Hi all. I don’t know who’s out there but if you’re listening, please offer me a little comfort.
The last two weeks have been life-altering and my family is struggling to manage without me because of my brand new issue. I am 32. I started getting frequent heart palpitations and panic attacks. I also have a stress-triggered nausea that accompanies it (which I’ve had before). Cardiologist dismissed it as anxiety palpitations, but I wound up in the ER with chest pain and dizziness. Tests are negative for heart attack. My 48hr holter monitor will not be reviewed until maybe Friday. I continue to have panic attacks daily. I will feel better if arrhythmias are ruled out, but my mind is turning my body against me and I have never been in such a dark place. I can get no sleep from the palpitations and food because of the nausea. I quit caffeine and alcohol immediately but caffeine withdrawal should be over by now. I am dizzy and lightheaded 24hrs a day at best, or sore and chest pain at worst. Every hour is the longest of my life while I consider ER again. I am at the end of the rope with my mental wellness. What do I do?
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Rob_Rockly
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You are having a very rough time, and of course we are here to listen and to help if we can. I am reassured that you have had ER and Cardiologist consultation, and they were both confident it wasn’t your heart. The halter monitor will soon give additional information. Just need to be patient till Friday. It’s really good you have a Cardiologist seeking answers.But you say that your mental wellness is now the largest factor for you.
Do you have some good ways you have learned to manage this in the past?
Thanks. This makes me feel better a bit. I have come to discover over the last day that my main issue may be health anxiety. In the past, I have not done a great job managing it. I have found the most success of passing the long hours by being outside or doing gentle yoga.
Hi Rob, I'm sorry that you are feeling so bad at the moment.Anxiety and panic are terrible things and they can have a major effect on how our bodies work, including our heart. What has been going on for you recently?Have you been under any particular stress? It is good that you are being checked out thoroughly so try to trust the process of that.
I've found CBT very helpful for health anxiety.It's available free online so ask your GP about that.I also found a very old book very helpful at explaining anxiety symptoms.It's called 'Self help for your nerves' by Claire Weekes.
I hope you get the results soon and some peace of mind.
Thank you. Yes, I am under a lot of stress from a lot of factors -- covid scares, family members' health, a newborn baby not sleeping well, and bad employment issues. The palpitations were manageable until I couldn't sleep through them. Not sleeping at this moment in my life was the last straw, hence the new panic attacks. Trying to schedule with a therapist now.
Just want to preface that this long read is about pvc's. You weren't specific on what kind of palpitations you were having.
So sorry to hear that Rob! Your story sounds a lot like mine at about the same age I was when I started with the palpitations, and possibly the same reason. I'm a 58 year old female at present. I was about 35 when one night, out of the blue, I felt pvc's but didn't know what they were at that time. Scared the life out of me. Went to the ER and they said, "Nothing harmful, just some pvc's" and sent me home. They told me to stop caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes. Being naive at the time, I stopped all 3 cold turkey and was a mess for at least a few months. I couldn't turn over in bed without my pulse skyrocketing. I dreaded getting up to eat or use the bathroom. The pvc's actually got worse before they got better. I was referred to a cardiologist who eventually saved my mental life. I had every test done you could think of and nothing more than these stupid pvc's showed up. ( Just had one right now) lol. I continued to go to my cardiologist every 3/6 months to be sure it wasn't anything more serious than what everyone thought and that along with all the testing is what really helped me. Till this day I still get them and don't give it a second thought. As crazy as this is going to sound, I welcome them. It's become part of what makes me the unique person I am and am proud to be. Just because you have pvc's doesn't mean something is wrong. Lots of people have them but just don't know it. Mine are brought on with doing something strenuous, lack of sleep, certain things I eat and right before a bowel movement. Most people get a cramp or pressure before bm, I get pvc's. lol Look up vagal nerve. It is highly associated with pvc's. It runs alongside your digestive tract and if stimulated by gas (burping etc) it can be set off, giving you palpitations. I also suffered with anxiety along with the pvc's and let me tell you, that didn't help. It will easily cause palpitations. All the pvc's are, are early beats. You don't skip any, like some people think. They just come earlier than they were supposed to, but then the next beat shows up on time causing a longer break between beats. It's all good. Not going to kill you unless you have other, more serious heart issues. Sometimes I even get 5 pvcs' in a row. Those I'm not as found of. I just cough until it straightens itself back out. Well, I hope you get better real soon. I'll say a prayer for you.
PVC's are pre ventricular contractions. In other words, when you feel like your heart has skipped a beat. There is a longer than usual pause between beats. Your heart doesn't really skip (loose) a beat, it's just that one of the beats comes before it's supposed to, but the next one comes on time causing a longer than usual pause inbetween. Hope that helps. It also feels like a "thud" sometimes. Could really catch you off guard. Maybe even make you feel a little light headed or dizzy. In an otherwise healthy heart, it's all harmless.
Thank you! I do not really know or understand what kind of palpitations I have, but that sounds a lot like it. Your story sounds so much like mine. I quit caffeine and alcohol cold turkey on January 21 after palpitations started suddenly. Anxiety causes them to get worse, and I have this overwhelming dread and panic. It's hard to wait for the tests to rule out anything big. But right now, this has already stalled my life and our family.
To hear that the testing and continued visits helped you really does make me feel better. I also have gastrointestinal discomfort, and it does seem to be tied to the palpitations.
I don't know if this happens with you, but with me, I definitely notice when I'm walking uphill and at a brisk pace my pvc's will act up and I tell my children to slow down a minute because my heart doesn't like what I'm doing. lol So I stop for just a second or two and then I'm good. Sometimes they come back as I continue to walk and sometimes they go away competely. Do yourself a big favor, if nothing comes of the monitor results and you've tested out ok with everything else, please, go on with your life. Don't waste time like I did. It's exactly that, a big waste! You'll learn to live with them like I did. I noticed mine about 25 years ago and I'm still alive and have had NO problems at all that were associated with it. If your talking about tachycardia (high pulse rate), that's a different story. Not that you can't live with that, but it's not the same thing as I'm talking about with the pvc's. I had tachycardia after stopping the alcohol, cafffeine and smoking. That took me at least a few months to recover from. I could barely get out of bed for a good month. The littlest move I made made my heart race and cause me to be breathless of course. That went away on it's own as my body got past the withdrawl symptoms. I hated that more than the pvc's. Please let us all know how things turn out for you or if you need any more moral support. I don't mind helping. Hang in there, only a few more days to go. Don't become a recluse. Don't stop living over this. You're already on the right path with stopping the caffeine and alcohol. Get yourself out and just go for a little walk in the fresh air. It will do you some good. Take care Rob!
Thanks for such encouragement. I got the results -- I have PVCs and PACs. But no underlying arrhythmias were caught by the monitor. So, I don't know what to make of why I have two kinds of ectopics. Still waiting on a stress echo. And my anxiety is improving but very slowly. My family life is mostly stalled still and that's the hardest part -- how badly it is affecting my spouse.
That is great news Rob! You should be happy with those results. Glad to hear your anxiety is getting better. Hold onto that feeling and keep running with it. (I just had a pvc myself) lol. Seems like any time I get on here I get one. Too funny!😊 Anyway...I also had the stress echo done and only because the technician really dug into my ribs, that hurt, they found I have an atrial septal bulge, which is like an aneurysm. At 1st I freaked, then they told me I was most likely born with it. After looking back at all that I physically did growing up, I wasn't worried. I figured I would have died years ago if it was an issue. I did gymnastics, speed skating, tae kwon do, swimming, track team etc...I really hope you get all these tests done asap because I think the results are going to be what gets you past this. I'm sorry this is making such an impact on your relationship with your wife. I'm sure she understands, but it's gotta be taxing. Would it hurt to go on with your life as if nothing was going on? I know easier said than done, but unless you have a super strenuous job, regardless of what's going on, the doctors are going to want you to move on, get exercise, even just go for a good walk. If something as simple as that was going to kill you, it would have already, plus, it would have showed up on that test you just had done. Have you even asked your doctor about limitations? Just curious. If you really want to play it safe, ask to have an EP study done. That was a real trip. Especially the tilt table test. Lol. You're strapped to this table that moves and puts you in all these different positions, even upside down, in hopes to trigger an episode. Another part of it was a heart MRI. I hated that because I'm claustrophobic and at least back then, your whole body had to go in the tube. Never want to do that again! Lol
Sorry for the novel.
I will pray for you and your family to get through and past this. Take care!
Wow, I had no idea about what kinds of things the stress echo can pick up. I have not heard of the EP study but I want to do as much as they will let me -- I just don't think the cardiologist is going to bother with me. I tried to ask the cardiologist if I can resume normal life, but they said wait to exercise until the stress echo. I am still a little dizzy every day. And I wish I knew why I have two types of ectopic beats and what that means.
Thanks for taking the time to write and for the prayers.
You should absolutely listen to your doctor about not exercising until after your test, just to be safe.
You mentioned being dizzy every day. If you quit things cold turkey like I did, my guess would be that that is why. That happened to me. Took me a few months to get past that. Make sure you are staying hydrated, and not just with water. Milk is one of the best hydrators there are and it stays in your system longer than most other beverages. I also drink gatorade EVERY day without fail. I stopped 2x and ended up in the er and reprimanded by my cardiologist. lol. You should talk to your doctor about that one though because You have to watch for diabetes. Although they do have some with no sugar.
You have 2 types of ectopics because you're "normal". Just about everyone has them and probably on a daily basis. Most don't feel them. I get more pvc's than I do pac's. I feel them all. Our hearts beat approximately 100,000x a day. Do you really expect every single beat to be perfectly on time? It's just not realistic. I don't think you mentioned how many you get a day, as per your recorded event. I believe I read that "doctors" consider, "a lot" or "too many" to be over 20000 a day. I can't even imagine living with that many. To be honest, even I'm freaking out at that point. lol.
Maybe you can use this time to reflect. Think of how you can improve your life, health, relationship with your wife. Stay safe and you're welcome for the prayers. We can all use them.
Hi Rob a great book i found once was called * Whwn panic attacks * by Dr Aine Tubridy....with a CD to play in car if panic hits and you are out driving .I found it amazing ...a great turning point to breaking down what panic is and how to dissolve the feeling very quickly.
I hope all the info above helps .
The most important thing is to put yourself first and allow yourself time to relax and recover from daily stresses. They will always be there but how you manage them will be key to a better and new life for you.
And you will be so proud if yourself when you get there.
And the most important thing is not to allow guilt to take over your mind.
You are doing the best you can in during a very difficult time.
You're welcome! Glad I could help. Please know that I am not a doctor or nurse etc...All my information is based soly on my own personal 25 years experience with pvcs, pacs, bradycardia, vtach, tachycardia, doctors, nurses, cardiologists, a plethora of tests and of course my endless research on the internet. To whoever reads this, please, if you feel something is wrong, get checked out and sooner than later. Too many times there is no "later",most of the time it's on the side of norm and benign. Good luck to you all, take care and stay safe!
I am very thankful for your knowledge and experience. I have been drinking lots of milk and also gatorade, as it happens! I don't think I hydrate enough, though. I am curious, can you tell the difference between your PACs and your PVCs? The Holter says that over 48 hours I had 45 PVCs (one double one) and 2500 PACs. It's the PACs I think I was feeling so much of, and I am a little concerned that it leads to Afib. But no Afib was found. However, they did note short PR intervals (don't know if that's typical for palpitations).
My Holter did read some time of "bradycardia burden" and "tachycardia burden" on my heart, but it was a small percent. I don't know if this means that I "have" those disorders, or not. I am curious to ask the cardiologist about this.
Thankfully, I have been doing so much better the last few days and I have not felt a single palpitation in a while. Though, this could be due to new anxiety medication, which I admit I didn't want to resort to, but I hope to be off it someday and still be able to have a post-health-anxiety character when I go off the drug.
Hi, poor you. If you feel that bad go to A&E. They'll assess and repeat tests probably. If you are having anxiety attacks you need to see your GP who can give you meds (which take a while to work by the way). It sounds like you're spinning out (not a medical term), but it's very very scary. There's a reason for this and that can be treated as well. So either or but do act on your instincts as it's easier if you're seen in this state rather than trying to explain it. Be safe ann
Thanks Ann. I did wind up in emergency recently and it did give me some relief that I apparently have no coronary blockage factors. But mentally "spinning out" sounds exactly like what I am going through. It's not helping that I can't sleep through all of the palpitations so I am not sleeping very much. I did finally make an appointment with a psychiatrist which should put me at ease.
Hi, you are having a tough time and I feel for you. I think having seen a cardiologist and attended ER should give you a good level of reassurance. If it is something significant it would likely have been picked up and hopefully your holter monitor results will give further reassurance. To me it sounds that the main problem is more your anxiety and panic. Panic attacks are horrible to live through and can become a vicious circle where you can panic about having another panic attack, and so it spirals out of control. No doubt the stress of that has a major impact on your palpitations. Not all arrhythmias are sinister. I have had episodes of them for 30 years and am mostly resigned to live with them. They have not impacted my life to a great extent apart from being very irritating and uncomfortable often for long periods. It’s worth remembering that many people with various health conditions live normal lives. If your holter results show nothing significant I would suggest to explore the possibility of some psychological interventions and relaxation techniques. I will join Chime62 and say a prayer for you.
This is very thoughtful, thank you. What you are describing sounds exactly like me. I did get into a spiral of panic these last two weeks. The last two days have been trying to seek techniques to force myself to calm down. Your words also help me deal with the possibility of living with an arrhythmia or something like that. I sometimes have trouble coping with that. I did make appointment with a therapist finally. Your words made me feel a lot better. Thank you.
HI RobYou need to get out of the house for a half hour walk every day. Not easy with a new baby but get out in the green stuff if you can and walk along a circular flattish route. Take sugar out of your diet completely -no cakes, biscuits or soda drinks. If you are overweight start work on getting rid of the flab.
It is not easy to do but once you get into the habit of moving you will be less of a sitting duck for anxiety. Don't let negative ripples become waves. Get moving and think hard about what you are doing. I am 75 and I have just come in from a 5 mile walk. Ok , It's cold, but you have got to get up and go.
Have you read Dr. Carolyn Dean’s book The Miracle of Magnesium ? It would be worth checking out as major stress in life depletes your magnesium which in turn can cause severe anxiety and palpitations. It does help and whirl you wait it will ease your mind . Sugar is also a culprit and ties in with what you’re feeling. Inflammation causes a lot of things for sure. Hope this tidbit helps and rest assured you’re going to be ok . Hug your wife as I know how stressful it is for the spouse to see us working through heart issues and with a newborn baby that’s a lot on your plate. Also, the app The tapping solution is really great for lowering anxiety. It is definitely something for you to check out as well. It really helps calm me when I’m dealing with AFib .
Could be ectopic heartbeats i have anxiety too and get these they are benign but panic causes them and also causes you to be sensitive to feeling them . Take a look at sanjay gupta on youtube might help calm you a little .
There is a couch to 5k running site on this site C25K T that might be worth a look. It takes you very gently from no exercise to running 5K, out in the green stuff. Running has become very fashionable where I live but you have to watch out for the bikes. Your heart is a muscle. If you don't get about 6-8000 steps in it starts to get flabby and your muscles generally become less toned
Sugar contains no nutrition at all and destroys your appetite. If you can dump it and take up the Mediterranean diet with a good mixture of fresh fish, meat and wholemeal breads, etc. with loads of green stuff. A new baby is absolutely knackering so you need to pick up your activity and diet if you can, but it won't be easy
Thanks. I started long walks again. It feels good to do that. I was an avid runner before this. I can't wait to get the all clear to start that again. But nervous to do it right now. I do consume too much sugar and I am very thin.
Ok. If you are very thin you may need to up your carb intake . 'Energy in ' has to equal 'energy out'. so you need to look at your refuelling activities. Porridge for breakfast, an apple to eat when you walk, mashed spuds and Bangers , with lots of veg for lunch, and wholemeal bread banana sandwich any time you want. If you don't get your nutrition right your body will start taking whatever it needs from wherever it can, including your bones, leading to long term skeletal problems. Try and get to see a nutritionist (BANT registered) to get some advice?
This is a good idea which I have never had. I have always been thin and have always had energy problems getting through the day. When I recently quit caffeine and alcohol, I thought I would now be free of crashes, but I feel the same.
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