I am so scared, any advice pleeease?

I really don't know what to do anymore with these skipped heartbeats. I am terrified that my heart is going to stop or get into some sort of irregular rythm and not be able to get back to normal if that makes any sence to anyone[?]
I am having them all day every day, I go to bed with them, wake up in the night from them and they are there when I wake up in the morning!I am also having morbid thoughts all the time from all this, I feel like I am going crazy half the time. Everything is suffering - my job, my relationship but most of all my mental stability.
Its just getting too much for me now and I just can't see any end to all this. My GP gave me 'another' ECG and 'more' blood tests but just keeps telling me not to worry about them!
I am continuing with my group CBT and it does help while I am there but as soon as I am not and the
I really just feel something is seriously wrong with my heart, I mean why does it do this all day every day, it really makes me catch my breath and my heart really races sometimes with it too.
The only way I can explain what it feels like is a flip flop in my chest and throat, its the most horrible thing to experience and it stops me in my tracks....whatever I am doing at the time.I am always taking my pulse to to catch them which means I have my fingers on my neck practically every minute of the day (weirdo) and when it happens I feel my heart miss a beat, or flutter/vibrate then a pause then back to normal, but very fast:(
I have been under a little more stress latley with moving house and stuff but really I can't imagine it having this greater effect on me and there are people with a lot worser worries than me out there that don't get these stupid missed beats! Sorry to blabber on and on but I really do feel at the end of my wits and it feels like no one cares that there could be something potentially fatal wrong with my heart!!!!!

Angie, I know how scary this can be. I have had exactaly the same kind of heart flutters as you are describing. They are very very scary. When I get them my reaction is allways an adrenelyne (sp?) rush which only makes it all worse. What I have learned to to is to stop and take a very deep breath, because for me these are a sign that I am way to stressed out and not breathing properly. I tend to overbreathe (hyperventalate) anyway and this is just one of it's symptoms for me. I am very overweight and anything to do with my heart freaks me out!! But every time I stop and breathe, it gets much better. For me to know if I am breathing properly I imagine my lungs having 3 different sections. The upper one, in my upper chest, the middle one by my breasts and the lower one, by my tummy. I have realy worked on this so it is much easier now. I will breathe in and make sure that all three of those sections are filling up. I usted to have to practice this for 10 to 15 minutes a day but it is much easier now. Also, you will want to make sure that you are breathing in for a count of 3 seconds and then out for a count of 3 seconds. Do this 10 times in a row and then hold your breath for a count of 10. Usually this helps me tremendously. It helps make my blood oxygen what it should be. I also have a hiatal hernia and sometimes that is "up" and it makes it hard to breathe properly. I also will tense up my middle and it sometimes is hard to breathe.
I know it seems like I am talking all about breathing, but I only have my own expereinces to go from and for me this is usually the problem. I have been reading recently though that sometimes vitamin or mineral defencies can make the heart beat off. So perhaps while you are working on breathing you could find a good book on nutrition. Also, are you hydrated properly? Drinking enough water? Sometimes if one's electrolytes are off it can make the heart beat odd. But I am betting on the breathing being the culperate. In any case, there will others here soon that can answer this question better, but I wanted you to know you are not alone!!! That can be scary, feeling like you are the only one feeling like this. We are here for you.
God bless you and yours
Debbie

I also find having a little cough helpful. Probably because it helps with the breathing and is distracting.

Take care.

MS

Debbie , you are so right . Breathing is so vital and learning to do it effectively is very beneficial.

Try a yoga class. When I first went it made a huge difference. I went in each week with a flip flopping heart and throat and came out almost normal and the effects are cumulative.



Meg

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch

hi there Angie,

I can imagine how terrifying it must be for you. Have you evert tried any relaxation tapes? I did some for a while and it really made me forget about my heart trouble - it also helps control the breathing, which is very important.

Sarah :D

Hi Angie,

I'm sure that at least 90% of the people on this forum have experienced the same symptoms you are going through. Skipped / irregular heart beats are definately the scariest feelings that i've experienced since suffering from anxiety.

Personally, I've found that breathing exercises are the best way to relieve them, learning to breathe with my diaphram is the most useful skill i've aquired in dealing with anxiety.

If it's any comfort to you, i've suffered from literally thousands of episodes of skipped or fluttering heart beats over the last 12 years and have never once collapsed, become unconcious, or had my heart stop on me.

I know it's a silly thing to say but, please try not to worry too much. Nearly everyone, whether suffering from anxiety or not, suffers the odd skipped heart beat. They will not cause damage to your heart.

As a side note, never underestimate the amount of stress that moving house can cause, it can be absolutely awful.

Please take care and let us know how things progress for you.

Kind Regards, Andy (pootle)

Hi everyone,

Thank you all so much for replying with your kind and helpful words:)
Its is so hard trying to ignore these when they are always there but I am trying hard with my breathing which is also very hard when you have been breathing the wrong way for a long long time!
Debbie - your reply made a lot of sense to me and I am going to look into the nutrition as I don't think I eat right or drink nearlly enough water! It does cause an adreniline rush too, I know-and it almost always gives me the overwhelming need to cough, strange but yes it does help too.

I am still very scared though as I think anyone can agree (some already have) that this IS one of the worst symptons I have experienced with my anxiety/panic attacks. I just keep thinking the worst all the time and can't seem to be rational at the best of times, let alone when I am in a complete state of worrying! So things keep going from bad to worse really.
I also can't help but to think that if it was'nt this I was worrying about then it would surely be something else, its just me and I really hope that it won't be like this forever.
Thank you all again.
Angie
x

Hi Angie

Really sorry to hear how scared you're feeling about your heart sensations. I thinks we all have a 'most feared' anxiety symptom and unfortunatley we tend to focus on that symptom all the more, which of course is a vicous circle making us more aware of it and making it seem worse than it really is. I agree with the others that relaxation would be a good way forward for you as if you can control your breathing, you will start to feel more relaxed, and the more you can make yourself relax, the less you'll concentrate on your symtoms. Be patient though, learning to relax, especially if you haven't done much of it before (like me) can take a little time to master:)

Good luck, Jo xxx

Hi Angie

Firstly it wont be like this forever hon, its temporary and you are having a hard time.

It will pass and you will feel better. Your heart wont stop at all, its anxiety which makes you feel like you are.

It wont cure itself over night but you need reassurance that you will be ok and you will hon.



Love Sal xxxxx

Hi Angie

I'm really sorry to here how scared you feel write now.
But it will go away it just takes time.
I find changeing my thoughts, thinking of something nice, anything as long as you can take your mind off what is happening to you.
This does take time and practice but it dose work.

Take care you WILL feel better soon just think positive

Jill

Mr Panic is the master of mimmick.

He can mimmick most symptoms and 99% of them deadly.

If nothing has shown up on your ECG or blood tests.
Then it sounds to me as if you are experiencing the "flight or fight" sensation caused by too much adrenlin.

It is very very scary, but it will not hurt you.
I agree with the others that relaxation, distraction and learning to control your breathing, will help you a great deal.

It takes a lot of practice. but it really does help.



Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx
With hard work and determination and all the things you know.
The world is there for you to take. There's nowhere you can't go.


[:p]Scatty Eccentric & 'Poet Laureate to panic and anxiety'

Hi Angie,

I suffer the same kind of thing alot quite often with chest pains I convince myself there is something wrong with my heart but like you ive had tests and they are all clear this seems to be the most common symptom of panic and it really is so scary but talking to others who have experienced the same deffo helps, take care and try to rmember that your not alone when you feel like that.x Nic[^]

Hi Angie

You have a lot of replies.

How are you doing hon?



Love Sal xxxxx

Hello everyone,

I am doing much better than when I started the topic.....I am also touching wood when I say that as I am so scared of it re-occuring!
Anyway thank you all so much for all the replies, they really help me.
I have been really busy with moving house and I think with the constant goings on my mind I was not thinking of all the bad things all the time, and then one good day leads to another cause I was thinking ' hey....I have not felt any today' which was brilliant!
I have had the odd one or two but compared to how they were they have much improved!!!

Pootle/Andy....You were very right that I should not have under estimated the moving house business as it seems that perhaps the weird beats were more frequent as I was worrying/stressing over that.

I am beggining to realise that when I have them really bad that I am more worried about something that I usually would be hence the weird beats being there all the time.
I think it is a relief when you can spot a pattern yourself when these things are happening. I know at the time it is soooooo hard to be rational - as I think the worst all the time.
I don't like to be too positive though as I will start worrying that something will go wrong....another one of my traits.
I am going on holiday next week, I am a little worried that perhaps the weird beats will come back a lot again as I know I will be very anxious about flying and just going on holiday overall! But again ...if they do I will try to sit back and think...'I predicted this would happen as I knew I would be more stressed' lol, I say that now but who knows, I could be making another post soon worrying my a** off again[Sigh...]
I have also been trying some breathing excercises as my breathing is just all over the place - and the first time I tried it I almost fell asleep!:) It was so relaxing. I am going to try and set aside some time each day to do this as I think maybe if I can try and start breathing properly some of the other symptoms might subside? Who knows.
Thank you all again, Hope everyone is doing ok

Angie
x

Hi, angie glad to hear things have settled a tiny bit. I too, suffer as you describe, as well as feeling dizzy for most of my waking hours. I went on holidays a few weeks back - i was in an awful state, even the thought of flying reduced me to tears, i visited a hypnotherapist just to try and help me, but i did cope - yes my heart was thumping, i was dizzy,i was teerrified, but i noticed a lot of other people were nervous too, i had a good holls, and best of all i never let anyone down, hubby and kids had a wonderful holiday - i was dizzy on the beach and my heart was beating like heck most times, but i never had a heart attack and i never collapsed and best of all i was secretly proud of myself - enough about me good luck in your new home and enjoy your holiday

hello there Angie,

I'm glad to hear that you are feeling a little better!! Remember that these things do take time so don't let yourself get too down if there are any recurring symptoms. Good luck with it all!!

Sarah :D

Hi Angie,

I'm really glad to hear that things are getting better for you. Keep up with the breathing exercises, they really do help with most of the anxiety symptoms.

I also found that cutting out caffine and nicotine greatly reduced the skipped and irregular heartbeats for me, might be worth bearing in mind if you're worried about the symptoms coming back.

I'm sure your holiday will be fine, enjoy yourself:)

Take Care, Andy (pootle)