My heart has been flip flopping a lot, is this stress?

I was recently diagnosed with anxiety disorder and I was talking Celexa. I really think it helped me but I was having short term memory problems so I discontinued it. (scary withdrawal!) My heart has been flip flopping a lot and it is scaring me. I went to my doctor and he said it was from anxiety. That seemed weird to me, I can feel it flip flopping even when I'm busy during the day not "stressing out". I was looking for information online when I found this forum. Just reading it for the first few minutes brought me a lot of relief. There are lots of people like me out there! I guess from reading all the posts, I'll try not to obsess about it and try to ignore it.

It seems to be my worst anxiety symptom right now.

I sought help in the first place because (this is going to sound weird) I would be laying in bed and I would wake up out of a deep sleep and not be able to breathe and feel like I was going to pass out. Anyone else experience this? I thought at first I may have PTSD from some stressful situations in my life.

Thanks for listening!

awf60
Hello and a warm welcome. Great response from Scaredy Cat.

You may be having nocturnal anxiety. Anxiety attacks that take place while sleeping, also called nocturnal panic attacks, occur less often than do panic attacks during the daytime, but affect about 40%-70% of those who suffer from daytime panic attacks. Nocturnal panic attacks tend to cause sufferers to wake suddenly from sleep in a state of sudden anxiety for no apparent reason and can have all the other symptoms of a panic attack. The duration of nocturnal panic attacks tends to be less than 10 minutes, but it can take much longer to fully calm down for those. Try to do the breathing exercises when you wake up in panic. You might try the following or one you know of yourself.

Belly Breath Exercise

1. Lie on your back and place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.

2. As you inhale, fill your belly with a slow, even breath, and watch your hand rise on your belly and stay still on your chest.

3. Exhale gently and watch you hand fall as you slowly and evenly breathe out.

4. Repeat for five minutes and practice every single day.

Use this technique when you are under stress for relief. It is also important to practice this breathing technique when you are not under stress. Practice when you are watching TV, sitting at a stoplight, before you fall asleep, or during breaks from work. Practicing when you are not stressed will enhance you well-being and give you mastery over the exercise so that when you need it you will be confident in your skills.

I have had those same heart flip flops - all of the sudden my heart feels like it is doing a complete somersault in my chest. It is one of the more common sx of anxiety. However if you feel it changes or you continue to have concerns do recheck with your Doctor.

Kindly,

Kitt