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Having frequent heart palpitations and they are pretty scary.
I'm a 40 year old female. I'm a post operative weight loss surgery patient with a history of panic/anxiety. Up until recently I've been on an antidpressant but 19 days ago stopped taking them due to having heart palpitations. I did a lot of google investigating to find out that SSRI's can cause them (although even the non SSRI's seemed to have caused them as well). They are absolutely terrifying to me so I decided to go med free and I also cut out caffeine a while back because I don't need it. I do not smoke, I do not drink. I even cut out artificial sugars here recently to try to see if that was what the deal was. This past Thursday afternoon I had an episode that was very scary..it was like a constant series of palpitations. My breath kept catching and of course I panicked.
I tried to go on with my day as normal but later in the evening I started getting them again, so my husband took me to urgent care. I had an EKG performed and it was fine. The doctor ordered a 48 hour monitor for me which I pick up Monday afternoon. I had a 30 day monitor placed in June because I was having them then but had been placed on zoloft and knew that was the cause but the doc didn't want to change my med until I got the monitor, which showed nothing.
Anyway, I have no idea what to do but I have been woken up with these palpitations and every time it makes me feel like my heart is going to give out. I do not know what to do and quite frankly I'm afraid to go to bed. Please help me. Thanks.
I tried to go on with my day as normal but later in the evening I started getting them again, so my husband took me to urgent care. I had an EKG performed and it was fine. The doctor ordered a 48 hour monitor for me which I pick up Monday afternoon. I had a 30 day monitor placed in June because I was having them then but had been placed on zoloft and knew that was the cause but the doc didn't want to change my med until I got the monitor, which showed nothing.
Anyway, I have no idea what to do but I have been woken up with these palpitations and every time it makes me feel like my heart is going to give out. I do not know what to do and quite frankly I'm afraid to go to bed. Please help me. Thanks.
Hello~I am so sorry you are going through this, those skipped heart beats/palpitations are miserable.
It sounds to me like they may be due to high anxiety, your body being in flight or fight mode beings scared of them, but who wouldn't be. I have them and they are the pits. The fact that your EKG was "normal" and your 30 day monitor was good is very reassuring. I am sure that the 48 hour monitor will show good results as well. For added peace of mind, you might want to ask your doctor for an echocardiogram, this shows the structures of the heart, and what is going on with blood flow etc, they are very reassuring.
Don't worry, your heart is very strong, it won't give out, some folks have thousands a day and they are doing well. I can relate to being afraid to go to bed, I have been like this, it is an awful way to feel and adds more stress which adds more Adrenalin to cause the "skips".
We have a wonderful heart rhythm forum here, you might want to visit there as well and post, the folks there will probably have other thoughts to help you.
It sounds to me like they may be due to high anxiety, your body being in flight or fight mode beings scared of them, but who wouldn't be. I have them and they are the pits. The fact that your EKG was "normal" and your 30 day monitor was good is very reassuring. I am sure that the 48 hour monitor will show good results as well. For added peace of mind, you might want to ask your doctor for an echocardiogram, this shows the structures of the heart, and what is going on with blood flow etc, they are very reassuring.
Don't worry, your heart is very strong, it won't give out, some folks have thousands a day and they are doing well. I can relate to being afraid to go to bed, I have been like this, it is an awful way to feel and adds more stress which adds more Adrenalin to cause the "skips".
We have a wonderful heart rhythm forum here, you might want to visit there as well and post, the folks there will probably have other thoughts to help you.
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Hello! Thank you so much for your reply. The have been happening mostly in the middle of the night while I'm asleep and wake me up so I'm not sure about the anxiety relation but I suppose it could be. I did have them most of the day last Thursday though. I just got the 48 hour holter today so will see what they say.
They are terribly frightening. Thank you so much for your sweet reply and reassurance. I'm so sorry you deal with these as well. I will come over to that forum and look around. Who knows, maybe someday I can give someone else reassurance.
Oh, I will also mention to my doctor about the echocardiagram if need be. I see him sometime this week. Thanks again!!
-Aimee
They are terribly frightening. Thank you so much for your sweet reply and reassurance. I'm so sorry you deal with these as well. I will come over to that forum and look around. Who knows, maybe someday I can give someone else reassurance.
Oh, I will also mention to my doctor about the echocardiagram if need be. I see him sometime this week. Thanks again!!
-Aimee
Hi Aimee.
You are so very welcome, let me know how the tests go.
You are so very welcome, let me know how the tests go.
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