Dont know whats going on. Heart all over the place.

[Ems1822]

Hi guys,

Hoping someone can help with their own personal experiences.

So, my heart has been feeling heavy, strong beats that feel like there are several normal beats followed by a couple quick beats then back to normal. My heart rate is generally around the 80bpm. It kicks off a major panic attack but breathing doesnt help, it causes me to need to go to the toilet, force deep breaths, tingles all through my body. Once i feel like im coming down from it, im super tired but my chest still feels sore and like my heart is pounding, but my heart rate dips to low 60bpm. Which sets the panic off again. I have worn a halter but at the time it didnt show anything. Doctors just look at me like its nothing and throw off, but its scaring me.

Anyone else experience anything similar and can put my mind at ease?

[Hidden]

Issues like this are very common with anxiety, though, since I'm not a doctor or there to see how you're doing, I might tell you to go ahead and see a doctor ASAP. My heart does a lot of the same things: heavy pounds, pulse that varies all over the place; especially once I start letting the anxiety and panic consume me. I also have bathroom visits, tingles, weakness, dizziness and so on. This is what makes things so difficult between anxiety versus heart issues. When you're coming down from high panic and anxiety, your body is going to be in recovery (they call it "rest and digest"). All the endorphins and hormones associated with survival are wearing off (anxiety/panic is a coping mechanism by the body for perceived threats). This is why your chest hurts, your heart rate dips back down, and things then seem weird because you're basically having a jump start into another panic attack.

My primary concern as something who suffers with a lot of this...is the breathing. Hyperventilating, feeling like breathing is difficult because of a "lump" in the throat, and similar things are very common with anxiety. The heart has a lot of things being thrown at it the brain and stress hormones being released...so it's going to do some wacky stuff thinking you're about to go try to outrun a lion, a bear, or whatever. A majority of the blood in our body is redirected during panic attacks to the heart, brain, and lungs because that's where it believes it needs to be. This is why your stomach may hurt, you may have diarrhea, or vomit....the blood has mostly left the digestive tract to tend to other matters...such as getting a ton of oxygen running into your system to prepare for fight or flight. All in all, specifically because you've had your heart tested, I would say this is likely a panic/anxiety attack. That said, I'm in the "I'd rather be wrong and go" group because if it is that .00001% chance of a heart issue, I'd rather be at a hospital.

Keep your phone handy and be ready to call emergency services, but let's see if you can calm down from one of these attacks. First, stop looking at your heart rate. I do this....you're just looking at numbers that fluctuate in even the healthiest humans. Let the anxiety come, peak, and leave. At this point, drink some cool water, practice some deep breathing exercises, and maybe pop on an audio session for mindfulness. If your chest is hurting (probably from the breathing and the heart beating so hard during the panic), try a Tylenol or Advil. I think you're going to be okay and the only the way to begin that is to stop swinging back and forth on the anxiety scales and then into another panic attack. If everything gets worse, you begin to feel numbness in your shoulders, very bad pain in your chest (let's say a 6 to 7 out of 10), and dizzy, call 911 or whatever number is for emergency services. This will be our "it's going to be okay" to whatever your brain is throwing at you right now. If nothing will help you relax tonight and it will soothe your thoughts...go to the hospital and have them run the tests for peace of mind. You can tell the doctor to drive his/her stern look up his/her rear

For now, please relax and stop looking at your heart rate. YouTube or download a mindfulness app (YouTube search something like "anxiety mindfulness help" or download search in your phone's store for the same). These will be guided by a kind and gentle voice helping you to get to peace. I really think it's anxiety, but I understand why you feel otherwise because, heck, I do the same exact thing. A doctor could show me my beating heart in front of me and declare it "spectacular" with other doctors hum-hawing around him in agreement and I'd still worry myself the next day. A lot of what you're experiencing is on the anxiety symptom list....a list that goes on for days and days. You may also be hyperventilating your system into an excess of oxygen which is overloading your system with oxygen and, despite how odd this sounds, is lacking carbon dioxide. To beat this, try breathing into a paper bag for a 30-60 seconds and see how you feel. I have a feeling you're doing to be okay, truly. I would make a doctors appointment next chance you can so you can double check things and give yourself a clean bill of health to assure the over protective anxiety monster we all carry...just throwing out worry after worry. I hope you can relax, rest, and take care. Please let me know how things go and try to remember that you're still alive, breathing, and your heart is beating...all good things

[Ems1822 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for the reply. Just reading your words helped. I think deep down i know its anxiety- its the irregular heart jumps that really got me. I will go to the doctor and get it all checked out, but i think it gets to the point where i feel like the boy who cried wolf and get embarrassed to say anything because they will just shrug it off as anxiety again. I have such an irrational profound fear of dying suddenly and leaving my kids that it plays havoc with my body. I haven't yet worked out how to talk myself out of it all.. i will definately give the meditation app suggestion a go, might just be the distraction i need.

Thanks again and i hope all is well with you! X

[Hidden in reply to Ems1822]

I'm absolutely with you on this I've been in an emergency room parking lot with my nine year-old in my truck during a panic attack. Sometimes it's that being there for the kids that also plays in. I truly hope you feel better and everything you're feeling and thinking is absolutely understandable. Pish-posh to the doctors with the reactions they give us. They make their money, I don't even know why they care....it's easy money from us anxious folks. Regardless, I hope all is getting better!

[Hidden]

I totally understand where you're coming from as I'm in the same boat. I'm 55 and have had anxiety off and on since I was in my early 20s. I've had more tests run over the years than I can count. I have the same heart feelings that you do when the anxiety kicks up. They told me it's PVCs (pre-ventricular contractions). It's just like an extra beat which is where that thumping feeling comes from and it's totally benign. It happens when the anxiety is up. It starts and stops out of the blue and can send you straight into a panic attack. I actually had this happen right before I read your post. I'm also dealing with a sinus infection which definitely doesn't help matters plus a busy weekend coming up. The hardest thing to do when these weird beats and sensations happen is accept it and keep doing whatever you're doing and find some ways to alleviate your anxiety (ie: breathing exercises, go for a walk, listen to music, watch a movie, etc.). Wishing you all the best. You're not alone.