Tachycardia (rapid heart beat)-- scared - Anxiety Message Board

tmapj · 04-20-2006, 09:40 AM

Hi and thanks for reading my post.

I've experienced 2 episodes of tachycardia. The first one was a reaction to geodon or effexor, or the combination of the two. I went to the hospital and was given the diagnosis of panic attacks/anxiety even though my pulse was constantly above 120, and even woke be up in the middle of the night because of chest pain and a pounding heart. I stopped both medications, and the tachycardia stopped shortly afterwards.

Two weeks ago, in an attempt to have a quick fix to my crippling psychotic depression, I took large doses of remeron (120 mg per day) amitriptyline (25 mg per day) and seroquil (125 mg per day) for a week or so. My heart rate had risen by the end of the week to the point of having pain again in my chest. My pulse hovered around 140. I went to the hospital again. This time they took me a little more seriously, since it was a continuing problem. They ran every test they could on me ( EKG, ultra sound, cardiagraph, stress test, etc.) took several blood and urine tests and monitored my heart over night. Everything was A-OK, I just happened to have a pulse rate that wouldn't go below 120. They dismissed me again with a Rx of xanax, and told me to follow up with a Dr. I did as directed.

Anyway, my heart rate went down with the xanax to a little above 100, but it stayed there for a week. Yesterday I went off the xanax. My heart rate once again went above 120 and stayed there, and the heart pain returned. One might think the best thing to do would be to stay on the xanax, and let things be, but my heart rate before this happened was 80, and I never had to take any antianxiety medication. At this point I'm wondering what the {REMOVED}is wrong and what the hell I should do. Every time I go to the hospital they dismiss me with the same diagnosis, but I'm 20 years old, and my blood pressure is perfect, and as severeal Drs and nurses have commented, "I shouldn't ever be having any pain in my heart".

Any insight or help would be appreciated.

hry33 · 04-20-2006, 10:36 AM

Hi
read up about panic attacks on the net, ever had any of them before

your meds often make anxiety worse at first and this may have contributed to the heart problems, worry and monitoring of the heart always makes it beat faster and usually hammer and jump around in the chest

ask about a beta blocker med such as inderal to calm the heart for a while

try to accept their advice that your heart is OK and stop worrying about it, our hearts work better when ignored

apparent heart pain can be caused by heartburn, a type of indigestion, thats often brought on by anxiety, antacid products help

tmapj · 04-26-2006, 12:16 PM

Thanks for the reply but the tachycardia is 24/7 and is new. Yes, I've had panic attacks in the past; hyperventalating severely, but never tachycardia. It is non-stop, so I wouldn't describe it as an "attack". It is sometimes at its worse when I'm asleep.

lena_33 · 04-26-2006, 03:36 PM

I've had anxiety as long as I remember, and it wasn't until last year that I started getting Tachycardia. My heartrate went wicked fast just by going to the washroom and they ran every test and couldn't figure out what was wrong. Over the year I gradually was able to start doing more and more, although my heartrate is still too high when doing physical activity to be comfortable. I've started taking a beta blocker called Propranolol which helps soo much. I haven't had any side effects and feel like I'm finally "normal" again. If the doctor reccommends it, you should try it!

nabyou · 04-26-2006, 03:37 PM

I have epsoids where i wake-up in the middle of the night snd my heart rate is at 120 - 140 bpm. But trust the Dr's it is your exessive thinking about your heart that is causing that. Try the following things

1. meditation. try it
2. rethmic breathing, breath in for 4 sec (from your nose), hold your breath for 7 Sec then breath-out your mouth for 8 sec. Do this only 4 times to start with.

3. Do you exersise ? if you do go for a walk, walking will burn off the extra energy that you have.

4. cut exssive suger and caffine.
5. Do you relize that in the end of the day there are things that you have not control over and to worry over will make it worse. When I get anixety and mine is about my heart. I usually pry and say god I leave it up to you to decied, and that help. keep us posted on how you feel.