Anxiety & Arrhythmias!

Posted by Lynn on May 12, 1999 at 13:21:43
~* Hello,I am a 20 year old female and have an anxiety disorder & mitral valve prolapse.
I have been dealing with this since 1995. I see my cardiologist next month
but I feel my questions cannot wait. I am really scared about the way I constantly feel. There isn't a moment when I don't think about my heart. I have become obsessed about it. I have had echocardiograms & EKG's. There is shown to be premature beats(I feel like my heart stops& restarts),mitral-valve prolapse(which has been linked to anxiety), and sinus tachycardia. Lately though ( especially after a panic attack) I feel my heart "spasm".I just read an article yesterday about atrial fibrillation and am wondering if this is what I felt. Since a major panic attack on Sunday, I have noticed this feeling often. When I move my arms above my head I notice my heartbeat gets irregular.When I stand up fron sitting my heart races & becomes irregular but then after a few seconds becomes better. Should I be feeling all this at my age? It started when I was 16.(when I was little my heart always beat fast & I could see the movement through my shirt) It should be noted that my father died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 46. He had a mild heart murmur.I know this post is long but I would really like a reply or advice! Does this problem need to be checked out immediately? I don't want to seem too neurotic.I think doctors should research more on the effect anxiety has on the heart.  Thank You. ~*

Posted by Cindy on May 17, 1999 at 13:23:59
Lynn,
     I understand your concern. It is very scary when your heart is "mis-behaving". I have had irregular heartbeats for several years. The cardiologist I was seeing put me on a holter monitor. I had no symptoms while on the monitor and nothing showed on the test. The symptoms continued and then worsend after having a total hyterectomy. They became constant. I had pain in my neck, chest, and shoulder. I couldn't sleep because my heart was skipping, jumping, and racing. I found another cardiologist because I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. When you know something is wrong with your heart and people don't listen it is very frightening because it is YOUR HEART!!! My new cardiologist put me on an event monitor which I gave quite a workout. After getting those tests he did a new echocardiogram, stress tests, etc. He found I had mitral valve with mild leakage, atrial leakage, and (this is how he described it) a weak spot in the lower part of my heart firing off the wrong signals. None require surgery, but do require monitoring to ensure the leakage does not worsen. He put me on tambacor to help with the arrythmia. It is not gone, but it is better. I have only had the pain once since being on the new medication.
     I guess what I'm saying is GET A SECOND OPINION. It seems to me that you don't feel confident in the diagnosis you have gotten. It is possible you need more in-depth testing. I was so scared because I knew something wasn't right and nobody was listening. Now that I know what it is and it is being monitored, I can relax and focus on other things. I wish you luck.

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on May 17, 1999 at 16:48:16
Dear Cindy,
Thank you for your input.  I will often suggest to people that they get a second opinion if they feel their doctor is not giving adequate attention to their symptoms.  The only downside is the added cost.  
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.  Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.  The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
Posted by Bethani on May 17, 1999 at 19:12:51
I have been diagnosed with arrhythmias and sinus bradycardia.  I'm a 41-year-old physically active female, 5'7", 145 lbs.  I've been on Sectral 200 mgs. per day without problems since September.  But then, this past Friday, I began having arrhythmias and a pulse rate of between 38-42.  I had an EKG done and am awaiting results.  The preliminary results showed bradycardia with a pulse rate between 38-42.  I wondered if anyone could give me advice regarding this condition.

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on May 18, 1999 at 08:45:11
Dear Bethani,
Thank you for your question.  What type of arrhythmia were you having?  Was it a fast prolonged arrhythmia, or just some skipped beats?  Have you had any lightheadedness or passed out?
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician
can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire
online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the
cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.