scared of palpitations

[poohbear2026]

Thanks for answering, it has been several years since I posted before.  I have had troble with anxiety with palpitations and chest pain for over 7 years.  I had a 24 hr monitor seven years ago that showed 4 ventricular ectopics(2 isolateds and 1 couplet) and 3595 Supraventricular ectopics(all isolateds).  I was then sent for an echo and they said everything was normal except trace mitral regurgitation, normal variance.  I have since had a stress test and another echo.  But it has been at least two years since those. I have read on the internet that people with anxiety problems are more prone to sudden death. And I am scared to death that I am going to die from this.  Do you think I should be seen again by another cardiologist.  I am currently taking Ativan for anxiety.  Some days I have palpitations up to probably 10 a minute.  Then some days I don't feel any.  I have had several ekgs recently but they only seem to pick up sinus tachardia.  Thank you for your help.

[Barbarella]

I know how you feel about the part when it comes to "dying", the older we get the more some of us think about it.  Even though anybody can die at any age any time.  

Anxiety meds never done anything for me, but left me totally fatigue and washed out.  I used to suffer from severe panic attacks out of the blue, I've been on tranquelizers, bio feedback, therapy, group therapy,  nothing helped until I saw an advertisement about a book who was written by an Australien lady doctor/Psychiatrist. She knew exactly how to deal with people who suffer from panic attacks.  I read all her books several times and am now about 90% panic attack free. The 10% I still experience are always at night which to me is more horrible than during the day.

About the palpitations, I used to have PVC's (skipped beats) real bad, and right before they started I felt real fatigue, they lasted for days and weeks at times, it was horrible.  I was on a beta blocker which made them even worse and on top of that my heartbeat went down to 30 beats per minute (my resting pulse was always 60 bpm before meds) from the beta blockers and my heart still skipped, not as much, but enough to scare the hell out of me.  I was taken off the beta blockers.  When I landed in the ER because of severy white coat syndrome, and the Cardiologist thought that my severe high BP was not just white coat and I was put on BP meds my PVC's/palpitations almost stopped after 4 months on the meds, I still get them but very little.

[acmm]

i am a 54 yo male with palps/pvcs on and off for over 10 years. recently 9mos or so i have been experiencing a change in my pvc's. usually i would get the skipped beat followed by the hard beat. the best way i can describe them now is a galloping feeling where there will be normal beat followed by hard one in succession which can last 20-40 sec and takes my breath away. anyone experience this or know what the medical term is? they usually occur daily at different times mostly at night and sometimes not for days. i have seen an ep and have had several 24hr holters but each time they would not appear. i am taking 25 mg of atenol and 600mg of mexilitene but i feel it really does not help and would like to discontinue the meds.

[jennifer79]

no problem. here it is. I copy and pasted it for you!Subject: still worried
Topic Area: Palpitation
Forum: The Heart Forum
Question Posted By: jennifer79 on Sunday, November 21, 2004


I started a thread going on 2 months ago titled "heart flutters". I am 25 yr. old female, have been having these for about 9 years. My pvc's feel like flutters in my chest. They only last a second or two and I get one about once or twice a week. I realize that I am lucky for having them so few and far inbetween which brings me to ask is pvc's really what im having or could it be something else? Hearing about other peoples symptoms it seems like they have them much more in frequency. I have been to 2 doctors,and a cardiologist just last month. I have had ekg's,bloodwork,echocardiogram,and 24 hour holter monitor. Everything came back normal. The cardiologist did say that on the 24 hr. holter it showed a "few extra beats" he said that this was nothing to worry about.I told him that I have read and been told that unless you feel one of the flutters(have symptoms) while wearing the holter then they can not fully diagnose you. He said that this is true but since I am on toprol xl and it seems to be helping,and because of my age,etc.. that I have nothing to worry about.But I still do. My question is this.. Should I seek into further testing or just learn to live with these things and stop worrying so much? This has greatly affected my life as I worry that there is something else out there that I need to do. Thank you very much for taking my question. I was a little leery of posting as I have seen all the commotion lately over pvc postings.

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Answer Posted By: CCF-M.D.-MJM on Sunday, November 21, 2004

Hi Jennifer,

1. Should I seek into further testing or just learn to live with these things and stop worrying so much?

The next test is an event monitor. I will order this test in cases like yours if you need the information for reassurance. Based on your age and normal test results(and a few PVCs is normal), you need to understand that you are not dealing with a fatal heart problem, but worrying abou them could seriously affect your quality of life. If you need the test for reassurance, I would ask for the test. I would not get another opinion--work with the doctors that already know your situation.

Good luck---you'll be fine.

[poohbear2026]

Thank you everyone.  I feel much better today.  

Thanks,

[Linda123]

I took diazepam (similar to ativan) for YEARS to help with my anxiety about my palpitations but really they didn't help, they only help for the moment and then leave you feeling tired and worse.  I believe, looking back, diazepam sent me deeper into that black hole, made me feel so drained, less able to cope.
Speaking of my own experiences I have found anti depressants much more effective, well, fantastic really, in tackling my anxiety, and it's been such an unexpected and most delightful surprise.  I've given up valium altogether, it hasn't been the slightest effort as I don't feel the need for it as I feel so much better.
I am bearing in mind what Cindy on the heart forum has said and am not meaning to tell people what drugs to take it's just that I had such a miserable and desperate time with palpitations and genuinely want to help others going through that same hell.
It's terrible being out in the wilderness and generally feeling stupid with what I consider to be a very terrifying condition that we have to prove we have.  It's so hard to know what to take and what not to take, what to believe in, what not to believe in. All I can say is that palpitations would scare absolutely anybody, we mustn't feel ashamed of being scared and we mustn't be ashamed in getting help like anti-depressants to help us deal with the condition.
Good luck to all.
Happy New Year.

[WPWGuy]

Hi Pooh.   Its not to worry about, even if you have the symptoms.

Also, you cant fool yourself into having it:  my symptoms included a heart rate of 250bpm --- continuously --- for 5 minutes. There was a feeling like the blood in my head had half drained. I was a bit winded while this was going on and felt like I needed to take a time out and go sit down for a while.  Then almost at once, it would convert back to a normal heart beat, and all symptoms were gone...

To the best of my knowledge, anxiety never brought this on. It was always brought on after 5-10 minutes of running.  And even then, only on the first or second run of the season. That is why testing never caught it on an electrogram in the lab. I caught it while I was carrying a heart card during one of my runs.

I was born with this. I can not say when I began to realize that there was something wrong. Perhaps I never thought to mention some of these symptoms to my doctors...

Sorry if I upset you with my previous post.