Please Help

[Jodz]

Please help , how do I stop obsessing about my heart , pulse . It’s controlling my life , my anxiety is through the roof 🥺😪

[Hidden]

What u mean by obsessing wars ur pulse is it slow or fast missing beats etc x

[Jodz in reply to Hidden]

I can feel every little flicker , missed beat . I’m constantly checking my pulse to feel for that missed beat when I get a funny feeling in my chest . I also get palps . It’s litreally driving me insane . I don’t want to do anything . Also lately when I bend over to pick anything up heavy my heart races and I can’t get a pulse . What is happening ?.

[56artist_ in reply to Jodz]

Obsessing about your heart rate only makes it worse I can talk about Obsession because I have been an anorexic for 40 years I have recently recovered at the age of 57 which I recovered daily anorexic obsess about food 24/7 and it just caused my situation worse so I will say every time at 90 lb when I was dying with anorexia for many many years I constantly check my sugar level every time I eat something and I'm not even a diabetic I carried that monitor around me that glucose level and checked it multiple times a day I threw that thing out the window your anxiety is causing your heart rate the way it is I am sure I am no doctor I don't know but session about certain things just increases the issue

[Leighakay]

Go talk to your family doctor and see if he can order you some tests like an EKG and an echocardiogram. That would give you some peace of mind.

[Jodz in reply to Leighakay]

Had a ecg 2 weeks ago and clear . Doesn’t help my brain though

[Leighakay in reply to Jodz]

Make some affirmation cards. Write on them about how your test results were good and other positive things. When you feel anxious get those cards out and read them over and over again.

[Jodz in reply to Leighakay]

Good idea thanx , will be interesting

[Clarrisa]

Do your parents (or did they) have heart conditions? If not take some deeps breaths of relief. If your family history concerns you let your doctor know that if you haven’t already.

A sister told her doctor she had “White Coat Syndrome” & her doctor said to prove it by wearing a Holter monitor for 24 hours. So if your doctor says you have nothing to worry about, but you are beside yourself with anxiety, ask the doctor to prove it by allowing you use of a Holter monitor.

Please don’t lose sleep over this if your parents are/were not troubled by heart conditions. Stress can cause your heart to beat irregularly. I can personally attest to this being true. It took several months for my heart to beat more regularly following a particularly stressful event.

[Jodz in reply to Clarrisa]

Clarissa my mum suffered from AF later in life and lived until 86 and dad had it as well later in life and lost dad in January this year aged 89 .

Over the years I have had a monitor on etc and all clear , but of late my heart issues are doing my head in . Even now writing this I have checked my pulse about 4 times as my throat / chest had a flutter .

[56artist_ in reply to Jodz]

Since your doctor said you are physically fine you do not have a heart problem your mind is playing games the mind and the body work together I have plenty of experience after 40 Years of anorexia listening to the lies in my head I have been in recovery for 7 years daily I recover that I am much better and I have ever been in my life since I became ill with anorexia at 14 don't let your mind play games with you tell it to go away and never to return and live each day and be happy

[Hidden]

I would think the best course of action is this: go see your doctor and get some blood work/EKGs done. If and when everything is okay, you now can tell yourself....hey, I just got the all clear today. What you can personally do, to top it off, is know your risk factors. The American Heart Association has a questionnaire that will let you know what you can do improve things. Family history, diet, activity levels, smoking status, drinking status...all of these things play in. All you can do on that is be the least risk possible.

This happens to me a lot....mostly when I start walking into work. I take a beta blocker that has my pulse under control, but even with it, when I begin to walk in...everything goes up and I assume the worst. The problem is we become so obsessed and focused with it. This is made all the worse with today's fitness trackers that now come standard with heart rate type monitors. When I see 90-100 on mine, I begin to freak out...IT'S SURELY HAPPENING! But the reality is I am walking into work. Work is stress and walking...well...it's a cardiovascular activity. You have to make it a point, I think, to notice that the heart is the primary player in so many things. When your anxious, it is beating to prep you for survival moves. Not to kill you. I take off my Fitbit when I know I am going into work because nothing it's telling me is of use.

Realize that your anxiety is feeding your heart information as much as your heart is exacerbating your anxiety. The key, based on what works for me (and it isn't always perfect), is knowing I'm healthy, my heart has been deemed healthy, and allowing it to do its thing. Wear off...let all the anxiety hormones telling your heart to beat faster run their course (or you can try the beta blockers...they just don't allow these same chemicals to bind with the hearts receptors). Adrenaline and more. Find a spot to practice relaxation exercises, ask family/friends to check on you during this time if for some reason you think maybe it's heart related, and just focus on relaxing. The odds are, if this is happening time and time again, it is anxiety and stress. Think of it this way...when you go for a jog, do you worry about your heart giving out (think your usual cardio activity even)? No, we have a prime reason for it. And so does this: anxiety. I have heard of someone being told to run a few flights of stairs at a therapist session to prove the point. I hope some of this helps, but I know this is easier to say than do. Try not to resist as it just makes things work...allow anxiety a bit of room...and try your hardest to be comfortable being uncomfortable. It will pass. Again, I send my best wishes for you because I know this is difficult. I hope you feel better and are able to get a better level of function going. Hang in there, you got this!

[Jodz in reply to Hidden]

Everything you have said about going into work is me to a T . I love my job but some days / nights my anxiety elevates even more .

I’m ok with my Fitbit , that doesn’t cause my anxiety to get worse . It’s the feelings in my throat/ chest and those palps . Your correct in saying , it is easier to say it . Thanx for your help . Some days like last night and this morning it makes me so sad that I just can’t go forward . It’s a bloody challenge that’s for sure 😏

[Clarrisa]

I am sorry to hear you lost your father. This is a very stressful event. I have found grief groups helpful with the loss of my father & companion. It is not uncommon for grieving people to experience health concerns, I certainly did. Events like your father’s passing can heighten your personal health concerns to be sure.

One nice thing about joining a grief support group if you haven’t already is you often hear about further available local resources listening to others in the group. I wish I had known about these groups when my mother passed away, I think my health issues would have been less.

That is my take home message, grief groups help you in processing your loss & that can reduce anxiety & in turn calm the heart. Take Care, Clarissa

[Jodz in reply to Clarrisa]

I did join one but I didn’t get much out of them . Yer I’m still grieving and Thankyou for your kind words . I miss Dad so so much 😪

[Clarrisa in reply to Jodz]

I found it depended on the facilitator’s ability how beneficial the grief groups I attended were. The two facilitators who I considered excellent were in more faith based settings & drew on their years of compatible skill set experience in prior secular careers.

[Kevin160]

If you read my profile since december , the reason i came here was because i had a crazy obsession about my blood pressure, i thought there was no way out , i will die ..my health anxiety was not new but this was..i was at rock bottom constant panic attacks , for months i would check my blood pressure and pulse every few minutes, the slightest change would sent me into a spiral of fear ..and since i was always scared about it my bp and pulse were always high , i had no support but i realized when i came here , my life isnt over, many people feel like this, and my simple advice may be useless now , but my honest advice is that time will heal everything , BECAUSE time will show you your fears arent real, i was obsessing because a doctor once told me its dangerous for it to spike and you need to control your stress, not to mention im 18 , healthy and fit , at the end i started feeling my fears arent real because for months i was in ok health , and after a while you start to feel stronger mentally , show yourself that you will still live even if you dont monitor your heart rate , thats what i did , and eventually it started to be ok , my bp and heart rate have been good for months whenever i cmeasure them , remember it gets much better , if you ever feel scared , know your fears are irrational , if you are ver worried go to a doctor , know you are well ..to me it was proving to myself that i did my absolute best to solve my problems, time will heal , you will get stronger , to me i reached rock bottom where i never ever thought imwould get better, i went through bp obsession , pulse , GAD , ocd tendamcies and alot more , it was hell , but you will look back st it and see it was just the thing lf the past

[Jodz in reply to Kevin160]

Omg yep that’s me . And your the first to say about spike in bp . Mine goes through the roof when I have a panic attack . I was told it’s ok as long as it comes down .....But when it’s up and my heart feels like it’s in a washing machine it’s hard to believe I will be ok .

Checking my pulse is just driving me insane . I woke this morning and first thing I checked pulse it was slow so I checked it and it was 61 , so then I wonder is this to low , FFS😫 .

Yesterday I had a new heart symptom , so when I would bend over to do something I would get big skipped heart beats . Now that’s worrying me .

Why is my heart doing this ??

[Kevin160 in reply to Jodz]

I totally understand your worry , i felt the same every single day , i know its hard but try your best to keep yourself calm , it might take time but it will get better, if you are worried go to a doctor if possible , the first step can be realizing you are fine and its in your head , you will reach a point where you wont obsess about your pulse

When i got my first panic attack , my bp and pulse were very high , and i thought i was dying , even when everyone said it was not harmful , i would not believe something that felt this bad would notbe harmful , it took many months of panic attacks , bp spikes to realize its normal , when we exercise daily pulse rises , so its normal , why fear it since it is normal right ?

Some people have lower pulse its normal , sometimes my pulse reached late 50s especially in the winter , usually its nothing, if youre worried go to a doctor and rest your mind ..never give up ❤️

If you need anything my chat is open

[Jodz in reply to Kevin160]

Thankyou so much . Yes I just need to try my hardest to stop the obsession . As hard as it is !!

I just want to have one of those normal days , that I prob get once in a fortnight 😔

[Kevin160 in reply to Jodz]

Dont try to resist your fears , dont check your pulse for a few days regardless how hard it is , and any scary thought you have , think of the worst scenario , then think of reasons why it may not happen

For example if i fear my bp will kill me , i think of that scenario, them i think why it will not happen , if you face it , the fear wont be as severe, fear doesnt last, its ok you will be fine , remember how many millions of people who have struggled with this and overcome it ,after a few days you will that your fears are simply not true , amd thats the first step . Stay strong

[Mickeyblueeyes124]

Calm app is really good. Dark room with that on.

[Jodz in reply to Mickeyblueeyes124]

Thankyou will look

[foxglove_pnw]

Hi Jodz, I have been there !

So sorry about your dad ! I can’t imagine how you feel .

I have had days when I took my blood pressure 12 different times and each time 2 readings !

I used to sleep with an oximiter in my bed so I could wake up and measure my pulse and blood oxygen level ! I also kept one in my car .

It will get better , believe me !

My mind is now occupied with other stuff 😳 my anxiety keeps findings things to worry about and I keep trying to find ways to have a “ normal “ life .

Hang in there ! You are not alone ❤️

[Jodz]

Foxglove Thankyou , yer I miss Dad terribly 😪

Wow you had it bad as well . But how do I make it stop ?

The slightest feeling in my chest stops me in my tracks and bang I’m checking my pulse . I really try not to but Gez it’s hard .

I’m busy at work etc but it just continues . What did you do to stop ?

[foxglove_pnw in reply to Jodz]

I think reading about others with the problem here in this board and realizing that my anxiety was causing all of this .

Believe me I have health anxiety so my mind is occupied with others things every day lol

[Lauriem4]

I get the skipped beats and when you have anxiety you notice them more even though everyone gets them anxious people tend to notice every one theyre called ectopic beats .

[sjanee11 in reply to Lauriem4]

Yup everyone gets them! You can have 6 per minute and that's completely normal. Being stressed can cause more of them, so it's definitely a vicious cycle. I was diagnosed with a heart condition in 2016 and had it corrected in 2018 but it caused a lot of turmoil and I spent two years obsessively checking my heartrate. It's hard to break that but the only way I found is to stop myself and distract myself. If you have been checked by a doc and given the all clear then you know your heart is okay and you should make that into a mantra and stop yourself from checking it when you feel compelled to do it. Also with the AF, that's a pretty common ailment when you get older because your heart is a muscle and starts to weaken the older you get but is treatable with medications, so even if you end up with AF when you get up in age, remember that. It's treatable and lots of people have it.

[Jodz in reply to Lauriem4]

I’m really over them and the obsession 😞

[FrankinHealth19]

Hey, I hope you are feeling better now, but this what I did to help with your issue.

Step 1: Regulate your gut! Watch what you eat. Fatty foods, and heavy meats more than 3-days in a row always locks my gut-up causes problems. To fix this I make sure I eat a salad with heavy meals. If I eat cereal, I make sure it's a high fiber one.

Step 2: Research and address something called the Vagus Nerve. You'll find out that it has a lot to do with the major organs in charge of the respiratory and digestive systems. There are multiple solutions to help deal with the vagus nerve, like yoga, light exercises, and trigger point therapy.

Step 3: Try your best to address any other muscular issues or imbalances you might be feeling. Like I had pain in my neck, back, and chest all on the right side of my body. The tension and spasm from the pain also had an effect on the Vagus Nerve. I found out that I am dealing with something called Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS). Once I addressed UCS with stretches and exercise I really started to notice relief from heart palpitations/fluctuations and anxiety.

Step 4: Sleep. If you can address your mattress and pillow situation..it might be too soft.

Hope this helps!

[Jodz in reply to FrankinHealth19]

I do suffer from IBS and having Physio for a bad back atm . Thankyou

[Jbro78]

Obsessive thoughts are a normal part of anxiety. What you do is simple. You accept the thought freely. The anxiety gets worse, not because of the thought itself but because of your reaction to the thought. Let the thought be there in your mind as much as it wants and slowly it will fade into the background. Your stressful reaction to the thought is what keeps it present. Allow it to be there without judgement or fear. It’s totally and completely normal.

[Grateful1098]

I would suggest looking into electrolyte imbalances. Magnesium and/or potassium. The RBC tests are better to look at for these. And get clearance from your doctor that your safe to take them.

[Jodz in reply to Grateful1098]

Yes I have heard about these. Thankyou

[hannah1987b]

Hi jodz. I’m exactly the same! At times of high stress and anxiety- I feel like I can’t breath and my heart flutters/palpitate and I feel like I’m going to drop down dead any moment. I went to hospital second time and they checked all my heart with heart specialist and she said all seemed fine and that it was stress and anxiety. The way my anxiety presented itself had changed- there was no warning signs. I have OCD-Intrusive thoughts so I would ruminate about every little chest pain and not being able to breath constantly! Then I couldn’t breath and had full on panic attacks and even waking up with panic attacks during the night. I honestly thought I was going to die! It’s rules my life for two years but through regular weekly sessions of talking therapy- Cbt based and investing in a finger oxygen and bp monitor plus one of those asthma things u blow into.... it really helps calm me down. Hope some of this has reassured you that u are NOT alone nor crazy x x

[Jodz in reply to hannah1987b]

That’s what I need to understand that I’m not alone , as so many people have the same problem . Thanx for your suggestions. Every one has been so helpful and it def helps . Starting to realise there is a light at the end of the tunnel 👍