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Palpitations

I think I have generalized anxiety disorder.  I am so worried about my heart all of the time.  I suffer skipped beats and it is like it is a vicious circle.  I get the skipped beats and go into panic and I panic and get the skipped beats.  That is all I think about all day is my heart.  I take 20 mg celexa and it does not seem to be helping me anymore with my anxiety level.  What would you suggest a person do that is completely obsessed with these heart feelings??
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480448 tn?1426948538
This thread is very old.  Please start your own new thread.

Thanks!
Helpful - 0
6885015 tn?1386683809
Heart palpitations can also be a symptom of sleep apnea. My mom has had problems with anxiety for almost 30 years, and recently she went to the hospital because her heart was skipping beats. Everything came back normal, but she ended up having sleep apnea. After starting CPAP she no longer has them.

When it comes to your heart you don't want to ignore anything unusual. Go to a cardiologist to make sure it's not just anxiety causing palpitations.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
For the time I've been apart of this forum it seems as though a lot of people on here have health anxiety myself included I'm terrible about it I get still to this day go to the er looking for something to be wrong. I think chest pain and palps are the worst thing for someone who fears heart disease. I know it sounds bad when people say your OK when you feel like everything not try to follow it because heart fears have taken over my life it *****. I had no worry in the world until I felt that sinking crazy feeling in my chest since then I've had them over and over again And having won yet
Helpful - 0
6884012 tn?1386235386
Sorry to bring up an old thread but it popped up while searching my symptoms on google.

First of im happy that in not the only one suffering from anxiety, but not happy that anyone has to feel it lol.

I was diagnosed with anxiety by a cardiologist/ 3 E.R. Doctors/ and my GP but almost everyday i am certain that in going to die of a heart attack or heart failure of some sort.

It all started 7 years ago when i was around 19 years old, I would have this tightness in my chest and a really hard time breathing. I would always feel like i was going to lose consciousness.

Test i have taken (6-7 years ago, within a duration of 3-4 years span) would be countless blood work/ thyroid check/ EKG's / 24 hour holter monitor / echocardiogram / treadmill stress test / urinalysis / and just general body check and everything came up fine.
       After several years of dealing with it, it would come and go but never be so severe.

Recently about 2 months ago i started having these crazy heart palpitations where i would feel like my heart is squeezing really hard and it would take my breath away while its doing it (5 seconds usually). I have been really fatigued, grumpy, dizzy, left arm numbness, right shoulder tingly sensation, trembling body, sweats, and all around  body weakness. So back to the doctor i went.

Recently within the past 2 months I've had 3 EKGs on different days, blood work which was normal, chest x-ray, and have just finished up my 48 holter monitor. I haven't gotten my results back from my holter test but will soon.

I just had to share my story because its frustrating feelings like this everyday. I hope you all find relief because im looking for the same...
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Avatar universal
I to have been having problems with heart palpataions. I have been noticing a resting pulse rate of 55, and when it is like that I feel very tired.
I have had anxiety problems since I was 11, and I am now 30 and the anxiety is worse then it has ever been. I have never seen a heard specialist but have had countless ekg;s and they say they are all normal. But the low pulse rate doesn't seem to happen when I am at the hospital. Course the hospitals never monitor me long enough to see how low it gets. I am constantly tired and getting no help from our Village Doctor. I live in a remote island in Alaska and the health care is poor. I just wish I knoew if this resting pulse rate of 55 was normal. Does anyone else experience this problem?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey everyone, i know alot of people get palpuations, but i dident know anyone had the problem of thinking of there heart all day, and thats what i do.. i think of my heart all day and it get frusterating..  Some people get papultatoins 8 times a day, i get them like 30 times a day, plus i can get an attack then like 4 attacks straight after it, so it feels my heart is soo out of wack.. its scary.. i have been tested. and found nothing.. people say palpuations is just ur heart beating fast?? well not mine.. my heart will be beating normal then it will have this one huge beat where i swear the heart doubles its normal size, then after that can beat normal again or beat rapidly fast, then go back to normal.. does this sound right.. does everybody else heart jump out these chest for the first beat?? i dont drink coffy or have much caffiene, i dont smoke. i dont drink much.. so why am i getting so many attacks day??

CAN SOME ONE PLEASE answer all my questions... mainly about it huge beat at the start.

Thank you so much people
Adam
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey everyone, i know alot of people get palpuations, but i dident know anyone had the problem of thinking of there heart all day, and thats what i do.. i think of my heart all day and it get frusterating..  Some people get papultatoins 8 times a day, i get them like 30 times a day, plus i can get an attack then like 4 attacks straight after it, so it feels my heart is soo out of wack.. its scary.. i have been tested. and found nothing.. people say palpuations is just ur heart beating fast?? well not mine.. my heart will be beating normal then it will have this one huge beat where i swear the heart doubles its normal size, then after that can beat normal again or beat rapidly fast, then go back to normal.. does this sound right.. does everybody else heart jump out these chest for the first beat?? i dont drink coffy or have much caffiene, i dont smoke. i dont drink much.. so why am i getting so many attacks day??

CAN SOME ONE PLEASE answer all my questions... mainly about it huge beat at the start.

Thank you so much people
Adam
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I to always check my pulse, and if it is faster than usual, i will start to panic.  My normal resting hr is around 55-65 bpm. If its 70 or higher, i think something is wrong. Im now trying a book on panic and anxiety to try and cope. I also get pvcs and pacs. Ive had an echo, two holters, okg, ech, xray,bloodtests, and mri of my vessles, all normal. I need to get a grip!
Helpful - 0
160332 tn?1207762545
I have generalized anxiety disorder as well and I to became obsessed with my heart.  I was checking my pulse constantly because I was affraid that I would have skipped beats or my heart was beating weird.  So I just went to see a cardiovascular spcialist.  He did a proper diagnostic work up including: holter monitor, echocardiogram and some blood studies.  They all came back normal except "rare isolated PVCs" which are normal with most of the population.  Getting it all tested was peace of mind for me.  Just know, that you probably don't have a horrible heart condition and it is just anxiety.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have several disorders with my heart.  SVT, extra,skipped and irregular heart beats.  I take a medicine called Verapamil.  It is basically for the SVT.  Which I believe is caused by stress of any sort.  I use a lot of essential oils because they really do help me to relax, mind and body.  If you do some research on the oils you will find a whole new world of natural ways to help you with your anxiety and you might even do as I have done and bought a book with recipes for all sorts of little afflictions.  Whether it be a bee sting or you are feeling depressed and anxious.  You know the astronauts take an essential oil called vetiver with them into space because it smells like the earth and it gives them a grounded sense.  The olfactory nerve is the oldest nerve we have and it makes the smell of something bring up feelings and emotions, the oils can produce feelings/emotions that you want.  Like for instance when you smell a perfume or cologne that someone you knew wore.  It will make you think of that person and memories come floating back. When I smell gardenia it makes me think of my mother, she wore it ALL the time.  I didn't care for the scent, but it reminds me of her.  See?

My sister had a really mean dog that hated my dog.  I lived with her for a short period of time.  Any time anyone mentioned my dogs name, her dog would go down to my bedroom door and growl and scratch at the door.  One day she brought home a synergy ( combination of oils) and put one drop on her dogs nose. Within minutes we were in that dogs face yelling my dogs name and he just layed there like we were yelling about nothing.  The synergy was called "peace and harmony".  I have other stories too, but I think you get the idea.  

Anyway, the poing being that if you choose the correct oil that you can produce the feelings you want and whenever you are feeling badly you can use the oils.  You can make your own recipes and carry them around with you anywhere.  Here's another little story ( sorry)  I went to an interview for a job at the Ritz Carlton in the salon, ( I'm a stylist) I wore some bergamot    oil.  It said that the person interviewing you will like you and won't know why.  Funny thing, she called me back afterwards and said there were about 30 people interviewing for that position and she liked me ...but she didn't know why!   I laughed so hard after I hung up.  So there you have it!  You can relieve symptoms too.  Give it a try,  can't hurt...it's all natural.  Good luck and God bless
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Pum
Try to reduce your caffiene level and alcohol if you find that triggers it off.  It is hard but you have to learn to "float" rather than "fight" when you feel a skip.  Think "this is nothing,everyone gets these" and move on.

Have you tried cognative behaviour therapy?  It is very useful and makes you change your pattern of thinking so that you don't immediately catastrophise (is that a word?) every little symptom.

Excercise certainly helps, as does eating regularly, sleeping regularly, and keeping busy doing things for others.

Good luck.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have the same thing. I have a general anxiety disorder as well as a social anxiety disorder. I am always concerned about my heart. It flutters probebly 10 times a day, missing beats and pounding hard. I keep thinking about it and by doing that, it makes it even worse. I use to be on celexa for depression. After recovering from depression, and being weined of celexa is when the anxiety disorders started. I have always associated my anxiety with the use of celexa.

One thing that has helped with my anxiety disorders is exercise. I joined CURVES which is a women only gym. The exercise helps sometimes with my palpitations, and the "circle" concept they use at the gym has been really helping me with my anxiety disorders. It is a comfortable environment where you don't even need to talk to anyone if you don't want to. Now, I can attend dinners with strangers without having an attack. So far, it is helping.

Hope you feel better soon.
Helpful - 0
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