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1486478 tn?1307462997

Anxiety - Ectopic Beats

I got health anxiety close to 3 months ago, due to the death of a friend, and started having hypochondriac-like obsessions because of my slight risk factor of dying of a heart attack like she did.

After having anxiety for three months, I'm now learning, that my risk for a heart attack or cardiac event is EXTREMELY low. But it seems like it's too late.

The worst symptom of this anxiety are these ectopic beats/palpitations/pvcs which drive my off the deep end. They make me toss and turn and prevent me from relaxing, because that's when I get them the most.

Generic Alphrazolam seemed to help them somewhat, but I don't want to be dependent on a benzo to stay calm, because they're highly addictive. The doctor put me on a 0.5mg dose, and it's extended release. I'm apprehensive about taking it, although I was given a 0.5mg dose of regular Xanax by the ER, and didn't find myself craving it.

I just want the palps to go away. The anxiety would be so much more manageable if I didn't have them. It's not a fast or slow heart rate. It just feels like my heart is being squeezed for like 3 seconds, then a strong beat afterwards.

Been tested, no heart problems, and everything is normal. I didn't have any of these symptoms before I got anxiety, so how do I make them go away?

I'm seeing a therapist, but it seems like it's not quite helping yet with the symptoms.

I'm petrified that I'll be stuck like this forever, and will have to rely in medication to "cope" with it. I just want my normal life back.

Everyone is so pessimistic.

Help me, please!!

Tell me how I can conquer these symptoms. The SYMPTOMS.


38 Responses
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1486478 tn?1307462997
I had some pinto beans and mixed nuts for supper and feel better about the palps.

Any correlation?

Does this mean something?
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
That's Wednesday, and all I can do till then is cry, because nothing is helping me right now.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
beta blocker 25mg metaprolo works wonders  ask about it
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
We can have bad anxiety and not know it.  I think you need to get into therapy to determine where all this stems from.  I used panic attacks as an example of what people who do have them endure.  We have to seek therapy and learn how to overcome them.  You need to now address this with a therapist to teach you coping and relaxation skills, it does help. Plus, you need to decide whether you want to take medication or live like this for the rest of your life!  None of us prefer to take the medication, but like any other medical condition, we need it to control our symptoms.  If your cardiologist said this was your heart and gave you medication, you wouldn't think twice about taking it.  Anxiety is no different!  You have choices here, and one is to take the medication that will help you with these, maybe even make them go away! Anxiety IS A MEDICAL CAUSE......accept this.  If you don't get help, you can't get better, and life is too short and worthwhile to not do whatever it takes to make the best of it.  You're life is passing you by all because you don't want to take the medication....if you get a headache, do you not take something for it?
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
I don't have that panic attack problem though. I've had two panic attacks since this all began 3 months ago, because I learned how to control them.

Plus, the panic attacks don't hurt me, so I don't fear them.

But these palps are uncomfortable to the max. The only way I could go on with life, is if I simply couldn't feel them, and that's next to impossible.

I can't live like this. I'm crying right now, once again, because they won't leave me alone. I'm not anxious or anything. They just keep hitting me out of the blue.

It frustrates me to the max that there is no medical cause found for this, and that it's "just anxiety" when my anxiety isn't even bad anymore.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I understand, they're like panic attacks that hit us out of the blue and scares the heck out of us. This is where the problem lies, we know another will hit at any moment and are always waiting for it. This keeps the momentum of anxiety going strong, thus creating another panic attack.  We need to break the cycle by lowering our fears and worrying, and this is where therapy and medication can be a big help.
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
It's not that I believe they're going to hurt me. I know that they won't.

They're just so sudden, and strong, that when I relax, it catches me by surprise, when I least expect it.

It's like someone walking along, and then out of nowhere, someone jumps out from around the corner.

Yeah, you could get used to that, but not if it keeps happening when you're not expecting it. You're walking and walking and it doesn't happen for a while, so you start to relax and continue your walk, and then BAM! Someone else jumps out from around another corner and it startles you again because you weren't expecting it.

I feel like, if I'm not on high guard all the time, then they're gonna be worse at scaring me. Once I'm startled, it takes quite a bit of time for me to calm back down again, and I become reluctant to do so if I'm just gonna be startled again.

And it's even worse because the intensity is never constant. Sometimes, I get the soft ones, and I'm like, "That wasn't so bad." and then out of nowhere, BAM! The strong ones hit.

That's what drives me crazy about them.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The more you can relax during these the better.  You don't have to feel anxious to be anxious.  It may still be your anxiety that creates this and then your anxiety builds even more.  You've survived so many of these that you now know they are not going to hurt you, so try to just go with them and not get upset and see what happens.
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
As of now, the palpitations are the cause.

I'm over just about every other fear I'd had that caused this, death, cardiac problems, etc.

It's strictly about the palpitations now, which anxiety brought on, and now they themselves give me the anxiety.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Anxiety can be very complex, and it's best to work on what is causing them than to try and figure it all out.  It often makes no sense and can be very frustrationg...as you know.  Work on the cause, and go from there.
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
These things are so confusing, and it's hard to find a trigger.

When I'm walking around or in constant movement, I either don't get them, or they're very faint.

When I first wake up in the morning, I don't get any for like 30 minutes, then they lightly start to come on, but if I don't eat anything, they're not that bad, and I can deal with them,

But when I get out of bed, run downstairs, eat something, then go back up to my room and try to watch TV or something, they're stronger than ever.

O_O
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Vent away, we all understand and care.  Please know there is help and you can feel better.  Most of us have been where you are, and with professional help we are living fuller, happier lives.  Stay strong, you're going to be fine.
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
I just need to vent, and to get some hope.

This is the worst possible thing I've ever had to deal with. I feel like if I can beat this, I can accomplish anything.

But things look so dreary now. I wish to God I had never put myself in this horrific position. ;_;
Helpful - 0
1390847 tn?1344657468
Hello, I just read your posts and i understand a lot of whats going on.  Health anxiety is my #1 issue.  And i also experience irregular beats of my heart and you said something like you feel like your heart is being squeezed for a few seconds then it beats really, really hard.  That happens to me ALL the time.  It is a big symptom of my anxiety.

I can relate to you, but in a different way.  And i hope you can find support in this.  I have severe anxiety of throw up, have since I was 2.  Because i fear this sooo much when i get anxiety it creates a huge cycle for me, because my #1 symptom of anxiety is nausia.  So when i feel nausious for whatever reason, it starts my anxiety which makes me nausious, which makes the anxiety worse and so on.

It sounds like since you have anxiety with issues relating to heart troubles (I'm very sorry for the loss of your friend) that your symptom of heart palpitations is acting up more than any other symptom.  For me, since I have anxiety of throwing up, my symptom of nausia acts up more than any other.  I know medication is not the way you want to go and im certainly not telling you that you need it, but it really does help.  Meds combined with therapy works really well to stop anxiety.  I have had health anxiety for 15 years (im 17).  Right now, after being on medication for around 6-7 weeks and in therapy..my anxiety is 95% gone.  My point is...there is HOPE! I know its so hard to stay positive, and for so long people would tell me there was hope and I would be able to overcome my anxiety and i just kept saying to myself, "my anxiety is so bad, theres no way i can ever fight it and win." well now i completely understand what those people meant, and i was wrong! I fought off my terrible anxiety and you can too!
And you are causing no one trouble by posting on here! Its GREAT that you are.  This site has helped me tremendously and i hope it does the same for you.  I'm glad to read your posts, and never feel discouraged to ask questions or ask for support.  
Its great your going to look into going to therapy.  I think it will really help you.  
Keep your head high and I can assure you, there is nothing wrong with your heart! You are currently living a healthy lifestyle, and you have your whole life ahead of you! You WILL beat this anxiety, and you will come out a stronger, healthier, and happier person because of it.
Good luck to you! :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Heart palps and our rythms can be as unique as a finger print in my opinion.  I can feel my PVCs sometimes and I have also been tested.  Heck, my resting EKG always says that I have had a prior MI, but it actually turns out I just have a slow and strong heartbeat because I have ran distance for most of my life.   So, my point is, what is abnormal for someone else may be perfectly normal for me.

My original concern with anxiety came from concerns about my heart.  I became so aware of everything going around I could feel myself rocking to the beat and feeling every little blip, pain, twinge, etc.

I also believe that therapy for your anxiety could really help you.  It did for me and I still notice PVCs once in awhile, but remember that they can be exacerbated from stress and many other things as well and in the vast majority of cases they are completely benign.  If you have been checked out by your doctor and you have a clean bill of health then trust him/her.

Exercise has helped my anxiety tremendously.  Not only is it good for me, it helps keep grounded and feeling good both mentally and physically.

Realize that you are not alone in what you are going through....many of us have been through it which means you will get through it as well...keep us posted!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
DJ873 is so right, avoid caffeine it does make this worse!

Thanks DJ!
Helpful - 0
1492418 tn?1289149263
while i don't have those very often, i do notice that like anxiety caffeine makes it worse. And do keep posting, all the different thoughts and ideas not only help you but possibly others as well cuz if there is one thing i have learned is that there doesn't seem to be a symptom that someone else hasn't also experienced. i had no idea until my therapist advised me to go look for a forum how many people can suffer what you do, and i felt so alone!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It may be that you're not thinking about them.
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
Why on earth do I not get pvcs when I'm walking around? O_O


I only get them when I try to relax.

GRRRRR!!!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You are not bothering us!  You can talk to most of us, even if we don't suffer from the exact same thing as you, we have anxiety and can relate to the frustrations of all of it. I do understand the loneliness and how pessimistic we can feel at times, and it's always good to know that there are others out here going thru the same thing or something similar who can relate to you.  It's good to talk about it, so feel free to PM me any time, even if just to vent.  I always have the time to listen and help in any way I can.  You're not alone with this, and hopefully some others will jump on here with support.  I look forward to hearing from you.  Take care!
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
I'm really sorry for bothering you.

I just have to do alot of waiting before i can talk to therapists and doctors, and this anxiety is making me impatient.

I HAVE to talk to someone, and there's no one, who understands this.

Once again, sorry for the trouble. :(
Helpful - 0
370181 tn?1595629445
But that's what you're not getting, Dahrol, I'm NOT going through the same thing you are.
I made peace with my PTSD and my panic attacks and my palpitations and PVC's YEARS ago, through many years of therapy, one medical specialist after another, and many different medications, which I still take. These issues are simply a part of my life, of who I am, just like my arthritis and my migraines and my CAD and my GERD...........I accept these things and deal with them as best I can.
I know you like having someone to talk to who understands what you're going through, we ALL do, and that IS what we're here for, but I am not a therapist, Dahrol, I can't play that role for you. You need a REAL professional to talk to.
If you get into therapy, you will learn so much about yourself and accepting the things we can't change.
Peace
Greenlydia
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
I just like having someone to talk to who is going through the same things as me, even if they don't have the answers.

I just don't like pessimism, because I'm already pessimistic as it is.

How on earth do you live with pvcs? I wish I could be trained to just live with them. Are they not very noticeable?
Helpful - 0
370181 tn?1595629445
At this point, Dahrol, I recommend you get into therapy for your heart/health anxiety. Since there is apparently absolutely nothing wrong with your heart, then it's your head.
The Xanax will help with your anxiety, but whether or not it will help with your palps is anybodies guess. I take Xanax and I still get a great many palpitations and PVC's. Since you yourself say you are a mess, go see someone who can help clean it up.
I don't think I have much more to offer you.
I wish you the very best in your quest for health.
Peace
Greenlydia
Helpful - 0
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