Although I am taking meds for high BP it has been high (average 140/100) I have been having bouts of palpitations that have ended up with me going to A&E. The last 2 times, more or less a month apart, ECG and bloods were fine but BP was high. Meds have recently been changed 2 weeks ago and unsure whether they’ve taken effect yet as BP still high. The last Dr I saw at A&E acknowledged that my ECG showed benign ectopic beats and that was the reason I was feeling like my heart was double beating. She tried to reassure me that it was nothing to worry about and it may have been due to anxiety, caffeine …but guess what? I AM WORRYING! I’m struggling to stop thinking about it, which is making anxiety worse. I know it’s a vicious cycle.
I am due to go to my GP for a check to see if the new med combination is working next week. I am also trying my best to lose weight as I am very overweight which I know is not helping my BP.
I am finding myself checking my BP many times in a day which I know is not helping. I sit waiting for the palpitations to start again. Disappearing into my own head and not thinking rationally or believing what doctors are saying. I’m unsure about why I am pouring this out on here-I know I need to voice my concerns to a health professional to seek help. I suppose it might make me feel better to know that I am not going mad and being stupid/a hypochondriac and that other have experienced something similar? I just want to be able to enjoy life and not constantly dwell on every ache/pain/weird sensation and assume that it’s something life-threatening every time. Thank you to anyone who takes that time to read my post x
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hay73
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hi you are not going mad, it’s your anxiety that is making you over think things. You have an awful lot going on and that is not helping things. The good thing is that you have already had an ECG and your bloods done. You also have a GP appointment next week and it would be helpful if you could write down the issues that are worrying you to make full use of the time you have with your GP.
The problem with etopics is the more you dwell on them the more you will be aware of them. I too suffer with etopics and have also been told by my Cardiologist that they are normal. I hate them and have with the information contained on this wonderful site started to be proactive in trying ways of coping with them.
There are some so many knowledgeable people on this site who have helped me so much . Hopefully you will get some responses to your post.
Be kind to yourself, perhaps listen to some relaxing music, and try some breathing exercises to calm things down. I’m sending you a virtual hug x
Hello. I think the anxiety about a heart/BP condition can be worse than the actual condition itself and it makes everything feel so much worse! You’re not alone in how you feel. Has your GP offered any support for your mental health, from meds to counselling? If not, ask for some or perhaps take someone you feel comfortable with along to your appointment with you to advocate for you. If your BP is persistently high maybe ask for an echo to show how your heart muscle is working - remember please that tests can show good things as well as those that need addressing but either way, you win because you know where you stand and can get anything that needs dealing with sorted.
The BHF nurses are fantastic at talking things through and supporting patients, their families and friends. The number is 0300 330 3322, weekdays 9-5.
I hope you get some support and things settle for you soon. Best wishes to you and your loved ones.
I know what you are going though. I had a heart attack in August. I’ve been ok up until this weekend where I have spent the who weekend experiencing palpitations and very high blood pressure. My problem is that I have Atrial Fibulation as well so I don’t know if the palpitations are due to that or something else. It had got so bad that I was considering ringing 999 but I just dreaded that I would be told I was wasting their time. So I’m sitting here with high blood pressure and palpations waiting for tomorrow so I can ring the cardiology rehab team for advice. So you are not alone. I’m glad people have responded to you and given you advice. Please don’t take this the wrong way but you have made me feel better as I now know I’m not alone in what I’m going though and how I’m thinking at this moment in time. This is all so scary.
thank you for taking the time to reply. I’m sorry you are feeling the way you do. I too felt worried about going to A&E, worried I would be wasting time and that I would have to wait for such a long time (A&E waiting times are awful) but I needed my mind at rest. And ridiculously, my thought was if I was going to collapse, better being at the hospital when I do! The last dr I saw this weekend was so reassuring and helpful. Don’t be afraid of wasting their time. Maybe ring 111 first and see if they think you need further help before ringing the cardio team? It takes the decision out of your hands then. I hope you feel better soon.
I read your post as if I had written it myself so I fully understand what you are going through. I take 50 mg Losartan for my BP, for the last couple of years I have suffered with these odd “moments” of palpitations that leave me feeling truly dreadful and normally take a few days to recover from, altho, like you, trips to a&e and cardiologists have shown no heart related issues what so ever. Stress and anxiety have been suggested but I truly reject these, I’m 43 and healthy otherwise and have v little stress in my life.
My docs are no closer to knowing what causes mine despite all the tests possible Altho they say I should be reassured all the tests are clear, maybe u can find solace in that as well?
A small dose of propanolol helps when they happen to lower the HR and calm a little. I also find going for a short walk helps, even 10 mins, as I find that no matter how horrible the episodes make me feel, I need a distraction in my head to stop me wanting to check my BP etc.
I’m sorry I’ve not offered any real help but take heart in the medical findings if you can that nothing is too serious, the body is a strange system at times, but you’ve done the right thing by coming to this forum where there is plenty in similar situations.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You have written this extremely well and with each sentence I read it becomes clear that you are a very self aware person, who recognises the connection between body and mind. I’m not a person who suffers with anxiety. However I have friends who do and therefore empathise.
You mentioned the need to lose weight. This is a challenge for most of us within the group, as heart conditions can make exercising problematic. A good place to start is walking. And to stop the mind wandering and focusing on every ache/pain/weird sensation listen to an audiobook as you walk. There is nothing like an intense crime drama to focus the mind. 🤩
My dear hay73
Who could not be moved by your post as you described to us your struggle to cope with your illness and how anxiety has raised its ugly head to hinder that illness.
Many words have been spoken on how anxiety affects some people more than others and just how crippling it can be.
I for one will always try to answer these post having a sister that really suffers with it so.
There is help and its a battle in its self { for your self or a loved on } to get it but you must start that ball rolling and your Dr is the best first port of call.
Talking here will help and hopefully remind you that you are not alone.
I just want to reassure you about the ectopic heartbeats you are experiencing . If your doctor has confirmed that they are benign then you should try to believe him/her. They are a dreadful inconvenience and often frightening to experience . I have had them constantly ,everyday for around 20 years and I am still here . I’m at the stage where if I don’t feel them I start to worry .
Watch the videos produced by Doctor Sanjay Gupta . You might feel better afterwards . Take care .
Aww i feel for you i was same after a nstemi attack back in May. My BP would not go down was 175/110 at a&e week after it and i was sent on home. Was taking it 3/4 times a week. It finally was down at docs abiut 6 weeks ago ive left it alone since put machine back of wardrobe havent took it since. Its so hard not to worry about it which pushes it up then vicious cycle. Every ache in my chest is another jeart attack pain in my leg a clot headache a stroke...your not alone in feeling in this way its horrible. All i can advise it will get better and you will relax as the weeks pass. Go to doc or nurse to get bp took by them discuss your worries with them helped me alot. If you need to chat or talk send me a wee message.
All of us have ectopics as you know. I first felt mine on a Sunday afternoon in a hotel room on the other side of the Atlantic in 2004. A truly frightening experience. Since then, they have come and gone; at the moment they have been with me more often than not. And yes, they make me feel rubbish. Over the years, I have been checked out by the GP and the result has always been the same - ectopics.
I have always been left to learn to live with them. OK, but recently I have been wondering, in a similar way to you, how on earth do I do that? I don't think there is a simple solution, but it is for the mind to take over by using distraction techniques that work for you. One thing that I have noticed, when they start in the evening, is to just go up and down stairs a couple of times. Then hopefully they fade; but it doesn't always work. I have also noticed that they don't often occur when I walk to the shops 10 mins away.
I can only hope that you can find something that works for you. Like you, my concern is that other nasties might be going on. So, for me, it's a balance between seeing the GP and just ignoring them. So perhaps asking the GP about what should trigger you going to see him might be a plan? But it does need more than my untutored, and definitiely ignorant knowledge.
Hi I’m new to this so no advise but there seem to be some amazing people on here with lots of good advise. Just did not want to ignore you. Hope you get the help you need and feel better soon. Take care sending virtual hug 🤗
Anxiety causes palpitations. The more you worry,the more you will have. I was in exactly the same position some 10 years ago. It took almost a year for them to catch the ectopics happening but when they did they assured me it was nothing to worry about. Even so it took several months for my anxiety to abate and they went away almost completely. I still get an occasional bout of ectopics when I get anxious. Ask your GP where you can get counselling for the anxiety. It really will help. But meantime those palpitations really ARE harmless. Your heart just has hiccups.
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