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fast heart rate and tachycardia concerns.
dear doctors,
im a 37 male in decent health. i do have both ibs & gerd. the other night out of the blue i noticed sitting at the computer i could feel my heart beating fast and i felt dizzy. it subsided but came back overnight. it started again the next day and i went to the ER. my heart rate was very high. they gave me a ekg and did extensive bloodwork to test my kidney, tested for infections and my thyroid. i was also given a ctscan of my heart & lungs with contrast. all tests came back 100% normal according to them. no blood clots, cancer, clogged arteries or any damage. he said it was stress related and gave me valium. my question is i have never had anything like this happen and im not prone to panic attacks but i am under alot of stress in my life. i walk and excersize daily. i have smoked for 18 years but am trying to quit. the valium helps and my blood pressure today was 124/74 which is down alot from my ER visit. i notice upon waking in the am i feel it beating faster and i always have bloodshot eyes in the morning. if i try to smoke the last few days my heart beats alot faster too. if this is not heart or lung related what could cause this and will it subside? can you have panic without knowing? the more i think about this the more i tend to worry about my heart. i do not have insurance so i cannot go to a bunch of doctors for this.
im a 37 male in decent health. i do have both ibs & gerd. the other night out of the blue i noticed sitting at the computer i could feel my heart beating fast and i felt dizzy. it subsided but came back overnight. it started again the next day and i went to the ER. my heart rate was very high. they gave me a ekg and did extensive bloodwork to test my kidney, tested for infections and my thyroid. i was also given a ctscan of my heart & lungs with contrast. all tests came back 100% normal according to them. no blood clots, cancer, clogged arteries or any damage. he said it was stress related and gave me valium. my question is i have never had anything like this happen and im not prone to panic attacks but i am under alot of stress in my life. i walk and excersize daily. i have smoked for 18 years but am trying to quit. the valium helps and my blood pressure today was 124/74 which is down alot from my ER visit. i notice upon waking in the am i feel it beating faster and i always have bloodshot eyes in the morning. if i try to smoke the last few days my heart beats alot faster too. if this is not heart or lung related what could cause this and will it subside? can you have panic without knowing? the more i think about this the more i tend to worry about my heart. i do not have insurance so i cannot go to a bunch of doctors for this.
im trying, i will be going to my doctor in a few weeks for a full checkup. thanks for your responses.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.
As you have been extensively investigated, its unlikely that there is any cause for concern, so please stop worrying. Since medications for GERD don't seem to be helping much why don't you try lifestyle measures? Take frequent small meals. Eat dinner about two hours before sleeping. Elevate the head end of the bed. Keep a food diary and note down what aggravates your symptoms and avoid them. Ensure to maintain optimum weight by regular exercise. Avoid non steroidal anti inflammatory medications NSAID's, quit smoking, eliminate alcohol and reduce stress levels. These measures need to be practiced long term for results. Good Luck.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
As you have been extensively investigated, its unlikely that there is any cause for concern, so please stop worrying. Since medications for GERD don't seem to be helping much why don't you try lifestyle measures? Take frequent small meals. Eat dinner about two hours before sleeping. Elevate the head end of the bed. Keep a food diary and note down what aggravates your symptoms and avoid them. Ensure to maintain optimum weight by regular exercise. Avoid non steroidal anti inflammatory medications NSAID's, quit smoking, eliminate alcohol and reduce stress levels. These measures need to be practiced long term for results. Good Luck.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
the only meds im currently on are prevacid, which i stopped taking because i thought it may be the cause. i take reglan every other day for my gerd and i started taking sudafed a week ago from plugged sinuses.
they already tested my thyroid and blood sugar, what not. my ct scans were fine too, not heart or lung related. he thought it might be stress which i am under. my blood pressure today was very good but i still get the feeling of fast heartbeat. if it continues ill go to a doctor but at least i know it cannot be anything too serious. never had my smokes cause this before until the other day. it's hard to not worry when that feeling come son. i also do not want to take these valiums everyday. they said my ekg was also normal. i hope i didn't get a misdiagnosis at the hospital.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.
To begin with take a deep breath and relax. Nothing is as frightening or as difficult as it appears to be.
As you can see, it becomes a vicious cycle, the panic and the palpitations. Palpitations can be due to hyperthyroidism(overactive thyroid), arrhythmias (altered electrical system of the heart), certain medications, heart failure, anemia and low blood sugar. It can be aggravated by exercise, fever, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and dehydration. Anxiety, fear or stress can cause palpitations. Would suggest holter monitoring, blood tests to rule out anemia/low blood sugars and to check to see if any medications are causing your symptoms.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
To begin with take a deep breath and relax. Nothing is as frightening or as difficult as it appears to be.
As you can see, it becomes a vicious cycle, the panic and the palpitations. Palpitations can be due to hyperthyroidism(overactive thyroid), arrhythmias (altered electrical system of the heart), certain medications, heart failure, anemia and low blood sugar. It can be aggravated by exercise, fever, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and dehydration. Anxiety, fear or stress can cause palpitations. Would suggest holter monitoring, blood tests to rule out anemia/low blood sugars and to check to see if any medications are causing your symptoms.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
yes i know but it's not just the smoking that causes this. are there any professionals that can give me advice? thanks for you reply though.
Instead of "trying to quit", you must decide you "Must" quit. Carbon monoxide inhaled from smoking binds to the oxygen carrying cells and in itself can be a contributing cause of compensatory tachycardia. Also consider taking a magnesium supplement.
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