Hi everyone, I am new here, sorry for this desperate first post.
The reason I registered is because I had a concerning experience 2 days ago, and I am very afraid that there is something wrong with my heart. I can't stop thinking about it ever since.
I am a 21 years old, healthy and fit. 2 days ago I woke up around 5AM, first I didn't know what woke me up, then I realized I am shaking and sweating. I also felt how my heart was beating really fast and really hard, and I would like to accentuate HARD, I never felt my heart beating so hard, I felt how it's pounding against my breast bone. I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and on my way back to the room I started to feel pain in the center of my chest and when I got to the room the pain was really bad and sharp and it hurt more with every movement that I made. I layed down, I thought I was having a heart attack, but it hurt to move so I didn't call any help, I just layed in the bed still. The intensity of the pain lasted for about 2-3 more minutes then it started to smoothen and after 5 minutes all I felt was a discomfort in my chest. But the fast and hard heart beat and the shaking and the sweating lasted about 20 minutes, maybe more. I don't know what that was, the thing is that I had to take some tests like 2 moths ago, and they also made an EKG, and there was no problem with my heart. I am very concerned ever since yesterday, all I can think of is that i have some kind of a heart problem.
Any ideas about what could have caused that?

Hi SofiaH,

Apparently, you are having palpitation episodes and may be exacerbated by anxiety.

EKG may not realize any rhythm problem at the time of the test. Sometimes a holter is recommended to capture arrythmias at the time it happens.

For some insight, the electric impulse that times heart rate originates for the right atrium (right upper chamber) and that may have been stimulated by a transient and random source (ideopathic...cause unknown) and may be self correcting. There may be a blockage or short circuit in the right or left bundle branch (channels pathways for the electric current) caused by electrolyte, calcium, potassium deficiency. Sometimes the channels can be damaged due hypertrophy (enlarged heart), etc.

Medication such as a beta blocker can slow the heart rate and often prevent irregular heart beats.

Hi Kenkeith, thanks so much for the reply.
So you think I should wait for another episode and then rush to the ER while it's happening so that they can monitor it with a halter?
And can I get beta blocker without prescription?
I'm sorry if I sound dumb but I am very new to this. I actually had to do some research to understand what you wrote.
And I don't know, maybe I am being paranoic about what happened, but I started to notice that there are times when my heart starts to beat faster and stronger. I don't know what to do. What if when it happens again I will have a heart attack?
Or maybe I had a silent heart attack? Is that possible?

SofiaH
Go to a doc as soon as you can. Call 911 if you start to have another spell like that. Meanwhile, write down all the details while it is fresh in your mind. Include all the times and to what degree you became disabled during that experience. Oh yeah, doctors like the 1 to 10 pain scale. Also relay how you felt after it was (all over as far as your energy level). Include if you were able to completely recover soon after the spell eased off. Lastly, include what you were up to the night befor all this happened.
Your heart flipping you out and woke you up in the middle of the night. It needs to be seriously looked into to me.
enie

Your heart flipping you out and woke you up in the middle of the night. It needs to be seriously looked into to me.
enie

So you think it is serious, right?
I think that too. And I did some research and it's a possibility that I had a heart attack.
The signs of a heart attack are:

* Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes.
* Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms. The pain may be mild to intense. It may feel like pressure, tightness, burning, or heavy weight. It may be located in the chest, upper abdomen, neck, jaw, or inside the arms or shoulders.
* Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.
* Anxiety, nervousness and/or cold, sweaty skin.
* Paleness or pallor.
* Increased or irregular heart rate.
* Feeling of impending doom.

Not all of these signs occur in every attack.

Okay, I had the pain in the center of my chest, and it was intense and it lasted around 3 minutes. Sweating yes. Shortness of breath yes because my heart was beating so fast and so hard that it made it hard to breath.(I forgot to mention that btw). Increased heart rate yes, irregular - I don't know. Anxiety and nervousness yes, feeling of impending doom - yes. Chest discomfort yes, even after the pain diminished.
I think I had a heart attack, I am pretty sure.
And I am pretty sure that I am having palpitations since then, I don't think it's paranoia.

And what if I go to the doctor and being so panicked - which I am when I remember what happened - he will missdiagnose me because my heart will beat fast because of the panick.

I don't know what to do, I really think I have a heart problem.

First off....calm down!! I am not going to tell you not to see a doctor, but you said you are 21 years old and had an EKG recently. The chances of you having had a heart attack is slim to none. It could be a number of things (and you do need to find out what it is) but a heart attack is the worst case scenrio. You are giving yourself anxiety by worrying so much. It could be acid reflux....surprisingly same symptoms. I have gotten up in the early morning hours in pain from my reflux and the first time it happened I thought I was having a heart attack. I find that when I had the pain drinking something really warm gave me instant relief from the pain......your palps now could be from being anxious as you said it was on your mind!!
21 is way too young to worry so about your health! Go see your doctor and let him reassure you that your heart is ok, then go out and enjoy life!!
Mileena

I think the chaces are you didn't have a heart attack. I'm not saying its a 100% chance you didn't becasue I guess theres a tiny tiny percentage that you could from your symptoms, but considering your age, I dont think you did. There are so many other reasons and causes for chest pain, from chest wall pain, to indigestion (people mistake it for heart attack), to some heart rhythm problems that cause chest pain. I'm not saying though that it wasnt your heart though. Its still iportant for you to make an appointment and have some further testing. If you were 50, over weight and said your symtpoms it would be a possibility for a heart attack, but your so young I dont think theres much of a chance for that. I am 20, and I have had similar pain to you before, and although its very very painful, it wasnt a heart attack. Theres many causes though for the pain you had, so get it checked out. If it happens again, its a good idea as you said to go to Casualty, and get an ECG done! I know how scary it can be! I hoep you find out what causes your pain!

Cat

In my last post I had said:
relay how you felt after it was all over (as far as your energy level). Include if you were able to completely recover soon after the spell eased off. Lastly, include what you were up to the night befor all this happened.

SofiaH, just write down what happened and let the doctor decide how to help you. Continually being fearful only causes us to not think clearly.
A lot of things that we do to ourselves can make our heart flip out; or different medical conditions that we might have can also make our heart flip out. That does not mean we had a heart attack. Stick to the facts when you see your doctor and don’t go self diagnosing yourself and you will be fine.
Remember, if it starts again, go to the ER and get checked out immediately.

As I said; Include if you were able to completely recover soon after the spell eased off.

As someone that has had several heart attacks, it takes some time for your heart to heal after an attack; several days, sometimes weeks, befor your energy returns. Times were your energy is zero and you feel drained and sore. Personally, I never had anxiety after one, only exhaustion.
enie

It sounds like the classic physical symptoms of a panic attack.

If you have an stress test with an echocardiagram they should tell you if you had a heart attack. Sounds unlikely.

If you compare the symptoms of panic/anxiety attacks and heart attacks they are like comparing apples and apples.

That's why it's so important people who have these attacks get the necessary tests done not to find a heart condition but to eliminate it.

Plus your a woman, and women tend to have panic and anxiety more than men. My mom and grandma have issues along with anxiety, the same as I.

I does sound like it could be anxiety attacks or gastric reflux, but by all means get it checked out, and keep a diary of what you have eaten and any unusual stresses (ie: new job, new relationship, moving, increased stress at work and so on).
If it is acid reflux then it could be attributed to what you ate or drank before going to bed... was there a "full" or buring feeling in your throat and a bad taste in your mouth?
Is it possible that you had a very bad nightmare (night terror) that you did not remember upon awakening that caused a panic attack... and remembering how you felt and fearing that it was life threatening has been causing more panic attacks?

You never mentioned what your blood pressure averages or your resting heart rate (pulse)... to find out your pulse, simply count your pulse (from your wrist) for 15 seconds (use the second hand of a clock or a stopwatch) then multiply by 4... you also never mentioned if there was a family history of heart disease.

By all accounts if you are 21 years old, female, of good weight, low cholesterol and at least moderately active then the chances that this was a heart related issue are slim to none...

Other things could have many of the same symptoms:
panic attacks
acid reflux
gall bladder disease (gall stones)
pleurosy
costrochrontidis
ulcer

Just keep a diary, follow your doctor's instructions and let him or her test for all of the things that MIGHT be causing the problems that you are experiencing... getting a mindset that it has to be your heart might make you start Dr shopping until you find one that agrees with you when all along it is another condition entirely that also needs medical intervention and treatment.

Good luck and let us know how it is going

Hi.
There is only one person amongst my relatives that I know that has heart failure, he is the second causin of my grandpa. Other than that I don't know about anyone.
Actually I have a friend who is in nurse school, and she took my blood pressure yesterday, it was 120/80. She said it was ok. I don't know my average blood pressure tho. I am calm now and I took my pulse as you said, I think it's 84, but I am not sure I did it right.
I am trying not to convince myself that I have a heart issue. I am definitely more calm about it then I was 2 days ago. But still, I didn't have the courage to exercise since then, because I am afraid that I will have a heart attack. Or if not a heart attack, another experience like I had then, my chest pain was pretty intense, I just don't want it to happen again!! And I do get palpitations since then, and I am aware of my heart all the time, because I am always checking whether it beats faster or stronger.
As for the nightmare, I don't remember any dream from that night.
And I do have a lot of stuff going on right now that can be seen as extra stress, but it's not that. I mean I was sleeping, no worries, and all of a sudden my heart went crazy for no reason. It's just not right. And the palpitations ever since ... I don't know, I am trying hard not to think of the worse but I always end up thinking that. The pain was intense, it's hard to belive that there is no serious heart issue behind that ...
Anyway thanks everyone for the support and the help, I really appreciate it.

I can understand your fear and frustration... and please believe me that we are all not belittling your pain or you.

One problem is, though, that you are letting this run your life... and even if you do have a heart condition you have to remember... YOU have it... it does not have YOU.

All of us on the boards who have this syndrome or that affliction have gone through the same things... we have all been in the "what is going on...?!?!? what is happening to me...?!?!?! is this bad...?!?!?!" stage... the time when we either have not gotten a daignosis yet or have just been diagnosed and for a while we lose our identity and become the 'afflicted'... we no longer see ourselves as "Sue with brown hair" but as "A Woman with Heart Disease".

Until you do get a definative diagnosis with what is going on just remember... you are still you... you are having symptoms of something... you have it, but it will never have you. Much of the fear is in losing control of our bodies... take control back...

Please let us know how you are doing