Aa
I'm so sick of this!
I am really hoping someone out there has some advice for me. To give you a brief history, I'm 39 and have had essential hypertension since I'm 23. I take medication for it and it does have its high spikes throughout the day but I beleve it ti be generally under control. I have also been dx'd with PVC'S and PAC's which have wreaked general havoc and fear on my life.
SO heres my issue. I NEVER< EVER feel well. If its not skipped heartbeats its a feeling of hevay pressure on my chest. Lately I feel like a weight is on my chest and I get a tight feeling in my throat at the same time. I get tired very easily and just generally feel awful. My husband is so sick of it and I have been told by my Dr that my heart is fine after many tests. Because of the horrible way I feel I am convincd I have a blockage or something. How could I feel so rotten otherwise? OR I must have some sort of anxiety disorder. I wonder if that could cause these types of symptoms or if I have a hidden problem no one has yet to uncover. Any advice is appreciated so very much.
SO heres my issue. I NEVER< EVER feel well. If its not skipped heartbeats its a feeling of hevay pressure on my chest. Lately I feel like a weight is on my chest and I get a tight feeling in my throat at the same time. I get tired very easily and just generally feel awful. My husband is so sick of it and I have been told by my Dr that my heart is fine after many tests. Because of the horrible way I feel I am convincd I have a blockage or something. How could I feel so rotten otherwise? OR I must have some sort of anxiety disorder. I wonder if that could cause these types of symptoms or if I have a hidden problem no one has yet to uncover. Any advice is appreciated so very much.
"Just so fearful of heart issues. :( "
I have very real heart issues: Deleted cardiomyopathy. Changing hbp.
Happy, healthy, never fearful this is how I feel and live my life.
Everybody on this board could feel that way.All up to you. You got some good advice from Artuad.
I have two words for you EXERCISE !!!!! & PROPER DIET!!!!!
Good luck !
I have very real heart issues: Deleted cardiomyopathy. Changing hbp.
Happy, healthy, never fearful this is how I feel and live my life.
Everybody on this board could feel that way.All up to you. You got some good advice from Artuad.
I have two words for you EXERCISE !!!!! & PROPER DIET!!!!!
Good luck !
Thanks for the anwers everyone ... I have not had a thallium test because I am allergic to iodine so they never order the contrast.I have had the carotid artery test in the past and have had holter monitors, EKGand a stress echo -- all only showed PVC/PAC's. I just have such a hard time believing it could be anxiety related BUT whenI look up symptoms for generalized anxiety disorder I pretty much have them all.
Is it worse when I exert myself? Yes and no. Sometimes (many times) the chest pressure and tightness comes out of the blue for no apparent reason. I have never tried a valium or something similar but think maybe I should give it a try. My skipped beats ae annoying but not continuous. I try my best to just live with them. Tonight I'm feeling better so I hope this is ending. Just so fearful of heart issues. :(
Is it worse when I exert myself? Yes and no. Sometimes (many times) the chest pressure and tightness comes out of the blue for no apparent reason. I have never tried a valium or something similar but think maybe I should give it a try. My skipped beats ae annoying but not continuous. I try my best to just live with them. Tonight I'm feeling better so I hope this is ending. Just so fearful of heart issues. :(
What about chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. Fibro. can cause fatigue and strange aches and pains, interferes with sleep too.
Hi,
I trust that your tests included thallium or cardiolite stress testing? (i.e. they examined the blood flow to your heart while under physical stress and then while at rest).
How about digestive or breathing problems?
Have you ever been prescribed a tranquilizer for short term use and if so, did you feel any relief from the tightness in your chest and/or in your neck?
Does the pain feel worse after physical exertion? (do not specifically physically exert yourself for this, I am asking if, from memory, it is the same, better, or worse when you are performing routine activities that you encounter daily).
Concern about the PVCs and PACs and concern about your husband's feelings about your condition may be adding both to increased blood pressure and increased anxiety, which in turn may add to the number of PVCs and PACs, which in turn increase the anxiety and so forth.
How bad is your arrhythmia? I have written elsewhere on this forum about my wife's experience with the Cardiologist that she works for. They have patients with PVCs so frequent that she can't take their pulse. The amazing thing is that may of these patients are unaware of the arrhythmia, perhaps being referred by concerns that their Family Physician may have had during a physical. If everything is OK, (tests) and if the patient has no symptoms (fainting or dizziness for example) the Doctor, while taking the patient's pulse, will ask him/her "do you get any palpitations". If the patient says no, often the Doctor won't even make them aware of their arrhythmia if their heart is otherwise healthy, otherwise they may obsess about it. (like me) Many people experience thousands of PVCs per day with no ill effect.
If you have not yet tried such, ask your Doctor if it may be advisable for you to try a tranquilizer for a short period of time. If so, take it as directed, do not take more. For me, I use Klonopin as needed, never more (in my case) than about .75 mg per week. (I take .25 mg at a time). I've been taking this, or another form of it, for years. It has helped me to get through the troubling times. Recently, I was prescribed Paxil (I'm still only taking a small dose of it). Though initially it made me more nervous, it seems to have helped me to be more tolerant to my arrhythmia as it flares up.
AVOID coffee that has caffeine, stimulants such as diet pills, (be careful about the cold pills that you may use, as some of them may increase blood pressure), some supplements (super vitamins and more obscure items such as Ginkgo Biloba or Saint John’s Wort), soft drinks with caffeine, tea with caffeine, chocolate in all but very small quantities (caffeine again). If you are having PVCs and anxiety and you are consuming caffeine, you are likely making your problem worse. Also be careful with alcohol consumption. I know I tend to have more when I drink alcohol. I may have a single beer in the evening, but more often causes me problems.
My wife's coworker's daughter has seizures. She is in her early twenties, drinks copious amounts of coffee, she diets, and uses diet drinks (artificial sweeteners), and she has seizures that render her unconscious (and she looses control of her bladder). She knows better but insists on dieting heavily and drinking coffee and artificial sweeteners. She is almost assuredly adding to her seizure problems.
Be well.
I trust that your tests included thallium or cardiolite stress testing? (i.e. they examined the blood flow to your heart while under physical stress and then while at rest).
How about digestive or breathing problems?
Have you ever been prescribed a tranquilizer for short term use and if so, did you feel any relief from the tightness in your chest and/or in your neck?
Does the pain feel worse after physical exertion? (do not specifically physically exert yourself for this, I am asking if, from memory, it is the same, better, or worse when you are performing routine activities that you encounter daily).
Concern about the PVCs and PACs and concern about your husband's feelings about your condition may be adding both to increased blood pressure and increased anxiety, which in turn may add to the number of PVCs and PACs, which in turn increase the anxiety and so forth.
How bad is your arrhythmia? I have written elsewhere on this forum about my wife's experience with the Cardiologist that she works for. They have patients with PVCs so frequent that she can't take their pulse. The amazing thing is that may of these patients are unaware of the arrhythmia, perhaps being referred by concerns that their Family Physician may have had during a physical. If everything is OK, (tests) and if the patient has no symptoms (fainting or dizziness for example) the Doctor, while taking the patient's pulse, will ask him/her "do you get any palpitations". If the patient says no, often the Doctor won't even make them aware of their arrhythmia if their heart is otherwise healthy, otherwise they may obsess about it. (like me) Many people experience thousands of PVCs per day with no ill effect.
If you have not yet tried such, ask your Doctor if it may be advisable for you to try a tranquilizer for a short period of time. If so, take it as directed, do not take more. For me, I use Klonopin as needed, never more (in my case) than about .75 mg per week. (I take .25 mg at a time). I've been taking this, or another form of it, for years. It has helped me to get through the troubling times. Recently, I was prescribed Paxil (I'm still only taking a small dose of it). Though initially it made me more nervous, it seems to have helped me to be more tolerant to my arrhythmia as it flares up.
AVOID coffee that has caffeine, stimulants such as diet pills, (be careful about the cold pills that you may use, as some of them may increase blood pressure), some supplements (super vitamins and more obscure items such as Ginkgo Biloba or Saint John’s Wort), soft drinks with caffeine, tea with caffeine, chocolate in all but very small quantities (caffeine again). If you are having PVCs and anxiety and you are consuming caffeine, you are likely making your problem worse. Also be careful with alcohol consumption. I know I tend to have more when I drink alcohol. I may have a single beer in the evening, but more often causes me problems.
My wife's coworker's daughter has seizures. She is in her early twenties, drinks copious amounts of coffee, she diets, and uses diet drinks (artificial sweeteners), and she has seizures that render her unconscious (and she looses control of her bladder). She knows better but insists on dieting heavily and drinking coffee and artificial sweeteners. She is almost assuredly adding to her seizure problems.
Be well.
Anxiety can definitely cause pressure in the chest and tightness in the throat. These were my two main symptoms when I was suffering from anxiety. I didn't know at the time it was anxiety though and also thought something was wrong.
Hi im so sorry you have to go through this i also have pvc's some time i have a run of them in a row its like a fish flopping around ive had so many test done i even went as far as to have the cardiac ct scan that shows if you have any blockage wich i dont...but i also have anxiety disorder,,which causes so many of my symptoms ..what i did that really helped me is i kept a journal and everytime i felt A pvc or had bad anxiety i logged down what i was doing and what was the last thing i ate..and i realized my pvc's start going crazy about 1 -2 weeks before my period...So to answer your question yes anxiety can cause so many things including the pvc's pressure in my chest, throat etc....Any questions about anxiety dont hesitate to ask..Gina
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community
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.
