Palpitations?

For the past 3 days, at night, I've been stressing that I can hear my heart beat. It feels like its beating so hard, and fast, but when I take my pulse then highest it was, was 97. I suffer from panic disorder, and hypochondriasis. I do have a heart condition (mild - moderate aortic stenosis with mild regurgitation), but I was just at my cardiologist in december and he always tells me if I ever feel a symptom, its stress. He assures me he will find a change in my condition, before I even feel it.

I don't have arythmias, or electrical problems. Just the stenosis and regurgitation, with a murmur.


I know the answer is obvious but I need some reassurance. I don't feel like calling up my doctor AGAIN, with a question. I call him frequently, and he tells me that I'm ok and I need therapy and a pshychiatrist. I was just put on a higher dose of paxil and my cardiologist said, if I feel any racing of the heart to tell him, but it was safe. So i've been thinking of that a lot. I've only been on the new paxil for 2 days so I know that it can't be from that.

Any reassuring advice would be helpful.


Also, for some reason I feel the palpitations at night, when im sitting up in bed.

[Mom2four85]

many times when you're relaxed the heart is pumping slower and makes you feel a palpitation or pvc/pac more because there's more time between heart beats versus when you're active, and something about the beat to beat variations =)

for more info about this, read some in the dr's expert forum under heart rhythm or heart disease forums
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Heart-Disease/show/114  http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Heart-Rhythm/show/91 http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Heart-Rhythm/show/730

There's alot to read and learn from the doctors here =)  some of it may be comforting and give you the information you need to help with the anxiety/stress about your health