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POTS or Anxiety. I beg your help

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Posted 2/2/2017 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, I am 22 years old male and I need your HELP! I had to quit work, I did not leave my home for 2 and a half months, my family thinks I am crazy, I beg your help. I had lots of tests done that I will provide after I write my symptoms. My heart rate upon standing goes from 80 (sitting) to 120-150 (standing). I know about POTS but no one believes in this condition and everyone says it's only anxiety. Sometimes during the evening (never in the morning or early day) my heart rate upon standing can be normal ~100. I also feel at least few hundred ectopics beats daily. My hearrate during sleep is 60, and it's 70-80 when I sit relaxed at my home. Last 2 months I also experienced lots panic attacks where my hearrate can go as high as 180 (example: I was far away from home and I knew I had long way to walk but I already was out of breath and suddently felt fear that I won't make it, that's when I had to lay down not to pass out because of tachycardia, so I called my family to come and take me with the car). I also experience fatigue, sometimes it's even stressful to go to the toilet, because every time I stand up I hate that heart pounding feeling in my chest. I forced myself to do some walking every day so for the past 2 weeks I do 20-30 minutes of walking in the fresh air in my garden (I can't go far away) and I did help a bit. I have tachycardia and anxiety symptoms for 2.5 years (I was able to exercise a lot in the first 1,5 years) but it's only 2 months since when I can't do much at all and I feel like 80 years old grandma, sitting at home all day. When I wake up I feel no anxiety at all I just stand up I breath deeply with my belly, I think about good stuff and my heartrate is still at least 120. Also 90% of the time when I sit after standing or any exercise I feel lots of ectopic beats for the next few minutes. I have sweety hands most of the time and I started to be very very pesimistic about my life. Now I met 3 cardiologists and 1 pscyhologist and they all said I am fine. These are tests I had done: Echocardiography (mitral valve prolapse which is very small and they said I cant have any symptoms from it), thyroid tests (all good), blood tests (all good), 8 EKG (all sinus tachycardia, heartrate varies from 105 to 130), 2 stress tests - all fine except synus tachycardia and 1PVC+1PAC (I was anxious so resting heart rates were 110 and 130, BP 130-80 140-90, HR reached 170 and 180). My relaxed BP is 120/70. So cardiologsists said dont search for anything just live your life or try pscyhologist. Psychologists said I just need to live my life or try cardiologist again. Is it possible it's all anxiety? I can't live normal life, I feel like 80 year old grandma inside young male body. My symptoms started to appear when I was 19 and I had huge amount of stress constantly for a year.
Posted 2/3/2017 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Hello & welcome to Healing Well. In all honesty your testing looks good & you have had 3 cardiologists tell you there is nothing going on to be concerned with. If you are getting on the internet & googling symptoms you need to refrain from this. Dr. Google is never right, all it does is cause incredible anxiety, topped off with stress that you really do not need. Instead do as the drs have suggested stop looking for something that is not there & get on with your life.

I am not sure why the psychologist said try another cardiologist again. If this person is not helping you handle your anxiety, you may need to look at finding someone else to take over. You asked if anxiety could be the culprit here, absolutely.

Take care.
Posted 2/3/2017 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
anxiety.
Posted 2/7/2017 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
First of all, I thank you for your support, thank you for reading and understanding my problems and for your honest opinion, I appreciate that a lot, thank you thank you thank you!!! I remember myself few years ago when I was able to work all night and then without going to sleep I could play soccer for whole day and it was always fine. I was able to do everything that young people are capable of doing like walking tens of kilometers, working 24/7, I was junior world chess champion, one of the best students in the university, had a girlfriend, lots of friends etc. and then just like that it all switched to nigthmare, I dont have anything now, it's all lost. There are few things that do not give peace to my mind:

Exercise intolerence: how is it possible that 22 year male (which is his prime years) can get out of breath only by taking shower and walking a little bit. My heart rate can get up to 150s 160s and higher just by making easy gymnastics for 1 minute. I can't stand still for longer time, I get so dizzy after standing only for 3+ minutes. After any exercise when make HR comes back to normal I get lots of ectopic beats. I agree that I have anxiety but I should be able to to walk long distances, I should be able to to stand for as long as I want even if I do have severe anxiety. I wish I never did read about POTS because I got lot of stress from it because - I did lots of my HR measurements with my iphone and my hearrate went from 80-90 (sitting) to 120-140 standing and then again it went down to 100s 90s after sitting down (I know that normal person would never do that, and they are not aware of their heart rates at all). I know I had 2 stress tests done which where totally fine except sinus tachycardia (anxiety can cause that, I agree), but there is no such a test like tilt table test here, and NO ONE knows anything about POTS in my country so I can't test it + my family doctor says that I have severe anxiety (I accept that). Whenever I read about POTS patients, their symptoms seems familiar. I remember the first year when I had this tachycardia all I did was walk walk walk, and whenever I had anxiety I would just go out and walk for hours. Now I think that I won't make it to the supermarket because that's too far away. Maybe that's because all I did for the last 2+months was laying in my bed, reading about different health conditions and walking 15minutes daily so I might be totally out of shape and maybe thats the cause of very high hear rates during the exercise. Maybe I just should ignore all my tachycardia and ectopics and just do lots of walking while I will get back into shape, but on the other hand this seems to be dangerous and those symptoms do cause anxiety + when I do feel tachycardia, diziness and ectopics it seems that I shouldn't continue walking. Conclusion: I know my anxiety can cause high heart rates but, I need someone to help me believe that this exercise intolerence, tachycardia upon standing, ectopic beats, diziness can be caused by my anxiety condition alone. Any opinion is appreciated.
Posted 2/7/2017 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
Keep in mind none of us are drs here. Our comments are based on the information you have given us & what your drs have all told you.

You have been told by your drs & your psychologist to get on with living & you really need to listen to them. Your anxiety is not under control, there is such a thing called health anxiety & I am wondering if this is something you have going on. Getting on the internet & looking for something that is not there will cause more harm than good. Dr. Google is not a real dr & cannot diagnose people. All it is good for is scaring people to death & making them think they have every ailment coming down the pike.

You said you quit working & basically you have done nothing but exist for close to 3 months. Your body has become de-conditioned so do not expect to jump out full steam. Get a good steady pace going. When the anxiety kicks in kick back at it. Talk to your psychologists about coping techniques.

Take care.
Posted 2/8/2017 2:12 AM (GMT 0)
It certainly sounds to me like this poor man needs to find a good doctor to determine exactly what is wrong with him. Sometimes that takes a bit of luck but you must keep trying.
Posted 2/8/2017 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
No one can make your believe that your symptoms stem from anxiety, except you. Stop trying to self-diagnose, and live your life. You are 23 years old, get out and enjoy yourself! You should be trying to exercise a little more each week. Walking 20-30 minutes is a start, but definitely can be improved. I agree with Susie, stop researching on Google, your 3 cardiologists have given you the all clear, that should be enough. One thing I strongly suggest, stop constantly tracking your heart rate on your phone. It might be time to talk to a different psychologist, to help you work through your anxiety issues and possibly adjust or switch your anxiety medicine.
Posted 3/22/2017 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
kestonyyou..i can literally relate to almost everything u said 100%. I just turned 33 years old and i have the same heart issues going on! I've been to 2 cardiologists the last 1.5 years and have had all the same tests...echocardiogram, tons of ekgs, stress test, holter monitors, sleep study, respiratory function test, chest xrays, angiocatscan....everything came back normal exept he said he saw some normal PVCs and high heart rate at certain times..but always in normal rhythm. He said my lowest was 60 bpm while sleeping and my highest was 150bpm. I feel like i sit on my couch way too much during the day but i feel comfortable here and also as soon as i get up i feel like my heart starts pounding. Even just cooking dinner tonight i went and sat down 3 times bcuz i felt like it was pounding uncomfortably and im always scared im gonna pasd out or drop dead. Im getting depressed also bcuz i hate the thought of even leaving my house now bcuz my heart almost always starts pounding uncomfortably wherever i go and all i wanna do is sit down. My life revolves around my heart and i can barely enjoy anything anymore. I wish i had info on how to help u..but at the very least i hope it gives u some peace of mind that you're not alone in this.

I also want to add that i also can't go on walks to where i can't see my house anymore..i start panicking and feel like i can't breathe and my heart starts going so fast. I feel the same if im out somewhere without my car nearby or a bathroom or somewhere i can go and sit and deep breathe

Post Edited (GMoon) : 3/21/2017 6:42:53 PM (GMT-6)

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