HiI went to the local A&E on Tuesday with a racing heart. The doctor I saw was lovely & eased any initial worries I had. They did an ECG & I was shocked when that came back normal as I didn't think it would. They told me to cut down my caffeine & try to relax at home taking deep breaths & plenty of water. I'm going back to see them tomorrow as I think it's getting worse. This time I'm going to tell them I want to see a specialist while I'm there who can do a scan of the heart to ease my worries. Please tell me I'm.doing the right thing as I'm so scared
Palpitations - help I'm scared - British Heart Fou...
Palpitations - help I'm scared
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Bruno89
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My GP has put a referral in place for a 24 hour ECG just waiting for a date to go and get it now as I'm so scared but the more I'm thinking about it the worse I think I'm making it. Is this natural then or not ??
Thanks for this. Just to be on the safe side I'm still going to A&E tomorrow for advice. Hopefully I get the holter monitor soon as I think the results from that will change things
So true but I'm going back to A& E tomorrow for them to check me over
It took me around a year for any tests to actually record the palpitations because they happened at odd times. A holter monitor for 24 hours didn't catch any, ECGs never did. In the end I had a stress test ( treadmill test). Again they didn't happen during the test but when I sat down afterwards they left the electrodes attached and my heart did a sudden run of odd beats so they could finally see where they were coming from. They were to tally harmless and I have never4 had any treatment. They absolutely do get worse the more you worry about them. I suspect almost everyone gets ectopic beats at times but most don't even notice them.
Going to get comfy in bed see if that changes things
What it will change I don't know as it's the first time I've ever had anything like this. When I went to A&E initially about this they told me to return if I feel it's got worse so it's more for reassurance than anything. My GP has also initially signed me off sick from work for 2 weeks as my job involves heavy lifting with working in a football ground & he doesn't want my palpitations getting worse
So typically my breakfast would be eitherPoached egg on wholemeal toast OR 2 plain Weetabix with milk
Mid morning snack (if hungry) would be some fruit
Lunch typically would be some wholewheat pasta with tuna & some lettuce & onions as I'm fussy with salad
Mid afternoon snack (if hungry) would be a rice cake or fruit
Evening meal usually chicken / beef / pork with dark green veggies & sweet potatoes.
Is this the sort of stuff that's ok or should I change any of this ??
Also the only thing I drink is plain water. No Caffeine
Hi Bruno
Welcome to the forum,, sorry to hear that you’re feeling so uncomfortable at the moment. That sounds like a pretty balanced diet and I’m sure would be encouraged (in my opinion).
I know it’s easier said than done but relaxing is one of the most powerful ways to reduce palpitations - be it a nice warm (not hot) bath with soothing essential oils, yoga or meditation or any other activity that you find useful to aid relaxation for you.
Yes I agree that a trip to A&E for an ECG can give invaluable peace of mind and I definitely don’t want to discourage you from seeking support advice from them but I would suggest also trying to build in regular de-stressing into your day of 5 minutes minimum and be prepared to implement them for at least a week before expecting to see a marked difference in the number of palpitations. That’s what my cardiologist recommended to me.
I hear how frightening and scary these experiences are for you; I too regularly experience palpitations and a racing and/or pounding heart beat daily and it used to really worry me, constantly! Since practicing daily meditation, not only has it helped me to sleep better at night but I also find myself more able to cope with the symptoms that I get and my job feels less stressful too 🙂 I also like to do adult colouring when I get really overwhelmed as I find it really therapeutic.
I really hope you get the reassurance that you need tomorrow and are able to find ways that make you feel less stressed by what you’re going through. Remember, you’re not alone!
Let us know how you get on.
Best wishes
Soap
I'm not as stressed as I first was about it. It's calmed down in a few days since I've not drunk any caffeine (can't stand coffee) & no pepsi either. I like to do painting when I'm stressed (currently doing an adult dolphin painting by numbers) as I find this calms me down. Will let you know how I get on
Absolutely they are scary. Joining this forum has already given me so much reassurance & made it not feel as bad although naturally the worry will still be there
Bruno hi. I'm waiting for the. results of a 24hr holter. Its routine and I'm not expecting the results to show any scary patterns of heatt measures. It's just a check up and a prcautionary stepe for my Cardiologist to evaluate. I'm quite looking forward to the results. You have had excellent replies from ThatwasUnexpected. Everything said in user friendly language.
You are at a heightened sense of anxiety. Ive been there. Take deep breaths, try and be a little more cheerful and plan some time in the garden or take a short walk and greet your neighbours. Be more trusting in your own powers of recovery. Best wishes.
The fact I have my final assignment for college due in 12 days isn't helping so I'm stressing about that too
I too was suffering from palpitations everyday, I still get skipped beats and very weird flutter/racing sensations and most recently I’ve felt strange jolts too. I’ve had multiple ecgs and a holter monitor for 48 hours which were all normal. I’m going back for an echo on Wednesday to make sure everything is structurally ok but from what I’ve learnt is that all of this is triggered by extreme stress and anxiety. The more you feel symptoms the more it happens and the worse it gets unfortunately. I’m extremely paranoid that I’ll drop down dead from all this but I know deep down I won’t. I’ve been experiencing it since December and I’m still here.
That's pretty much what I'm experiencing now. Had initial ECG at triage when I went to A&E the other day then the doctor did another one to confirm both of them were normal. I'm calling a private company in Sheffield where I'm based tomorrow to hopefully get an echo done possibly as early as Tuesday for structural reasons the same as you. Luckily on this one my health insurance will cover the cost. Just hopefully get these final couple of weeks out of the way with my final assignment and exam and things should be ok. Not even looked at my assignment since Monday as it will stress me out too much
I would say it is just stress causing this especially if you have a lot going on with your final assessment and exam. I was going through a lot with work and I also got stranded in Germany flights got cancelled due to bad weather which really set off my anxiety. It is pretty costly but I think for the sake of your health it’s definitely worth having the tests done especially for piece of mind. I hope everything comes back normal for you. It may be worth therapy as well if you’re quite an anxious person?
Hello, I was told last year that anxiety/panic attacks can mimic what we think might be a cardiac issue. As other hearties have said do try some breathing exercises, anything also to try and distract yourself. I do hope you are okay. Judi
Just the assignment is so technically structured it's really hard. Might speak to my tutor and ask for an extension on it explaining what's happened
I've got the report from the hospital anyway & going to ask them to make me a copy of tomorrow's as well
I'm on my first year on a 2 year bakery degree. Luckily I've got roughly 5 months after this assignment and the exam is done before my 2nd year starts
I'll preface this by saying if you are worried then call 111 or go into A&E - you're never wasting anyone's time and you're always better being checked over if you're worried... but just going to throw this into the mix to offer a different perspective based on what you've written and my experiences.
I'm not sure how your NHS board runs things, but where I am, we can't rock up to A&E and demand a specialist and scans - the hospital is just too busy and doesn't run that way.
We get triaged and checked over, if your case is deemed non emergency (in my cardiac experience, this seems to mean a normal ECG and troponin levels) then we are discharged with advice. Weekends and Bank Holidays appear to be busier so be prepared for a long sit. My hospital's A&E wait time is currently 10 hours 30mins at 5am Sat morning (not sure how often this is updated, but is supposed to be live)
Best bet to see a specialist if this happens, is to go through your GP and get a referral.
I guess it goes without saying that reducing stress levels, avoiding fatty or spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol and recreational drugs would all reduce your chances of getting palpitations. As others have said, they can't hurt you although they feel alarming at the time. I find simple breathing exercises get me though mine.
Hey
All I can say from my experience is, if it doesn't seem right call 111 or go to A&E
Although I'm not sure if you'll be able to see your specialist and they will probably do the same tests as before, but hopefully they will put your mind at ease.
Do keep us updated
V x
On my way there now so hopefully coz I'm going early I'm not waiting too long. Hopefully going to a private clinic to see a specialist next week as I don't know how long the NHS wait is & I just want my mind putting at rest over any worries I've got
Hi there hope your well. Good on you for getting it checked. But first off please calm yourself down. Ive read through some of your post and im picking it one thing in particular. Panic! Please dont panic. Stress and anxiety can make matters worse. I have Sinus Tachycardia which is a diagnosed fast hear rate which happened in a pregnacy. I have had racing heart and ectopic beats since 2019 and have gone through extensive tests to find out what the problem was. But guess what? No exact cause can be given so i take medication. Your diet seems great. I avoid caffeine altogether now so i only have decaff tea, dont drink coffee at all, chocolate in moderation and watch the spicy food. Anxiety can build up over time so if that is whats causing your problem then maybe try and shift your day around a bit and try to make time for you.Unfortunately you will have a wait on your hands for tests and results im afraid unless a heart event is being spotted at that time.
I was taken to A&E a few months back, i went sweaty and clamy and felt weird, my HR was well high for me over 154 bpm and rising. Doctors couldn't do anymore apart from write to my cardiologist again.
I hope you get to the bottom of things. Take it easy for a couple of days and relax.
However you must try and bring your stress level down.
All tthe best x
It will be better once I've got this assignment handed in for college which I really need to work on as with worrying about this I'm so far behind on it. Should have it almost done by now and I don't. I've got a 24 ECG referral in place just waiting for a date to get it done. Will see if the doctor feels I need medication for it to help manage it
Been advised I've got to take a week off work, to de-stress, no caffeine, BP a little high think it was 134/72, drink plenty of water, get at least 15 minutes if relaxation into my day (3x 5 minute intervals), have a lukewarm bath to relax, go easy in the gym (nothing running based or too high impact), take painkillers if needed, go for walks if I feel myself getting stressed. Things are better than they were 4 days ago which is good. Just got to chase the referral up for the 24 hour ECG now & book back in to see my GP on Tuesday. I explained I've been getting shortness of breath but they put that down to the stress / anxiety & just said I've got to try and be as calm as possible
Im glad your ok and nothing serious has been spotted at this time. The referrals take a long time but if you get seen soon then happy days. Like I said earlier please make time in your day for yourself. I take my dog out thats my bit a piece. Then when the kids have all gone to bed I have my mug of horlicks or ovaltine to relax with. I listen to my sleep sounds app ehen I go to bed.
Hi. Just been seen by the triage nurse now & explained what happened. They are going to redo the ECG while I'm here & see what that says. Deffo going to see a doctor while I'm there as well and explain that I've been getting a bit breathless as well
Your explanations are spot on and never miss a heart beat. Happy Easter.
hello,
I’m sorry you’re having troubles with your heart and palpitations, they are scary and they make you feel rubbish.
I’ve read a few answers you have been given and it is true that palpitations are indeed very common with people, it is true that the majority (not all!) of palpitations are harmless (the atrial ones are not dangerous the ventricular are).
Because of that it is a good thing that you’re getting a holter sent so hopefully they’ll be caught on tape although 24 hours is a very short time as it might not catch any event, maybe you can ask your gp to request a longer one?
Lastly, ECG is THE test to see clearly and easily if you are on some kind of irregular and fast heart rhythm, if at the hospital you had it done while you were feeling rubbish and it came clear, you have nothing to worry about and as the doctors said you are just stressed but better safe than sorry.
Wish you all the best!
ECG came back fine which again I didn't think it would. Just waiting to see a doctor now
Sounds like it could be atrial fibrillation. I had paroxysmal AF for 18 months before finally getting to see a cardiologist and receiving treatment. In that 18 months, I had 4 ECG's, a 24 hrs holter an echo cardiogram and 2 visits to A&E. If you have intermittent AF, it is very hard to pin down. If you check your BP and heart rate daily for a period, it should show up and will give you something you can show your GP. Troubke is, they won't diagnose it unless they can see it. My highest heart rate was 162, but it never happened while I was being examined.
Yes you are definitely doing the right thing, that’s exactly how I started in July last year. I went th A &E, they did take me seriously and admitted me. Then had all sorts of tests, the end result was diagnosed with Tachy Brady syndrome. I now have a three lead pacemaker and feel so much better, I am also on medication. I hope you can get sorted.
At the minute they think it's down to stress & anxiety of my exams for college but I think it's something else. What's tachy Brady syndrome ?? Going to see if they will give me medication as I think for now that will help me. Sleeping at night I'm actually fine it's just first think in morning and mid afternoon when it's worse. The palpitations are hit and miss but today is the worst it's been so far as I'm getting breathless with it now too which is the more scary part
Tachybrady syndrome is when your heart goes fast /tachycardia or slow /bradycardia . I was having lots of episodes of dizziness walking around , chest pain and a racing heart , ,feeling out of breath especially if I walked too quickly going uphill (which was a new thing for me )at first I was told repeatedly that even though my ecgs were abnormal it was stress and anxiety but I knew it wasn’t just that as I knew my own body . Took lots of trips to a&e and my gp to be taken a bit more seriously and have my symptoms checked over as things were affecting what I could or couldn’t do , had to be signed off work Eventually I had a 24hr holter monitor which showed tachy brady syndrome and heart pauses . I saw a cardiologist who said tachybrady is very common but he was more concernedabout the pauses , so to just see how things went and he’d see me again in a few months . Then we went into lockdown so had a delay of over a year before I had another face to face appointment . I had to have a holter monitor on for a week , I thought that when I went to see the cardiologist for my results I’d be told to just give it a few months or be put on medication . I had a call from cardiologist just four days after returning the monitor , he said the pauses were getting longer and more frequent so I needed to see him, he mentioned a pacemaker but he felt I was too young at my age (47) so we’d discuss things at the appointment. I went along thinking I’d be out on medication or told to see how things went but he said I needed a pacemaker , no other option . To say I was shocked would be an understatement . I was told if I blacked out I needed to go straight to a&e. I had had a couple of blackouts of a few seconds but luckily I was at home and sat down at the time . If you’ve had an ecg that was ok then be reassured by that however they only capture a few seconds . I’d say if your symptoms persist or worsen keep a diary of all your symptoms , dates, times and what you were doing at the time . Go to see your gp as they would refer you to cardiology if they felt it necessary . Sorry I’ve rambled on, I hope your palpitations settle for you , I do have them so they can be scary but as others have said they’re harmless enough . Take care x
Hello
Just a question why are you going to A & E it doesn't sound like an Accident or an Emergency ? A & E is not for Diagnosis, if you have AF so do thousands of other people. Try to stop stressing you will cause yourself problems.
I wonder do you live alone and have nobody to discuss this with ? talking through tight situation sometimes has been known to be of help. Don't get me wrong I am not a smart alec, but if you have been checked over and been discharged it's because a Dr has decided you can wait in line for treatment, sorry if that sounds harsh but that's the system.
Wishing you Well
ps If you have studied well the Exams will not be a problem.
I live with my dad & that can be stressful sometimes. The hospital told me to go back to them if I felt my symptoms getting any worse like going from the chest to my back & I felt nauseous and breathless which I do now. I don't know if it is AF. I'm convinced it is but will wait and see what the doctor says when I see them as I'm getting stomach pains too
Is A & E the right place to be going to get advice? Your GP is the first port of call, or call 111.
Always good to have tests because you don't know what's causing them.
The KARDIA mobile recorder at £99 is an excellent investment if your GP can’t loan you one
How did it go? Just wondering how you are and what happened in A&E. Hope your ok xx
Hi Danni I'm fine now. A lot better than it was last Tuesday. Seems to have calmed down so still got to be careful. A&E just repeated the ECG & just said to stay as calm as I can do which for someone who is as active as me is so hard. They said I wasn't deemed unwell enough to admit to hospital. Still not had any caffeine in a week so that's good & I must admit it feels great not having any in my system. Going to go back to the GP tomorrow (if I can get in) as everyone will be wanting appointments tomorrow (also to chase up the referral for a 24 hour ECG) with it being the first day they are back open after the bank holiday weekend. Going to see a specialist next Tuesday for them to do an ultrasound scan & ECG to find out if that shows anything different. Hopefully it all comes back normal but I've been given an email address for the specialist to see what he says is best for me to do in the meantime before I see him next week. Going to see a hypnotherapist on Wednesday to see if that has any effect.
Glad your ok. Fingers crossed your referral comes through soon x
Me too but I'm still scared though
Yes its frightening. I had a 7 day holter which picked up lots even when sleeping, ive had an echocardiogram, an MRI a exercise stress test and most recently another 24 hour holter but I haven't gor the result yet. I was given beta blockers back in 2019 and have pretty much been left to my own devices since then. Not really happy about that because it doesn't solve the problem really. Can't ever get hold of my cadiologist he's always away, I'd love to be able to go private but not an option for me.
Jeez that sounds a lot tbh. Is the echocardiogram the ultrasound one then I'm guessing ?? What to do they in that one ?? Guessing the beta blockers haven't been helping then ?? The 24 ECG & the ultrasound will hopefully give me the answers I need
Yes the echo is a small ultrasound probe with a little lube like jelly applied to be able to act as a conductor for the images. I lay slightly on my left side with my left arm behind my head a bit and they run the probe over the heart area, then they asked me to hold my breath a few times then rolled back over onto my back. The whole thing didn't take long. They dont tell you there and then mind. The results go back to whoever has requested the scan so in my case it was the cardiologist who admitted me to his ward when I was in A&E.The beta blockers work at keeping my heart rate low i guess. I take 2.5mg bisoprolol.
Ah ok as I'm going private would I get told there and then
Possibly I dont know. I guess your consultant may be able to have a look at the images there and then or may even arrange an appointment for you for a couple of days later. I had mine done NHS at local hosptial. Think it took a couple of weeks to receive a letter with the results. The echo turned out fine meaning the structure of my heart was sound so with me its more electrical.
Hope all goes well. What day is your appt?
Thats still very quick mind compared to some waiting times at the moment.
Been to see the GP this morning for a follow up & he seemed happy with everything so far. He's booked me in to get a full blood count done to see what comes back from that. Got a hypnotherapy session tomorrow to see if that helps
I know. NHS waiting time is long at the mo I think. Not sure how long
Hi. Seen the doctor this morning and I've explained to him that due to worrying about what I'm dealing with at the minute I've not done anything on it in a week. He's written down what he wants the secretary to write on it & I've got an appointment to get an FBC (full blood count) done tomorrow so hopefully it is there ready for me to collect then. Once I have it I can then pass it onto my tutor along with the report from the doctor at the hospital & hopefully something from the specialist as well
I hope so too. Just going to a Pilates class in the gym to see if that helps. Been told by the GP to go easy on the cardio for a few weeks to see if that helps things
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