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]

If you are having pacs or pvcs that is considered an irregular heart beat.  As well when you are in an svt episode your heart, though likely pumping normal, isn't pumping efficiently.  That said, unless you have some sort of heart disease, which at your age would likely need to be hereditary, what is going on is very likely something your heart can handle.  I will say when I am having a higher number of pacs and pvcs than just a couple a day it does feel as though my heart is off somehow.  Like the signal is stuck or off somewhere. Not really sure what that is but just making the point that heart rhythm issues can make you very aware of your heart but it doesn't mean they are a big danger to you.  It is important to get this address but it is also important to keep level headed about this issue because stressing or panicking will make the situation worse for you.

But to address your question, certain pacs and pvcs when they hit at certain time can cause you to fall into tachycardia if you have the accessory pathway kind especially.  I would feel some sort of fizzle feeling as best I can describe it and my heart would then take off into the 200s.  It would make it very hard for me to breath and I had to sit down for fear of passing out though I never did pass out. They are however, two different issues, ectopic beats are the trigger, svt is the response.  If you have an accessory pathway svt then that can easily be fixed.  But just so you are aware I am now in my 40s and others have even been older with these heart rhythm issues our whole lives and your hearts are still fine so just try and calm yourself as best you can when your heart starts to act up because you really will be fine and the calmer you can remain the less intense these things will feel.  Well do keep me posted when you are finally able to get into see someone.  I know the stress of not knowing what is going on can play tricks with your mind but really do take some comfort in the fact you are young and likely very healthy so what you are experiencing is more of a nuisance and distraction than anything else. Stay strong and I do hope you get to the bottom of this very soon.  

[shasta0863]

Thank you. Still unfortunately waiting to get in to specialist.

I'm struggling quite bad tonight. I'm having this odd feeling overtake my body, like a physical feeling. Almost like I know something bad is going to happen. It also feels like my heart is pumping blood properly as I describe it, because I start to feel odd in how I feel and see. It's followed by a huge heart racing of 100-120 BPS. It started out of no where tonight, and it hasn't been this bad. After it subsided, it has come back 2-3 times already and I can't get it to stop.

I can't tell if these are panic attacks or actual ectopic issues, or something. Because this feeling is now lingering tonight and it never has before.

My left side of chest also seem to be little sore and warm.

I was taking my blood pressure during the odd attack happening again, and it was like 130 over 50, and then I got hit hard with the feeling and my heart started to racing. Never been 50 before so I was quite concernd over that. I alnost wonder if my heart isnt pumping properly during these events that ar ehappening now and that is where the strange feeling comes in.

[MichelleP_3811]

It could be panic or it could be ectopics initiating svt that is short lived.  The only way to know is if it is caught on a monitor.  You will want to catch it.  When you go to school you are physically exerting yourself to get there which is kind of like exercise.  Once you sit your heart starts to slow down and during this slow down a pac or pvc can jump in.  When it does that is what can trigger an svt episode.  The ectopics can also simply cause the heart to react. My heart rate will speed up a bit after a few ecotopic beats. The heart sometimes doesn't know what to make of the pauses and speeds up the heart to compensate. Or you may be having ectopics and simply feeling those is causing some panic in you.  It would really depend on how fast the heart is going and whether or not you feel it start and stop on a beat.  If you feel it start and stop on a beat then it is classic svt. If not then the faster beat is simply a physiological or psychological response.  But again, I stress that svts that stop on their own and don't sustain for an extended period of time are not dangerous.  They are disruptive but not dangerous so please do not let this rob you of your life. And if it is simple panic if you confront this then you will not trigger sinus tachycardia when you feel something odd with your heart.  We all get odd beats from time to time.  It isn't anything the heart can't handle so continue to follow up to get evaluated by a doctor preferably a cardiologist but put your mind at ease that any of this is a danger to you.  Chances are extremely good you will fall into the benign range with your heart rhythm issues.  

[CFS56]

I have had panic disorder for about 30 years.  What you are describing to me sounds like a textbook panic attack. What you are feeling is a very real physical response to what your body is perceiving as a serious threat.  Your shortness of breath could well be anxiety.  When I have a panic attack I feel like I am suffocating, so I hyperventilate, my face and lips go numb, I get sick feeling, sweat, heart pounds, ears ring and in general feel like I'm going to die.  It's awful.  You need to talk to your doctor and tell him this is happening.  By staying away from places you had panic attacks and staying home where you feel safe from them, you will get to the point you can't leave your house. I did that too.  I couldn't go anywhere by myself.  Hopefully once you get to the doctor he can sort everything out and some of your anxiety will go away. Take care.

[shasta0863]

Yeah I'm on the fence about it, but since I don't know for sure if it's SVT, I of course think the worse.

May I ask, are you familar with panic attacks and/or anxiety?

Because I must say that I am suffering from something I can't pinpoint since the initial, let's just call it, SVT episode.

It doesn't seem to occur when I'm at home, yet when I go to school (where my initial episode occured and I thought I was about to die) and get into class, my heart is already racing a bit. Feels around 90+. After awhile I suddenly get this strange, powerful and overwhelming feeling that over takes my stomach and chest. It isn't like a psychological one, It's an actual physiological feeling. It's so extreme for that 2-3 seconds that once it hits, I sort of jolt because it takes me off guard and I feel like my heart is stopping  (yet during the episode, I can't actually tell what my pulse is at, or feel my heart beating anyways, so I don't know HOW I can mentally think it's stopping). My heart then continues to rapidly beat and I sit there feeling like it is going to happen again. I also get a bit of shortness of breath before and after these events.

These seem to occur when I'm out and mainly at school. I'm quite upset by these, because they're pretty debilitating. I think they're panic attacks caused by me being subconsciously upset that I might get an episode at school again. But I don't know, so I get scared if it's actually a heart/electrical issue or not.

I get home and I feel much better and I suspect since this has happened a lot now at school, that if I stayed home (which I've done) I don't get an episode, yet when I go I seem to do.

If it is anxiety/severe panic attacks I wonder if these tie into the general shortness of breath and breathing problems I tend to get nightly.

[MichelleP_3811]

I don't think svt is caused by mitral valve issues but I can't say for certain as I haven't done any research.  Most accessory pathway svts are caused by a an extra muscle fiber and nothing more. They are not dangerous to the heart unless you are in constant tachycardia  in the 100s for an extended period of time or if you go something like 48 hours or so in heart rates above 200. Then the heart can develop congestive heart failure which is basically a weakening of the heart muscle.  It can be reversed in svt patients once the tachycardia has been resolved.  So the fact your ankles aren't swollen is a good sign your heart in general is still healthy but the doctor will fully evaluate you.  Try to not worry too much until you know exactly what is going on.  It is very likely your issues are more a nusaince than anything super dangerous to you but of course a doctor needs to give that accessment but I suspect you will be fine.