Hello Im New to this forum but not new too the community of Health Unlock i suffer from Aniexty & i havnt been diagnosed with AF but just a few days again i experience thumps in my chest & feeling like my chest on a rollercoaster & ik its not normal i have an appointment to see the Dr friday so i search my symptom & this what it lead me too im not asking for medical advice but im asking if any of you have issue with your nervous symptoms or deal with high Aniexty levels where everything makes your heart beat fast a phone conversation can be normal but your heart goes crazy? Hope you all understands my (?)
AF do it sends the nervous system int... - Atrial Fibrillati...
AF do it sends the nervous system into over also?
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Bermuda72
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AF will show up on an ECG & yes, some people feel a heavy thumping when their heart is out of rhythm, but many others don’t feel anything.
You can tell if you have AF by taking your pulse & tapping the rhythm out on a desk. If it’s uneven & sounds as though it’s slow..slow...pause......fast..fast...fast - then maybe but only an ECG will confirm whether or not you have AF.
Unfortunately, anxiety can cause symptoms which may feel as though there is something wrong with your heart when everything checks out as healthy. That maybe caused by the Autonomic Nervous System going out of balance - Fight/Flight/Freeze response. This can cause you to feel constantly’on high alert’ & your body responds Accordingly by getting your body ready to flee/fight or freeze = increase breathing rate, heart rate & diverts blood flow away from digestion to muscles.
Hope you get some answers from your GP.
Unfortunately as some types of AF come and go, you need to be having an AF episode when having the ECG to get a diagnosis.
Yess i UNDERSTAND everything your saying thats just how i feel my body respobds to Every little thing its so annoying now i shy awsy from conversation just bc of the stimulation of it all 😞 my digestive system in over drive excuse me i burp & pass gas all day! Thank you so much for responding! I will give you guys updates
Hello Bermuda 
welcome .
I know for sure because it has happened many times that my getting anxious or angry can precipitate an episode of P-AF . It becomes a vicious circle, anxiety=raised heart rate=AF= even more anxiety .
Have you felt your pulse when you have a rapid heart rate, is it just faster than usual or faster and irregular. Taking your pulse should help to define if you have Atrial Fibrillation or an increased heart rate due to being anxious.
Whatever the cause of a rapid heart rate , learning how to cope with anxiety may help you.
A good thing to do is to learn breathing techniques that can be employed when you feel anxious, they can calm things down and act as a distraction.
Good luck with the Doctors Appointment , rehearsing what you want to say and even writing it down may help to make you less anxious .
Thank u! So much I havnt taken my pulse bc i dont know how pls dont laugh at me
Hi Burmuda don't worry that's fine. ...I will post a link to help you...
I’ll send you a link from the AF Association showing you how to take your pulse. Will he later as got to nip out - OH engrossed with rugby so I have to go pick up the Pizza🙆♀️
How do you know the difference you said aniexty bring forth a A fib episode?
Hi Bermuda sorry I don't quite understand your question, do you mean how do I tell the difference between being anxious and an episode of P-AF ? That's easy for me because I am very symptomatic when in AF but not everyone is the same .
For a typical episode of AF my pulse becomes rapid and irregular /my heart rate rises/there is an uncomfortable pounding in my chest and back /I feel ill and not able to think or function properly/I need to pee all the time .The episodes of AF used to fill me with fear but they don't any more , I have accepted that AF is now part of my life and I can can cope with it just fine with the help of medication and relaxation techniques.
I have had anxiety most of my life going back to my childhood. I guess this may have been a contributory factor in my developing AF. Now I try to avoid the things /situations that make me anxious and I use breathing and calming techniques to deflect anxiety.
When anxious I would shake, an excess of adrenaline I guess and I had a feeling of dread but I was not aware of a faster heart beat . AF for me is a combination of that anxious feeling with the other symptoms I have mentioned added in.
On some occasions when anxious I have felt a definite 'something happening' in my chest then the other symptoms of AF followed .
I now get long episodes of AF every 10 days or so the majority not brought on by anxiety, it is just a progression of the condition that happens with some people .
You Explained it Very well thank for taking the time out to explain your situation because i cant see myself waking up Everyday wanting to run to the ER to be turned around ive had 2 ECg's since January blood work & to be told basically Nothing the aniexty of waiting til friday its driving me nuts i dont want to sleep i listen to my rain app to calm myself deep breathing i check my pulse its in the normal range was fine lastnight, til i layed down then there goes the pounding heartbeat checked my bp & pluse 129/82 ps 75 ready to go to the ER
My husband has anxiety that triggers his mood. Also hyper. Discussed it with his doctor who put him on medication escitalopram 1 1/2 tablet once a day. It works for him. He also has undiagnosed ADHD. We know because his child and several grandchildren have it and it can be hereditary. This can be the root cause of his anxiety. It effected his sleep, restlessness, focus, memory and other things. Was on medication for years for restless leg which he came off of because of the negative side effects. He instead started taking CBD oil prescribed by his doctor at our request. The combination of these two works really well for him. Talk to your doctor to see if you have an underlying issue that is causing your anxiety. He is 78.
Hi Adasian thank you but after 72 years of living a very stressful life (starting with the death of my mother when I was a baby) I have learnt to cope with my anxiety in my own way and really don't need medication or to speak to a doctor about it. I take enough medication already having asthma and AF .
Considering what I have coped with over the years it would be surprising if I hadn't had some form of anxiety .
But thank you again for the suggestion.
I agree with CDreamer and Doodle wholeheartedly. Wishing you well with your medical appointment.
Thank u!
Here you are Bermuda ...
bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...
Bermuda if you follow this link then scroll down the page to where it says 'Pulse sounds' you can compare a normal pulse sound with that of an irregular pulse..
Sounds as though you might be experiencing Panic Attacks. Try deep breathing. In through the nose for a count of 7 and out through the mouth for a count of 11.
Tell yourself that all will be well and give yourself a hug!
❤❤❤❤ Thank u! Never had panic attacks before🤷
Try and relax !
Omg its so easier said then done thats all ive been trying to do but when your nervous system is off track anything sets its off😞🙏🙏
It is hard but Mindfulness/Meditation/yoga teaches us to focus on breath.
You might also look at ways to balance your ANS with other things shown that they work:-
Walk in green nature
Cold water swim (I can’t any longer so 20 min cold shower so it makes you gasp is nearly as good.
Humming
Singing
Laughing
Moderate exercise
But mostly - just doing things that gives you pleasure (as long no drugs or alcohol).
When we enjoy things our bodies release endorphins which counter cortisol - the stress hormone so enjoyment is the antidote.
Your body is so used to being on high alert you will need to train it out of that reaction - just like you would need to train to run a marathon. It will take time but start with the 7/11 breathing described above for 2-3 mins every few hours & whilst you are doing that - think of the word Balance & keep repeating it or find an image which represents balance for you & make it as real as you can.
Just 2-3 mins to start & gradually increase.
Let us know how you get on.
I will give this a try especially the walk in nature cold shower ummm idk about that 1 🤣 my kids brought me a hand held pac-man & i love to play it but since my heart with crazy it scares me to play bc of the intense playing😞 but i did do the breathing techniques
Very well explained.
Have you tried the paper bag test? Unless you have asthma or similar lung disorders, which would make that a potentially dangerous to do, then breathing in and out of a paper bag can quickly take away the panicky feelings. It isn’t a technique much recommended these days, but it is one that works well.
When you next feel excessively tense, hold a paper bag over your mouth and nose and breathe in an out of it for about 10-15 breaths. This will cause you to breathe back in your own exhaled air which will help to normalise the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your bloodstream. It is an imbalance in these two gases that is very likely to have brought on your feelings of panic. Repeat this a few times if the panicky feeling return, but don’t overdo it or you will feel dizzy. No harm can come from doing it unless you have asthma or similar.
These days, the above has become unfashionable as some feel it can make an anxious person reliant on having a bag in their pocket and stressed if they forget it, or are in a situation where they can’t use it. I suppose it’s possible that might be so, but I think myself it is still a very useful and quick way to help and one that has no easy alternative. It also works to remind you that what you are feeling is a panic attack coming on, rather than something far worse.
The reason the bag works is because if you have anxiety then over a period of time, the stress you’ve been feeling will have caused a natural and unnoticeable slight tension in the muscles of your abdomen and chest region to develop. This tension causes you to breathe out slightly more than you breathe in, a process called hyperventilation that is natural and meant to help your blood increase its oxygen levels ready for potential action.
Unfortunately, an anxious mind can allow this to go on for too long. Some people are also over-fearful of the natural body processes that over-breathing causes such as tingling feelings, feelings in the chest area or changes in the way the heart beats (i.e. faster, harder or missing the odd beat and having a harmless palpitation). This fear then brings on more anxiety and the process repeats itself.
By the way, when you say you fear conversation (and I suppose you would also fear, as I do, any kind of confrontation). Well, both of these cause you to breathe more quickly, which further worsens the hyperventilation that can easily bring on the panicky feelings.
Steve
Thank u! Just the thought of you taking time to write out / back ,to me is calming i find myself breathing off key of my own just as you explained it above , its like so much has happen in a short period of time til its over whelming panic attacks im so new to but aniexty ive had for about 3 yrs but i was doing so good then this so learning how to cope with this is foreign to me & will take some time to figure out & my sister suffer from well onced did suffer from panic attacks & i remember her saying about the paper bag & it worked for her i will write down in my journal some of what u said to do as well as others bc i can see that this isnt the 1st rodeo for any of you all Thanks again!!🙏
When the thoughts turn stressful, try to remind yourself that you've been here before, got through it then and will now. The mind plays such terrible tricks and that awful feeling of "impending doom" is hard to dismiss.
Steve
Thats the most dreadful part about all this is the doom feeling which opens the door for more worry & other episode a vicious cycle🤦
You said it well. But life goes on and tomorrow will come. Trying to get out and about seems to be a very good thing to do, especially into green and natural open spaces. Sometimes being alone worsens the anxiety, but it is still better than being cooped up indoors in my view.
Steve
Yes it does i wanted to go out yesterday but i got so sleepy because im up all night cant sleep with pounding in my chest i have to sleep sitting up like now im so sleepy got 3hrs of sleep my husband going to wake up shortly with all this energy & wanting to go out side & i would love too but i just want to rest rest rest 😞🤦
Hi I have got AF just been diagnosed I’m so anxious all the time , and this is making it worse , so yes I think it will bring it on more if we don’t calm down , good luck
Thank you x
Anything that upsets your body chemistry can impact AF, from food to anxiety, panic attacks, drink, Drugs, anything. These can can cause pretty strong effects to the body. the lockdown situations has certainly raised the overall tension in society for sure. I found myself waking in the middle of the night during the most severe lockdown with the feeling that my heart way trying to jump out of my chest and My blood pressure way up, after one or two trips to hospital with having had ecg and scans then calming down I had to acknowledge that I needed to proactively manage my stress.Started body and eye movements (great)
Breathing control ( great)
Physically ensuring my body not under tension, neck, jaw, where the most easy for me to spot.
Walking and exercise (good)
Stay away from the news and other depressing inputs.
Some people also have to be taken in smaller doses lol
This has to be done even when you feel ok, do not wait till you feel crap.
Try to decrease sugar intake.
Anxiety is a state of being that you slip into over a period of time, and this makes it very difficult to see, particularly if it’s low level and general. Your breathing, posture, and attitude can become honed and tuned to it. AF then can be the mental topic that it can focus on and a cycle set up, that can literally be in place for years.
Utube has many excellent people discussing how to practically physically help increase the parasympathetic system with emphasis on the vegus nerve... well worth investigating and adopting. But it needs to be part of of your life program, just like the drugs you take, it’s not a five minute fix, but it certainly made a big difference to my life, and decreased the levels/doses of medications I take, leading to decreased side effects from those as well, win win as they say
So many really excellent points in all the replies that I think this should become a pinned post.
The fact is you can and will get through this, remember your mind is not always your friend, if you can concentrate on the movements and practices and let the thoughts come and go... let the time pass, it’s just a time and it will pass.
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