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Arrythmia, MVP or anxiety....please help
I am looking for some help to try to ease my mind. I have episodes where my heart feels like it is racing. This started two years ago and I went to the cardiologist who told me that my heart was fine. The only thing my test showed was the echo showed an elongated mitral valve WITHOUT prolapse WITH trace regurgitation. He was looking for MVP because he said he heard a clicking but after the echo said I did not have it. Also when I did the stress test it showed my heart rate went up to 180 bpm with in the first 5 min but there were no arrythmias just sinus tach. So I was told I was fine and that my problem was anxiety.
Do you think that I should be worried about the elongated valve? Can that cause these symptoms?
The thing is I have become so focused on my heart all day long that any little thing I feel scares me. So after 2 years of living in fear of having my heart race I went to another cardiologist who just listened to my heart and said that I have mitral valve prolapse. He did NOT do an echo to confirm it, he only did an EKG which showed sinus tach at 140 BPM because I was really nervous to be there.
My quetion is even though the Dr's are telling me it is just sinus tach, how can I be sure that when I feel this way it is not SVT are there other symptoms that I would get if it were SVT or an arrythmia. When I feel this way it usually will start because I feel like my heart is a little fast then I take my pulse I guess I get scared then I get hot then I feel like what if my heart doesnt slow back down(can that happen?) after about 5-10 min my heart slows back down and then I get really cold and shake.
Does this sound like symptoms of SVT or Mitral valve prolapse or anxiety?
I have had my thyroid checked and its normal, I dont drink, smoke, no drugs no caffiene.
One last question is my resting heart rate is 76 Bpm yet when I stand up it is 110 and if I walk around it is about 130 do these sound like normal rates? The 2nd cardiologist told me this is common with Mitral Valve Prolapse but I dont even know whose diagnosis to believe the Dr that told me my heart is fine or the one that said I have classic MVP symptoms and this is what I have. I am very worried to even walk around my house because I have become so afriad to feel my heart beat fast. I do not have chest pain or anything just feels fast and scary.
Please help me setttle my mind, I am sorry this is so long but I wanted to include as much information as possible to try to get help. Thank you so much, Jean
P.S- Do calcium supplements speed up your heart rate?
Do you think that I should be worried about the elongated valve? Can that cause these symptoms?
The thing is I have become so focused on my heart all day long that any little thing I feel scares me. So after 2 years of living in fear of having my heart race I went to another cardiologist who just listened to my heart and said that I have mitral valve prolapse. He did NOT do an echo to confirm it, he only did an EKG which showed sinus tach at 140 BPM because I was really nervous to be there.
My quetion is even though the Dr's are telling me it is just sinus tach, how can I be sure that when I feel this way it is not SVT are there other symptoms that I would get if it were SVT or an arrythmia. When I feel this way it usually will start because I feel like my heart is a little fast then I take my pulse I guess I get scared then I get hot then I feel like what if my heart doesnt slow back down(can that happen?) after about 5-10 min my heart slows back down and then I get really cold and shake.
Does this sound like symptoms of SVT or Mitral valve prolapse or anxiety?
I have had my thyroid checked and its normal, I dont drink, smoke, no drugs no caffiene.
One last question is my resting heart rate is 76 Bpm yet when I stand up it is 110 and if I walk around it is about 130 do these sound like normal rates? The 2nd cardiologist told me this is common with Mitral Valve Prolapse but I dont even know whose diagnosis to believe the Dr that told me my heart is fine or the one that said I have classic MVP symptoms and this is what I have. I am very worried to even walk around my house because I have become so afriad to feel my heart beat fast. I do not have chest pain or anything just feels fast and scary.
Please help me setttle my mind, I am sorry this is so long but I wanted to include as much information as possible to try to get help. Thank you so much, Jean
P.S- Do calcium supplements speed up your heart rate?
Jodie....I too have read all of Claire Weekes books and I have talked with her over the phone many years ago. She was a wonderful person. She was my saviour 23 years ago when I was in my early 20's and begin to suffer from anxiety and panic attacks which created all of the symptoms that many talk about on this site. I also know that not everyone who has these symptoms has anxiety, but intense anxiety and introspection can make the problems they have worse. Sometimes when you just don't have an answer and the doctor says you are a healty person, it is hard for someone to think it is the anxiety causing it because they didn't realize they were having so much anxiety to begin with. But panic attacks do come "out of the blue." I always love to see that someone else has heard and read "Claire Weekes books". I once asked her if she had agoraphobia and she said, "no, but the nervous suffering was mine." I never found someone whose books could have been about me......thanks for sharing.
Hi MLS
Her book now sits in my closet. Sometimes I take it down and look at how "worn out" it is. I used to carry it with me everywhere. I had special pages marked because it was as though she was writing about me personally. Although I do have heart skips etc., the anxiety behind them was so much worse. There were two books that I carried with me at all times. Hope and Help from your Nerves (which was my favorite) and Peace from Nervous Suffering. I was also in my 20's. It took about 1 year to fully get over the anxiety over my heart and it never would have happened without her help.
Her book now sits in my closet. Sometimes I take it down and look at how "worn out" it is. I used to carry it with me everywhere. I had special pages marked because it was as though she was writing about me personally. Although I do have heart skips etc., the anxiety behind them was so much worse. There were two books that I carried with me at all times. Hope and Help from your Nerves (which was my favorite) and Peace from Nervous Suffering. I was also in my 20's. It took about 1 year to fully get over the anxiety over my heart and it never would have happened without her help.
Hi Jean:
I have the exact same thing, the only difference is that my resting heart rate is around 100 bpm. But in doctor's offices, when I get scared it goes to about 140/150 bpm, and with exercise it goes to about 170 bpm.
In my case I don't remember when it started, but have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many yrs. One day I ended up in ER because of tachycardia (I was stressed and that's why I got the tachycardia: 170 bpm), and the doctor said that even though anxiety caused rapid heart rate, it would not increase it "that much" (he said there was something else going on). Then, I had all type of tests (thyroid, EKG's, chest x-rays, etc) and everything was normal, just fast pulse. I went to an electrophysiologist and he said I have inappropiate sinus tachycardia, and that it would not kill me. He put me on Toprol, but that doesn't help when I'm stressed (he said it was normal). Now I don't worry as much, and it's much better.
Also, don't be scared to exercise because if you do not exercise your heart rate will get faster in the long run (at minimum exertion it will increase more). Exercise raises your pulse in the moment, but lowers it in the long run.
Good luck, and don't worry, I know.....easier said than done, but it has helped me (and our cases are soooooo similar)
Poly
I have the exact same thing, the only difference is that my resting heart rate is around 100 bpm. But in doctor's offices, when I get scared it goes to about 140/150 bpm, and with exercise it goes to about 170 bpm.
In my case I don't remember when it started, but have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many yrs. One day I ended up in ER because of tachycardia (I was stressed and that's why I got the tachycardia: 170 bpm), and the doctor said that even though anxiety caused rapid heart rate, it would not increase it "that much" (he said there was something else going on). Then, I had all type of tests (thyroid, EKG's, chest x-rays, etc) and everything was normal, just fast pulse. I went to an electrophysiologist and he said I have inappropiate sinus tachycardia, and that it would not kill me. He put me on Toprol, but that doesn't help when I'm stressed (he said it was normal). Now I don't worry as much, and it's much better.
Also, don't be scared to exercise because if you do not exercise your heart rate will get faster in the long run (at minimum exertion it will increase more). Exercise raises your pulse in the moment, but lowers it in the long run.
Good luck, and don't worry, I know.....easier said than done, but it has helped me (and our cases are soooooo similar)
Poly
All of your posts made so much sense to me about the anxiety. I am having a real problem of being able to not let it scare me so much. I am not sure how much of the racing is being caused by this MVP or my worry over it. I find myself thinking about it all day and hoping that my heart wont race today. I have bceome so fearful of the feeling. Also I wonder if I am helping to cause the feeling by what I am thinking. Before I get up to walk around my first thought is what if it races when I stand, so of course it feels fast as soon as I get up. But the problem is I dont know if that means I have a real problem going on here. I had an EKG done at 140 bpm and there were no arrythmias so that should be a good sign right?
Jodie and MLS, I also have read Claire Weekes and believe what she is saying the only thing is I havent been able to truly Accept and let time pass when I get the feelings. My first reaction is to say oh no and what if this is the time where my heart wont slow back down. Anyone have any good calming techniques. Also do you think I can raise my heart rate so fast with just the fear of it and the constant introspection? I have tried to find a good therapist but have had no luck I live in Staten Island New York if any one knows of any please let me know.
,Thanks everyone.....Jean......here is my email address also. ***@****
Jodie and MLS, I also have read Claire Weekes and believe what she is saying the only thing is I havent been able to truly Accept and let time pass when I get the feelings. My first reaction is to say oh no and what if this is the time where my heart wont slow back down. Anyone have any good calming techniques. Also do you think I can raise my heart rate so fast with just the fear of it and the constant introspection? I have tried to find a good therapist but have had no luck I live in Staten Island New York if any one knows of any please let me know.
,Thanks everyone.....Jean......here is my email address also. ***@****
Hi Jean,
Claire Weekes books are wonderful because they are written with such meaning. One of the things that you have to realize is that people who suffer from intense anxiety and subsequent symptoms tend to be people that are very sensitive and "highly imaginative." This then causes total "self-introspection." Scarey symptoms such as ones related to heart beat, heart rate, skipped beats, etc. would cause anyone to self analyze many things. The first thing to do is get a good physical and then listen to your doctor if he tells you everything is okay. Claires books will not help you unless you learn to practice. Accept, wait, float, let time pass, do not what-if. I don't remember the exact order but I do remember LOTS from her books. I had panic attacks and terrible anxiety the whole day. I did not begin to get better until I began to practice, take each day and sometimes moment as they came. I had shakes, extra beats, fast heart rate all day (130 beats per minutes whole day), throwing up or the constant urge to gag, sweating, etc. I began my day by hating to get out of bed because I knew it was going to start. The only trouble is, it had already started before I got out of bed.......it truly does work. One success leads to another. It is not instantaneous, because this did not happen over night. It really is true that overly sensitized nerves will cause your bodies reaction to stress and worry to become almost automatic and instantaneous, from thought to symptom. Fear doesn't even have to enter into the picture. Tension, aggravation, anger at the symtoms are all negative thoughts and have the capacity to create the same symptoms. It is never easy, but if you take each day as it comes, wait, let time pass, talk to yourself, etc. it will work....good luck.....consider yourself a stronger person for having gone through this. There are many people out there who don't seek the proper help. Good luck!! MLS
Claire Weekes books are wonderful because they are written with such meaning. One of the things that you have to realize is that people who suffer from intense anxiety and subsequent symptoms tend to be people that are very sensitive and "highly imaginative." This then causes total "self-introspection." Scarey symptoms such as ones related to heart beat, heart rate, skipped beats, etc. would cause anyone to self analyze many things. The first thing to do is get a good physical and then listen to your doctor if he tells you everything is okay. Claires books will not help you unless you learn to practice. Accept, wait, float, let time pass, do not what-if. I don't remember the exact order but I do remember LOTS from her books. I had panic attacks and terrible anxiety the whole day. I did not begin to get better until I began to practice, take each day and sometimes moment as they came. I had shakes, extra beats, fast heart rate all day (130 beats per minutes whole day), throwing up or the constant urge to gag, sweating, etc. I began my day by hating to get out of bed because I knew it was going to start. The only trouble is, it had already started before I got out of bed.......it truly does work. One success leads to another. It is not instantaneous, because this did not happen over night. It really is true that overly sensitized nerves will cause your bodies reaction to stress and worry to become almost automatic and instantaneous, from thought to symptom. Fear doesn't even have to enter into the picture. Tension, aggravation, anger at the symtoms are all negative thoughts and have the capacity to create the same symptoms. It is never easy, but if you take each day as it comes, wait, let time pass, talk to yourself, etc. it will work....good luck.....consider yourself a stronger person for having gone through this. There are many people out there who don't seek the proper help. Good luck!! MLS
Hi again Jean,
If your doctor tells you not to worry then try not to. You have a nervous heart. (that is all) It has been conditioned to respond to your worrying. You have to "uncondition" it. You do it like this. When you wake up, just tell yourself before you get out of bed that your heart will probably be beating fast. Then tell yourself that you won't add extra adreneline to this by scaring yourself over it. You will just accept it and let it beat fast. Take your mind off of it and DON'T feel your pulse. Accepting it will immediately decrease the anxiety and the "what if's". Put a rubber band around your wrist and every time you go to feel your pulse, snap that rubber band instead. After a few weeks you will start forgetting to feel that pulse. Make yourself go out. Go to the mall, to the store, all those places that make you uncomfortable because you could have heart problems while you are there and noone would be around to help you. Accept that you will feel nervous and your heart will pound but make yourself go anyway. After days and days of this, you really do feel your anxiety level go down. This in turn will help your heart rate settle down. You are the only one with the control to change your thoughts. My heart does everything yours does and more. Some days, I wake up and I'm feeling shaky and I just know my heart has decided to take off. Sometimes every year or so, it pauses and races like crazy with no uniformity to it. Then there are the usual pacs, pvc's and fast heart beats that are a daily nusiance (spelling?). You must desensitize yourself.. read the book again and again until you believe! Your heart is a nervous wreck. Your thoughts created this problem. If your thoughts made it a nervous wreck then they can heal it also, because that is how strong you and your thoughts are. good luck and e-mail me if you want. ***@****
If your doctor tells you not to worry then try not to. You have a nervous heart. (that is all) It has been conditioned to respond to your worrying. You have to "uncondition" it. You do it like this. When you wake up, just tell yourself before you get out of bed that your heart will probably be beating fast. Then tell yourself that you won't add extra adreneline to this by scaring yourself over it. You will just accept it and let it beat fast. Take your mind off of it and DON'T feel your pulse. Accepting it will immediately decrease the anxiety and the "what if's". Put a rubber band around your wrist and every time you go to feel your pulse, snap that rubber band instead. After a few weeks you will start forgetting to feel that pulse. Make yourself go out. Go to the mall, to the store, all those places that make you uncomfortable because you could have heart problems while you are there and noone would be around to help you. Accept that you will feel nervous and your heart will pound but make yourself go anyway. After days and days of this, you really do feel your anxiety level go down. This in turn will help your heart rate settle down. You are the only one with the control to change your thoughts. My heart does everything yours does and more. Some days, I wake up and I'm feeling shaky and I just know my heart has decided to take off. Sometimes every year or so, it pauses and races like crazy with no uniformity to it. Then there are the usual pacs, pvc's and fast heart beats that are a daily nusiance (spelling?). You must desensitize yourself.. read the book again and again until you believe! Your heart is a nervous wreck. Your thoughts created this problem. If your thoughts made it a nervous wreck then they can heal it also, because that is how strong you and your thoughts are. good luck and e-mail me if you want. ***@****
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