Serious Dizziness and Very Fast Heartbeat....?

[-concerned...-]

Last night while I was at work (I waitress at a small restaurant) I was walking through the kitchen when all of a sudden my heart started racing.  And by racing, I mean I thought I was having a heart attack.  Also, I got really dizzy and I felt like I could barely stand up.  It really scared me so I went out to the dining room to sit down, but before I could, everything went away.  The whole thing lasted about 2 minutes.  Has anyone ever experienced anything like that?  I'm 20 years old and I have had panic attacks before, but not like that.  Any advice would be great.  Thanks.

[pumpkin78]

Are you taking any medications or dietary supplements?  Do you have any other health conditions?  Did you have any blurred vision?  Do you experience frequent headaches?  Also, had you eaten?  There are a lot of things that could have caused this, so more info is helpful.  If it happens a lot, you should see a doctor.  Good luck!

[cutiemama]

I've been having panick attacks for the past couple months. I wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like my heart is beating a thousand times a minute and my left arm is all tingly. It makes me so nervous that it exacerbates all the symptoms even more. I went to the ER the first time it happened and I was assured that there was nothing wrong with my heart and that all these symptoms are typical of anxiety attacks. Go get yourself checked out but if you say you suffer from anxiety, it just may be that your symptoms are getting worse and more pronounced.

[-concerned...-]

I'm not really -on- anything.  I take ortho tri cyclen lo but other than that, there's nothing that I take on a daily basis.  I do get migraines however (usually about 2 or 3 a month) for which I usually just take advil or excedrin migraine. And I had eaten, which was the first thing I thought might have been a factor, but since I had eaten (a salad and grilled chicken), I figured that wasn't the problem.  If my anxiety symptoms are getting worse, what type of doctor should I see?  At first I thought maybe a cardiologist, because of my extremely fast heartbeat.  But then I thought maybe a neurologist?  I dont know.  Any suggestions?

[xrayu2]

Could you have low blood sugar?   I experience what you desribed on a regular basis because my blood sugar bottoms out.  Usually a mint or a drink of something with sugar in it does the trick.  I have even went as far as passing out and hitting the floor.

[spade22]

Hi Concerned,

there are a number of things that can be responsible for rapid heart beat that range from panic attacks to heart conditions- an extensive list of possible causes can be found at this website:

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/rapid_heart_beat.htm

If this happens again I suggest that you make an appointment with your doctor so the route cause of your symptoms can be determined and treated appropriately.  

Incidently, my mother-in-law had a heart condition that she diagonosed "accidently" when she went to the hospital for a kidney infection and her heart rate suddenly sky-rocketed for no apparent reason.  The condition was corrected easily but could have been dangerous if left untreated.

In my opinion, it is better to seek professional treament and get to the bottom of any disconcerting symptoms (and clearly, your symptoms concern you).  Remember, there is a cause for your symptoms and therefore, treatment plans.... even panic attacks can be treated which for some, are very debilatating.

Take care :)

[-concerned...-]

Thanks for all the advice.  I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow to make an appointment.  Hopefully I can figure out what's up.  I've been sort of suspicious about my blood sugar level because sometimes when I get a bad headache, if I eat something sugary (chocolate bar, ice cream), it seems to help a little.  I'll have to remember to bring that up.  Thanks again!

[JoAnnaRF]

Start with you GP. Make an appointment for a Physical and while there explain to him all the symptoms. Most GP's have an in office EKG machine and it is usually part of a routine physical. If you haven't had any bloodwork recently then he should suggest a workup to check your Thyroid, anemia, CBC etc.. Also a UA and/or fingerstick for diabetes and such.
IF he finds anything questionable, he will send you to a Specialist.
I don't know what it is about women in their late teens and early twenty's but we get so fearfull and panicked about death and illness. I know I did, and the panic just made me feel phyically worse. It took a while, but whe I realized I was most likely NOT going to just keel over and die, I moved on and started living. Living constantly with the fear of dying isn't living at all.
I hope you feel better soon!
J