Anxiety and irregular heart beat (have you had this? help!)

[spurs279]

About 3 or 4 months ago I had an anxiety attack of of nowhere and have been dealing with it since. Initially I didn't have physical side effects but now that the anxiety is progressively getting better, I have chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, and an irregular heartbeat. I know all are symptoms of anxiety, but the irregular heartbeat has been worrying me.

It's a bit hard to explain but what happens is I get a strange sensation (like a fluttering) in my upper/center chest and bottom neck area. This sensation doesn't hurt so it's hard to explain. When this happens I can pretty much feel my heart skipping beats. What I do is put my finger on my pulse and I can literally feel the heart skipping. It will usually do this about 3 times in a 10 second or less period, then go back to normal. The thing that makes me think it might not be anxiety is that 3/4 times it happens when I do something like bend over or move suddenly in an odd position. It's much more rare for it to occur when I'm sitting/standing still. I've also been getting lightheaded a lot when I stand up (don't know if it's related.) I also get dizzy whenever I do any physical fitness.

I've been to the ER twice and a general practitioner multiple times. Since this isn't constant, the doctor couldn't hear anything abnormal from listening to my heart. I asked the doctor to fit me with a 24 hr Holter Monitor because I wanted the doctor to be able to see exactly what was happening. I felt the irregular heartbeats (for sure) with the monitor on, but when they called me back about the results, they said there was nothing abnormal and my heart was fine. This is very weird because I can literally feel skipping when I feel my pulse.

Has anyone had this or know anything about it? Thanks for any help.

[bratforlife]

I am not a doctor, but most likely what you are feeling is called PVC's. They are premature Ventricle Contractions. I have them. What happens is that your heart has a premature beat and you do not feel that beat, what you are feeling is the next beat to catch up and that is where you feel like your heart skips a beat. I have been dealing with these for well over 17 years. I have had 4-5 24 hour heart monitors put on and they all come back with the same thing. My doctors have told me there is nothing to worry about unless I get really dizzy. They say you can have 6 of these a minute for days and it is okay. During times of stress and around the monthly thing these happen alot to me. I guess a study was done of Army recruits some of the healthiest people and 1/2 of them had these, it is just some feel them more then others. Especially when you are someone with anxiety, we tend to be more sensitive to our bodies and can feel every little thing. I hope this helps you..

Thanks,
Dawn

[MrsPM]

Spurs279,

I know exactly what you're going through. I also get the irregular heartbeat and dizziness from anxiety, and it also happens to me out of the blue, like when I'm watching tv or lying in bed. Like you I feel my heart doing weird things when I bend down or change positions. I went to my general doctor as well as a cardiologist and they keep saying everything is normal with my heart and just chalk my symptoms up to anxiety. I've been on and off of propranolol, a beta blocker which helps with irregular heartbeats and anxiety. I only take it as needed and it works great for me.

Since you've been to the doctors and they ran tests and say your heart is fine, I would suggest just doing everything you can to control your anxiety. Some things that work for me are drinking plenty of water, taking multi-vitamins daily, eating organic and natural foods, getting regular exercise, and trying to eliminate unnecessary stress in your life. If your symptoms continue or get worse, I would talk to your doctor about taking a beta blocker. It has worked wonders for me!

Take care.

[spurs279]

Thanks a lot for the info. Does anyone ever get especially dizzy when doing something strenuous?

[Concerned_4_me]

I get the fluttering heart, and I know your frustration. You can feel it and it's totally terrifying, but the doctors insist there is nothing wrong. Although it isn't dangerous, it's horrible. Sorry to hear you are going through this too. I heavily suggest buying a paper bag [like the ones you get on aeroplanes], breathing into it for ten breaths, and breathing out of the bag, normally, for another 15 - this helps to introduce a regular breathing pattern, and it works quite well for me. [but never use a plastic bag!]

I also get a palpatating heart [which I think can lead to dizziness] with excercise, although I am 17, and in good health and shape. My doctor says it's probably because I over anticipate it, and am too aware of the physical symptoms. You'd be suprised the role anxiety can play in everyday life, even when you are not aware that you are infact anxious. It may be worthwhile for you to be assesed for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Hope this helps. You should be just fine.