Sinus Tachycardia, PAC's PVC's, anxiety?

[Lextgrim]

I was told last week after an ECG that I have Sinus Tachycardia caused most likely by stress.  (I have had a fast heart beat for over 5 weeks but worsened recently)

I have had every blood test under the sun and they can't find any physical explanation for it - my electrolytes were normal, blood count normal, thyroid normal... It goes on!

So they told me it was stress and gave me some anti depressants - Mirtazapine.

I was then given some beta blockers (propranolol) which I took, and after 1 day of taking the beta blocker my heart started skipping beats in episodes during the day, more so after eating.

So I called the GP and he said take half instead of a full one.

So the next day I did and I got the skipped beats again, more frequently this time. SO I rang again. He said try a quarter of a tablet as they may be too strong, so I did.

But I still got the jumping/skipping in my heart.

I then had it lots it happened so frequently that I ended up seeing the emergancy doctor yesterday. It had become part of my rythmn.

It went "beat beat beat beath beatbeath beat beat beatbeat beat beat pause *thump* beat beat beatbeat beat beat beatbeat" and it was like that all morning, I felt dizzy and lightheaded and started having breathing trouble.

I kept trying to reassure myself it was anxiety but it would not calm down. It gets worse when my heart is slowing down!

The emergancy GP sounded me and took my pulse with her hand, then told me it was STRESS again! And gave me a small course of Benzodiazepines to take while the Mirtazapine kick in.

SO I took 1 yesterday after seeing her, and though it relaxed me, my heart rate was still very fast. I have been having twitching in my left arm, under my arm near my ribs and pain and heaviness in my left arm too.

Then when I went to bed it got worse - especially the pause then the thump, that went on for ages. I walked upstairs and my heart rate went way up, as I was resting and it was slowing down every few beats I got this VERY HEAVY jump in my chest! I took my breath away and it took about an hour to calm down.

This morning my heart rate was more irregular - it was nice and slow at about 60 for four beats, then raced at about 90 for four or five beats then back down again. I have had the ectopic beat thing all day.

Took another Valium and haven't really noticed it but when I check, my pulse is still fast and doing these ectopics, I'm terrified.

But everytime I get down to the Hospital they tell me its stress. I feel like it's worsening by the day. How can a normal healthy heart of a young person get like this within weeks or even days (the tachy started 5 weeks ago) and the arrythmia started a few days ago.

I have had 2 ECG's (the funny rythmn was not picked up then, just the tachy), I had heart related blood tests done also. I was then sent home with their conclusion: ANXIETY/ STRESS.

I am also having problems with my circulation - my hands are always cold and clammy. As are my feet. When I press my fingertips the capilliary refill is slower than it used to be. My nail beds are half and half - half blue half white - I have seen many doctors and they pay no attention to it.

I feel like something is really wrong but no one pays attention to it because I have a history of anxiety attacks.

I had a chest x ray over 5 weeks ago but that was before the irregular beats.

What can you suggest I do? Has the tachy damaged my heart? Have the beta blockers done something to it? I don't know what is going on!

My husband won't hear any of it, when I tell him he says he is sick of hearing it and when I ask him to just put his hand on my wrist so he can see what i mean he blatantly refuses to do so, I rang my mother in law as she is a nurse and she said "It's stress, ignore it."

I am from the UK so asking for a cardiologist and further tests is like getting wine out of a stone! I am scared and need some advice. "

[mmalo]

Hi, I can totally relate to what you are going through.  Sounds like you have a lot going on.  I also feel missed beats and am driving everyone around me crazy.  Sometimes I feel like I am.
I know you're in the UK, but you must be able to get a cardiologist to reassure you.  Can you not go to Emergency?

Why do these things come and go?  I have to find ways to "accept" the missed, extra (whatever they are) beats before Idrive myself crazy.
Anyone have any tips?  I wont even travel because of them anymore. Take care.M

[Lextgrim]

I have been to emergency twice and i got sent home after tests - they said it was stress!  Surprise Surprise!

That was about 4 days ago and they had done heart related blood tests and an ECG at the time.  Then yesterday was when I saw the out of hours GP who sounded me and also blamed stress!

I have repeatedly asked my GP for more tests but they won't do it, instead I got a phone call last week from their "in-house" psychiatrist booking and appointment to see me this week.  I am on the brink of being institutionalised I think.  i have had a lot of health related worries over the past few months, I have had three infections, all of which apparently cleared up but I had other symptoms afterwards and have had just about every blood test you can think of to rule things out.  They have me down as a pest and a hypochondriac at the moment.  They are also saying I have post natal depression because this began 2 months after having my baby!

[oldie]

I had skipped heart beats, from one to six a minute at intervals of some hours. I felt dizzy, sick, faint, with difficulty in breathing with each beat. I went ot cardiologist who made an Electro. Ironically, during the minute he took with the stethoscope I d no skipped beats. Then I had a 24-hour  Holter. The results were explained but I still don't know how these skipped beats are registered. Now here's my problem. the doctor prescribed Amiodarone. Two pills of 200mg daily for seven days a, a rest of two days and then one pill a day for five days , wait a week and then see him again. He said ' the bad news is that you have something wrong. The good news is that it can be fixed with medication'. I took the seven day course and still have skpped beats but fewer and without the accompanying  sickness. Reading up on this drug gave me some doubts so I took the Holter results to another  cardiologist who said: no amiodarone, stop taking it. Take Lanoxin, one pill of 0.25 daily, indefinitely, and stop worrying. I can only think of going to a third doctor and following the majority vote.
I too have a strong stress problem for more than 20 years and take a form of benzodiazepin intermittently, as needed. What next?

[Lextgrim]

Last night when I went to bed, I decided to take it really steady up the stairs - no "jumps" last night, but, I started experiencing an arrythmia which I had noticed the morning before.  I was getting four really slow beats then about five fast ones, then the slow beats became more frequent, I timed them and they were about 60 bpm and slowing down more as I laid and relaxed - I thought the problem of the tachy was sorting itself out, then I got a run of fast ones again, then back to the slow ones.  I tried to lay down but when I did I got this immense chest pain on the left, it went under my arm, rib cage and in my shoulder.  It was a horrible crushing sensation and lasted for a few seconds.  I told my husband - it sparked off an argument, he turned his back on me and put the covers over his head.

I waited a while.  The rate was really slowing down, so much that I convinced myself it was all perhaps sorting itself out and so got up, got something to eat, it was still nice and slow, I was a little light headed but I hadn't slept all night, I had been too scared to go to sleep after the night before's episode.  I then did fall asleep at about 6am.  I woke up at 2pm with guess what - racing beats again, needing to take deep breaths every so often.  It is about 102bpm while sitting.  

I called my GP, waiting for a phone call back.  Meanwhile, my mother rang her GP for advice and he told her it was all part of anxiety and its a nervous response!  I took another valium this afternoon, and I feel so doped up but my heart rate is still fast.

Last night, while the slow and fast thing was happening, it really scared me, I told my husband - his response - first of all turned his back, then when I asked him to feel my pulse he refused and stormed downstairs and slept on the sofa - claimed he's sick of it, told me to get a grip and then as he stormed out of the bedroom stated that he hated me!  He said I'm sick in the head, a hypochondriac, that i need a shrink and will soon end up sectioned!

All this because I am ill.  So on top of the anxiety, chest pains, palpitations, arrythmias etc... I am now depressed!

[fearfactor]

Hi, I know how you feel.  I started going through extreme heart-related anxiety in summer 2004 and my husband thought I was going nuts and would have to be hospitalized.  He really didn't understand how scary this can be.  I think people see the doctors telling you over and over it's in your mind, it's anxiety, etc. and they just think you're working yourself up over nothing.  They have no idea how terrifying palpitations are.  My husband still doesn't understand my condition, so I just don't talk to him about it anymore.  I find other people (like the folks here on this board) who have the same problems to vent to.  Maybe this can help you, too.

[anacyde]

"I am also having problems with my circulation - my hands are always cold and clammy. As are my feet. When I press my fingertips the capilliary refill is slower than it used to be. My nail beds are half and half - half blue half white"

This is a classic (I know you won't want to hear this) stress response by the body.  Your blood is being diverted to areas that "fight or flight mode" deems necessary - and that is not your fingers and toes.  Most people in a panic get exactly what you've described.

Your ectopics and sinus tachycardia are almost certainly being made worse the more anxious you get.  Valium is highly addictive and it's effectiveness wanes quickly over time.  I would talk to your doctor about a longer-term anxiety medication.

[caldridge]

I am a 27 year old female and I have been struggling with sinus tachycardia, inapropreate sinus tachycardia and skipped beats on and off for years, causing a lot of the same symptoms you all have been having. Recently I had a EP study done of my heart and the findings was nothing new that I didn't already know. But now I am haveing 5,000-10,000 of those skipped beats everyday following the study. I have saw several doctors and now know that the skipped beats are not caused from stress at all, however stress can in fact worsen them. The skipped or paused beats are actually a electrical malfunction of your left ventrical called PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions) and if your having tons of them a day like me, they can in fact weaken your heart and cause ventricular tachycardia that may progress into V-fib which is extreamly life threatening. You must not listen to the doctors telling you its all in your head and its nothing more than stress. I am haveing a Catheter Ablation of my left ventrical soon to try and correct my fast heart rate and PVC beats. I do hope this helps you get answers to your heart related problem. You can also look up PVC's on the web for more information. And remember trust your own instinkts there mostly always right.

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