tachycardia and panic?

[jade120674]

I am 30 yr old female. 5 ft. 6in tall. 128lbs. For past 3 yrs have been experienceing lightheadness, dizzy (things shifting) and feeling faint but never actually fainting. Dr. said anxiety, however it happens all the time even in privacy at home. New Dr done Mri, cat scan, thyroid test, cbc, adrenal function tests all norm. Seen ENT all norm. Wore 24 hr holter monitor it showed tachycardia when standing or walking..not when sitting. Dr said that was what was causing my symptoms, however, I still have the symptoms when sitting...I will feel "out of sorts" dizzy or swimmy headed". I don't know what kind of tests I should ask for.  When this 1st started I was at work cutting hair and my hand began to shake and everyting shifted and for 2 seconds I thought I would fall, then I broke out in sweat and was nauseas. I have had to stop working due to my extreme symptoms all the time. Lightheaded, feeling faint, dizzy.  I am on No meds. Blood pressure is around 90/66 sometimes up to 112/75. Any ideas? Any help would be appreciated

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hi Jade,

Have you had a tilt table test?  the utility of this test is sometimes debated, but it can be useful for people with postural tachycardia symptoms.  As an example, I saw a 20 year old college student that passed out in class.  She had a normal EKG, Holter, event monitor, and echo.  We put her on an upright tilt table test and very early in the test her blood pressure dropped and she had a 10 second sinus pause leading to syncope (passing out).  This is what I would do next.

If this is normal, anxiety is certainly a possibility and I would consider an SSRI like effexor, paxil, prozac, zoloft, etc. to see if it helps.  I would even consider this if your tilt table is positive as anxiety goes hand in hand with postural tachycardia syndromes.

I hope this helps answer your question.  Good luck.

[AHEARTBEATWAY]

They had been treated me for past 8 years for severe anxiety. I actualyy stopped seeking tratment about 14 months ago for this. Even though i had severe increasing symptoms. Only need to be told i'm crazy so many times. Anyways my anxiety (Majority of it) is now proven to be an arrythmia i have developed and a congenital ASD and and enlarged right heart,also have moderate regurgitation of the tricuspid and pulmanary valves, apparantly some damage but haven't called back to rebook TEE which i cancelled due to the fact that nobody can explain any of this to me. Last ting i new i was dingery than a bat and i'm considering keeping it that way? and moderate PH. All of a sudden everyone is in a panic? Why worry now, nobody did before? Anyways i am taking 120mg lasix daily and helps somewhat but other than than my life is on hold right now. Went yesterday to Er they gave me extra IV lasix and wanted to admitt me. Usually they want to "committ me" now they want to admitt me, how touching! I declined and just went for the IV and got out of there. My question is, what would the quality of my life be without treatment? They are telling me i need to repair hole, valves and i am set up to go for some arrythmis testing, he tells may need pacemaker to control artril fib? These doctors seem to think i know all about this because i have had this seens birth? but i am 41 and only learned of all these problems 4 weeks ago. otherwise i thought i was nuts or at the very least having anxiety. I am suppose to be seeing lung doctor too but cancelled appt. as i still think this is all to sudden and not sure i can deal with it. I am a heavy smoker,smoke alot of pot and drink a fair amount. None of which i'm ready to give up. When i had plain old anxiety they weren't telling me to stop doing anything. I realize smoking is not a good thing, i can't even say that had i known about my heart condition i wouldn't have smoked? Let alone done all the other bad things. Anyways i have no ententions of quitting anything at this point and wondered how long i could go without being able to live at all? What am i looking at? Right now it seems like the more i do the worse i am? I can live with the chest pain and palpatations as i have been but i worry about my S.O.B.and congestion at rest or when lying down. I guess it scares me more to think i will run out of oxygen and the effects of that? I'd rather have a stroke or sudden heart failure? The feeling of being out of breath or not being able to breath is not the way i want to go? Is this what i'm in for? I don't want to get all bugged out over this as i am actually very easy going and i'd rather just pursue my life in my regular fashion. I have never told anyone i have some so called anxiety and i haven't told anyone i have a newly diagnosed CHD. I don't want people to read into my diagnosis and therefore have just been private about my medical issues. although over the years i have lost freindships due to the fact that i no longer seemed to fit in to that lifestyle? I've tried to keep up the recreational and party aspect but again, there are limitations to that as well. Generally most of my friends think i have chronic pain issues and whinney. The usually anxiety type of role. Please help me, as i want to be at peace with what ever i decide. Sue

[salis110]

dear everybody
somehow I have  same symptoms, sometimes i feel dizzy but when i check my pulse it is normal as always for example it is 60 or little more or less.but sometimes it beats faster till 90-100 without any activity, at this period of beats i feel something happens in my chest, it is not pain or ? and after a short time (1 or 2 secs)i feel a heavy pulse and after that every thing goes ok but some anxiety.If casually through this event I check my pulse I feel an interrupt or skipping pulse.It makes me crazy.Also sometimes i feel pain in my chest bones dr.s siad they are due to ur anxiety.
I did echo which was ok and 24 hrs holter i had a period of 43 bpm during sleep at night and a 2.14 secs rest in hearts beat plus 2 rests less than 2 secs.
whats going on me? what are skips in my heart with odd feeling?
I am 27 yr/male ,173 cm and 73 kgs casually sport(soccer)

[Aruba417]

Hey Salis...I know how you feel. If you don't mind me asking, what is your age? I'm only 24 and I have these symptoms. I've been to ER 4 times and they say panic attack or migraine variant...whatever that means. I've had and Echo, EKG, CT scan, tons of blood work...and they all came back normal. I get a dull pain on left side of my chest...and burning, tight sensation in center...I also have heart palpatations. I've been put on Zoloft and Xanax for Anxiety/Panic disorder and told that I have a healthy heart...but it sure is hard to believe them. My reg doctor won't send me to a cardiologist...since all the tests came back normal...but I am seeing a neurologist next month. I've had these symptoms for about 3 years now. I hope you feel better...it helps me to know I'm not alone in my misery! No one seems to take it seriously!

[Aruba417]

Sorry...I just noticed that you DID post your age. It really sucks when you're this young and many doctors seem to dismiss a bunch of stuff BECAUSE of our age. At least that's been my experience.