This week is Annual Tachycardia Week

[gothic_beauty]

This has been the worst week ever! My heart rate has been constantly high, and my stress levels have been right up there with it. It's just hard to know which is causing the other one. Every day, my resting heart rate has been in the 80s to 90s most of the time and has spent a good amount of time in the 100-120s. In moments of upset, usually about my high heart rate, it has gone up to 140. The other day, I was just standing there and it was racing at 145. I have had a constant sensation of anxiety, as if my body is gearing up to run from something dangerous. I feel shaky and weak, and my throat is tight, and I am certain I am about to faint or that my heart is about to stop. Sound like a panic attack? How long can a panic attack go on for ... is there such thing as a week-long panic attack? lol

I have a history of tachy and SVT but I have never had this sort of constant on-and-off tachycardia. My period just started: could it be hormonal? Or am I just getting more anxious as time goes on? I have been so worried every day. I'm especially afraid on the bus to school: I feel that my heart will suddenly reach a dangerously high rate and I won't be able to do anything about it because I will be on the bus and by the time I reach the next stop it will be too late. I am so sick of thinking of my heart all the time. I know, I've complained about this before, but it only seems to get worse! Sorry this turned into such a rant. :0

[viperron]

I suffered from panic attacks for many years until a doctor from cuba came into my store and told me some people are allergic to the coffee bean and cocoa bean. I stopped drinking coffee (decaf) the same day and have not had one since ( suffered for over 2 decades)  Your other symtoms sound like a lack of magnesium in your diet which is really common in almost all of us.

[DeltaDawn23]

I would definitely go in and have it checked.  If it is anxiety, can you distract yourself with meditation or counting or focusing on something else?  I know the feeling about not wanting to be in places you can't get away from.  I got so I could not sit in traffic, made me crazy.  I also got agoraphobic, afraid to go anyplace.  I take Atenolol and Xanax.  I .25 of
Xanax and break the pill in half.  It helps.  Breathing exercises, meditation, anything to get your mind settled down. Good luck -- I'll be thinking about you.  

[rilesnic]

I get that panicky feeling too. Sometimes it feels like it's always there...from morning to night....like something just isn't right and I'm fixing to go into a full blown panic attack...sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, but either way, it is a terrible feeling. They say panic peaks in about 10 minutes, but I have had attacks that have lasted over an hour. It seems my adrenaline just keeps pumping. I feel terrible for days afterwards, a feeling that something is not right and my anxiety level seems to stay very high.

I know you have the heart history and if I remember right, you are very small. Have they checked the 24 hour urine and thyroid levels on you? I think I feel a lot due to my size. I am also very in tune with my body...I swear I can feel my blood flowing at times...it's really creepy.

Being afraid on the bus sounds very much like panic, but could be a car sickness. I've become very claustophobic (sp) and I can hardly ride in my husband's truck. I think the motion makes me sick which causes me to panic. Anytime I get nauseous or dizzy, I panic because I feel out of control...then the heart business starts. I'm a teacher and the last few times I've been on a bus for a field trip, I got so sick. I do not like being places I can't get away from and I HATE feeling dizzy.

I would go in and let the doc know what's going on...I'll bet you already have, but insist to him/her that this feeling of anxiety can't continue. You are too young to have to feel like this. You are not ranting...you're trying to find an answer. I hope you feel better soon!

[is_something_wrong]

Hi!

Your heart rate can be elevated, not just during panic attacks, but constantly elevated stress levels = constantly elevated heart rate. And just a little extra stress is enough to almost get a panic attack. You are almost balancing on the edge of madness.

If your heart rate is in the 140s, you should probably go to your doctor and register an EKG, just to verify that you have sinus tachycardia. That will give a certain diagnosis of anxiety and I think that will make the problems go away. During my time with sinus tachycardia, I discovered that it wasn't obvious what would finally make it slow down. I could get elevated heart rate the day after the vacation started. Almost like the tachycardia came as a response of stress relief.

Sinus tachycardia and other supraventricular tachycardia will not make your heart stop. Young hearts can handle extremely high heart rates before that happens, far above what any SVT would cause.