I have had a letter through summarising my consultation a couple of weeks ago. It’s been confirmed that all my symptoms are likely benign which is good, but has pointed towards anxiety being the reason for noticing a fast heart rate and that it is all normal, and just the smart watch causing undue stress. I get atrial tachycardia (svt) but apparently most people would get that at some point with monitoring? I am glad that there is nothing on paper to worry about, but now am starting to feel like I’ve made the whole thing up and wasted everyone’s time??
I’ve been recommended to stop wearing a smart watch so I’m not aware of fast heart rates any more, and to not worry if it does go to 190-200. I have propranolol to continue taking for now but only until I feel like I no longer get symptoms and that hopefully the reassurance that it’s not dangerous will make the symptoms go away. So I’m confused about how to feel, for months I was told to be worried about fast heart rates from gps and now the experts have told me not to worry. Is it normal to feel completely confused and also feel that I’ve created a problem that isn’t even there?? Surely I should feel happy and lucky that I am healthy!
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I suffer with very severe anxiety so I know how you feel I really do
It is fantastic news though that as you say yourself these are the experts that have said there is nothing wrong
GP'S know a bit of this and a bit of that and if they feel anything is wrong that is what they do get us checked my the experts in that field to make sure what they think is either right or in this case wrong which happens but was better to be safe than sorry and you followed what you Doctor advised you to do so you have wasted no ones time at all
Now get that watch thrown away in the bin do not be tempted you will just feed the anxiety if you do maybe even if you have had help with your anxiety already ask for some more as it seems that is the cause and what you need to work on
Be happy you are ok physically you now have to work on your anxiety which you will do x
Thank you for replying so quickly! I am glad to hear that it is normal to feel like this, I am definitely not going to be wearing the smart watch as much, and I’ve cancelled an app that tracks your heart rate. It has been reassuring to see it less up and down since taking the propranolol but maybe it should be able to fluctuate all over the place in a day. They have requested an echo scan as well and they also mentioned a systolic murmur but again they don’t expect it to be harmful at all. I’ve done all my reading on SVT so as long as it doesn’t get any longer then it’s not an issue!
I suffer with anxiety as I have said and I keep away from smart watches etc I just have a BP machine which I can get anxious with my Doctor when I have made suggestions of getting other things I think has nearly fainted and with a stern no tells me to just let them monitor me
I have a very slight heart murmur I asked my Surgeon about it when I had my Bypasses and her reply was half the population may have a slight heart murmur which unless they have a heart event like you they will never know they have because it causes them no issues at all so I now try not to think about it
Such great news that your fine and nothing is wrong. On the other hand anxiety is a big thing it can manifest in physical symptoms. I have anxiety and I'm on medication for it because it was getting so bad! I hate that they belittle how you feel 💔😕. It's so annoying because there the specialists and they know what there talking about but dosent change how you have been feeling x I agree that you should definitely be happy that your healthy ❤️
Anxiety is such a difficult thing as it can feel so physical! Now thinking back when I’ve been worried about my heart rate going high, the anxiety has probably made it worse! Reading back over the summary also feels like I was a bit misunderstood as they are only taking into account my symptoms that were actually recorded in one week when I had the monitor rather than what I’ve felt over the last 6 months. It all started after having covid, which I also didn’t mention so again I feel like they think I just woke up one day and decided I had something wrong! As soon as they see anxiety on your history I definitely agree you get put into the neurotic basket!
No my symptoms aren’t caused directly when I’m anxious. I have been getting a faster than normal heart rate while exercising and also waking up at night with it a few times. But I have long term anxiety and stress, which probably contributes to my generally faster heart rate. I’ve never been aware of it up until recently when I started struggling with exercising and getting tired quicker.
If you are getting symptoms other than when anxious I.e. on physical exertion then I hope you go back and make it very very clear to them that this does not just happen when anxious.
Good luck, I think you should go back and reiterate the physical exertion side of things.
Not telling you what to do and not a doctor just talking from my experience❤️
Thank you, I have been told if anything changes I can get back in touch directly with him. I think I will just wait and see, and go back if I notice things are getting worse or more frequent. I’m definitely not writing it off as anxiety, I know myself what that feels like and dont agree entirely with the report.
This morning while tidying the kitchen I got a sudden warm feeling in my chest and then realised my heart was racing out of nowhere. It lasted for about half an hour, I managed to briefly calm it down using the Valsalva breathing techniques but then I stood up and off it went again. Finally after taking a beta blocker it has slowed down. I feel drained and as if I’ve been doing loads of exercise, and frustrated as that was the longest episode so far. My partner was home so I got him to feel my chest which he said was definitely racing, but I didn’t feel anxious or anything, just my heart was beating madly and I couldn’t stop it. It’s so strange!
I was putting a bag for life in the cupboard - hardly strenuous! 😅 but I didn’t sleep well as my dog was unwell in the night so wondering if that was the trigger for it! X
Yeah I agree so not strenuous, was you bending down or lifting your arms up to put in the cupboard?? I notice when I bend down my heart goes strange I get a warm sensation that comes over me that's just from tying my shoes lol X. So sorry to hear about your dog hope there ok. I have to take my cat to the vets tomorrow and I have a feeling she will need to be put down 💔😢, she's very old and in a lot of pain. Hope you feel better soon and ( for the record not anxiety!!) definitely go back to your GP and tell them how you have been feeling and specifically what you was doing while you felt that way x
Thanks hun, she's had fleas and ticks most of this year and now she isn't sleeping because she's in so much pain 💔😓. I've tried everything aswell and nothing has worked she is allergic to flea bites aswell so dosent help.
I was bending over towards the ground, yes exactly it was so strange! It happened a few months ago as well and the same thing happened that my heart rate went really fast for a bit.
Aww I’m so sorry to hear that, that’s so sad! My dog is fine, he just had a bit of an upset tummy as he’s still a puppy and doesn’t always know when to stop eating!! 😅 he’s just feeling a bit sorry for himself today because I only gave him a small breakfast! He’s a lab - so food obsessed!
I don’t know whether to contact the cardiologist or gp, and don’t want to sound silly or a hypochondriac either! I was debating whether to call the gp this morning while it was happening but as I managed to get rid of it myself I didn’t bother! X
Yeah I was beginning to think I was imagining how I was feeling while bending down but a few people have said they feel like that I don't know if it's blood pressure or heart related but it's definitely a strange sensation!
It's ok she's old she's 18! She is a tortashell cat and apparently they can live till there like 23! So I really hope she bounces back from this 💔. Ahh your dog sounds adorable! Glad he's feeling better ( well apart from his appetite 😂🐶) makes me think of marley and me and the dog is a lab, and he has a massive appetite makes sense now 🤣.
Do you have a special number to call or there email?? Or maybe just make an appointment anyway with the GP just to be safe. My mind always go's blank when I am actually in front of a doctor so it's very hard to explain properly how I feel! 💔 And then when I finally do remember it's like I was making it up 🙁😔. I'm glad it passed though that's something atleast, hope it dosent happen again! X
That’s proof indeed, maybe keep a diary so you have examples regards when, why ie, what you were doing and how it felt and long lasted. Very useful for doctor and for you to see pattern. Also when we get ourselves in front of a doctor I certainly forget.
That’s is not anxiety - unless was it a really ugly and upsetting bag for life? 😂 (I don’t mean to make light but if you don’t laugh……).
My dog is just over a year old and I’ve never had a pet before, he’s brought so much joy and love, he’s always there for us and I never realised how attached you could get to an animal!
I definitely forget everything, usually they ask why I’m there and I have to ask myself why 🤣 I will keep a diary of what happened, it’s definitely not anxiety, I got anxious after it went away and my heart rate wasn’t nearly as high, surely that is proof enough!
The bag for life was a Christmas one - maybe it was the stress about the thought of dark winter days approaching 😆 you’ve got to laugh!! X
I have a faster heart rate and sound exactly like you. My smart watch was giving me more anxiety as I was monitoring my heart rate all the time. I've managed to stop monitoring it as much now, my heart rate is still faster than others but cardiology not worried so I just accept that's normal for me 🙂
I can barely move without it jumping to over 100. Resting is generally 80-90 and exercise anything from 120-200. Ive had short morning walks with the dog at 170, or playing 2 hours of sport less around 150. I’ve just found it odd how some things set it off and others that you would expect to don’t. I’ve had my watch on during panic attacks and it’s usually only about 110-120. That’s the annoying thing as I know what my anxiety feels like, and to be told it’s that just doesn’t feel like they’ve listened to my concerns.
I’m not sure of your gender but I suffer with terrible anxiety triggered by menopause, my heart races at 150bpm in the middle of the night , at random times during the day even when I don’t feel stressed. I’ve had 2 48 hr monitors and the last one did pick up an incident that lasted just over a minute.
I’m now waiting to see a cardiologist needless to say I now have heart health anxiety and it’s not fun at all , I’ve always felt physically and mentally strong but all of that has changed in the last couple of years .
I am female but I’m 30, that is what I was getting so hopefully you get an answer. I’ve never suffered from health or heart anxiety before but when you don’t feel right and don’t know why, it does make you worry!
I wish they had phrased it better to you, rather than make you feel it was all your fault, especially as you mention tgat several doctors were also concerned.Putting it in a slightly different way like, "It was of concern that you heart rate is a bit high, however all the tests have shown there is nothing to be worried about." might have been a better way to put it.
Only you know if your watch, or any other gadgets, help or hinder. I use a BP monitor and a Kardia. People told me I would obsess over the Kardia, I don't, I just use that and the BP monitor to gather information to pass on to the cardiologist, always assuming I will get a follow up appointment in a timely manner this time.
I haven't had the Kardia long, but it has proved very useful to know what my BP is doing, not just for me but for the medical people too.
Generally I’ve not been obsessed with it, I check it after I’ve done things rather than during, and it was always out of interest rather than panicking something was wrong. I can go days or weeks without wearing it and not feel like im missing anything either so I don’t agree with the point that it has been unhelpful for me. I got a BP machine after I had to do a 7 days recording as it was high last time I had it checked. It now sits in a cupboard and hasn’t been used in months. I think it is easy to say that people get obsessed with monitoring but actually a lot of people don’t.
I agree with you there.I do use my BP machine daily as my BP is so erratic I have to know before I take my medication. All this had been discussed and agreed with my GP.
My Kardia also gets used daily as I have an issue they haven't been able to identify yet.
You say they told you not to worry if your HR goes up to 190 - 200, presumably they meant if it peaks at that, not if it goes up and stays up.
You certainly don't sound anxious to me, rather you sound level headed and practical.
Make sure you keep a record of events, it might help.
But the problem IS there even if it's caused by anxiety so you need help with that. When i started having palpitations it took a year for them to track down where they were coming from and to tell me they were benign but once I had been told,they did gradually go away. NO smart watches or fitbits back then but I was checking on a BP monitor. All these things do raise anxiety levels and are best only used if you have a serious problem like A Fib or you're a serious athlete. They draw attention to your heart rate so of course you are more aware and get more anxious. If you can't calm the anxiety yourself, get your GP's help.
I think that it is very “normal” to worry about a high heart rate, but I also have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, and I also have heart disease. So, is it “normal?”
Either way, I am extremely happy for you to have been given a clean bill of health! That sounds great, and you must be very happy! 😃🍁
I hope that you can stop worrying about your heart rate, but I know that that is super hard to do. I can say that I would reconsider throwing away the Apple Watch since it does provide so much additional health information to you. You can track your footsteps, time an indoor or outdoor walk and get heart rate during the walk, distance walked, see your route, see the temperature during the walk and the relative humidity, calories burned, etc. You can track your resting heart rate average, walking heart rate average, walking pace, track your hours of sleep, your breathing rate during sleep, your heart rate during sleep, and so much more.
After my HA in March 2022, I was dealing with a racing heart for several months afterward. Most people would probably say that I looked at my heart rate too often then. It has now been 18 months, and I only look at my heart rate on my Apple Watch one or two times per day if that. I do check breathing and heart rate during sleep—just to keep an eye on it, but last night, I did not wear my watch while I slept. I guess that I am trying to say that now that you know that you have a clean bill of health from your doctor, you can train yourself to only check your Apple Watch heart rate once or twice per day.
I wish you the best going forward living with your good news 😊! That is a whole new lease on life!
Also, I wish you the best in whatever you decide about tossing or keeping the Apple Watch! ❤️
Thanks for your reply and sorry to hear you have both anxiety and heart disease! Hope you are keeping well.
I check mine maybe once a day, if that, or if I’m noticing any symptoms. It was generally if I’d noticed something out of the ordinary I’d wonder why it was like that.
I’ll be keeping the watch as it’s amazing piece of technology, for one I definitely miss less phone calls when I’m wearing it as I’m terrible for remembering where I left my phone. I actually turned off the automatic blood oxygen measurements as it kept freaking me out with low readings in the middle of the night. I figured if it was an issue I’d be feeling something! So I think it’s finding the balance of how much information is sensible to take in without making yourself unduly anxious!
I think that you are absolutely correct about finding the right balance of health/heart data that is right for you to take in on a daily or weekly basis from your Apple Watch and/or other sources. It sounds like you have a sensible approach to your use of data, and that is great! 👍
You made me smile about turning off the automatic blood oxygen readings. Mine usually run low too. My mom, who is 85 this year, always has readings at 98–99%. This is even at the doctor’s office! Meanwhile, when I check mine, it hovers around 90, or even in the 80s, so I don’t always want to know either.
Thanks for your response, and I am glad that you have the data under control. ❤️
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