feeling anxious

[Tabbyjune]

hi, past few months now I've been experiencing palpitations (etopic beats) always been told they are from anxiety and wont harm me but they do make me so worried about my heart so I paid for a 6 day ecg monitor it showed I had 16 in the 6 days 4 of them being couplets , I've also booked to have an echocardiogram done I'm just wondering if anyone eles has been or going through anything similar, I get so scared il go into a dangerous rythem

[PadThaiNoodles]

That’s a very low ectopic load. Some studies considered >70/day to be high, while others drew the line at >720/day and >1,500/day.

Still, worrying is no fun, and can damage your health. It might be worth having a talk with your GP about treating your anxiety. I get significant relief from an SSRI.

[Eeee13 in reply to PadThaiNoodles]

I’ve had lots of ectopic beats all my life. Because they were always there I knew no different. Only found out 14 months ago at age of 63 when more serious came to light. Am I worried about them no. They haven’t changed. My surgeon said there not of concern. Anxiety can make ectopic worse and ectopic beats can make anxiety worse. Thing is not to panic you can live quite happily with them unless advised otherwise by your healthcare provider.

[PopjamQuinto]

hi there, honestly, that is such a low amount of ectopic beats to have over nearly a week. It’s so much easier said than done but best thing you can do is not worry, especially if it is the anxiety bringing them on. Thing is, even if it’s not the anxiety, doesn’t mean it’s something awful, lots of people get ectopics but the majority don’t feel them, your just unlucky you can feel them. I’m the same as you I feel every single one, in the chest and in the throat, mine came on suddenly in December last year and have never gone away, like you I paid to have a holter moniter and echo done for reassurance, I had 732 ectopics over 3 days and my cardiologist was not in the slightest concerned and actually I’ve learned to live with them, something I didn’t think possible a few months ago, my anxiety with them got so bad I ended up back in hospital having a panic attack, I’m on 2.5 bisoprolol and that has dulled them down somewhat. Wishing you well, take it easy.

[Biscuit08]

Hi Tabby, I have experienced this exact scenario too. I also paid for an ECG, Echo cardiogram and 7 day monitor. It showed like yours very few etopic beats. I had a conversation with a cardiologist who reassured me it was nothing of concern. He said 1. Reassurance 2. Magnesium supplements and 3 Breathing techniques. Please don’t go with the magnesium without medical advice.

What I would say is following the reassurance I no longer let it make me anxious when it does happen. And they subsided. I do still get palpitations but I just almost “let it go” I don’t worry about them anymore and just accept them.

I hope this helps you. I got in a really stress about them and was ready to pack myself off to A and E!

[meadfoot]

I hate ectopics with a passion. They make me feel awful and feel so insidious and invasive. I dont know what it is about them but each one brings a jolt of anxiety and stress with it. I wonder what the physiology of them is, I think I might be able to cope better if I knew why they bring so much anxiety.

I understand the mechanics of ectopics but why they are accompanied by so much anxiety remains unclear to me. The only thing that helps at little is that when I feel the ectopic beat the pause or missed beat has already happened and I am still around and thriving.

My medics too are reassuring but do accept they can feel quite traumatic. The usual things are suggested. Deep calm breathing, stay well hydrated, ensure your electrolytes are in balance ie magnesium, potassium etc have them checked by your doctor, manage stress, well thats a big issue to manage, check your other medicines whether for cardiac or any other medical issue dont have rhythm disturbance side effects. Staying calm will help but I realise that is a big ask for us sufferers. Apparently most people have ectopics but are unaware of them. Once we are aware of them it seems almost impossible to ignore them and we become more sensitised to them. Best wishes.

[Manderson27]

Mine turned out to be a Left bundle branch block. However because there was no underlying heart disease or issues they are not seen as a problem. I can understand your anxiety, I think your heart is the one thing you normally don't even notice so when it is highlighted in this manner it does bring with it the worry that it will just stop. I found reading through this forum to be incredibly helpful. Other people going through the same and so much more and are managing their issues and still living full and happy lives. So take heart (pun intended) if your medical team says they are harmless you should believe them. Perhaps you have triggers, one of mine is strong coffee the caffeine can set them off, sugar is also a trigger for me. I find slow deep breathing and a glass of water helps. The heart has an amazing capacity to compensate for this kind of muscular/electric signal.

[FinickyPlum]

What very helpful posts, thank you. I have these wretched palpitations too, came on suddenly a year or so ago and very noticeable. Scary yes, but cardiologist says nothing to worry about. I'm on 5mg Bisoprolol which has damped them down a bit, but still get them. Knowing others are getting on with life whilst experiencing them really helps me cope too. Thank you.

[Tabbyjune]

thank you all these posts have been really helpful for me 😍

[Mlinde]

Yes, I've had them for years and I'm assured that they're not dangerous. They do increase when anxious, so you really need to try and relax. As far as I know, it's the body's electrical system acting up, so the source is probably your brain. It's very easy to confuse them with AF, my GP did. Yoga?