Worried

[Lonely3190]

I think I am having heart palpitations. I have anxiety, which doesn't help. I am very worried.

[Hidden]

The word palpitation literally just means someone having an awareness of their heartbeat somewhere in their body. That can be the chest, neck, even the thumb on occasion for some people, and it’s not automatically a sign of anything being wrong. When people exercise hard and can feel their heart pounding, that is a palpitation, just as much as someone feeling their heart beating in relation to having a heart problem, but some people with completely healthy hearts do just have more awareness of their heart beating than others for reasons we’ve yet to identify.

It’s always best to ultimately get these things checked out by a medical professional, and particularly if you’re feeling in any way unwell beyond the awareness of your heart beat and the anxious feeling, but if the rate and rhythm are regular and within the normal (50 to 100bpm), then that’s reassuring. Anxiety can definitely be a cause of palpitations, and if that’s the root, it can become a bit of a vicious cycle: you feel palpitations, so you become more anxious which releases more stress hormones, which in turn leads to more palpitations. Anxiety can also lead to the heart rate being faster than normal, but any sustained increase in heart rate should always be evaluated by a trained professional.

If you feel particularly unwell with palpitations at any point, call an ambulance or get someone to take you to A&E. If you otherwise feel fine but you remain concerned, you can always call 111 for their advice. If they feel you need to be examined, they can advise you on where to go for the most appropriate response. Failing that, contact your GP tomorrow, but don’t be afraid to speak to someone tonight if you need to - you’re not wasting anyone’s time, and they’d rather you did that and it be nothing, than not do anything and it turn out to be something.

[Lonely3190 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your reply and I will speak with my doctor tomorrow about it. I noticed it started back in the beginning of December last year but I didn't pay much attention to it. But this morning, I was a bit breathless, even though I hadn't done anything to start it.

[GeoffM in reply to Lonely3190]

I agree with Charlie's advice to get checked out by a doctor and still go back again if you are worried. I started having palpatations and went to doctors and ecg was normal back in Oct 20. I then had rapud atrial fibrilation in Dec which i felt during the night but also picked up on my blood pressure machine i have at home. Now on bisoprolol and after a 7 day ecg tape and echo sound i have a slight enlarged left atrium but nothing to worry about. My advice with any bp machine make a note of and systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate statistics perhaps every other day at the same time of day and watch any trends but try not to let the machine lead your life. Our heart rate and bp changes throughout the day naturally and we are all different. Keep going back though if you are misding beats or fluttering more than 3 times a week. My braun bp machine also measures for irregular heart rate. Good luck though I am sure your doctors will be able to get you assessed or try private heathcare if waiting lists are too long for any tests. Using a bp machine should reduce any worries about anything serious they are pretty good and accurate. Good luck

[Lonely3190 in reply to GeoffM]

I won't be able to go private but thankyou though.

[Dizzy64 in reply to Lonely3190]

Hi Lonely 3190, I noticed that you are following me and thought I'd let you know that if I can advise I will.With the type of Dystonia that I have it can make it look as if I am having a panic attack as when the anxiety kicks in, it's like gasping for breath but I'm not, I was told by my Neurologist to breathe into a paper bag, which does help me if I'm at home as I don't carry one with me.

I hope you're GP can help you, get things sorted.

Take care and good luck xx

[Lonely3190 in reply to Dizzy64]

I will speak to my doctor when he calls me next. I want this sorted.

[Dizzy64 in reply to Lonely3190]

Hi,An hospital consultant once told me when I was in with gastric problems to get rid of anything that is negative in your life as this is caused by stress and anxiety and with the type of Dystonia that you have it makes it worse.

It was pretty hard to swallow as the truth can sometimes be, but when I thought about it he was right.

I'm telling you as this is my experience and it opened my eyes to what was actually going on in my life at that point.

Since then I sorted out the negatives from the positives and have been alot happier, even with what's been going on in world over the last 12 months, change that as it is what it is and just do as advised.

I am a much happier person in myself.

I hope this helps and hope that your Dr can help and is understanding.

I wish you all the best and take care xx

[Lonely3190 in reply to Dizzy64]

I will find out Tuesday what direction we will be going next but thankyou.

[onadiet]

I know it has a knock on effect. Worry creates more anxiety but how do you stop.

[Hidden in reply to onadiet]

Stress and anxiety management. From personal experience, even severe anxiety causing regular panic attacks can be overcome. It’s not that you necessarily stop having anxious thoughts (although I found they do massively decrease over time), it’s that when you have unhelpful worry thoughts, you have ways of appropriately controlling and challenging them. Over time, managing them becomes automatic and you no longer have to think about what to do to bring the emotion down, you just do it.

The easiest thing anyone can do themselves as a stop gap is learn some simple breathing and sensory techniques for when they can feel anxiety taking over. We know that the human brain can only focus on one thing at a time, and that sensory input is given priority, so if you’re concentrating on your senses, you can’t be spiralling with anxiety thoughts. There are loads of different exercises, and loads of resources online detailing them, but one that many people find good is the ‘5 things’ exercise. Wherever you are when you notice you’re starting to worry/feel anxious, notice 5 things around you you can see, and pay attention to the details. This could be the sky, a pattern in wallpaper or artex, a plant, a coffee stain on a table, anything at all. Next, notice 4 things you can physically feel: the floor under your feet, the wind, the chair you’re sitting on, a table in front of you to put your hand on, a friend or love one’s hand, or even just touch the fabric of an item of clothing you’re wearing. Concentrate on each one for a few seconds, describe it mentally to yourself. Next, three things you can hear. The wind. Someone talking. A clock ticking. A car going by. Then it’s two things you can smell (I find this one hard as I’ve had almost total loss of sense of smell for last 5 years, but I still used to try). Finally, notice one thing you can taste, even if that’s just your manky morning mouth because you haven’t brushed your teeth yet. It’s not going to change the situation you’re in, or what’s going on, but it does interrupt the unhelpful thought pattern and help regulate the emotion. Long term, though, the main answer is therapy such as CBT and other forms of cognitive, skills based therapies. Therapy will give you more complex skills for managing anxiety and patterns of unhelpful thinking and behaviour, and was ultimately what got me from having frequent panic attacks to rarely ever feeling any inappropriate anxiety at all, and much better equipped to deal with appropriate anxiety without it taking over completely.

There is no quick or easy answer, but it’s entirely possible to get better.