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Heart rate and out of breath

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Posted 3/10/2010 12:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

First post here so please bear with me. I have a lot of anxity over my health, mainly about my heart and heart rate. I don't know where it came from and all I can say is that is seemed to just hit me like a wave. I am paranoid about how fast my heart is beating, how hard it's beating, how good my blood pressure is, etc..

I know how variable your heart rate can be but I am feeling so anxious about mine. It seems like it never slows down even when I'm asleep (its fast when I wake up). My resting heart rate is up to 90-100 and I get out of breath doing the most simple things (eg. climbing stairs) and over the last day or two I feel that it's gotten even worse and I'm getting stabbing pains in my chest, my left arm feels so tense and my legs are tense aswell. I'm getting cramps in my calves and feet (left mostly) and tension everywhere. No matter how much I try to relax, I just can't slow my heart down and I'm scared it's going to suffer in some way. I know technically 90-100 is still within normal limits but there's something going on.

The other day I had some serious anxiety all day and my heart was about 90 all day, then in the evening it went up even more and was resting at around 100. This caused me to have several, quite sever panic attacks. After having the panic attacks my resting heart rate was up even more and was now around 110-120. I ended up going to hospital and they basically just sent me home but the weird thing is that when I got out and got back home, my heart rate was down to 65. I know it seems to obvious to someone reading this that I was just feeling better after going to hospital and getting sent out because there's nothing wrong with me, but I swear I didn't really feel any different when I came out.

Also, I was recently under general anesthesia for a minor operation (abscess) and its sedative effects didn't wear off for a couple of days. During those couple of days I noticed my heart rate was down again (70-80). I am so confused about why my heart rate is up because no matter how much I try and forget about it, it just won't slow down. I saw a cardiologist on the weekend and I have an echo tomorrow and a 24/hr monitor on Friday. He told me he doesn't think either will show anything and that I probably just have anxiety (after I told him I have anxiety, mind). He did a full blood count, thyroid and kidney function test and they're all fine except for a little anemia (Hb 11.3) which is actually an improvement (from 10.3).

To end: why won't my heart slow down, and what's making it go up?  

I can't take my mind off it, it's driving me crazy. No matter what I do or how much I try and forget about my heart, I can feel it. I'm thinking about it 24/7 and I can't take my mind off it for a second. When I wake up in the morning, it's like my brain has already prepared my first thoughts of the day before I wake up. When I wake up, I don't just decide "Hmm, let's check my pulse", I'm already checking it before I realise what I'm doing!

Thanks,

George.

Posted 3/10/2010 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hello George and welcome,




Many people experience heart palpitations and increased heart rates during an anxiety attack. This pounding of your heartbeat can cause you to feel as if you are having a heart attack or as if you are going to die. The good news is that heart palpitations are often not serious and do not signal a health concern.

If you feel this is a medical condition please do seek out the advice of a cardiologist.

Please know you have come to the right place as this is a very common problem for members and I know you will hear from other members with support and advice for you on how to learn to cope with the anxiety.

Sincerely,

Kitt
Posted 3/10/2010 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
Well just thinking about it can cause your heart rate to go up and become anxious.

You need to stop watching your heart rate and when you feel the urge to check your pulse or blood pressure don't do it.
Do something else read a book, watch TV, take a walk what ever just don't monitor your heart.

It will beat no matter what and since you had all the checks you need and you are fine then you can relax.

I am in a really bad shape and my heart rate is normally around 80 - 90 I know when I start working out again it will go down.

Are you getting any help for your anxiety?
Posted 3/11/2010 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
hoping you come back n read the input from both kitt n isergodur both make valid points.......
i know my heart rate goes off the charts with anxiety i have at times especially since i hv lost total hearing
checking with a cardio would be a great idea to get your mind at ease / find out what it is ...just another opinion...keep us posted on how you are doing....lyn
Posted 3/13/2010 5:23 AM (GMT 0)
George,

As SOON as I think about my heart rate, it races. Some days I don't think about palpitations, but as SOON as I think about it, I get palpitations all darn day. Some days I have energy and feel fine, but if it's a day of heart racing and palpitations, the slightest walk from the kitchen to the bedroom is enough to send me into a panic. Then all I want to do is lay in bed and not deal with it.

Like they said above, make sure you don't have a heart problem, but if it is just anxiety. This is verrrrry common. Uncomfortable, but so common.
Posted 3/13/2010 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again,

As I said in the first post, I have already seen a cardiologist. Had an echo done on Thursday which was fine and I've just dropped off my 24/hr monitor which I don't think will actually show anything because I had no palpitations or anything while wearing it. Still, I'll wait and see what the cardiologist says. The sonographer said my echo was fine. I don't even have a follow up appointment because the cardiologist said he'll just send the results to my GP. Heh, shows how concerned he was that there might be a problem smilewinkgrin .

Anyway, still can't seem to get it to slow down much and I'm trying not to look at my pulse all the time but sometimes I just can't help it. Often I feel worse when I don't know how fast it is going because it feels like it is beating a lot faster than what it is actually beating.

Thanks for posting.

Post Edited (Anxious88) : 3/13/2010 9:56:05 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/14/2010 2:40 AM (GMT 0)

Anxious88 said...
Hi again,


As I said in the first post, I have already seen a cardiologist. Had an echo done on Thursday which was fine and I've just dropped off my 24/hr monitor which I don't think will actually show anything because I had no palpitations or anything while wearing it. Still, I'll wait and see what the cardiologist says. The sonographer said my echo was fine. I don't even have a follow up appointment because the cardiologist said he'll just send the results to my GP. Heh, shows how concerned he was that there might be a problem smilewinkgrin .



Anyway, still can't seem to get it to slow down much and I'm trying not to look at my pulse all the time but sometimes I just can't help it. Often I feel worse when I don't know how fast it is going because it feels like it is beating a lot faster than what it is actually beating.

Thanks for posting.

I totally understand what you are saying but don't check it :)
I know it will be hell the first days but then you will learn to keep your mind off your pulse..
Trust me I know what I am saying I have been in your shoe's and It was hell !!!
But it gets better and I am not aware of my heart today :) Except that it beats and keeps me alive ;)

If you feel that your heart is beating to fast get some exercise and the puls will slow down, when you get into a better shape (not saying that you are in a bad shape, just that if you have high pulse that is probably the reason )
Posted 3/19/2010 8:43 AM (GMT 0)
Anxious88- I have experienced the same thing with heart palpitations. The one thing that helped me to feel more comfortable that nothing was abnormally wrong was an outpatient telemetry monitor that was prescribed by my cardiologist. Instead of only 24 hours, I wore the monitor for 21 days (which almost guarentees an episode during that period)...it records the exact time of the episode and also any other symptoms that you're experiencing at that time. The information is then sent directly to your doctor for review. It felt great knowing that my heart was under constant monitoring for almost a month...The monitor was through a company called CardioNet, I loved it, and everything came back normal for me (with the exception of increased heart rate, but no abnormalities)...Just something you may want to consider to ease your mind about your heart. If you're convinced your heart is fine, maybe your attention wont be drawn to it as much?? Good luck and take care...
Posted 5/2/2010 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
hi,, i also was worried about my heart,, was getting palpatations etc and getting out of breathe easily,, thats the stress and panicks of it i guess, cause we work our selfs up so much thinking the worst, i know ive been there too,, i too had the echo scan and the 24/hr monitor all came back fine,, ive cut out caffeine, i have decaff tea or coffee and no coca cola,,, and if i felt anxious about it i used to get a colouring book out or anything to take my mind off it, i know a colouring book sounds daft but it helped me,, i was to busy concentrating on something else and it seemed to calm me,, always try and do something if u feel anxious, it helps i promise,,, xxx
Posted 5/2/2010 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you are causing your own anxiety......
Posted 5/2/2010 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
I went through a similar situation myself, always worried about my heart,blood pressure and palpitations. I was constantly checking my pulse to see if I had one..LOL or at least to check on my heart rate. I also had the heart monitor thing and should add they may see some palpitations you do not feel like when your sleeping. I just myself went through a stress/echo/imaging heart test for a breathing episode I had and it was nothing but gerd/acid reflux which needed me to take my medication on a more regular basis. You can cause your own anxiety/panic worrying about your health I can relate to that with my personnel experience. The worst part about all this is that first come out of know where attack, its somethings from and illness or sometimes just unexplained, facing the fact you may have more makes it easier to handle. Once all your tests come back good keep telling yourself they said I'm alright when you feel panicky, it will help.
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