For the last 4 weeks my heart heart has been constantly pounding I feel my chest is heavy which makes my breathing feel heavy I have never drunk alcohol or smoked , i have had all blood work and chest x-ray and everything is normal. I had an ECG that showed missed beats and a heart rate of 97 which the cardiologist said was to high. I have had a heart monitor on and will get the results Friday along with a echocardiogram I had COVID for the time a few months ago and last some weight and I am wondering if this might the reason i am slowing gaining the weight i lost. My stress is through the roof I've been reading Dr google and he isn't not on my side and I now feel so stressed that its making the symptoms worse anyone had this happened? My cardiologist said it's treatable but obviously I haven't had echocardiogram yet.Thanks for reading my minds out of control right now with worry, will the echocardiogram show any signs of heart failure or damage?
Please help I'm so worried: For the... - British Heart Fou...
Please help I'm so worried
Unfortunately no=one on here can give you medical opinions on your situation. However by far the person best placed to establish what is wrong and how serious it is, will be your cardiologist who you are meeting on Friday who will have the report from the ECG tests and the heart monitor you are wearing and will be able to arrange for your ongoing treatment plan as necessary which may involve medication. The initial good news is that your cardiologist has said it's treatable whatever was apparent at the first pass. In the meantime I suggest you refrain from seeking advice from Dr Google, who seems to frighten anyone who consults him/her however trivial or serious the problem. And obviously try to de-stress your life as far as possible. Finally you could spend time looking at your diet and decide if there is anything you could be doing to prevent or reverse your weight gain, and also perhaps consider taking more exercise if that is possibles. Even a 20 minute steady walk around the block is good. Otherwise I hope your appointment on Friday goes well.
Thank you, for the kind reply , I needed to believe today that I wasn't alone
Your anxiety is probably making you feel worse. Try anything that helps you to relax, yoga, meditation, going for a walk, watching a good film. I watched Bridget Jones' Diary last week, I had forgotten how hilarious it is, I felt so good after having a good laugh.
Friday will soon come around and at least you'll have some peace of mind before the weekend. Good luck.
It is a good movie , I watched Bridget Jones a few weeks ago the one where she's having baby
I was cry laughing Thanks for the reply take care of yourself
and.
Write a list of any questions you may have. Take it with you. Try to be accompanied by someone with you who can make notes. The cardio will talk to you but you might forget some of what he or she says.
This is so helpful thank you for the advice , take care
When you have made the list Happyrosie suggested, go through it and list the questions in order of their importance to you - you probably won't have time to ask them all but if you start at the top you my get answers to the most important, you might also get answers to some before you ask
good things to ask might be "what can I do to reduce how often I feel this way?" and "what symptoms should prompt me to get medical help?" - feeling in control of your own health is important
I have gone private so I am hoping he doesn't rush me out the door , he didn't last week and he was very good at listening to my symptoms although my anxiety seems to be very high now and I have so many questions to ask his head will be spinning 😆 Take care of you , and thanks for advise
I think it’s important to have facts to work with. I had really high anxiety when I went through a cancer diagnosis and treatment and then to be told I’d had a heart attack.
I ended up with counselling which I found helpful. It sounds like your anxiety levels aren’t helping.
Googling will often take you to the worst case scenario. Each person is different even with the same symptoms. List your questions before you speak to the cardiologist. Listen to the cardiologist and make notes of what they say in case your imagination interprets everything in the wrong way.
It’s good to get the cardiologist to explain what’s happening in your case so you don’t go reading or listening to terrible tales of other people’s experiences.
Find out what makes you calm down and talk to positive people so you feel uplifted ☺️
I'm sorry to read about your own struggles , so thank you for taking time to answer mine.Take care of you, I'll update once I know the outcome of my appointment.
I agree with all that has been said. The anxiety will make you feel worse- so try to get a grip of that. However it’s normal to feel anxious when facing an unknown diagnosis. Whatever the outcome there are many medications out there that can ease the situation.. wishing you all the best- try not to worry.
Thank you for the reply, anxiety is the worst isn't it! Hope all is well with you , take care
A lot of people have had postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) after having COVID. The main symptom is palpitations when standing up. Pots.co.uk website has loads of great info and will help you decide what questions you need to ask your cardiologist. I've had PoTS for 30 years. Medication and non medication factors have helped enormously. Hope you get on okay on Friday and let us know how it goes.
Thank you, for the reply.I will see tomorrow now , my appointment has been brought forward I'll keep you updated
I hope your doing good in yourself
Take care.
That's great that your appointment has been brought forward! Do let us know how you get on....
HI. RELAX (LEARN MEDITATION) USE 424 BREATHING EXERCISE AND WAIT FOR RESULTS THEN LET THE EXPERTS TREAT YOU. HAVE YOU STOPPED SMOKING? ARE YOU OVERWEIGHT? GO FOR WALK IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. GOOD LUCK!!
Thanks for the reply I have never smoked and not over weight I am trying to relax more, my consultants secretary has just phoned and offered me an appointment for tomorrow now so I shall know what's happening sooner than Friday
I hope your well , take care.
The worry and anxiety is most likely the cause of your raised heart rate. Stay off google completely apart from the NHS website and BHF. My normal rate is in the 80s but after reading things online I've known it immediately go up to 120. Are you checking it frequently? That doesn't help either. You are lucky your doctor has taken it on board and you're having tests. If you're wearing a watch or similar to check it, take it off. Try relaxation exercises which w ill at least show you how much effect anxiety is having on it. I'm not saying there's nothing wrong but that should help while you are waiting for test results.
I am privately seeing a cardiologist now thankfully I have health insurance at first I had seen my Dr but then I thought I should really go and see the professionals I know the NHS lists are very long and someone else can have my slot, I'll keep you all updated after tomorrow.
That's good advise , I shall take off my watch and stop obsessing over it, which is hard because I can feel it's not right but I think maybe just having the watch on might be also causing the anxiety, maybe it's silly but it worth a try!
Yes reading things makes me feel even worser so I have stopped now and banned myself looking up on Google ever again!
Thanks for food advise , I appreciate it
Take care of you, good luck with your own health struggles
Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes
It's easy to see on here just how much all the available tech now makes people obsessed about their health and causes so much anxiety. After my heart attack I was guilty of checking my BP regularly which of course showed every ectopic beat, raised BP because I was worrying. The only things i have are a BP machine with a symbol that shows erratic beats and a finger oxymeter which I got during the pandemic. Both live in a cupboard so I'm not tempted. I check BP for a week, every 6 months and send the results to my GP and that's it.
Hi Amyamy12345, I would be surprised if you weren't anxious. I'm not normally an anxious person but I've had a few health problems and uncertainties and have been surprised and almost overwhelmed by the level of anxiety I've experienced. I've come to the conclusion like most ways our body reacts to things, it is functional and serves a purpose. It's a sort of preparing you for the unexpected. When it goes into overdrive and you start catastrophising, almost certainly the worst doesn't happen but you were prepared for it! So relief follows and a new perspective is formed. Your vulnerability was real, not as bad as it might have been, but now you can think about how to deal with the news.
I don't use Dr Google so can't comment but I do research but try and ensure I use data/symptoms that are real and not might be. The danger is that our bodies and minds can play tricks with our experiences. But that is the point at which you're telling yourself I'm feeling stressed and anxious. That is the warning.
Everything is a continuum. I'm short, overweight (okay fat) , bald and surprisingly born a male😃. I'm now also old and grumpy. These are all really bad symptoms for a man with an inner alpha male personality. Maybe not the greatest of metaphors but health measurements are 'normalised' to whole populations and rarely reflect the complexity of the whole individual.
For example unrelated as far as is so far medically or scientifically proven , I have lived with it seems like forever, raised bilirubin levels, low blood count levels, bradycardia and ectopics. They are not sufficient in themselves to warrant any further investigations because they cause me no obvious symptoms. They may be related to me being short, fat and bald or vice versa who knows, and apart from me nobody cares!
BUT, you've had some great advice to shove the gremlins into a box where they belong, and like others recommend I exercise and get out. I love and embrace weather in all its forms, it won't stop me going out. And all the time I exercise I know whatever is actually wrong with me I'm doing my bit to help my body tackle it's problems.
When you see your Doctor do consciously relax before you go in, deep breathing, so you can listen clearly to what is being said and do make the list of questions as advised by others.
Thank you so much for the long response I appreciate it and you did infact make me smile so a high five to that!
Your right anxiety plays tricks on the mind and the body! And Dr Google probably isn't the best person to ask to play.
I stopped excising, so I guess I should start that back up again but when you go the anxious road it's hard to pull yourself out of it sometimes , but onwards and upwards so they say right? So positive vibes only is what I need to concentrate on.
I hope your doing well , take care of you.
Thanks so much again for the response, it helps.
My friend had palpitations after having Covid which was confirmed by a cardiologist after tests so it could be related for you. An echocardiogram will show if there’s any structural problems with your heart. An ECG looks at the electrical activity in the heart. Depending on your age, consider hormones as a trigger. Peri menopause and menopause symptoms can include palpitations. Peri symptoms can start in your thirties. Try not to use Dr Google as it will just make you more anxious. Have a list of questions ready for when you see your doctor. Hope all goes well.
Thank you for the sound advise , I'm post menopausal from surgical years ago and I'm on good hrt alongside my consultant for that and have no changes in my hormones He did say he's seen this happen to people after COVID , I will probably feel better after my scan which has been brought forward and is now tomorrow
I hope your well, take care of you
hi Amy, normal blood work and X-ray is a good start.👍 the stress and worry you’re experiencing is normal but won’t be helpful to you mentally and can definitely exaggerate your symptoms.? I can’t tell you not to worry because Iv spent years myself worrying about my missed heart beats etc no matter how many doctors and cardiologists have reassured me over the years unfortunately.
I’m a worrier and it’s my nature and I just can’t help it and I’m also aware of every single missed heart beat etc or racing heart rate and I know exactly how you feel at this moment in time👍
I honestly believe you’re going to be ok. let the other tests come back so they can tick all the standard investigation boxes and I’m sure you’ll start feeling better.👍
Thank you that was a kind post and very much needed it's nice to know others understand, yes I am also a worrier it's just me naturally unfortunately I can't change that I'm perhaps to old now lol I hope your okay take care of you
I’m an old worrier too so we definitely got something in common 👍
I started with missed heart beats and strong racing heart beats in my late teens then had a break from them until my early twenties and Iv spent years and years petrified by them. Iv also had counselling etc which has helped but Iv let the worry take over my life at some points unfortunately.! Iv been depressed about it, Iv been unable to sleep, I couldn’t eat anything sometimes, I was just a walking worry/ frightened/stress ball.?
It’s only this last few years its somehow finally sunk in that I aren’t actually going to drop dead or die next week because of these missed beats and racing heart rates etc. I’m actually having a few while I’m messaging you now but Iv not got the fear of them anymore like I once had or I would just stop messaging you ASAP and gone straight into panic mode.😝
I’m sure you will be feeling better soon. The doctors etc know exactly how to help you and they will.👍
Look forward to hearing how you get on and message anytime.👍
All the best.
Ron.
Thank you , its comforting to know your there and understand what it is like although I am sorry you suffer to. I have them also has I'm typing this message my heart is pounding and the panic is starting to set in but I must remind myself it's okay.I will get a grip on it at some point I'm sure, I'm hoping I feel better tomorrow after my appointment and my scan
Life is all swings and roundabouts, thanks for the reply it's appreciated 👍
I hope all is well with yourself , take care of you
You take care too Amy. You’ll be ok.👍
As others have said don't use Dr Google!
BUT try chatGPT ( needs a free account) to help you frame your questions. Type in your data as you have told us here and ask for an analysis. Be carefully with the response ins NOT medically validated. BUT if you Then rephrase your question and ask what you should ask your cardiologist. I find this interaction helps me refine my own thoughts and I've used it to good effect. Good luck and do your best to stay calm.
Thank you, having never heard of it before I'll give it a whirl cheers!
Thank you for the advise, much appreciated 👍
It's hard staying calm, I'm learning everyday lol
Hope all is well , take care of you
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