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Can checking your pulse too often increase your pulse rate?

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Posted 1/14/2016 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
I have moved on to the fear of a blood clot...and now I am obsessing over my pulse rate..it fluctuates a lot, can anxiety bring it up to dangerous levels?? Can off and on again shooting pain in chest be categorized as chest pain? I think it might be reflux or even the way I sleep since I am sleeping on my sides now. I don't know how to differentiate if it's real chest pain or something else or just simply in my head..
Posted 1/14/2016 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
I know that it can raise HR but not sure about bringing it to dangerous levels. Mine usually goes from about 55 to 75 while I'm anxious.

I know that I will get that shooting pain if I sleep wrong. I went to the ER once because I swore I was having a heart attack and it was just a pulled muscle from sleeping wrong.

How high is your HR going? Can you distract yourself and find that you feel better?
Posted 1/14/2016 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
LMD,

Checking one's pulse can become a compulsion that will work against you...as it will make for more anxiety...thus keeping the heart rate elevated as a result.

I don't think yours is at risk for dangerous levels, per say...

...but it IS causing you to feel scared, so you'll want to manage the anxiety as best you can!

You are having things checked out from a physical aspect...(seeing cardiologist/wearing holter)

...so be sure you are really focusing daily on coping skills too!!

You are going to be alright. :)

S.C.
Posted 1/14/2016 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Scaredy I hope so but a cardiologist won't check for blood clot :( Cheri I truly believe my chest pain is from
Sleeping wrong too (at least I hope!). My two year old has been sleeping with us in our bed and I have to go in weird positions to protect my belly cause I'm always worried she's going to kick it. I know sounds really silly. I hope that is the cause. Scaredy I think you are right I am going to get rid of the pulse monitor it does add more anxiety
Posted 1/14/2016 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
Oh yeah! I could not deal with having a constant monitoring of my pulse...

...that would send me into an obsessive nightmare, lol!

If you feel it necessary, take it only if you feel uncomfortable. If it is high...

...tell yourself:

"This is just anxiety causing a temporary high reading...it can't hurt me...and I can help lower it by doing my coping skills."

...and then do your breathing/meditation/progressive muscle relaxation...

Peace and progress,

S.C.
Posted 1/14/2016 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Ditto Scaredy Cat. When my anxiety started in my late teens, I was a compulsive pulse checker. My dr said to me, well just stop. It never occurred to me that I was feeding my anxiety every. single. time I put my fingers on my pulse. "I" was doing it, the anxiety wasn't doing it to me.

It sounds like you have lots of scary thoughts going on. I wonder if you wrote them all down from the beginning, fast pulse, blood clot, etc and just looked at them on paper & out of your head. Then acknowledge that they're just scary thoughts and thoughts are not facts.

Every time you think of a new symptom, realize that like SC said, the symptom is just anxiety and cannot hurt you, then continue on your day paying less attention to the physical sensation.
Posted 1/14/2016 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
Having been down that road, checking blood pressure and pulse constantly (in some case 20-30 times a day) I can tell you from personal experience its a bad habit. What happens is you get a reading you think is outside normal, so then you panic and check it again a little latter, and guess what its higher. Then you panic more and it becomes a spiral to a full blown panic attack.
Posted 1/14/2016 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
Greyfox you are 100 percent right! I'm trying to stay from it as much as possible. Its just so hard....
Posted 1/14/2016 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
I'm an obsessive checker and I can tell you for certain that it only gets higher when I do that, because I get anxious when I see a slightly higher number.

As for a blood clot, my understanding is that if you think it's in your lungs, you would probably have more symptoms by now. The pain would now just be random and your breathing would be labored. i always worry about blood clots and while they are more common in us pregnant women, they still aren't a regular occurrence.
Posted 1/15/2016 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Park I hope your right. I read a story online of a pregnant woman who had absolutely no symptoms and never woke up. She died in her sleep from PE and imagine how I am feeling right now. I wish I lived back when there was no stupid internet! I don't think I would have the same anxiety. For now I am staying away from the pulse monitor as much as I can.
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