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Tachycardia for 2 hours?!

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Posted 6/30/2015 8:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone! This is my first time posting and I truly hope that talking with anyone who has been through this will help me realize I am safe. These are very scary, very physical symptoms and they are so confusing to me.

I am female, 31 years old, and have never in my whole entire life been an anxious, nervous or unhappy person. Everyone I know says that I am relaxed and chill most of the time. So why, all of a sudden, am I an anxious mess?

It first happened in 2013 while I was at work one morning. There was nothing to cause me stress. I just didn't feel "right". I felt lightheaded, dizzy, and a funny tight feeling in my chest. My fingers felt cold and tingly. I got up to get some water from the cooler and my heart instantly started ferociously pounding in my chest. I felt the palpitations in my ears. I swore I was going to have a heart attack so I called Paramedics. By the time they were checking my vitals, I started slowly calming down even though I was so nervous and bewildered by what just happened. They told me it could be a combination of drinking coffee and being on Synthroid meds for my thyroid. So I accepted that and quickly dismissed anything being wrong with me and my heart.

I didn't experience this again for another year. My heart rate was about in the 120-130 bpm for such a long time that I had a co-worker take me to the hospital. When I got there I calmed down a little and I checked out fine with nothing wrong. The doctor recommended I see a cardiologist if this continued happening. I've had a 30 day holter on and they were able to record an episode of tachycardia and said I had PVC's, PAC's, and Sinus Tachycardia. The cardiologist says I might have anxiety but again I am so bewildered by this because I've never suffered anxiety before.

Let's say that I had some big stressful event in my life...how can this PHYSICALLY cause me to have chest tightness, short breathing, tachycardia, nausea, dizzy and all the other things I have felt, years and years later? How is this permanent?

One night I woke up with tachycardia rate of 135bmp and it lasted 2 whole entire hours. But my cardiologist says nothing is wrong with my heart. I'm still concerned I have something medically wrong with my body that doctors aren't finding. If I didn't have anxiety before, I definitely have it now because I can't find out what is wrong with me. A 2 hour long tachycardia episode doesn't seem like an anxiety problem. Has anyone else had this?

No one wants to have a heart condition and I'm so glad that I've been told I am fine. But being that I've never been an anxious person before, I just don't want to dismiss this as anxiety when it might be something else.

Sorry that you had to read this long post, but if anyone out there has any feedback I would be so grateful just to hear your story.
Posted 6/30/2015 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome Jessy, I'm glad you found us but sorry to hear of the symptoms you've been going thru.

I'm happy you have been checked out by a doctor and everything came back fine, you now need to believe your doctor. I'm sorry to hear of your tachycardia, I have it too as you can see in my signature line, but mine never goes away. My resting heart rate is 100-110 and any exercise raises it quickly to 150+. I wouldn't be concerned over a 2 hour episode, but a talk with your doctor if it keeps happening I would recommend.

There is a lot to be done for anxiety, including medication and therapy. We recommend CBT and Mindfulness therapies as both show excellent results treating anxiety.

Anxiety can cause a whole array of symptoms, check out this link for a very long list that anxiety can cause. So, if comes down to the doctors saying you have anxiety, then treatment would be a top priority.

www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml#symptomslist

Again, Welcome I'm happy you are here, this is an awesome community that cares about each other and understands living with anxiety. Stick around and we will walk this journey with you. Also check out the top link on the forum for self help links to treating anxiety.
Posted 6/30/2015 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
I have had similar episodes from stress and anxiety. The fast rate has lasted long enough a few times to make me go to urgent care thinking there was something wrong.

On top of that, have you asked your doctor if the synthroid could be a contributing factor? The medicine speeds up a slow thyroid but levels can fluctuate so it's possible that your medicine could be causing some of these issues. I have Graves disease and during the times my thyroid was on overdrive I was extremely anxious with an extremely fast heart rate for months. The rate would vary though, but was mostly fast.

Good luck!
Posted 7/1/2015 3:17 AM (GMT 0)
Jessy,

I am sorry that you are going through these symptoms and subsequent anxiety...it is miserable I know.:(

I did not feel stressed either...until my body made it abundantly clear to me through crippling panic attacks...

Therefore, try not to dismiss anxiety as capable of doing some dramatic things to us physically!

To put your mind at ease, there is no way your doctor would have cleared you of a heart condition, unless your tests were results were definitely healthy.

If you had the type of tachycardia that was a risk factor, you would have been scheduled for a cardiac ablation, no doubt.

So, I echo the above advice of trying therapy and/or self-help for anxiety management...and reduction of physical symptoms.

Stick with us as well for support. We care and understand...so post anytime!

Scaredy Cat
Posted 7/1/2015 8:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

Welcome to the forum.

You have received some good support above so I just wanted to pop in and welcome you to the group and let you know we are here for you so do keep posting and keep us posted on your progress.

Talking therapy is really effective so do look into what is available in your area.

Hibee
Posted 7/1/2015 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cianna,

I have Hashimoto's and I suspected that my medication might contribute to my sudden tachycardia but my Primary and Endocrinologist say that my thyroid levels are always normal and they don't seem to think that this is the reason for my tachycardia episodes. The one time I went to the hospital with a racy heart, my thyroid levels were checked and also came back at normal levels. I had my Endo prescribe me a lower dose of the Synthroid. I was on 100 mcg and now on 88 mcg. I did have a tachycardia episode after being on the lower dose so I guess my thyroid might not be related?

Sorry to hear about your symptoms too. Thank you for sharing with me, Somehow knowing someone else is going through this helps me feel more sane.


Cianna said...
I have had similar episodes from stress and anxiety. The fast rate has lasted long enough a few times to make me go to urgent care thinking there was something wrong.

On top of that, have you asked your doctor if the synthroid could be a contributing factor? The medicine speeds up a slow thyroid but levels can fluctuate so it's possible that your medicine could be causing some of these issues. I have Graves disease and during the times my thyroid was on overdrive I was extremely anxious with an extremely fast heart rate for months. The rate would vary though, but was mostly fast.

Good luck!

Posted 7/1/2015 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for responding. Today is my last day at work. I've been here for 10 years but I never enjoyed what I did so after my body started responding this way, I had to reflect on all the things in my life that could be causing this stress reaction and I made a split decision to finally quit. I'm so grateful that my husband supports me through this decision and he was the one that suggested I do it. I'll be at home with my daughter for one month while I decide what my next career move will be. I'm very excited about this move.

Today for some reason I feel like anxiety is taking over my morning. My hands feel slightly shaky, my breathing is uneven and short at times, and my vision is wavy. I just feel off. I've been practicing 4-7-8 breathing a lot lately to help me cope. Have any of you heard of this? I believe it's helped me calm down anxiety in the past so I go to practicing this immediately if I feel this way.

For those that haven't heard of it, you start off with a closed mouth and tongue touching the back of the top teeth. Breath in for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, and breath out through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat this at least 4 times and more if you need it. Keep practicing this breathing every day, even when you're not in anxiety mode. Hope this helps anyone out there.

I'm going to look up some help this week and make an appointment. Does anyone recommend I go to a psychologist or any counselor might help with this?

Thank you all again, from the bottom of my heart.
Posted 7/1/2015 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
J.,

Congratulations on your decision to make a change! This is bound to bring some apprehension as any life altering decision is apt to... (changing the status quo after a decade is a big deal!)

...but it's a move I think you are ultimately going to benefit from.:)

Thanks for posting the breathing tip...it is a good one, and we always like the sharing of coping skills here ! I have a favorite one as well that I share all the time! (let me if you are interested)

Great decision on seeking treatment. A therapist who is trained in CBT would be a good consideration, as this practice is effective in anxiety management.

Again wishing you the best...and look forward to supporting you along the journey.:)

S.C
Posted 7/1/2015 5:32 PM (GMT 0)

Scaredy Cat said...
J.,

Thanks for posting the breathing tip...it is a good one, and we always like the sharing of coping skills here ! I have a favorite one as well that I share all the time! (let me if you are interested)


S.C

Hi S.C! Yes I would be very interested in learning all I can to cope with this. I also rely on a lot of meditation recordings by Jon Kabat Zinn
Posted 7/1/2015 8:58 PM (GMT 0)

Okay, here is my favorite breathing technique...

It really is good to share and have as many tools in the toolbelt as possible! :)

The Divided Breath:

Think of your lungs as having 3 equal parts: the top third, middle third, and bottom third.

 

In one continuous breath, but divided into 3 parts, fill first the bottom and pause, then fill the middle/pause, and finally fill the top third and hold if possible for a second or two.

 

Exhale in the same manner, but reverse. Let out the top, then the middle, then the bottom third of lungs-remember to pause slightly after each part-finally pushing all the air out of the bottom third of your lungs to complete the cycle.

 

Don't worry if you can't manage the whole cycle at first, it will get easier. The pauses will get more controlled, and you may be able to hold the breath for 3-5 seconds before the exhale, eventually.

This helped me when I couldn't manage even a counting exercise.  It seems more difficult on paper...but for some reason the structure just really worked for me.:)

S.C.

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