I’m going crazy

[Guzman13]

Backstory: have had occasional heart palpitations since I was 15 years old. Changing in frequency and feeling. I turn 23 tomorrow and have never felt this bad. I’ve had tons of ekgs, echos, holter monitor, blood tests, you name it. Been to a few cardiologists that have told me my palpitations are benign and will not kill me. My palpitations appear to be PACS and PVCS. I was even given metoprolol that I never took because I never considered my palpitations enough for me to be put on beta blockers. I suffer from a lot of anxiety because I cannot really handle stress.

Now, this year, in January I randomly got a bout of a lot of palpitations after trying to plan a party. This happened after everything was done and I was trying to relax. I held myself back from going to the hospital because the palpitations dissipated as I sat down and tried to calm myself down. Fast forward a month or two later, I go snow sledding and I get a bunch of them. I blamed the adrenaline and the extreme temperatures and had to sit down on the side to try to make them go away. They went away.

August 7, I wake up from a nap and get a bunch of palpitations that come and go for 20 minutes. I laid down and they went away. Didn’t think much of them as I’m currently planning a vacation I’m not even looking forward to anymore because of how I’m feeling right now. August 8, after eating a lunch time snack (watermelon), I start getting a few palpitations. Nothing really out of the ordinary. My boyfriend leaves to work and I am left alone. I decide to go to my parents house and do some laundry so I don’t have to be by myself. I go outside, and it’s extremely hot so I start drinking a bunch of water. I get to my parents house and they’re not there. I start distracting myself and doing laundry and these palpitations seem to come in bouts of 2-4 and every couple minutes. I feel like something is definitely wrong because I don’t feel much anxiety at the moment. I finish doing laundry and tell myself that i’m going home, changing my outfit and going to the hospital if they don’t go away by then. I get home and start feeling my arms go numb. I feel super anxious and dreadful. I start shaking, accomplanied by the many inexplainable palpitations i’m getting.

I’m at the hospital now, getting a lot of them and they run an EKG which comes back normal. It took them around 1 hour and a half to take me in and draw my blood. They put me in a room and decide to monitor my heart and leave an IV on my arm. I’m getting fluids, and palpitations are showing up on the screen behind me. I realize my heart rate is faster than the usual. (60-75, now 90-110) At this point, the doctor goes in and sees my palpitations on the screen and doesn’t say much about them. I tell her I felt out of breath after going to the bathroom and sends me in for a CT scan of my chest to rule out anything in my lungs. I come back with a possible small pulmonary embolism. I get blood thinners injected into my arm, and metoprolol for my heart palpitations that cannot stop for anything. I was also given ativan to see if my anxiety goes down. A few hours later, I am admitted to the hospital and taken to a hospital room to get a cardiologist consult in the morning, along with another CT scan to confirm my possible pulmonary embolism. That night is just a nightmare. I’m there by myself, getting what felt more than 100 palpitations. I fell asleep for a little because I had only had one meal since the day of going to the hospital and I had not slept since the morning before. The cardiologist went and didn’t really pay attention to my palpitations. He listened to my heart, assured me they were keeping track of my palpitations on their screen and just walked away. Another doctor came in and acknowledged my palpitations and also didn’t mention anything about my palpitations even though everyone saw me visibly distraught with the constant palpitations I was getting. I had another CT scan which came back clear and was given Xanax to fall asleep for a little and relieve my anxiety. I would sleep and they would go away and come back when I would wake up. I got discharged with a low dose metoprolol which didn’t work at the hospital and with a seemingly already low blood pressure which I didn’t want to aggravate with the metoprolol I was supposed to take at home.

I made a follow up appointment with my doctor and my cardiologist.

After being discharged, I felt incredibly depressed. I was alone at home while my boyfriend was at work until 3AM, so I brought my mom to sleepover with me because I was terrified. Tuesday comes and I go to work. Everything seems OK. I’m only getting a couple of palpitations at work. I get off and go to my parents house to grab a bite. BAM my palpitations are back and worse than ever. I sit down, try to calm down and they’re almost gone. I head home and fall asleep.

Wednesday is here. I wake up feeling increbibly anxious not being able to get palpitations out of my head. I’m constanly thinking of when they are going to happen and when they are going to stop. They seem to come on after eating or drinking.

Today, Thursday, I go to my primary care doctor which prescribes me anti depressants because I tell her I feel hopeless that there is no cure for this and I can’t seem to get used to the palpitations. I’m currently in bed, scared to move or eat or drink, still getting palpitations. Someone please tell me they have had this many palpitations and have felt normal again. I am trying to find a psychologist to help out and trying to get Zoloft for my long term anxiety. Someone help! And sorry for my rant. Still waiting to see the cardiologist which I know wont help.

It’s my 23rd birthday tomorrow and I have never felt so sad and scared in my life. I’m going down the rabbit hole.

[Agora1]

Hi Guzman x I have been there in the past. I was like you many years ago, obsessed withmy heart. Palpitations on and off as well as fast h/r from the fear of it. I remember going to the ER one night with palps and very high h/r. I could hear the monitor beeping which made my anxiety worse. I was focused on that monitor, all of a sudden the sound stopped. And I'm

thinking I died but yet I can still see, hear and think. Nurse came in and told me one of the leads came off. Whew...

I asked if I could have a small dose of Xanax. Within 20 min. my heartbeat converted into

a normal sinus rhythm. Crisis over. Anxiety had fooled me once again.

Palpitations from time to time to happen to most people. The thing is when we have anxiety, the fear produces an out rush of adrenaline adding to the palps and the h/r rising.

When the doctors run a cardiac strip they can tell if the heart is in crisis mode or not.

Unfortunately, it doesn't show our Anxiety.

As for getting palps after eating or drinking, I did as well. It has to do with the full stomach

pushing up against the agitated heart making it skip beats. Not dangerous. More to do with

our over sensitized nervous system than our heart itself.

Believe in your doctors...And know that I am more than normal now. Those palps are in

the past. One thing that could greatly help especially during this heat wave we all are

experiencing, is to hydrate. When we are dehydrated, the heart starts to skip beats because

it can't function properly. Our body needs enough water in order for the blood to flow

with less restraint on our blood vessels. I'll stop here. Keep us updated Guzman. I care xx

[barny1]

I've been getting palpitations recently, I'm due to see a cardiologist in a few months. But, personally I relate them to the medication I'm taking an antidepressant called Mirtazapine which stimulates a neurotransmitter called Noradrenaline to build up. As you may know, anxiety and the adrenaline surges it causes can result in palpitations. I'm also on Sertraline/zoloft and have never experienced anything heart-related, it's the one antidepressant most recommended for people with anxiety and cardiac issues for its good safety record.

I've found breathing into a plastic ziplock or paper bag for 4 seconds breathing in-holding 2 seconds-4 seconds breathing out the same air, to be really effective in reducing palpitations caused by anxiety attacks, it also reduces my anxiety. It's worth carrying a small bag around just for that reason. You have to try it to believe it.

Like you, I find negative emotions seem to trigger mine, I get a feeling like my heart's gone into a bad rhythm with a bit chest discomfort and any further emotion just worsens it, I have to remove myself and lie down until it settles. Sometimes, they happen just randomly e.g. chopping vegetables in the kitchen. Others happen when I'm eating or just after a meal. Sometimes it's just a minor stress about something trivial that triggers it.

One other thing I know can cause palpitations is unbalanced thyroid hormone levels. A thyroid disorder can cause anxiety and depression as well if untreated, so it's worth ruling out.