Tachycardia/Panic? Desperate for answers.

[babxs]

First, let me tell you a little bit of my medical history:
I have always been a very anxious/worrysome type of person since I was a little kid, however, I got over alot of the anxiety and lived anxiety free for years, minus a few minor bouts of depression/body issues and disordered eating.
I have always been physically healthy, though.

Now, let me give you a bit of info on myself:
I am a 17 year old female, a vegetarian and I eat a fairly healthy diet. I'm not incredibly active, but I'm not incredibly sedentary either. I weigh 107 pounds and I am 5'4 1/2.

Here is my problem:
Three months ago I smoked marijuana and had what has been ruled as a major panic attack (although, now I am wondering if it was something else, or something that would have happened anyway) that night, my heart rate got well into the 200s and I was sent by ambulance to the hospital where they basically did nothing and told me it should slow down once the effects of the weed wore off. This was not the first time I had smoked and before I had never experienced those problems, but I did have more that time than I was ever used to. I have not and will not smoke it since.

Now, for the past few months, I have been paranoid about my heart rate getting out of control and have been seeing a therapist to help me get over what we believed to be panic attacks/panic disorder. This month I have been feeling light headed and have been feeling like nothing is real/like everything is surreal. I've been bed ridden for days due to extreme weakness and fatigue and the slightest activity sends my heart rate well into the upper hundreds.

This week has been a nightmare. It all started Monday night (keep in mind, I have been having panic attacks but recently my heart rate has been going up with very little activity/no panic) Anyway, I started feeling extremely light headed, my face felt tingly and my heart rate seemed quite slow (to me anyway, I never did check it) and I decided that I needed to go to the hospital, when we got there, my heart rate was in the 160s and quickly shot up to 216. When we got back to the ER. my heart rate was just not coming down, so they gave me medication through an IV to slow it down and it got to a range between the 80s and 90s. We were sent home and the next morning, as soon as I woke up, my heart rate shot up in the 170s and we called the ambulance. They gave me IV fluids and oxygen which brought it down to the 120s and it was in the 70s before we left the hospital. I've had multiple CBCs,EKGs,thyroid test,Xrays,holter monitor, ect. All which come back perfect everytime, however, since Monday I have been incredibly weak, still experiencing the occasional racing heart, dizziness, ect. My cardiologist prescribed .25mg of Xanax and it seems to be keeping me calm (well, a bit calmer anyway) but the symptoms are still there and normal activities are still an extreme struggle (I cannot even take showers/wash my own hair because my heart rate gets up so fast).

Alright, that was a mouthful. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? The doctor ruled it as anxiety  but I feel like this even when I'm not having panic attacks. My resting heart rate is perfectly healthy, btw, but gets elevated with the slightest thing. I have also lost quite a bit of weight during this time and have all the symptoms of an overactive thyroid, however, my thyroid test came back fine. Could this be an electrical/chemical problem? Does it sounds like POTS or any other heart problem or does it just sound like anxiety/panic disorder? Keep in mind, I feel dizzy and just plain weird all the time, not just during attacks. Please help. The doctor didn't really do much other than read results of tests I already had done and I felt like my case was simply dismissed.

Thank you so much!

[acjviolin]

It has probably been over a year and a half since I've been on this forum, but your post caught my attention tonight!  At least there seems to be some benefit from my SVT attack tonight (called an ambulance and everything...dunking my head in cold water did the trick, though!).  I degress, but anyway, babxs, I want to offer you some assurance.  I really think you are suffering from SEVERE panic disorder...along the same order as I suffered from for a solid four years.  With the exception of a vegetarian diet, you and I have shared the exact same symptoms.  My panic attacks were so severe and so frequent, that I stayed in a state of hyperventilation which by itself introduces an entire host of very bothersome physical symptoms.  Seriously, I was nauseated, near vertigo type dizzy and constant tachychardia for a good solid two years.  I lost 40 lbs. within a month and a half (had a nervous breakdown, basically).  I was 25 at the time, first time new mother and small business owner (partnered with my husband, of all things!).  Let me reassure you, babxs, that your condition is very curable.  The panic disorder was under complete control once I completed a year or so of cognitive behavioral therapy.  Xanax nearly ruined me- stay away from that mess.  I took a beta-blocker for several years and then tapered off.  So, you're probably asking, why the 9-1-1 call tonight?  Well, I did eventually get daignosed with AFib and SVT.  Both are under control with Metoprolol which is basically only a little "insurance policy" for heart rate control.  I was on Sotalol for two years, but was able to switch to Metoprolol, thank goodness.  My secret is walking 2-3 miles a day (and no, I do not really enjoy it-just do it), and I do NOT eat sugar of any kind nor do I drink soft drinks or coffee/tea.  Why the attack tonight?  I've fallen off the wagon.  For a week or so, I have not walked at all and have eaten my weight in chocolate.  Shame on me.
Babxs, I hope you feel better soon!  You will!  If you're a believer, get on those knees and ask the Lord for some much needed relief!
Take care,
acjviolin

[Madge270]

A feeling of unreality and lightheadedness is a common anxiety or panic reaction, and it can come on often, even every day. I've been there at certain times in my life.  I have acid reflux just about every day (on Nexium), anxiety some days, thousands of PVCs each day too. I often wonder if they're related. I also get an adrenalin rush with a weak feeling after eating breakfast each day, and my heart pounds. I feel shaky inside and this can last half an hour or more. I do take clonazepam at night, which has helped me sleep a lot better.  

If you take an antacid, make sure it contains both calcium and magnesium. My cardiologist told me that.  You need the magnesium for your heart. Just thought I'd mention it. Sorry I can't be of more help, but I do know how you feel...many of us do here. Hang in there.

[newzor]

by the way,
try eating meat again.

even though you may be giving your body all the vitamins, minerals, carbs and protein in theory...
perhaps some people's body's have a hard time digesting it from vegetables?

maybe your body will feel better a while after you start eating meat again.

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i wish i could tell you why your heartrate is so high but i have the same problem,
and am trying to find out why mine is so high.

[newzor]

anxiety can cause high heart rate,
but high heart rate can also cause anxiety.

if Benzo's make you feel completely calm mentally,
and that doesn't lower your heart rate then i doubt the cause of your high heart rate is anxiety.
in that case, you can stop taking the xanax because very soon you will become mentally and physically addicted to them.

if you want to know more about the dangers of anxiolitics and antidepressants read:
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/139098?personal_page_id=870803

how is your breathing? are you breathing in deep and fast?
maybe you are subconsciously making yourself hyperventillate.
it is possible to hyperventillate without feeling very anxious.

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if you have acid reflux, your symptoms would probably respond to simple antacids like calcium carbonate. (be careful, u cant use calcium continuously or u will have too much calcium in ur blood)

if u end up knowing u have acid reflux: try healing it by using "slippery elm bark powder", i tried it and it cured my problem.
it's better than using heavy pharma stuff like nexium which decreases acid production and thus prevents ur stomache from being able to digest food properly.
this leads to malnutrition and other problems

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how long have you been taking xanax? if you've been taking it for 2 or 3 months and you take only 1 dose per day, then ur strange feelings may be withdrawal until u get the next dose.

how is your blood pressure? low bloodpressure can cause dizziness and feeling detached.
maybe this uncomfortable physical problem is just making you feel a bit isolated from your normal everyday life, which causes you to feel detached.

[babxs]

I would also like to mention that I have had a lot of pressure in my chest and have had to burp quite frequently which feels like acid reflux (the nurse in the hospital said that could be due to me gulping in a lot of air while panicking, however, I feel like this quite a bit, even before panicking). I've heard of acid reflux sufferers complaining of a constant dizziness, does anyone know if this could be causing the dizziness/detatchment from reality? I am wondering if something like acid reflux is causing me to panic which is in turn causing the tachycardia. I've always heard that there is a link between anxiety and acid reflux. Could this all just be one vicious cycle?

[babxs]

Thank you so much for your answer. That was never brought up at the doctors office or in the ER, but it could very well be a possibility. When I was in the ambulance, they said it was a classic case of sinus tachycardia and I never heard any different (like I said, the doctor didn't spend much time with me or explain too incredibly much). I am not sure what they gave me to slow it down, my cardiologist couldn't find out either, but said it was more than likely a beta blocker.

If this is what happened (which definitely sounds likely and like it was panic induced) do you know if it is normal to feel weird days/weeks/ or even months afterwards? A feeling of light headedness and like nothing is real? The symptoms I have been feeling are all symptoms of panic disorder, however, they never seem to go away.

[itdood]

Panic can make your rate go that high and keep it there for a while.  Especially if you're in the ER all wound up and scared.  You probably had an adrenaline dump, sometimes called catecholamine storm.

Questions to ask:

when your rate was high, was it Sinus Tach? Your doc should have the ER charts and EKG.    If sinus tach, this steers you in the panic direction.

What did they give you that calmed the rate?  If it was a beta blocker, that points to sinus tach as-well, probably panic.  

Sinus tach is mostly normal.  When you exercise, this is sinus tach.   A panic attack cateholamine storm will also heighten all the pacers in your heart causing other types of ectopic beats which are harmless in a healthy heart.


You could ask for a beta blocker med to take as-needed or get on it regularly if this isn't something you can help improve with other techniques.

[babxs]

I would also like to add that I did have mono when I was 15 and this problem does seem to get worse during menstruation, which made me think it was POTS.