history on both sides of anxiety & high blood pressure (but absolutely no "heart disease" which is a big plus), I just split with my boyfriend of 5 years.. well am still in the "splitting" process.. he is a weirdo, an alcoholic, a drug addict, with a horrible temper.. not physically violent but just about. getting away from him has been/still is a grueling process.. come to think of it i think this began right when our breakup began. hmm. but yeah.. im trying to move to a new town, all this stuff.. it was just weird because these panic attacks just manifest so randomly.. alot of them actually happen more often when i am at rest. and they began so suddenly, i have had zero health concerns til BAM that one day 2 months ago.. and ever since the initial one, and the trip to the ER and what not.. i think about it alot, and by think i mean extreme worry that itll happen again anytime i feel my heart rate raise at all. But I have come to realize, and keep reminding myself.. that i am fine. it is normal for your heart rate to rise after meals, after caffeine marijuana or nicotine consumption.. i get it nearly everytime i smoke maryjane lately, which is a little disheartening as i used to love it.. it was my "natural" anxiety cure.. something i really enjoyed.. now i almost fear it because i never know if/when it will cause palpitations.. but even with that, an elevated heart rate is a "normal" side effect of smoking herb..it is a "normal" side effect of "anxiety". i was just never this worried/sensitive to all of this! i used to love my coffee, weed, cigs, now i fear all of these things as i believe they are triggers for me. i mean this could be a blessing in disguise honestly because i have abolished some unhealthy habits, eat better, and take more vitamins.. in an effort to control the panic attacks. i too have also lost my appetite and force myself to eat.. sometimes the fact that i dont get hungry worries me, guess its normal during anxiety/depression though. i take Vitamin D, Magnesium, and a B vitamin mix. eat bananas, drink milk :) i too had low potassium in the ER... also i have not slept well for the past few days or so either.. every single night i have been awoken at like, EXACTLY 3am with a racing heart.. cant get back to sleep til around 6ish.. then boom my kids are awake, and so am i. i hear lack of sleep can cause heart irregularities. you know, really, i hear a heck of a lot of different things can cause them. i just never used to be sooo darn sensitive to it. i think i need to exercise more too. this also kinda started around the time that i quit my job and because somewhat sedentary, perhaps that could also be related. when i find out the results of my echo/holter i am sure ill have alot more piece of mind as well. assuming its normal lol. but i have had a few ekgs and theyve always been normal so.. idk. hope you are all doing well though! oh yeah and no meds for me.. my dad gave me about 12 peach xanax when this first began, and i started taking 1/2 every night to help me sleep.. then added another 1/2 in the daytime to keep myself "even"... then, i ran out of xanax. :) so i am coping with it on my own. i refuse to take any morsel of an SSRI.. do not believe in them. i just believe becoming healthy and cleaning myself out , nixing my bad habits, lessening the amount of chemicals i put in my body... exercise... breathing.. that is what will help. i do not believe putting more chemicals into my body will help, i know many may disagree and to each his own but.. i have taken literally every popular ssri on the market, from ages 15-21.. they never helped me. do they REALLY make you "happier"? do they really get rid of your anxiety? no, its still down inside you somewhere.. you need to deal with it headon i believe.. covering it up wont help, and once you start these meds expect to be on them forever. seriously. and if you dont stay on em, expect a hard hard time coming off of them when you do. expect rebound panic attacks. noo thanks. my doc recently just tried to throw buspar in my face when i told him about my problems. i took it for a week and it actually increased my nervousness/panic/anxiety, i guess some people are like that. but i highly commend anyone who deals with this naturally.. i believe the pharm companies are bad news, and some of these drugs may even perpetuate the very problem they are designed to treat! google it! especially antianxiety meds and ssri's. alright i am done with my rambles, just wanted to share my exp. :)
Hi Mandy, I just read the good news! See, the doctor said you have no need to worry, so don't worry so much hon. Your anxiety is the real culprit here. Kudos to you for trying to beat it in a natural way -- your resolve and strength of spirit is commendable. I wish you all the best, so you can concentrate on being Cam's mommy.
I'm fine, but tired as heck today, as my husband and I just returned from a full schedule trip to NYC; one of the highlights was seeing the Broadway play "War Horse" -- it was sooo worth it!
I'm fine, but tired as heck today, as my husband and I just returned from a full schedule trip to NYC; one of the highlights was seeing the Broadway play "War Horse" -- it was sooo worth it!
Hey, just some more information about my monitor results...
I had a few ectopic (abnormal) beats within my two weeks of wearing it.
She said that it had beat prematurely in my atrial regions about 3 to 4 times. She said they were benign and nothing to worry about. She also said I need to practice managing my stress (gonna take some time!!) and keeping caffeine, alcohol, and nicotene out of my diet. I ALREADY DO THAT! And they still tend to happen. I used to smoke in my teen years (about 3 years ago) and I drink absolutely no caffeine, and actually haven't even wanted to drink alcohol for fear of them happening since this all started. But at least they aren't happening that much. Maybe once or twice a week. But my anxiety keeps me just awaiting the next time it happens so I can panic again. Then again, I only panic like crazy probably once a month. I've been able to get myself together and try and get through this, but just not knowing why it happens and why I feel so tired and dizzy and anxious all the time is driving me nuts! Hopefully since I have the diagnosis and THE DOCTOR SAID it's nothing to worry about, I guess I shouldn't spend too much time worrying! That is until I feel any kind of symptom that relates to the PAC. It's just crazy how some people can live normal lives when there's so many people like us out there who spend almost every other day in fear. Well, I'll be working on coming to terms and hope all is well with you!
I had a few ectopic (abnormal) beats within my two weeks of wearing it.
She said that it had beat prematurely in my atrial regions about 3 to 4 times. She said they were benign and nothing to worry about. She also said I need to practice managing my stress (gonna take some time!!) and keeping caffeine, alcohol, and nicotene out of my diet. I ALREADY DO THAT! And they still tend to happen. I used to smoke in my teen years (about 3 years ago) and I drink absolutely no caffeine, and actually haven't even wanted to drink alcohol for fear of them happening since this all started. But at least they aren't happening that much. Maybe once or twice a week. But my anxiety keeps me just awaiting the next time it happens so I can panic again. Then again, I only panic like crazy probably once a month. I've been able to get myself together and try and get through this, but just not knowing why it happens and why I feel so tired and dizzy and anxious all the time is driving me nuts! Hopefully since I have the diagnosis and THE DOCTOR SAID it's nothing to worry about, I guess I shouldn't spend too much time worrying! That is until I feel any kind of symptom that relates to the PAC. It's just crazy how some people can live normal lives when there's so many people like us out there who spend almost every other day in fear. Well, I'll be working on coming to terms and hope all is well with you!
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