Anxiety Palpitations (Ectopic Beats) Diminishing?

[Dahrol]

I've posted a series of questions explaining my situation with anxiety and hypochondria after the death of a friend.

I've been evaluated, and basically have a clean bill of health, but I still have those pesky palpitations, that are actually ectopic beats rather than a slow or fast heartrate. My heart just has random hard beats, and feeling like it periodically stops.

I was given 0.5mg of Xanax to take for my anxiety, and have taken them sporadically. My anxiety is in itself is essentially little no non existent, but the palpitations are still around.

They were really bad in the beginning, but have seemed to slowly tame down after a period of about a month and a half. Now that they're occurring at random, they're even more scary because sometimes they're strong and painful, and I don't have to be worried to get them.

Funny thing is, before anxiety, I only had palpitations after excessive walking, and did NOT have them normally. But since my first panic attack, and anxiety dealings, they are the last to go, and I fear they might not go, and they're gonna hold me hostage.

It seems like when taking Xanax, it masks them, to where I can barely feel them, but I'm wondering if them gaining strength might have something to do with me taking xanax so sporadically.

They appear to be diminishing slowly, but why, and will they suddenly come back? Is it because I'm eating more bananas? Is it because I'm slowly starting to go back to the diet I used to eat before all this anxiety hit? I avoided beef and eggs for quite a while before I had my cholesterol checked, but my cholesterol came back excellent.

I just wanna know why they seem to be slowly diminishing and if they'll come back. The random strong ones still make me uneasy and hurt quite a bit. lol.

I just think it's weird that with most people, the palpitations are because of anxiety and panic, but mine are just there. In my mind, it's like my excessive panic threw my heart rythm out of whack and now I've got these ectopic random hard beats that won't go away.

[Foxilady]

hope your ok now, as i see its ages since you posted.  The poster that said its your heart stopping is WRONG.  The hearts DOES NOT STOP.  These ectopic beats are known as PVC's premature beats and are usually benign, unless one has a history of heart problems.  Just thought i would add my two penneth worth.  The internet can be a dangerous place with people who think they know everything.  If in doubt consult your own doctor and stop listening to snake oil salesmen on the internet!

[Dahrol]

Someone? Anyone?

[Dahrol]

I was doing so good for a while there. The PVCs had minimized, and I was feeling confident I was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Then, I was reading the profile on a celebrity who died of a heart attack, and had a heart quiver that sent me into a random panic attack. My initial reaction was "heart attack"

Since then, I've not only had extrasystoles, but heart quivers that trigger panic feelings. I'm learning to deal with those.

But, why has everything been set back?

Now the extrasystoles feel like my heart has stopped for like 2 seconds than starts beating again, and that fuels the fear of sudden cardiac arrest.

I've had that general achy feeling, and just feel bad now ever since the recovery setback.

But the doctor's tests have all come back saying I'm healthy.

I can feel the extrasystoles from my chest through my back sometimes, and when they're strong, they hurt.

I hope more people read this and can help me.

Thanks. :)

[aembry]

I to get pvcs and pacs. My anxiety started a little over 3 months ago and so did these palpitations. Mine are worse on days when my anxiety is the worse. I get very nervous and shaky feeling when I have the palpitations. I also feel very hott and as if I need to keep yawning. The palpitations are very scary for me.

[Dahrol]

When one is anxious for a long period of time due to that intense fear of whatever made them anxious in the first place, does it apply pressure to the heart?

I noticed that when I got anxious, I felt pressure in my chest, and got the palpitations. But, when I'm not anxious, I still get them, but less often and less intense, and since I've decided to focus more on being calm, and not frightened anymore by what caused the anxiety in the first place, the ectopic beats are slowly diminishing, and aren't as scary as they were.  

The calmer I continue to be, will that eventually get rid of the anxiety totally, as well as the ectopic beats? Is that why I have them in the first place, because the anxiety had a month to build, and It's just now trying to find a release, slowly but surely?

I thought that the anxiety threw my heartbeat out of whack, but then I noticed that I get random bouts of fear, and then the ectopic beat occurs. I think that's the underlying anxiety still sticking around.

Thoughts?

[kane3]

Hello, Well the ectopic beats, which sound like your experiencing pvcs with the sensation of the heart stopping, and then restarting, which is normal bc that is actually what it is doing. There could be a whole whack of things why your beats are diminishing, which is a good thing. I think myself, that the Xanax is working for you and helping your anxiety, which is lowering your all stress levels and contributing alot for less pvcs. If your keeping a good life style and staying with the xanax to help with the anxiety, hopefully you wont experience any beats or less of them. I cant promise that they will go away, everyone is different, but suffer from the same thing. I know it is tough dealing with the hard beats, but i assure you its nothing to worry about. Sometimes the heart just pumps out more blood than times when restarting and thats why you have a stronger sensation. And dont stop the walking or exercises even if after they seem to come on stronger. Do the things you enjoy to do and have fun doing them. Overall, it seems as thought the anxiety hightens the ectopic beats and taking a benzo helps calm you down, in return calms the beats down. With a clean bill of health, enjoy every minute!