Forceful beats, weak feeling heart

[Gabzzz]

Hey guys. About 5 months back I had a panic attack out of the blue just walking back from soccer with friends. I had the general tachycardia, tunnel vision and dizziness accompanying that. Since then I've been having heart palpitations, chest pains located in the centre of my chest about midway down the sternum, squeezing sensations of my heart, fatigue and the worst has to be these extremely forceful, heavy heartbeats constantly, all day all night. I went to a cardio and got a battery of tests including a chest xray, holter monitor, stress ECG, a resting ECG, an echo and various blood tests including thyroid, hemoglobin, hematocrit, d dimer, cholesterol among other things (they all came out picture perfect). I'm 19 currently, no history of heart issues and very active prior to these symptoms. I recently returned to playing Junior hockey but every time I step on the ice my heart rate goes up to around 170-190 sometimes even up to 200 and it just pulsates throughout my body and especially hard in my chest and today it began feeling really weak which spread to my legs and arms if that makes any sense.. My GP put it down as anxiety and the cardio assured me it was not cardiac related. Does anybody know if this is just severe anxiety or if some other underlying condition is causing this?

[birdie0907]

Of the 2 of us, you are the only one now. It isn't always easy to find a solution, but if one appears it will appear simple so keep trying. Maybe this black comedy will do it, "The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life and Death."
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0684856484/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=485327511&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0684852802&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=0DXXVYZDDQ0BQE02R7JB

[Gabzzz]

I absolutely believe you're right but being a prospective med student aswell as a natural hypochondriac I tend to dwell on these symptoms and expect the worst haha. I really do appreciate your responses though, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one suffering from these ridiculous symptoms.

[birdie0907]

I have had lots of your symptoms which culminated in a trip to the ER for an ECG. Guess what, no problem, so I immediately ended the worrying and the symptoms disappeared.
The symptoms can feed off each other when you are anxious, and since you have no physical issue it is just worries that make your senses betray you. I am not sure how much comfort my testimony is, but I assure you if the heart tests came back negative you will someday forget about your "symptoms" and discover they do not exist. If it was only that easy you would quit now I am sure, but all I can say is you have nothing to worry about except worry.

[Gabzzz]

Now this is getting ridiculous because my arms and legs have this weird feeling to them like they're not getting enough oxygen in them and they feel weak even though I have all my strength, this makes no sense and I feel like I have to quit hockey because of this ughh

[den2094]

hard to say. could be deconditioning.. hard to say.

[Gulfstream2]

Okay, good to know it.

An RHR at 55-60 in the morning for a woman is fantastic, that's a great pulse rate. I'm a guy (recently turned twenty) and mine is usually 57-60 BPM in the morning and I haven't done any exercise in quite a while either. But I used to run and bike like mad when I was little, and was avery active in weightlifting for a few years so maybe that's why.

Still, its good to get in about half hour of aerobic exercise in a few times per week.

Now you've just got to work on that de-tuning. ;-)

[Gabzzz]

My RHR ranges from 55-60 when I wake up and my walk to school is extremely short (5 minutes at most.) and thank you for all the responses it means a lot!

[Gulfstream2]

Depending upon how conditioned you are and how long you're walk to school was, the exercise could have been sufficient or not. Either way though, some exercise even if its just walking for 10-15 minutes a couple times per day is better then none at all.
What's your heart rate at rest? Your RHR gives you good idea of your conditioning level. Take it first thing in the morning before you get out of bed.

And don't worry about being tuned in to your heartbeat, over time you can "de-tune" yourself to it.

[Gabzzz]

I was inactive for about 4 and a half months before I got the stress test, was cleared and got back on the ice. The only form of excercise I'd do is walk to school and back and then I'd either sit, sleep or lay in bed doing absolutely nothing.  I totally believe you're right about being way more attuned to my heart since the panic episode.

[Gulfstream2]

How long were inactive before you began playing ice hockey?

You can begin to feel the effects of detraining within a couple of weeks if you do no form of exercise, but to actually become totally deconditioned takes some time. Do you partake in any exercise apart from your hockey playing?

Now since you had the panic episode you may be more atune to your heart, since the sensations during an episode can be pretty hard to ignore and maybe that's why you are feeling those sensations.

[Gabzzz]

To be honest I think in decondotioned, but I've been out of shape before and I've never had those sensations on the ice prior to that panic attack. :/

[just_a_guy2]

Any idea why your heart rate goes up when you get on the ice? You do say that you have a pounding heart feeling all the time, just like I do. I'm not sure what the problem is in my case.

[Gulfstream2]

Its got to be anxiety considering everything on your tests were negative and also, heart issues at only nineteen is extremely unlikely unless you were something 300+ pounds and hypertensive.

The sensations might be uncomfortable but they are harmless.

[Kelz72312]

i think it is anxiety if al of your tests came back normal

[Gabzzz]

No pretty much all that happens is my chest gets heavy and I feel my heart thumping really hard but at its normal pace approximately 55-65 bpm (I play junior hockey so it makes sense my heart rate is on the low side.) It's just frustrating because I'm scared to go on the ice now since I just feel literally everything in my body now haha

[riicky92]

I will put it down to anxiety if all your test came back good I have anxiety and svt witch my heart rate goes up to 160 out of no where and my resting heart rate is 90 to 100 but if all you test come back ok ill say you don't have svt altho svt can be hard to catch does your heart just start beating out of the blue and then just stop beating fast? And as for your other symptoms I have all those the word is the week heart feeling witch I am told it is from anxiety it is not thar heart but more the chest musicals that tence up