Fast Heart Beat even before exercise

[tt]

Today, I got up as normal and decided to go to the gym. I just joined a few weeks ago and would hope this will take away some anxiety.
Last night I read on the heart and stroke that this is a great idea.
Well, i jump on an exercise bike and my heart rate reads 130 - I have been anxious all weekend with palpatations. So instantly I am scared - Why is my heart rate there I haven't began. So I try and deep breathe and lower my panic. I have not removed my hands or eyes and well then its at 150. I at this point am afraid of going into cardiac arrest!
I stayed 10 minutes and then went to the treadmill. Its 144 HR, I did manage to get it to 134 but then it kept going up to 149 and I was walking slower than you do on a cool down.
I had to leave take a lorazapan and call make a Doctors appointment
and call tele health on the phone. I have had my neck and shoulder bothering me because of tension. The pain from that has been radiating into my left breast and that scares me thinking something is wrong with my heart.
I am now back at square one and what if this happens tomorrow. Being afraid of exericse is hard to keep a healthly lifestyle.

Thank you for listening,
TT):


TT

[Tracy68]

Hi TT
Do you think even though you read that exercise was good for the heart etc you got yourself anxious/nervous before you actually went to the gym? And because at the beginning you got yourself wound up because your heart rate was high it made you even more anxious, hence it kept going up. When i started at the gym (don't go now) the instructor told me that the way they check how fit you are is by seeing how long it takes for your heart rate to get back to normal. I think all the symptoms you've experienced is totally down to anxiety but go to the doctors to put your mind at rest.
Take care
Tracy
x

[nomorepanic]

TT

They usually have someone at the gym that can give you a check over and explain heart rates etc.

Perhaps you could ask them for some advice.

Nicola

[seh1980]

hello TT,

I freaked out at the gym about a year ago because of my heart rate and still haven't been back. It can be very scarey and I keep saying that I will go back but I never do. I know that I am being silly but it still scares me. Why don't you try getting some advice from someone at the gym like Nic says? I'm sure that will make you feel better.

Sarah

[tt]

Should I tell them that I think it is panic?
I also don't really want to be sent to ER especially with the way the health care is in ontario. I would be in quit a state by sitting in ER for a long time. I feel soo embarrassed even to go to my Doctors now. I actually have to see another Dr. today. Do I tell them My heart rate is my problem and I have had palputations alot , I am so confused how to approach the situation

TT):

TT

[Tracy68]

TT
Personally i think you should tell the doctor everything that is bothering you and then that way he/she will know what route to take and hopefully put your mind at rest.
Let us know how you get on.
Take care
Tracy
x

[vernon]

hi welcome to the site/ I to am so afraid of exersize. like u my puls rate realy flies hi and real bad thumping in my chest. this even hapens with normal exersize like walking etc. just anxiety i think

[linjane]

Hi TT

I think you got yourself worked up, even before you went. I get palpitations/ectopic heartbeats and they absolutely TERRIFY me but we have to learn to get over them (somehow, don't we TracY!!!), but it is really hard. Don't feel silly about going to docs, but like Tracy said, tell them everything. I sometimes feel that because we have anxiety everything else we 'might' have gets blamed on that, but logically, they must know what they are on about.

I get the same thing when I go to get my blood pressure checked - thats usually ok but my heart rate is always high. And I also remember, when I went for an ecg, I got myself into a right state! Lay on the bed, all wired up and just watched my pulse on the maching going higher and higher and higher. That was after they had finished doing the ecg but had left me wired up and I kept watching. In the end I asked them to turn it off, cuz my pulse wasn't coming down until I stopped watching!!! All was fine with my ecg though!

Take care.
Love,
Linda.x

[Beeny]

Hi there,

Im like you, I worry about my heart rate and I too joined a gym a little while ago. Steve, the gym instructor who took me around was extremely understanding, when I explained my anxiety. He put me on a machine that had a heart rate indicator. When he came back to check on me, I said I was a bit worried coz my heart rate was so high - he said not to look at the indicator and not to put too much faith in it anyway, it was more gimmicky than any thing else. So now if I go on one of those kind of machines i don't put my hands on the bits that monitor your heart rate - I don't really understand how it can read your heart rate through your hands anyway, if you think about it a doctor still has to do by placing something near your heart or feeling your pulse near a pulse point, which is certainly not in the palm of your hands!! This has helped, Im still going to the gym and it definitely helps.

Keep it up.

Beeny