Sudden Heart Racing Attack/Sudden drop afterwards - Please help

[shasta0863]

I'd like to first thank anyone who can give me some clarity and thank you in advance. Because I'm scared out of my mind right now. I'm 23 year old male, normal shape and good weight. Good blood pressure.

I've had this issue before, and I usually get them 1-3 times a year, usually at night.

Well not this time, and this was possibly the worst one yet. Earlier yesterday at school I got it. I felt like I was going to die because of how my body was reacting. It starts with a tough time breathing. And not that I was struggling to suck in air, it was just like my throat or maybe the chest was constricted in some way, but didn't 'feel' like it if that makes sense. After a little while of the breathing problems, I suddenly get this odd feeling come across my body. Almost as if the blood had been drained out of me and it's just so difficult to describe what this feeling is. This feeling like the previous times, results to the next stage. And that is HUGE heart beat increase out of no where. This last maybe a 45 seconds to a minute and half( the max speed of it ) then it slows down big time, almost to point where I feel like it's going to stop since it's so slow. Then it goes back to a regular, but still elevated heart rate. I then feel very weak after it, I have some problems being able to speak as I feel so drained and my hands are shaking a bit ( I assume from the adrenaline being pumped as I am panicking of course. )


And that is usually it, I will recover, feel very odd like I just suffered a heart attack or something as my body has this feeling like I just recovered from some severe trauma ( which it basically it did ).

This time was quite worse as after the initial attack, and my heart rate slowed down, it started to raise again and I got the same weird feeling inside my gut almost as if it was going to give me the same attack twice. It luckily didn't. After that I started to recover, still feeling odd inside and my pulse still a little bit elevated. At home 45min later, feeling a tad better. My pulse is still a tad high, not much and I feel bit strange inside still, but I'm better. By now, I feel sore in my chest internally, almost as if it's bruised.

Is this just panic attacks or anxiety? Or are these signs of something else? I wen't in before ( many years ago ) about this issue and my heart checked out alright and I've had ekg monitor once years ago that showed nothing. Things could show different now, who knows. But does this sound like Anxiety/Panic attacks or is it something else?

I recently read about Supraventricular Tachycardia, and quite upset as this seems like it is what I'm having. I really hoped it wasn't serious, but these are so traumatic I can't possibly think it's something as simple as panic attacks.

Any help to ease my mind, I'd so greatly appreciate it.

I've got a GP scheduled in a few days but I just wanted to get some opinions or thoughts from anyone. Greatly need it.

[MichelleP_3811]

It does sound as though you have some sort of heart rhythm issue be it a tachycardia, a heart block or something else.  Most of the time issues that arise from the atria are not life threatening.  If you are not passing out it is a good sign that the issue is atrial related so that is something to keep in mind though I can't say for certain what you have.  I had avnrt all my life, it would start and stop on a beat usually caused by a pvc.  It made it hard to breath and my heart beat felt very manic.  My pulse would be elevated for quite some time afterwards.  I lived with it until it started to disrupt my life in my 40s when I had an ablation to correct the issue.  But even having the condition my whole life my heart is still working just fine so try to stay positive that whatever issue you have is merely something you need to either get fixed or managed.  But I do think it important for you to get a heart monitor to catch what this is.  I would push for a 30 day unless you get the episodes everyday because you won't know what you have until it is recorded.  But the fact that your test results when you were fine looked good does indicate that in general your heart appears to be healthy so the key now is to pinpoint what this is, be it structural or anxiety attacks so you can begin to treat the issue.  Good luck and do keep us posted on how you are doing.