Back from the cardiologist

[Ceelos81]

Today I had a follow up visit and my cardio basically said I’m in good health and no need to come back to her. She keeps insisting my heart palpitations are due to anxiety. I however am having a very difficult time believing it. Don’t get me wrong I want to believe her but I just can’t get over how this horrible physical symptom can be mental. They happened all day long with just about anything I do and don’t do... I sneeze and my heart starts to beat irregular also with bending over, laying down (witch feel like a bomb just went off in my chest), talking, walking and even when I do a bowel movement. So how can that be my mental state causing my pvc/pac/svt

I can feel them here as I’m writing this!!!

My BP is 115/56 and my cholesterol is a bit high but she said there’s nothing to be concerned about, what do you think? I added a picture of my results.

[CDreamer]

Anxiety is not mental - symptoms of anxiety are purely physical and can include palpitations- which simply means sensing your own heart rate.

You don’t need to be a worrier to suffer anxiety, although worrying will always exacerbate the symptoms, however, you say your HR is irregular thus may indicate something else.

I am assuming you have had an ECG? If so what were those results? If nothing was found was that because you didn’t have symptoms at the time? How long do episodes last for & What is your HR? What is your normal resting heart rate?

Do you monitor yourself & do you have a Kardia mobile ECG to capture episodes?

Physical Stress can be caused by over exercising, alcohol consumption, virus, infections, reactions to foods & a whole host of other stuff. Body responds to stress of any sort by inflammation which in turn puts Autonomic Nervous System & immune system on high alert = various symptoms, including palpitations.

[Ceelos81 in reply to CDreamer]

My resting heart rate is normally in the 70’s- 80’s. I’ve had many ekgs done a few showed pvcs/pac nothing else. Heart monitor showed pvc/pac/SVT (9 beat run 6 seconds) witch my Dr said is nothing to worry about. Blood work,echocardiogram and chest x-ray all normal.

[CDreamer in reply to Ceelos81]

So that all sounds good news.

[Bagrat]

The physical symptoms I had when suffering from anxiety were 10 times worse than the symptoms I get from my occasional paroxysmal AF. If I recognise a physical symptom as one I' ve had before and am still here to tell the tale then I assume it is worry or anxiety until proved otherwise.

Extra ectopics, chest pain, nausea, indigestion, sudden fatigue as examples all appear and disappear from time to time . Even back pain which suddenly starts and is gone in 24 hours I attribute to my brain telling me to take a quick time out, relax and put myself first for a couple of hours.

I get enormous relief from breathing exercises, autohypnosis mp3s and relaxation tapes.

[secondtry]

Your Vagus Nerve may be the issue.

[CDreamer]

I rather think that the cardiologist is in a slightly better position than you or I to make a diagnosis and suggest treatment or medication.

[Hidden]

Not every person is a suitable candidate for cardioversion or ablation. It sounds like you are in the USA, In the UK, it is not as easy to go directly to ER (Or A&E) and demand a procedure.

Also, an ablation is not always a permanent solution.

Please do not provide medical advice such as this unless you are (and can prove you are) medically trained.

Thank you,

Rachel - AF Association Patient Services

[4Laur]

I would get a monitor to record over a substantial period of time. And then get a 2nd opinion. Good luck!

[Hidden]

Story of my life, 45 years of suffering but I,m still alive at nearly 73. It has affected my life to some degree, I was always aware of it, I have learnt to live with it am quite active but get tired. Had a 6 day monitor recently and the results were unbelievable due to the fact my heart does crazy things.