I need your help.. don't know where to turn.

[paladin05]

It is like what came first the chicken or the egg.. Plus when you suffer from mental prlblems and
anxiety, No one will take you seriously. Although I am open minded enough to think anxiety as the sole cause is
possible. I just don't know
  
   To make a long story short.. I had a holter monitor back in 2006 for heart palps.  I didn't really have symptoms
on it, but the EKG/holter results were normal.. Last March I got an echocardiogram done, that came back normal. I
currently Don't have insurance so getting a million heart tests is difficult for me.

  I used to get skipped beats that worried me, but now my main fear and symptom is these attacks where my heart seems to race out of control and i get really nervous and a horrendous gloom and scared feeling and I have to breath heavy.. Usually i stand there slapping my chest breathing in heavy waiting for it to pass.  Sometimes I feel like my anxiety caused it.. and other times I am not sure.  Whatever it is,  the anxiety makes it WAY WORSE and it has lead me to be agrophobic and ironically live a very bad lifestyle. I smoke a lot, I don't do any physical activity,
I am a friggin mess.

  Could you guys explain any differences in symptoms or anything that can differentiate anxiety induced tachycardia with a real heart rythm problem?  Sometimes I know when it is coming on.  I feel nervous inside and just not right i feel like any move i make or even a thought can transfer me into that panic / fast heart rate episode.  Sometimeswhen i am going to sleep the state where you are just starting to fall asleep I will wake up with a funny feeling in my chest and go right into that fast heart rate mode.  It usually doesn't last too long. Sometimes a few seconds to a couple of minutes.  When it happens i breath deep get nervous really bad, band my chest so I don't feel my heart racing and wait for the feeling to go away.. the feeling is the nervous tension and having to breath deep and catch  my breath..  Than all of the sudden I feel the nervous tension start to subside and I feel the need to keep  hyperventilating diminished..  and shortly after that my heart goes back into a normal rythm.  Sometimes I feel that nervous feeling and breathing and think the fast pulse is going to happen and it doesnt'.. It is like there are
times where i can actually know when it is coming before it does.

  Now any info on difference in symptoms between real heart issues and anxiety would be great.. besides saying to catch it on a monitor..

  I have limited resources right now and no insurance.. I chose to save up money to get an echo because I read that
in a structurally normal heart, most heart rhythm abnormalities aren't dangerous..  

I don't really have the money to take a billion tests. so I have to prioritize.  I keep looking into cardiac problems
but I never tried to solve my anxiety ones.. I became a hermit and found bad habits as comforts to keep it under
control which probably has made everything worse.  I smoke like a feen.. its not good. I might have caused a
heart problem for real..  

Do you recommend I seek help for anxiety next and go on some kind of medication and see if that helps my heart symptoms or do you think I should keep getting more tests for my heart.. Sorry for such a long essay..  And rambling.. I am just desperate and don't know what to do.. My life is falling apart.

[paladin05]

  Thanks for the response.

     I am not quite sure PVC's are the cause..  I usually feel any PVC's or skipped beats whenever they happen. I am always checking my pulse all day long.  Usually when I get a skipped beat I feel it..  feels weird..  With the fast heart rate.. I never really notice PVC's happening before.  A lot of times my own thoughts or nervous tension can trigger it.  I know a lot of times my mind and anxiety can bring it on.  Other times I am not quite sure.. it still might be due to my anxiety.

  Usually if I get skipped beats.. i only have 1.  Once in a blue i might get 3 in a row.. but like a 2 to 20 seconds apart from one another.  Usually when that happens My heart rate is even and not fast.. I think one time a skiipped beat might have caused my heart to race.. but maybe my body and mind got nervous over the skipped beat..  its very hard to tell.. anxiety is a terrible disease.

[MichelleP_3811]

If your pulse is only 120-140 it is likely simple sinus tachycardia and not an svt but likely a response to the pvcs.  My heart kind of does the same thing, especially when I get  a bunch in a row or when I have had them upon any sort of exertion.  The echo was also a good test to get.  Knowing your heart is structurally fine is key to feeling confident that your heart isn't in any real imminent danger.  So keep working on finding your triggers and see what you can do to avoid them. Also work on trying to release stress in your life.  The more you can calm your nerves the less likely the pvcs will cause heart discomfort.  And finally do whatever you can to work on quitting smoking.  Not just because of the pvcs but for your overall health.  So take some time to do some research into pvcs.  There is a lot of info online.  And when you can round up the dollars try and get to a cardiologist to at least get properly diagnosed.  If your pvcs are daily they may even be able to catch them on an ekg in the office and all you would have to spend would be the costs of the visit and consult with the doctor.  But at least then you will know for sure what you are dealing with since I can't say for certain what exactly you have. Take care.

[paladin05]

Thanks for your responses it is greatly appreciated..  I got an echo done so I would assume I have no real structural problems of the heart..  And yeah the smoking definitely isn't helping.  I feel like the more I learn the more questions i have..  I don't notice skipped beats when the rapid heart beat starts.. I am very intuned with my heart and can feel everything.. I usually feel the skipped beats pretty strong.. The tachy starts like from a nervous feeling sometimes, and sometimes it happens when I am unaware of the trigger.

   I am not sure if it starts suddenly or not.. there seems to be a nervous or adrenaline type trigger.. like my body just dumps adrenaline all of the sudden.. its very weird id say my pulse goes up to at least 120-140. and i start breathing in heavy like a response. I just don't have a ton of money to get every single test done.. I got an echo cause I thought that one was a good one to get done..

[merileegal]

Anxiety is a big trigger for tachycardias. So are other things like smoking, alcohol, certain meds, caffeine, hormones, out of sync thryroid, different types of food, etc. Sounds like you have a lot of things going on at the same time and you need to find out what your triggers are. This arrythmia thing can be overwhelming in trying to figure out where to start. I would suggest that you start with a good gp someone who is a real good listener. They can refer you in a direction that will hopefully help. You can take control of this thing rather than it controling you with some guidance by a good doctor and some education on your part and willingness to make some lifestyle changes. This forum has been very helpful to many of us with heart issues. Welcome and keep coming back. We are here to help with whatever we can.

[MichelleP_3811]

First off I suggest quitting smoking.  It is likely making your situation worse.  I am not a doctor and cannot give you a definitive diagnosis but it sounds like you have possible pvcs that likely trigger svts.  Pvcs are premature beats that cause the heart to beat twice and then pause.  It is during this pause that an opportunity arises for the electrical signal in your heart to get caught in a loop which is when you feel that really rapid pulse.  I would suggest trying to buy a heart monitor type watch so you can get a general idea of how fast your heart is beating during one of the episodes.  But to differentiate between stress tachycardia and a structural tachycardia issue.  In structural problems the rapid beat starts and stops suddenly and doesn't necessarily get provoked by anything.  Sinus or stress tachycardia will ramp up and down more slowly as opposed to starting and stopping suddenly.  Both sinus tachycardia, a structural tachycardia issue and pvcs are generally not life threatening.  The important thing to note is to not let the rapid heart beat go on for too long.  A few minutes is of no consequence but if it goes on for hours you may want to get yourself to an ER to get your heart back into normal rhythm.  You will however, need to see a cardiologist to get a definitive diagnosis.  If you feel anxiety medicine will help then by all means get yourself a prescription.  But please do try to quit smoking.  It should help your symptoms.  Take care and keep us posted on how you are doing.