Anxiety and Heart Rate Worries

Rn,

I don't know much of anything about your history, but here is a generalized statement.

When you walk, your heart beat is supposed to get elevated. I have had a traditionally high resting heart rate, roughly in the 90's. When I work out (cardio) it can jump up into the 160's give or take.

But what happens is when we exercise on a daily basis, (and our heart needs exercise too, and a 110bp won't "weaken" it or wear it out. Hearts are pretty strong!)....but if you consistently go for walks, you're going to notice gradually that your resting heart rate will drop as well, and over time, when you do walk, it will be more difficult to get it up to 110 because your heart will be stronger and more conditioned.

This also does wonders for anxiety! Think of it like burning off excess energy that, when held inside and having no where to go, is like flooring the accelerator of your car while in neutral....the engine revs with nowhere to go!

You'll feel energized and yet relaxed. (Not sedated).

Our bodies are made to move, to breathe, to eat,...all in a balance!





M.

Well I'm 26 yrs old had heart tests done and blood work all came back normal , the only thing that makes me worried is that my heart rate just standing it could be at 100-105 and when I compared it with my family's mines is much higher and that's what I'm worried about all the time :/ , and I'm considering taking meds for anxiety but don't know which ones are the best that ate not sedative you have any advice on that ?
Thanks so much for the replies , I want to stop checking it but do hard to , with my panick attacks my pulse goes to 160 scary , but I have to get over this anxiety that is taking over my life I can't even go out anywhere any more . And I've looked up crazy stuff and now I think I got an autonomic nervous system disorder because my pulse gets so high when waking , this is driving me crazy
Sorry I'm new here and don't know how to reply to people but I'm figuring it out :)

Post Edited (Rn1987) : 3/13/2014 9:14:49 AM (GMT-6)

Hi Rn1987. I have anxiety to. Why do you think you have an autonomic nervous disorder? Every body looks up stuff on the computer. Did you see a doctor and he told you you had anxiety? What are your symptoms of anxiety. I take prozac and ativan. maybe that will help you. Misty.

Hi Rn and welcome!

I am sorry that you are going throug this rough time currently.

We understand and care, and want to see you get the help that you need to feel your best.

There is hope! Make an appointment with your doctor to talk about possible treatment options.

Therapy and/ or medication are ususally the options that are discussed.

Therapy can help you to learn the skills to cope with the anxiety and physical symptoms that you are dealing with.

Medication can also be used to lower the anxiety and lessen the physical issues that compound the worries.

Here are a few exercises to try in the meantime, that will help your body and mind to relax.:)

Self Help sites with breathing/relaxation exercises instructions

Panic attack relief exercises:

 

http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/73076/34334/breathing-lessons/

http://www.healthyplace.com/

http://www.stress-relief-exercises.com/

http://www.ehow.com/video_4405003_breathing-exercises-panic-attacks.html

http://www.psybersquare.com/anxiety/panic_relax_I

Keep posting with us, and check out the full Resource section for more great information and ideas. We are here for your support!

Scaerdy Cat

It is not uncommon to experience a moment of differing sensations upon standing. Some people may get a slight headache, some may get a little light-headed or momentarily dizzy. When we change positions, our blood pressure changes, (as it's supposed to), and I think some of us with anxiety are particularly sensitive to anything that changes within our bodies.

As for s/e's of Prozac, everyone responds differently to medications.

I know we don't like hearing that answer, but alas, it's true. I can share what my personal experiences were. (Keep in mind I had to try several various other A/D's before coming upon Prozac). So, by way of comparison, any type of s/e was relatively mild. Maybe some decrease in appetite, a little shaky in the beginning, (but no more so than if I drank a cup of strong coffee), nothing alarming.

And the best effect of all, for me, is that it works great. It doesn't change who I am. It lets me be who I am.





M.

Hi thanks again for all the answers . What makes me the most worried is when I walk just slowly my pulse could be at 110 and I'm in my feet all day that just makes me think that its bad for the heart because I've been told that just waking around the house slowly pulse should be at 70-80 mine is way higher , and I'm worried that it's damaging the heart :/ , and my just standing still it's at 100 , so tired of thinking about this all day long. anybody else have this , or what's your guyses pulse just walking from one room to another let's say .
And got celexa from the doctor but I've been told to try exercise first to try to relive anxirty ? Any advice

Rn,

Provided you are a healthy individual, you've had your tests, been checked out by your doctor, I can assure you that having a heart rate of 105/110 when you stand up or walk around, is not unusual nor is it considered dangerous to your heart.

What IS harmful, however, is doing nothing. Your heart is supposed to beat, and that range can vary. I've seen it in the low 40's and I've seen it beyond the 160's. Our hearts are designed to exercise too, they need to do so to be healthy. The more you "pamper" your heart out of fear, the weaker it gets, and over just a short period of time, the more you do this pampering,......then when you do get up, or walk around, it'll be even higher!

Just exercise. Just walk. If that's all you're ready for. It's better to take 3 ten-minute walks a day than try to feel you're "supposed" to do 30 minutes all at once right now. And good goodness sake, please stop comparing yourself to "normal!" I'd also stronnnnngly refrain from sharing these particular anxiety symptoms with your family if, instead of getting support, you're getting reactions of worry.

The heart of people on first dates,....the heart of people running or doing other physical activity,....goes way above that. It's temporary, and you just need to let it settle down.

Meditating with a metronome set at 60bpm has always been a helpful tool for me, focusing on that nice low heart rate.

All these things take time. You're not going to wear your heart out if you walk around the block and your pulse reaches 105/110. When I work out, mine gets much higher than that, but it's the way our bodies are built, because after roughly 6 minutes, walking the same pace, I'll see it starting to come down as I adapt.

It's much more unhealthy for your heart to be sedentary than it is to get on our there and walk around. Yes your heart rate will temporarily increase....but it'll slowly go back down. And if you do this consistently enough, you're going to notice you're not only calmer, but your resting heart rate and BP will drop dramatically. Just have to get through this hurdle.






M.

merrida
yea I know im all about the normal range it's because they did studies that a heart rate above 100 or even in the 90s is not good for the heart , so me knowing that it makes me worried that I'm weakinging the heart and since when I'm
Just Doing my daily chores and it goes up I don't think I need to exersice since its already in the 110s all day when I'm on my feet , and like you mentioned in the first dates It does go up but it's not an everyday thing and it Lasts only a little while for most people , I'm taking metaprolo which helps a little but my bp naturally is 90/60 sometimes in the 80s/ 60 so can't take too much metaprolol :( this sucks so bad !!! debating if to take celexa or not to take scared that it will change me as a person

This is another area outside of medications I have vastly researched for many years. A normal heart rate depending on which medical book you read is ideally between 60-100 bpm when at rest. Other books say 60-90 bpm. Really is whichever one you want to read. Generally as people grow older their heart rate rises 2-10 bpm every 10 years. There is a lot of factors that can play on your resting HR. Smoking increases both BP and HR, poor excercise habits, caffeine (has a tremendous effect on your HR), stress, anxiety, certain foods, medications, etc. So there are many factors that can have an impact on your HR. Generally unless your HR gets above 90, you won't even notice it. While a fast HR can cause discern and anxiety, the heart itself as previously stated, is a tremendously strong organ. Another thing is when you say resting HR, this is considered to be your HR after sitting still for 10 minutes. Another interesting fact about your heart, YOU can actually control your HR and your BP to an extent. Someone mentioned a metronome, that is one way to do it. If you will notice when you go to check your pulse, you will feel it increase as soon as you start to feel a normal rhythm. This has to do with a chemical burst from your brain that is used to concentrate. So when you concentrate on your HR, it will go up automatically. If you are checking your pulse, start counting at a slower count then what your heart is beating and you will notice your HR will slowly start to come down. I wouldn't worry about your hr being in the 90s. People with anxiety, chronic pain, high stress jobs, chronic diseases generally have a higher resting heart rate. If you have no under lying causes, or risk factors such as smoking or history of heart disease, quit worrying, get out and walk around, and you'll see when you are less fixated on it, it will be lower.

Rn.,

Have you tried in the past, or asked your doctor about an A/D such as an SSRI?

A Beta Blocker would not seem to be a good choice as your BP already runs low. (I did not previously know that when I mentioned this before)

A benzo also might not suit you, as you do not want a sedative effect...and an antihistamine (used off label for anxiety) can increase heart rate in some...so that would be a no as well.

...so I think that a daily med such as an SSRI would be the best thing to discuss with your doctor if you are thinking about an Rx.

How are the stress relieving exercises going? Have you had a chance to get into this practice? Doing them regularly, every day can really yield great results.:)

S.C.

The only way you could really have solid evidence of what your heart is doing would be to wear a monitor for a couple of days. My elderly mother had to do that after she was hospitalized. She takes metoprolol.

You could also buy a blood pressure machine at wally mart or the drugstore. I have one, and it measures heart rate and BP and is very accurate. But you have to follow directions, like not checking right after you've eaten or had coffee. Sit still in a quiet room for a couple of minutes, maybe read a boring magazine, don't talk, and then take the reading is what I do.

If you are already on medication, then all of this stuff I think is best left for your doctor to sort out.

hope you feel better

--MK