Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Anxiety or Heart Problem?

Hi,
I'm 22, Female. I get palpations, I can feel my heart beat and sometimes see it at the bottom of my left side. I get really dizzy when standing up for a long time (I have to lean against something). I get this weird fluttering feeling on my left side. I get this sharp stabbing pain sometimes when i lift something up.
I get out of breath really easy, I've tried jogging to improve my fitness but I'm panting within 10mins and it doesn't seem to improve overtime.

I have a family history of heart problems, My dad and nan and uncle.

I been to a doctor who said 'Its anxiety.

The second doctor i had to insist on getting a holter monitor. It showed 2x STE's and 1x VE all at times i was most active (Starting and finishing work). The doctor said it was fine.

Is it Anxiety? or Nothing to worry about? or go to another doctor?
Should i insisted on getting the stress test? or echocardiogram?

Thanks you!!
Best Answer
Avatar universal
As previous poster mentioned, you should assess whether you have issues with anxiety.  If you are not anxious and never have been, it seems unlikely to be entirely related to anxiety.  But if you worry alot and do get anxious, it's entriely possible that anxiety symptoms can mimic heart issues.  I am one of the anxiety sufferers who also has occasional heart rhythm problems like premature beats so it becomes somewhat of a chicken and egg thing with anxiety and heart rhythm problems.

If you legitmately believe that your issues are related to anxiety, it may be helpful to run a personal test on yourself and see if you have the same 'heart' issues when at your most relaxed.  Say, after a  couple drinks or after taking a tranquilizer (doc prescribed of course), most people are extremely relaxed.  If you don't have the same issues when you're extremely relaxed, you may want to further explore the possbility that your 'heart' issues are, in fact, anxiety related.
5 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
257552 tn?1404602554
Hi Lilyyjoy,

It may be more diplomatic to reveal your "Best Answer" faux pas in a private message to Tom, that way it lessens the likelihood that the other person may be embarrassed or slighted. Not everyone is thin skinned, but some are.

2 SVE or STE?

SVE I would guess is a Supra Ventricular Ectopic, Supra meaning above, Supra Ventricular meaning it came from above the Ventricles, i.e. the top of your heart where normal beats originate from. The VE would be a Ventricular Ectopic. You had one. I had six thousand on my last Holter, probably more at other times, and Michellepetkus (sp?) has had as many as 20,000. In that sense, you're in good shape.  Pain on lifting sounds musculosketal, not seeing that related to your heart.

At your age, you can do good for yourself by watching your diet, exercising modestly, not smoking, limiting your alcohol. Keep in touch with your doctor if you have any more concerns, but you have good reason to believe you're in good shape.

Be well.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sorry
I accidentally clicked Best Answer, It would of gone to you!! :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thanks for replying.

I don't think I'm suffering from anxiety, I seem to get symptoms at the worst time when I'm not even thinking about it. Then sometimes depending how bad they are i either push on with what I'm doing other times I have to stop and sit down for a second (sometimes its just pounding/palpations in the chest or times i get really the palpations, dizzy, sweaty and short of breath) Thats when i do start freaking out and when I run up the stairs and I'm breathing fast.

I did say to the doctor that its was the worst time to get the monitor cause i worked all night (sitting down) and slept most the day. He told me i was too young anyway! and it should be ok.

Ive put it off for over a year now and hoping it would go away.  

Thank you again.
Helpful - 0
1423357 tn?1511085442
How do you feel immediately prior to having these palpatations?  Do you think you're feeling anxious at the time?  You have to be your own advocate in the face of some shortsighted physicians.  You may have some kind of concealed condition that only reveals itself when the cardiac anomaly occurs.  I the physician passes it off as "anxiety", which is seemingly the #1 diagnosis today, and you're feeling calm and relaxed when it occurs, you have to tell him so.  If you felt nothing during the 24 hours you wore the Holter, did you tell him so?

There are a number of other things you can try.  A Holter just records a 24 hour slice of you life.  Another option is a 30 day recorder, a simple 2 leaded device that you can wear while doing anything except showering.  It's small enough that you and wearing it running, sleeping, whatever.  You stand a much greater chance of something happening when you get a larger slice of your life. A Stress Echo will look at your heart's structure  immediately following high physical stress.  They will also examine your EKG while on the treadmill.  Basically, if YOU don't think you are suffering from anxiety, then you need to stick up for yourself.

Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community

Top Arrhythmias Answerers
1807132 tn?1318743597
Chicago, IL
1423357 tn?1511085442
Central, MA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.