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pounding heart-anxiety

Hi there

I am a norwegian girl, 25 years old. New to this forum. So, I have suffered form a constant racing heart after panic attacks started 5 years ago, the doc put me on betablocker. The last year, after stopping exercising due to a musclepain in my leg, my anxiety has developed and other symptoms have shown up as well. My main symptoms now are constant pounding heart in my chest, dizziness when standing up, panic attacks, weak legs (can`t walk up a a stair without getting lactic acid in my thighs, pounding heart, out of breath) , pounding heart when moving or switching position, after eating etc. Have recently been to endoctrinoligst, cardiologist, neuroligst-everything normal except sinus tachy sometimes (oh, you don` say?;)) I am constantly fatigued and always worry abut my heart and heatlh. I am not even able to stay at home by my self. My GP says its all due to stress/anxiety and decontioning.  Should I believe that? I have read about conditions like IST,POTS, cfs and have many of the symptoms.
but I know I have severe anxiety as well. Can this all be due to sensitized nervous and anxiety system and being out of shape? Anyone else has similar experience?

Thanks:)

Sandra
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Avatar universal
I somehow came across this thread and I may have an answer for some of you with this racing heart, dizziness, and pounding heart.  

Please google other peoples symptoms with Bartonella and Babesia, these are extremely common overlooked diseases.  They are co-infections of Lyme disease.

You may have already been tested by Lyme, and had it come up negative, but most people will come up negative especially if you've had it over a few weeks.  

Most people are born with in because it can be passed from mother to child, it is in breastmilk, semen, blood transfusions, you name it, we have been exposed even without a tick bite.

Your chances of having Bartonella are extremely high, in my small town, about 35 of my friends had varying symptoms and they all have it.  Not confirmed by blood test as there are so many species and few are tested, but they are all responding to antibiotic treatment, and have been clinically diagnosed.

You don't have to have all the symptoms.  I only had anxiety and very mild plantar foot pain for 10 years before my disease exploded one stressful summer.  

You must see a lyme literate MD or lyme literate ND to get proper treatment and even then, some of those people will miss it.  If you get poo-pooed then go to another one, ask around, there are now lyme doc's in most parts of the country.

I wish you good health.  I am in ND medical school right now just so that I can help people like you and myself, we shouldn't have to suffer and worry.  There is hope.
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213375 tn?1202403800
Please do keep us posted and feel free to send me a personal message anytime :-)

Cori
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Avatar universal
Cori!!Thanks so much, again. It really gives me hope, and its good to hear that you have recovered from these terrible symptoms, caused by fear and adrenaline!
You all are so amazingly nice people, with such good advice for me. I am so, so grateful. I will keep you posted! Now I know I can recover:)
Have a good weekend!

Sandra:)
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213375 tn?1202403800
Yes I too got the pounding heart when changing positions, especially when I stood up after sitting for awhile.  My heart would have a normal steady rhythm and when I would stand in would change rhythm with a VERY strong heavy thud, my heart rate would slightly increase, and my heart would pound with every beat until I sat back down again.  When I would sit down it was like it was reverting back to a resting rate with one last heavy thud.  So I would get a particularly strong beat upon standing, experience the pounding while on my feet and feel one last really strong beat as soon as I sat back down.   Atleast that was the norm when my heart wasn't already in pounding mode before I needed to move.  It also happened when I would bend over/squat and stand back up or roll over in bed, but that happened off and on over time, and was never anything I could "count" on happening.  

On my worst days with the leg weakness/burning I found it extremely difficult to do much more than get out of bed, and only mover from my chair for bathroom breaks and food preparation.  If I was brave enough to try to cook a meal that took more than 1/2 hour I often ended up with exremely weak/burning legs, and dizziness and a few times I asked my husband to plate the food, as I felt I could no longer stand.  But as I began to resolve some of my anxiety issues, my symptoms began to fade and disappear, the leg weakness/burning being one of the first to go.  

My best advice to you is to address the anxiety with therapy, or self-help (at-home programs/books) and slowly begin to exercise (long slow walks).  The absolute most helpful thing I did was google "anxiety adrenaline" and "anxiety amygdala".  You will learn so much about the effects a "toxic" adrenaline level has on your body (the amydala is the part of our brain responsible for causing our adrenals to dump andrenaline) and you can then see the full picture as to why it is absolutely imperative that you get active in any way possible to help burn up the adrenaline and reduce you adrenaline levels.  The thought of "toxic" adrenaline levels scared me at first but as I read I realized that it's not life-threatening, it just creates a constant state of almost unbeareable symptoms that will remain with you until you are able to reduce the adrenaline levels.  And you can only achieve that by adressing the anxiety and getting active.

I hope you feel better soon!  We know you can do it!  Hang in there and good luck with your recovery!

Cori
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Avatar universal
thank you so much, Cori!Sad to hear you have experienced these horrible symptoms, but glad to hear you are feeling better!!Then I know theres hope. I knw anxiety is really physical, but I never thought it would affect me as much as it does now.Did your heart also pound when switching positions? And was it hard for you to walk up starirs/exercise?
Its hard to live a normal life when these symptoms are so debilitating. I can`t go out dancing, run up the stairs, exercise etc, without feeling my heart pounding out of my chest and my legs are just really weak. I am really going to work on this, and not give up. The worrying about the symptoms is as bad as the symptoms themself.
Take care

Sandra:)
Helpful - 0
213375 tn?1202403800
All of the responses above are such good advice that I feel I cannot add anymore regarding recovery from your anxiety disorder, but I felt compelled to share my symptoms with you as they are amazingly similar.  

I've had anxiety for eight years now, and in the beginning I had random panic attacks that would come and go for no "apparent" reason, and the only symptom that lasted all day everyday was cold hands and feet.  As time went by my symptoms list grew longer and longer until it was as long as the most exhaustive anxiety symptoms list I have found.  My original health concern was my heart because of the pounding heart, rapid heart beat, and dizziness during panic attacks.  Then I noticed that I would get the pounding heart after eating.  It would begin within 15 minutes and last for up to 2 hours.  It seemed that about the time the food would move out of my stomach and I would get hungry again the pounding would disappear.  The racing heart beat would come and go with no rhyme or reason.

Another symptom we share is the dizziness.  Over the passed 8 years I have experienced extreme dizziness upon standing, while turning over in bed (as if I'm drunk), even when turning my head back and forth to quickly while sitting, and more recently when I do a 180 while walking.  

I too had the burning leg symptom, and it was quite painful.  It would happen everytime I stood up from sitting and hurt more when I had been sitting for a while.  It felt just as you described, like acid in my muscles, starting in my calves near the ankles, and rapidly spreading upwards towards my hips within seconds.  It felt as if my legs would collapse beneath me and was always accompanied by dizziness.  It became so strong that my legs actually did give out on me one time.  I stood up from a sitting position while holding my first child in my arms, then there came the pain, and suddenly I was going down.  Luckily I had the presence of mind to aim my daughter for a small foam couch we had for her.  It was the only time I ever went down.  This symptom was daily and lasted for well over 2 years.  

I too worried about POTS, or autonomic neuropathy along with some sort of cardiac issue, but my GP, Cardio, and all the ER docs I have seen have never found anything wrong with me...other than anxiety.  I too chose to remain med-free, and other than some "self-help" I have not sought proper therapy to clear up the anxiety totally.  But I am proud to say that my daily symptoms are all but gone now, and while I do have relapses into the anxiety cycle, I am able to respond to the symptoms appropriately, and pull myself out of my "funk" very quickly.  What helps me the most is accepting how I feel as being "just anxiety", looking inside myself as to what is bothering me, addressing it appropriately, and putting it behind me.  Exercise (even a long slow walk) will work wonders in reducing the severity and frequency of your daily symptoms.  I have not had weak/burning legs in 2 years, the dizziness only appears when I am really anxious, and the heart pounding after eating is still with me everyday.  I still have lots of work to do before I can say I am fully recovered but I have come so far from where I was that I can honestly say that I am almost there!

I hope this helps ease your mind a bit, and that you feel better soon!

Cori
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480448 tn?1426948538
Great for you!  Well, *I* remember how incredibly stressful and intense nursing school was, so no wonder you are having some anxiety issues!!!!  It's rough!  I always considered myself to be fairly intelligent and thought I would BREEZE thru nursing school, HA!  That was and still is the hardest thing I've ever done.  Well worth it, but tough.

Also, learning about all sorts of horrid, awful deadly diseases and conditions is never helpful for those us with anxious, impressionable psyches!  :0)

To answer your question, yes I have FULL recovered from my anxiety, actually on several different occasions.  For me....I have had periods (years) where I have been completely anxiety free (I'm talking it the thought never entered my mind)...and then I would have periods with extreme anxiety.  Usually about a year after I decided I didn't need my meds anymore...it would come back.  I had every symptom that has prolly ever been listed..palpitations, shakes, horrible GI symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, you name it).."de-realization", depression, i could go on and on.  Been to the ER convinced I was "dying"...had myself in a straight jacket too (well, not literally).

Thing is...the longer I've been on this roller coaster ride, the more and more aware I became of my mental wellness (or lack thereof)...and any slight inkling I would be headed back towards anxiety...I always sought help right away to get back on track.  The severity and length of the episodes always vary for me, but I can tell you (for me anyway)...the periods of "wellness" have always been MUCH longer than the periods of anxiety and panic.

I also stopped (a LONG time ago) being too proud and "tough"...and trying to "get myself through it"...or "snap out of it"...I resolved a long time ago, that for ME (and not everyone is the same, obviously)...I did much better with help.

And, in your post above...you nailed it....the symptom-fear cycle.  That is anxiety for you.  The scarier thoughts your brain can come up with...it will.  Then that scares you and causes anxiety (and so goes the anxiety merry-go-round).  Basically, in a nut shell, we are scaring the daylights out of our own selves.  Nice huh?

Banging your head against a brick wall is not therapuetic either, in case you try to give it a whirl.  :0)

You will be just fine.  It takes some time....but it will come.  And remember, you DO have a lot of stress right now, school alone.  For me, I STILL have never encountered any other thing in my life that was ever that intense.

Take Care.
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Avatar universal
great answer, Nursegirl! thanks!! I suppose you are a nurse?;) I am a nursestudent myself...having my practicum at a "neurology post" whcih tend to trigger my anxiety even more...:/
My body and nervous system is just really wrecked up right now. Symptoms-fear-more symptoms-more fear and so on. This keeps me in a constant state of heightened anxiety and alertness...as well as I don`t exercise anymore, leaving my body feeling very tired, sick, achy and all the other symptoms mentioned. Great fun....ehhh..
Have you managed to get fully recovered from you anxiety, NursegirL? And what symptoms did you have?
Take care

Sandra:)
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480448 tn?1426948538
Thanks for replying again.

Well, it sounds like you pretty much got a clean bill of health where your heart is concerned, that is great!!!  

Which leaves you to address the anxiety.  Everyone does so differently.  I have had great success with medication along with therapy myself.  

Please just be sure to follow up with your doc...he/she can give you some alternatives and options when it comes to treating your anxiety without medications.  They are out there.  You are on the right track, and because you have some experience with this....you know the drill, so that is good.

Being "aware" of your heartbeat and feeling every beat is also fairly common.  ANNOYING to say the least, huh?!  Also, understandably concerning, because our sensations and symptoms are VERY real.

OK....I'm going to go into technical pathophysiology speak real quick...b/c anyone not 100% familiar with this whole process may benefit from gainging some understanding about the panic attack process, and it is a nice review for those of us who HAVE dealt with this for eons.....

Basically, during a panic attack...our body goes into the "fight or flight" response, as that is it's job during any perceived threat (and with PD, the "threat" is in our minds rather than a real threat of danger).  Any which way....same thing...the sympathetic nervous system kicks in full speed ahead....and actually, for REAL threats, it is an amazing system...it allows for self preservation...speeding up the pulse rate, allowing for more blood flow to the extremities for fleeing purposes, along with TONS of other effects, which I won't bore everyone with.

EVENTUALLY, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over when either the "threat" is gone....or after a period of sustained sympathetic nervous sys activity, when it is likely that the threat was not legit.  This is important to know, b/c a lot of us sometimes feel we cannot "bring ourselves out of it" in terms of a panic attack.  Eventually, our bodies do it for us.  Pretty cool, HUH?

ANYWAY...where I'm going with all of this mumbo-jumbo is that the symptoms we feel are VERY real because of the processes that are taking place when the "fight or flight" response kicks in.

Hopefully that gives you a bit of understanding and reassurance as to WHY the bothersome symptoms are so very REAL and are very scary to us.

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Avatar universal
Hi all

Wow, many replies in a short time. Thank you!

I have both high resting heart rate (but it stays in the 70-90 with low dose of betablocker)and when in an attack it pounds very hard and can go up to 140-150 bpm. The most annoying and tiing symptom tohugh is the constant pounding/feeling every single beat in my chest and throat! I have recenty (november, my symptoms were the same then) had a full check up at the cardiologist, he said my heart is fine, so I don`t want to go there again;)And I trust that my heart is healthy, I am just concerned that I have an autonomic ysfunction, like POTS that keep speeding up my heartrate. That said, my symptoms started becoming really bad after starting suffering from bad anxiety again one year ago.

I have been to councelling, it helped, but back then my symptoms were not as extreme as they are now.  feel like I want to do this on my own now and that I have to practice what I have learnt. I could also get anti depressant from my doc, but I refuse tp take them

What I meant by lactic acid is the kind of feeling you get when you are exercising too hard and you get this tired feeling in your leg due to lack of oxygen and too much co2 and others.
thanks again, you guys:):)
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480448 tn?1426948538
LOL!!!

I can always tell when I haven't had enough coffee yet...I spend more time fixing typos than typing the actual post!  :0)

I really enjoy your posts very much...and SO relate you everything you say.

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Avatar universal
Thanks,
I need to learn to type though....still morning so I have an excuse.
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480448 tn?1426948538
What an excellent post!

SO true how anxiety causes us to be uber-aware of any bodily function/symptom...and in turn, worsen it in our minds.

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480448 tn?1426948538
HI there,

The short answer?  Yes, it absolutely COULD be the anxiety and panic.  When you say your heart is constantly racing, do you mean your pulse rate is high, and if so, for how long?  Or, are you speaking more of palpitations, where you get a period of a rapid, pounding heart, and then it subsides?

Also, I don't quite know what you mean by lactic acid in your thighs?  Have you been tested for a DVT (blood clot, usually in the leg)?

The weakness you describe is common when one is suffering frequent episodes of palpitations (not to mention anxiety).

Have you tried any treatment for the anxiety?  I think that may be a great place to start if you haven't.  Certainly, if you are having long epiosodes (as in hours) of a fast pulse rate (over 110), then you need to seek a new opinion from a cardiologist.  Periodic palpitations will not hurt you, other than making you feel lousy, and of course, it can be frightening.

I think you should find some solace in the fact that you seem to have had a thorough work-up that was normal, as well as your young age.  I know that isn't always 100% reassuring, but I CAN reassure you that the big BAD cardiac stuff (that you would be worried about) almost always presents itself during diagnostic studies.

I would definitely discuss all of this with your physician....including getting treatment for the anxiety/panic....cuz it sure sounds like, any medical issue aside, that you need to address it.

I hope this is a bit more reassuring for you.  I know how scary those symptoms can be.  Just know that MANY anxiety sufferers have symptoms that mimic cardiac problems.  It is very common.

After saying all of the above....I DO feel that you getting a second cardiology eval may ease your mind a bit.  Your symptoms warrant it, and if it ends up being nothing, then that is super!  Start there, and while awaiting your appt, see your family doctor about the anxiety/panic.

And, stick around....this is a great place to learn, and get the support you need.

Best of luck to you....
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Avatar universal
The short answer to this question is a resounding yes.  It sounds like you have taken the correct steps by voicing your concerns and recieving tests from your doctors that put you in the clear medically.  I suffered from my first panic attack when I was 27, and it absolutely floored me.  I went from running over 45 miles a week, being extremly social, enjoying life to being afraid to leave the house without feeling extreme anxiety.  I recieved many tests to assure me, but I was really concerned with my health (especially heart health).  I would constantly scan for sympotms and became oversensitized to every sensation throught my body.  In my experience, we also tend to catacstrophisize normal feelings as well (i.e. a bad headache is due to hight blood pressure, chest pain is due to heart problems, etc).  
Sorry to ramble on, but you are describing the anxiety cycle and have that 'what if' questioning.  Have you talked to a good therapist about it?  For me, learning about this condition gave me the knowledge to understand it and conquer it.  While I may deal with this forever, I have been able to step out of this cycle and look at it for what it is.  This forum is also a great place to learn about this.  People here have gone through and 'beaten' exactly what you describe here.  Please keep us posted.
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