New here and can't get over fear of palpitations

Hi everyone,

I joined this forum to hopefully gain some peace of mind and advice from the members here.

I'm a 28 year old wife and mother and have a wonderful family and support system. However, no matter how many tests I have done or how many times Dr's and my family reassure me that I've perfectly healthy, I dwell on my palpitations and they are taking over my life. I just had another stress echo at the beginning of the month and it was normal and showed benign PVC's. They told me to stay away from caffeine, otc cold meds, all the usual things. I've also had bloodwork, event loop recorders and holter monitors in the past few years and they have all come back normal as well other than the PVC's.

I don't know what to do. I've tried all different anti depressants to reduce the anxiety of the palpitations, but nothing works well or the side effects are too uncomfortable to stay on. I used to take Xanax as needed, but that quit working so I tried Klonopin and it made me fall asleep even at the lowest dose. It's to the point though where I get these things and they immediately scare me and send me into panic mode or terrible panic attacks. I'm planning my whole life around the skips and it's taking it's toll on not only me, but on my husband as well because I can't just relax and enjoy things. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated...I'm at my wits end and after 5 therapists I'm starting to feel like I'm never going to get over this!!

Hi AW and welcome!

Kitt has given you some great counsel...I just wanted to say hello, assure you that you are not alone with this issue, and let you know that you can do a search here at HW to read more on this topic.

If you go to the top of the page, you will see the search icon in blue. Type in palptitations and anxiety and you will find many threads on this subject. You will find that many of us here have experienced them.

Post with us anytime.:)

Scaredy Cat

omg. I thought i was the only one with the fear of heart palpitations. i panic alllll the time about it. i cant take those kinds of meds because my body is really sensitive because i am extremely underweight. But what i recently tried was a natural product. Its been helping me out. yesterday for the first time i was able to go out to eat with out freaking out. another thing i have been using, it a technique. First shouting in your head STOP than taking a few deep slow breaths and repeating outloud or in your head. i am happy,healthy, i am fine even trying to make yourself smile and laugh. it helps me sometimes. good luck and if u ever want to talk let me know. anxiety makes u feel really lonely and exhausted.

Hi alwaysworried,

Glad you came here for some advice, hope you find it all helpful.
I am similar in age to you, and suffered palpitations years ago before overcoming them naturally.
I see a recurring theme in peoples posts here, where people think there is something physically wrong with them and / or think that the palpitations are going to cause them physical harm. This is not the case. Natural born worriers are more likely to think they have health problems or be a hypochondriac! Maybe you are reluctant to admit to yourself that the problem is in your thought patterns, psychological, rather than physical!
I also got to the stage where I would have palpitations just by worrying about having them and know where you are coming from. When it gets to this stage and you are reluctant to go certain places just in case you have them - it is pretty distressing.
It is a negative thought pattern that you need to break, if you stop worrying about them they will become less frequent and stop. This is easier said than done. It took me a while to realise what was wrong and to actively change my mental attitude. It takes time and is not plain sailing!! I found this forum after a recent recurrence of anxiety, but I have got it under control again. You feel like it will never change, and you are worried that you will always be worried :) hence your name - but you can get back to normal, it can be done.. believe me.
Next time you have one in public, do not run away, stick it out, remind yourself that it will pass, tell yourself it will - you are in control of your fear, not the other way around. Good luck, keep posting and let us know how you are getting on. xx

I had this problem in the past. Saw the doctor several times for it. He always told me it was due to stress and anxiety. But I never really believed him either. After some testing came back normal I decided I would stop worrying about it. The less I worried the less I would get them. This also took a lot of time though. It was odd how if I thought about them I would get them. Especially at night. Good luck, I know how hard that is!

Hi aW,

Yes anxiety symptoms certainly do happen when you are not aware of feeling stressed! I have had some of the worst ones when I think I am perfectly calm...I say 'think' because for those of us with anxiety...I believe that we don't realize the undercurrent of stress that we carry around with us daily.

CBT is very helpful in recovering from health related anxiety. I went through two courses of it, and went from daily panic attacks, to managing my anxiety well. I still have issues, and need to work on keeping my anxiety levels at a healthy place...but it made all the difference for me.

Now when I experience a symptom, (palpitation or other) I can use the tools that I learned while in therapy, to keep my fear in check, and not spiraling out of control!

I hope that you can look into this, and that you can consider taking that oppurtunity that has come up for your family.:)

Keep posting,

S.C.

I suspect that you are right about your PCP, he/she is probably not sure what else they can tell you at this point...so they are hoping that the cardiologist is able to convince you of your heart health.

I am really glad that you are going to try the on-line therapy. I hope that it will help you to start to feel better about your health related worries, and bring down your stress levels in general.:)

Keep us updated as to how it's going.

Hoping you have a good day (w/ no palps!)

S.C.

Hi there, you poor thing, I know how terrifying heart palpitations can be. I once had one that lasted an hour, I called an ambulance and after about 5 mins of the paramedics being there my heart righted itself and I was fine. I now know the reason it lasted for so long was because I panicked and got myself into a right state.  I tend to get palpitations when I am extremely stressed and anxious and if I drink caffeine, it really is a no no for me.  The thing that will help is to normalise your palpitations. Once you stop being scared of them, you will reduce the liklihood of having them. Also, our heart is a strong muscle that can well cope with beating fast for a long time - when we were cave people we had to run away from sabre toothed tigers for survival and to also run long distances for hunting (well the men anyway!) so the heart is strong enough to cope with beating fast for ages! What about marathon runners, they go for miles and miles!

I am now not afraid of my palps, I don't like the feeling of having them, but I don't panic. Next time you have one you must lie down and try the 7/11 breathing technique. Put your hand on your abdomen and breathe in deeply through your nose for 7 seconds (or thereabouts), hold it for 3, then breathe out through your mouth giving a 'whooshing' sound for 11 seconds (or thereabouts). The key is to breathe in deeply from your abdomen, not your chest, feel your abdomen rise and fall and to breathe out for longer than you breathe in. Make yourself do this during the palpitation and your heart will just right itself.

Heart Palps are linked very closely to the action of the vegus nerve that runs through the body and is connected to your digestive system. If you eat too much and too fast you are likely to get a palp, also if you are overweight and /or wear tight waistbands.

Another tip is to press cold water onto your eyes lightly with your fingertips whilst having the palpitation, also holding your nose and blowing (like you do when your ears pop on a flight), also coughing can sometimes right the heart. I know these sound mad but my doctor told me about them and the pressing on the eyes one worked straight away for me last time!

Also as others have mentioned you definitely need CBT. There should be someone around you as it is a common form of therapy. Your doctor should be able to refer you or point you in the right direction. You must trust and believe that your heart is strong, nothing is going to happen to you. This has been proved to you by the medical profession, so trust it.

Your thoughts about your palps are what is keeping the cycle going and CBT will address these. For instance if you are thinking 'oh no, here comes another one, what I am going to do, I can't stand it!' then of course, you will panic yourself. But if you think 'here it is again, oh well, I know my heart is strong and healthy, I will breathe and it will pass' then you will feel better.

Good luck!

Poppy

Good Morning WS,

I have been having some strange feelings on the left side of my chest but have noticed it depends on what side I am lying on and it doesn't bother me when I am in the upright position.  I am chalking mine up to a musculoskeltal quirk for now and not worrying over it.

I know I have posted this in the past but I am going to put it into your thread here as a FYI:

Although chest pain is commonly attributed to heart disease, many heart patients experience a vague discomfort and they often specifically mention that pain does not seem to be an adequate description. In general, chest discomfort related to a heart attack or another heart problem may be associated with one or more of the following:

• Pressure, fullness or tightness in your chest
• Crushing or searing pain that radiates to your back, neck, jaw, shoulders and arms — particularly your left arm
• Pain that lasts more than a few minutes, goes away and comes back or varies in intensity
• Shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness or nausea

It can be difficult to distinguish chest pain due to a heart problem from other types of chest pain. However, chest pain that is less likely due to a heart problem is more often associated with:

• A sour taste or a sensation of food re-entering your mouth
• Trouble swallowing
• Pain that gets better or worse when you change your body position
• Pain that intensifies when you breathe deeply or cough
• Tenderness when you push on your chest

The classic symptoms of heartburn — a painful, burning sensation behind your breastbone — can be caused by problems with your heart or your stomach. ^{Reference: Mayo Staff}

 

I am experiencing exactly this problem today. My anxiety is off the charts right now because I foolishly stepped down too fast on my Effexor XR; the withdrawal is HORRIBLE. I am in absolute panic mode right now: weakness, shaking, constant adrenaline, and an occasional flip-flop or PVC that of course sets me off even worse. I've taken an Ativan to calm me down, and I'm counting the seconds until it kicks in.

The thing that drives me crazy is that I'm a healthy 27-year-old with no heart problems beyond an occasional episode of PSVT (which is also completely harmless), and yet this is an obsession for me. It has been since I was 13, on and off in intensity.

Tomorrow, I'm going back to my previous Effexor dose. I've already scheduled an appointment with a good therapist, and the world isn't looking so horrible. It helps to have cats to snuggle, too.

I'm new to these boards, and this was the first heading I saw. How unbelievable that I'm not alone in this ordeal. Thank you all for existing and for sharing your experiences with others. I'm in awe of everyone here.

poppygirl said...
Hi there, you poor thing, I know how terrifying heart palpitations can be. I once had one that lasted an hour, I called an ambulance and after about 5 mins of the paramedics being there my heart righted itself and I was fine. I now know the reason it lasted for so long was because I panicked and got myself into a right state. I tend to get palpitations when I am extremely stressed and anxious and if I drink caffeine, it really is a no no for me. The thing that will help is to normalise your palpitations. Once you stop being scared of them, you will reduce the liklihood of having them. Also, our heart is a strong muscle that can well cope with beating fast for a long time - when we were cave people we had to run away from sabre toothed tigers for survival and to also run long distances for hunting (well the men anyway!) so the heart is strong enough to cope with beating fast for ages! What about marathon runners, they go for miles and miles!

I am now not afraid of my palps, I don't like the feeling of having them, but I don't panic. Next time you have one you must lie down and try the 7/11 breathing technique. Put your hand on your abdomen and breathe in deeply through your nose for 7 seconds (or thereabouts), hold it for 3, then breathe out through your mouth giving a 'whooshing' sound for 11 seconds (or thereabouts). The key is to breathe in deeply from your abdomen, not your chest, feel your abdomen rise and fall and to breathe out for longer than you breathe in. Make yourself do this during the palpitation and your heart will just right itself.

Heart Palps are linked very closely to the action of the vegus nerve that runs through the body and is connected to your digestive system. If you eat too much and too fast you are likely to get a palp, also if you are overweight and /or wear tight waistbands.

Another tip is to press cold water onto your eyes lightly with your fingertips whilst having the palpitation, also holding your nose and blowing (like you do when your ears pop on a flight), also coughing can sometimes right the heart. I know these sound mad but my doctor told me about them and the pressing on the eyes one worked straight away for me last time!

Also as others have mentioned you definitely need CBT. There should be someone around you as it is a common form of therapy. Your doctor should be able to refer you or point you in the right direction. You must trust and believe that your heart is strong, nothing is going to happen to you. This has been proved to you by the medical profession, so trust it.

Your thoughts about your palps are what is keeping the cycle going and CBT will address these. For instance if you are thinking 'oh no, here comes another one, what I am going to do, I can't stand it!' then of course, you will panic yourself. But if you think 'here it is again, oh well, I know my heart is strong and healthy, I will breathe and it will pass' then you will feel better.

Good luck!

Poppy

Thank you so much for this reply! I'm having such a hard time right now and my palpitations are putting me in a constant state of fear and worry even when I'm not having them because they scare me so much. I just saw the PA at my cardiologists office again on Friday and he reassured me that I was going to be fine and that my palps were definitely nothing to worry about because they would not harm me in any way. Well, I'm still stressing over them and now I have this pressure in the top of my head and it's causing me anxiety! I just can't win. I'm exhausted from the time I get up until the time I go to sleep and I just feel so frustrated that I'm constantly consumed with worry and fear. This morning has been hard for me with anxiety and it's Sunday, I should be enjoying the weekend with my son and I'm of course all wrapped up in my symptoms. Sigh...

Hi Bosmer and welcome!

I am sorry that you are dealing with these symptoms.:(

You mentioned working with your doctor which is a great first step...to rule out any physical issues and treat them.

What about anxiety managment? Was anything brought up about treatment options?

We have some great self-help calming techniques/stress relieving exercises in our Resources (main page, 1st post) that are really helpful at relieving physical anxiety symptoms such as palps.

Keep posting with us...and feel free to start a new thread of introduction for yourself at anytime.

Scaredy Cat

My first anxiety attack was over palpatations.. Actually I thought my heart stopped! Had my first panic attack which brought on a choking sensation afterwards that lasted 2 months! ugh.. We were leaving for Florida the next day and it stayed with me through my entire vacation. I went to a clinic in town and they told me I had acute anxiety and gave me xanax for my throat and had to have a follow up when I got home with my family Dr. They checked me over thoroughly and I felt pretty assured but the choking never left. I didn't take meds either but when I got home and went to family dr. he gave me test and all was normal.
He prescribed a benzo which I never took (again) and eventually it left me..I can't remember what I did, I guess I got on with my life and now when I have these I distract myself..They still come on when I'm relaxed or laying down and I get up and move around till they're gone..I don't like the feeling but they no longer scared me.

This happen in 29 years ago and I was panic free until the 90's when I went off HRT.. ugh.. I haven't been the same and can't sleep well either :(

Good luck to you.. I pray you find relief..Now I'm dealing with other anxieties- I keep praying