HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

New to forum

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/14/2008 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

I am new here.  5 years ago, I was introduced to anxiety/panic disorder.  The first two years I walked the walk without meds.  The third year it became disabling where all I could do was go to work and sometimes not even make it through the day.  The ER and Urgent Care facilities became my home away from home.   I did not become agoraphobic, but I knew that was the next step if I didn't seek help.  So in year 3 I went on Paxil.  I took it for 1 year and it put me back on enough of an even keel that I stopped it.  In the past two years, I have not had a panic attack, but anxiety lingers mentally in the form of feeling easily overwhelmed and over concerns with my health and physically with heart flutters that I feel in my chest and throat.  My skipped beats have shown up on cardiac tests.  My doctor says they are of no concern, but as an anxious person, I have made an appt for Monday with the cardiologist as they seem to be occuring more frequently. I think I am going to request an event monitor.  I do take a benzo when they get way out of whack. The med calms me down but does not take away the flutter.  I am wondering if any of you get a flutter in your chest or in the soft spot of your throat.  If so, what was the diagnosis?

Posted 3/14/2008 9:25 PM (GMT 0)

Anxious soul

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to you on your first visit to Healing Well! To help you get the most out of the A & P Forum please take the time to browse our threads.

It sounds like you did well on the Paxil but since you have been off you are having some issues. You are normal, many people have these same issues. :)

I would suspect your heart flutters are PACs. As the name suggests, premature atrial contractions (PACs) are contractions in the atria of the heart that occur too early in the rhythm sequence. Abnormal electrical impulses signal the atria to beat prematurely. PACs are very common and can happen in otherwise healthy persons. Most persons who have PACs never notice them. Because PACs occur out of the normal rhythm, this condition is an arrhythmia. The physician may notice an irregular pulse, or the PACs may be found on an electrocardiogram (ECG).

A palpitation is an abnormal awareness of the beating of the heart, whether it is too slow, too fast, irregular, or at its normal frequency. The difference between an abnormal awareness and a normal awareness is that the latter is almost always caused by a concentration on the beating of one's heart and the former interrupts other thoughts. Palpitations may be brought on by overexertion, adrenaline, , or as a symptom of panic disorder.

I hope this gives you a bit of info and I am glad you are going to follow up with a cardiologist as that is a wise thing to do. It will put your mind at ease to find out what the cardiologist thinks.

A warm welcome from all of your A & P moderators.  We are glad to have you with us.

Kitt
Lyn
AK
Wen


 

Posted 3/15/2008 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome as Kitt has said.I am Lyn one of the a/p moderators ....
Get to know us and us you ....
Find all the support right here at your fingertips .we are always here and the members are fantastic I have to say

Stay with us ...LYN
Posted 3/15/2008 1:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

Welcome to HW.  I, too, have the heart flutters and missed beats.  Although they are very annoying, I've been told that mine are nothing to worry about, just another symptom of anxiety.  Get checked out by your doctor to be sure, but this is a very common symptom.  Glad that you're here and hope to hear more from you.

Posted 3/15/2008 1:41 AM (GMT 0)

Welcome to the forum fellow heart flutterer sufferer! I DO get this, have been doing so for over ten years..It is, I believe, an unfortunate sign and symptom of anxiety.  getting it checked by your doc is the smartest thing to do (so those little voices in the head don't take over!!)

I'm really glad the Paxil has helped you and I know what it's like to be on first name terms with triage at ER! I hope you'll come back and tell us how everything has gone with the doctor..we're a little family here, welcome again and thanks kitt for all that great information.

Posted 3/17/2008 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the warm welcom and the information.  I will be at the doctor's office tomorrow.  We shall see where it goes from there.  All in all, I am doing great.  Guess I am just searching for justification once again for the skipped beats.

((Soul))

Posted 3/17/2008 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
I'm really looking forward to your next post and I hope you get some useful and positive advice, please let us konw how you go and are feeling! xxx

Posted 3/17/2008 11:14 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome anxious soul
Posted 3/17/2008 11:30 AM (GMT 0)
Please do post and let us know what happens at the doc's .....we are hoping you will be helped out for sure.....and do care what goes on

LYN
Posted 3/20/2008 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
My cardiologist put me on a 24 hour holtor monitor.  As usual, during that time period my skipped beats and esophagal spasms were almost nil.  I will get the results next week.  He did prescribe magnesium which I will begin today.  I have been reading up on magnesium supplements and they seem to cover a multitude of sins...heart rhythm disorders, cardiovascular disease, regulating blood pressure, increased stamina during activity and osteoperosis.  We shall see!  I will share the test results as soon as I receive them.

-Soul

Posted 3/20/2008 5:23 PM (GMT 0)

Dear Soul,

Thanks for the update and your right magnesium is a good choice and is something the body uses for many things especially cardiovascular.
We will be awaiting the outcome of your holter monitor report if you want to share with us.  :)

Kitt

Posted 3/22/2008 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi anxious soul,
When I went through my extreme bout of anxiety when I was younger. I would get flutters like you explained, I could feel them so strongly all the way up in my throat. I would just stop and relax and take deep breaths and they would not last too long. I haven't had one in a long time since my anxiety has dwindled.
Remember that caffine, chocolate, etc do not help the issue either.
Pressing
Posted 3/23/2008 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the update anxious.  Isn't it annoying how your body never does it's worst when you're being monitored!!! Infuriating.  My partner wore one of those for a few days and they were his least stressful days..crazy.

Magnesium is a great all-round supplement, I take it for my IBS and it seems to help.  I look forward to hearing about your test results xx

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply