Interesting realization about possible PVC's after exercising and anxiety

[xstalkrx]

22 year old male.  170 pounds.

First, I am not sure if what I am experiencing is PVC or not.  Please lend your insights.  I will number each question individually.

If I am doing a lot of situps or whatever...and get my heart rate up...and then stop suddenly and lay flat on the ground.  I can feel my heart beating easily.

1.  Is it normal for me to feel my heart beating easily at this point?

While I am sitting on the ground feeling my heart rate slowly drop closer to resting pulse...I will get an occasional "slow" and "hard" beat.  It will be something like this.... thump thump thump THHUUMMPP thump thump thump

2.  Is this a PVC or the natural way your heart comes down from exercise

Also, I noticed that if I think with a peacefull mind and focus on positive things INSTEAD of my heart, that the "slow" "hard" beats simply WONT occur.  If, while coming down from exercising and laying on the ground, I concentrate on my heart beat it WILL occur a few times each minute.

3.  What is going on here?

[greenlydia]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
PVC's are normal cardiac events in the sense that 1) over half of us have them, 2) they are easy to understand as normal from knowldege of the hearts electrical system, and 3) they don't mean you have heart disease. I do have one question for you..........are you taking any kind of steroid? This would include the use of Advair. Steroids can induce PVC's.
To answer your questions.........after doing a series of sit ups, it is incredibly normal for you to feel your heart beating. After attempting sit ups, MY heart feels like it's gonna blow out my chest wall! Is that normal? For your basic couch spud, it is.
You say that while you are waiting for your heart to return to it's "normal" resting rate, you can feel it go "thump, thump, thump, THUUUMP, thump, thump," and you wonder if that is a natural way for your heart to "come down" from exercise or PVC. It is entirely possible that you are experiencing a PVC during this cool down period, it is normal for your heart to skip a beat or two after you've done a session of cardio. As long as it's just one or two, here and there, there is nothing to worry about. Worry when your heart starts palpitating and won't stop! It is also VERY normal that when we become hyper-vigilant about our heart rates, our minds will mess with it! Anxiety can cause your heart to palpitate. So, you've given yourself the answer already. When you are cooling down, laying on the floor, think those positive, peacefull thoughts and let your heart do it's own thing. You've proven to yourself it works. Get off the anxiety train before it leaves the station!!!!!!! Best wishes. Come back any time, but join up so you can take full advantage of our services!   :) Let us know how you're doing, OK?
Greenlydia  

[xstalkrx]

I am not taking any steroids.  My diet is clean. Never any caffeine.  I eat foods to help me gain lean muscle mass and generally stay in shape.

Cocaine use triggered some minor tachardia that lasted for 8 hours over a month ago.  It hasnt happened since.

BUT what it has done....is made me SUPER AWARE of my heart beat.  This whole ordeal has made me so paranoid that I cant remember what "normal" activity for a heart is like.

I went to a cardiologist and had a ton of tests done...echocardiogram...24 hour monitor...all came back normal.

[greenlydia]

Glad you're not doing the steroids. Bad mojo, that.
I won't insult you with a lecture on cocaine. Your experience with the post-cocaine tachardia should have been a massive wake up call! Apparently is was, to the extent that you went to a cardiologist, had a fairly thorough work-up in which everything came back normal, but now you are stuck in a sort of "heart anxiety." Unless you are experiencing some sort of cardiac "events" on a regular basis, then what you need to do is relax. I know, I know...........it's trite advice, but I think in your case, it's the only thing you need to do. You need to find a way to distract yourself from these paranoid "heart thoughts" and move on. If you are still unable to refocus your thoughts away from your heart and what it is or isn't doing, call your cardiologists office and ask to speak to his/her PA. Ask them to send you a written report of the docs findings, which you can read over and over and reassure yourself that your heart is JUST FINE!!!!  You can also ask them these same questions you have posed here. I think they will be able to releave your mind far more than I can! Keep up the work outs and keep OFF the cocaine! And keep us posted. We're always here.
Greenlydia

[xstalkrx]

I was anxious more than I normally am this morning.  As I was sitting at the computer checking email my heart rate monitor said I was at a resting heart rate of 95-100.  Scary stuff.

So I told myself to take a few deep breaths and it came down to 80.  Still high...but better than 95-100.

Usually my resting heart rate will be between 68-76.

[greenlydia]

Hey Toots,
I think you need to talk to your PCP (primary care physician) about your anxiety. It is a recurrent theme in your posts, but I see no mention of meds or therapy for this issue.
You said this morning your level of anxiety was higher than normal. Anxiety will increase your heart rate, which you seem to be a tad obsessed with. Why are you wearing a heart monitor?
95-100 is NOT a scary HR (heart rate) even if your "normal" rate is 68-76. Many things can cause a rise in the HR. Your MIND can cause a rise in the HR. Meds can cause a rise. Maybe something in one of your e-mails caused your HR to rise. Anger can do. Excitement can do it.
When we talked before, you told me you have had a recent check up with a cardiologist, and everything was NORMAL. That says to me the only thing left is your anxiety level, so get yourself into your docs and discuss all this with him/her as soon as possible. And put that dang heart monitor away! (UNLESS your cardiologist has told you to wear it!) Which I find odd since all your cardio tests were normal.
When you find yourself becoming hyper-vigilant about your HR...........get up and do something besides sit there and watch your pulse rate go up, which it will. Your a jock, do some push ups or chin ups or a few reps with the dumb balls or whatever they're called. And think those peaceful, positive thoughts you told me about. There is nothing wrong with your heart. Go have some chicken soup.
Greenlydia  

[xstalkrx]

thank you for your thoughts greenlydia.

the reason I was wearing the heart monitor, is because I wear it when I run on the treadmill.  i train at a certain heart rate level for a certain amount of time.  it just so happened that i put it on before i went to the gym...and then became obsessed with it.

i will go to the doc soon about the anxiety.

although, id really like to beat this thing without meds.

[greenlydia]

Good Morning Sweetie,
OK, so now I understand why you have a heart monitor. Since you are aware that you become obsessed with your HR when you've got it on.........when you get off the treadmill, take it off! And leave it off until you get back on the treadmill.
Glad to hear you're going to see your doc. I think it will help you tremendously. Tell him/her up front that you do not want to take any meds. They can't make you, it's entirely your decision, in which case I think a few sit downs with a good therapist will help you find the cause of your anxiety. Please be very honest with them about your cocaine use. Since this anxiety seemed to appear only AFTER you used, they need to know that.
You're gonna be just fine! You just have to do some inner work now along with all the outer work you're doing.
Good luck, hon! Keep us posted.
Greenlydia  

[FitOverForty]

The use of your cocaine if only once could be the culprit that messed with your brain neurotransmitters, etc.  I know this because a relative experimented with cocaine for the first and last time and she developed nervousness and anxiety thereafter.  She regrets ever having tried this casually with friends but now has to face retraining her mind to slow down.  Sometimes, it meds for (klonipin or ativan) and sometimes she just needs chamomile, sleeping time tea.  She has her good months and her bad months.

[xstalkrx]

the only thing that bothers me is that i can feel my heart beat when i am trying to relax...sitting still...or trying to go to sleep.  it beats in a normal pattern....and at a normal rate...but i can FEEL my heart beating.  It's annoying and it makes me lose about 30 minutes of sleep everynight.  i fear this will continue forever.

[greenlydia]

Hi Hon,
You can feel your heart beating at rest, at it's normal resting rate for one reason and one reason only! YOU ARE OBSESSING ABOUT IT! We can all get ouselves worked up if we concentrate as intently as you on our heart rates. Take some good deep breaths or breath into a paper bag for a few minutes to return you carbon dyoxide levels to normal, which you have thrown out of whack by subconsciously hyperventilating. When you have restored the carbon dyoxide in your system to normal levels, your heart rate will slow down and the anxiety will magically disappear. And get that report from your cardiologist which will help you in times like these. You can be taking deep breaths while you read that your heart is sound as a rock. Deal with the underlying anxiety with your doc or a therapist. Keep us posted and please try to stop concentrating on your heart! Good luck!
Greenlydia

[xstalkrx]

OK I had an interesting experience tonight during the super bowl.

It has been 1.5 months since I have even had a drink of alcohol.  I had 1 beer tonight while I was watching the game.  As I was sitting on the couch, even before I started drinking, I could feel my heart beating in my chest.  It was beating in a normal rhythm...its just that I could feel lit.

Right before I finished off the beer I felt my heart rate rise.  It jumped to about 100-110.  I started to panic.  I excused myself from the group and filled a glass of water from the sink.  Before I returned back to the couch, my heart rate had already slowed back down.

Did the alcohol cause my heart to palpitate up to 100-110 beats per minute...or was it my mind?  I fear my heart rejected the alcohol? I dunno...my heart rate dropped back down so quickly...but I felt like I was on the brink of panic and my heart started beating harder and harder...and faster and faster...

I REALLY hope that there will be a day when I can have some drinks and relax like old times....or at LEAST ONE BEER!

This sucks....