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Heart Palpitations?
I'm a 20 year old female, 115 lbs. 5'2". I've never been seriously ill and have a pretty clean family history when it comes to health (aside from my mother who has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). The only problems I have are really bad anxiety and panic attacks that I take medication for (though I still get panic attacks pretty frequently). I have what they call 'health anxiety' aka hypochondriasis; always sure that I've got some really bad disease, but in the very back of my mind, I know I'm being silly.
However, when it comes to my heart, everyday I live in fear of whether or not it's okay. Many people experience heart palpitations and I've had more than my fair share of them for the past few years since my anxiety disorder sprang up, so I thought I'd learned to take them in stride as normal.
When they first started (a few years ago) I got really scared and saw my mother's cardiologist. He listened to my heart in various positions and stances and concluded that I had a small premature beat that was harmless, but to be sure, they did an ultra sound of my heart and finally said that my heart was as healthy as can be. I left feeling reassured.
Nearly three years I've had occasional bouts of palpitations and was able to ignore them because of the test results. For the past four days though, I've had them continuously, everyday throughout the day without relent. It's starting to scare me again.
Could I have developed something in the past three years? I desperately want to believe that my anxiety is just really bad right now, but even taking my Xanax doesn't help entirely. And I don't know if it's just my imagination or what, but from time to time I'll get minor chest pains or an aching down my left arm. And the other night I got nauseous out of no where! One minute I was fine, the next I literally thought I was going to throw up! Since then the nausea comes and goes, but not enough to make me vomit.
I've taken Wellbutrin XL for five years now with no problems, Paxil for one year (which still doesn't treat my stomach very well) and Xanax as needed.
A few months ago I remember going to the doctor (something unrelated) but I complained of heart palpitations and she gave me Propranolol. I never took it because the palpitations weren't that severe, but now I'm wondering if I should start.
Anything else of note would be that for a while I've had this inability to take a deep breath, or I find myself trying to take one very often; I'm always tired and yawning throughout the day.
I feel like I'm being ridiculous...I'm only 20 years old, why should someone so young have a heart problem? But these palpitations keep making me wonder.
However, when it comes to my heart, everyday I live in fear of whether or not it's okay. Many people experience heart palpitations and I've had more than my fair share of them for the past few years since my anxiety disorder sprang up, so I thought I'd learned to take them in stride as normal.
When they first started (a few years ago) I got really scared and saw my mother's cardiologist. He listened to my heart in various positions and stances and concluded that I had a small premature beat that was harmless, but to be sure, they did an ultra sound of my heart and finally said that my heart was as healthy as can be. I left feeling reassured.
Nearly three years I've had occasional bouts of palpitations and was able to ignore them because of the test results. For the past four days though, I've had them continuously, everyday throughout the day without relent. It's starting to scare me again.
Could I have developed something in the past three years? I desperately want to believe that my anxiety is just really bad right now, but even taking my Xanax doesn't help entirely. And I don't know if it's just my imagination or what, but from time to time I'll get minor chest pains or an aching down my left arm. And the other night I got nauseous out of no where! One minute I was fine, the next I literally thought I was going to throw up! Since then the nausea comes and goes, but not enough to make me vomit.
I've taken Wellbutrin XL for five years now with no problems, Paxil for one year (which still doesn't treat my stomach very well) and Xanax as needed.
A few months ago I remember going to the doctor (something unrelated) but I complained of heart palpitations and she gave me Propranolol. I never took it because the palpitations weren't that severe, but now I'm wondering if I should start.
Anything else of note would be that for a while I've had this inability to take a deep breath, or I find myself trying to take one very often; I'm always tired and yawning throughout the day.
I feel like I'm being ridiculous...I'm only 20 years old, why should someone so young have a heart problem? But these palpitations keep making me wonder.
@lillmama5, I totally understand what your going through. I just posted something about heart fluttering earlier, which feels like skipped beats its so fustrating and scary. Being pregnant is a blessing but it can take a toll on your body.....what I think your problemis your carrying the baby and the baby is growing your diaphragm is being pushed up and can cause palpitations and shortness of breath, at least that's what I was told when I experienced similar symptoms. Just try to stay relax and tell yourself that you are going to be fine....its extremely difficult to do as I am trying to do that. Also all your test came back clear your good...when we have children our hormones change and causes all kinds of different symptoms to our bodies and the way it sounds your very sensitive to your body as I am so any little abnormality that goes wrong I can feel it. I am having a very rough time these flutters I am experiencing are happening daily and like you, I have went to tons of dr's had many test done and all is normal. My cardiologist heard the skipped beats and put me on a small dose beta blocker but im terrified to take it. All this has taken a toll on me, I have lost my social life and friends behind this and my husband has had it with me because of the anxiety caused by the heart fluttering I get. We sometimes take things for granted what I would do to feel like my normal self again and be able to enjoy life with my family and friends.
I am 32 weeks pregnant and this is my 5th one, I just had a baby girl bout a yr ago also, this pregnancy has been really hard on me, I too have had the palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain (in center) and back pain (in center between blades). I have just been to the er 2 this week to have ekg, blood work and ct of chest and I've to been told there's nothing life threatening as they put it wrong with me, they keep telling me it's chest wall pain. I too have a bit of Anxiety that started when I delivered my last daughter, it was so bad too me that I gave up all caffeine and any stimulants, I used to love to eat chocolate and drink mountain dew (I was a pop a holic) not to mention coffee, loved the frappe from McDonald's, so for a whole yr I've gone without all this but yet I still have issues. Don't know if I can blame it on the baby, but I'm just really tired of feeling this way, some nights I'll go without sleeping at all in sit in my bed looking up info online just to see if I'm normal! This really *****. Somebody help plz
You've had your heart checked and it was fine, even if that was three years ago. Yes, things CAN change, but it sounds to me like your anxiety/panic and hpochondriasis is at the root of this change you're experiencing.
When you say you sometimes get minor chest pains or an aching feeling down your left arm..........are these always accompanied by palpitations?
I could ask you a ton of questions and give you a great many possibilities, but from my own recent cardiac experience, I stand firmly behind the advice that chest pains, arm involvement and an increase in palps should not ever be ignored. I'm quite sure that at your age, there is nothing more seriously wrong than anxiety, but I think only a cardilogist is going to be able to really reassure you. You might want to discuss wearing a Holter montitor for a few days so they can get a really good idea about the palps.
And after they once again confirm that your heart is fine, please consider getting into some therapy for the anxiety and hypochondria. Don't do what I did and totally waste a huge part of your young adulthood worrying about dying from the disease du jour. If it's going to happen, it will hapeen whether you worry about it or not. I'm 60 now and haven't died ONCE from any of the 78,459,001 diseases I've had. Neither will you.
Get yourself some help and regain your life.
Good luck, Sweetie
Peace
Greenlydia
When you say you sometimes get minor chest pains or an aching feeling down your left arm..........are these always accompanied by palpitations?
I could ask you a ton of questions and give you a great many possibilities, but from my own recent cardiac experience, I stand firmly behind the advice that chest pains, arm involvement and an increase in palps should not ever be ignored. I'm quite sure that at your age, there is nothing more seriously wrong than anxiety, but I think only a cardilogist is going to be able to really reassure you. You might want to discuss wearing a Holter montitor for a few days so they can get a really good idea about the palps.
And after they once again confirm that your heart is fine, please consider getting into some therapy for the anxiety and hypochondria. Don't do what I did and totally waste a huge part of your young adulthood worrying about dying from the disease du jour. If it's going to happen, it will hapeen whether you worry about it or not. I'm 60 now and haven't died ONCE from any of the 78,459,001 diseases I've had. Neither will you.
Get yourself some help and regain your life.
Good luck, Sweetie
Peace
Greenlydia
I have had this problem for the last year, I have had all tests done and I'm 100% healthy for my age (also 20) I take 40mgs celexa and 0.5mgs clonazepam a day and I rarely have palpitations. I bought a home blood pressure monitor and this helped ease my anxiety. I find the more you think about it the more it happens when i have a palpitation I just ignore it, everybody dies eventually and you might aswell not spend all your time living worrying.
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