Back again with racing heart worries..

[Chlobo]

Hello everyone, I haven’t posted on here for a little while but I’m struggling agaib, this is long so thanks for reading if you make it to the end. On Wednesday morning last week I woke up and got out of bed to be immediately met with a fast heart rate, I went to have a shower and ended up having a huge panic in the shower as my heart rate was just pounding. I went downstairs and sat in the garden and contemplated calling an ambulance but instead I called a friend and tried to distract myself. I ended up taking a 10mg propanolol and Gradually my heart rate went down but all day it was in the 70’s/80’s and it felt uncomfortable. Fast forward to the next morning and it happens again, this time I tried calming techniques which helped slightly and I went about my day, but again all day heart rate was in the 80’s and I had noticed when I moved around it was reading at 112/120bpm.
I ended up messaging my doctor and have an appointment for Tuesday morning. Friday morning it wasn’t as bad but I woke up with that same feeling of anxiety and focusing on my heart rate and it was generally high during the day and high when I was moving around. Saturday morning it happened again when I got up and I ended up having a panic attack and taking 20mg of propanolol and a diazepam which managed to help me stay comfortable for the rest of the day. So the jist is really that my heart feels like it’s uncomfortable and racing all the time. My heart rate varies from 68-to 84 at rest and then shoot’s up to 130 sometimes just walking round the house. My heart feels uncomfortable and I have a soreness in my chest. I took my blood pressure which was 103/65. My oxygen level is also okay. But I’m terrified something is wrong with my heart and I can’t calm down, I know they will want to do bloods and probably an ecg but I get myself so worked up waiting for test results it’s too much for my anxiety to cope with. I have this constant feeling of anxiety and dread in my chest and I know that can also be a symptom of heart problems. Has anyone had this before and it turned out to be okay?

Many thanks
Chloe

[Chlobo]

Hello everyone, I haven’t posted on here for a little while but I’m struggling agaib, this is long so thanks for reading if you make it to the end. On Wednesday morning last week I woke up and got out of bed to be immediately met with a fast heart rate, I went to have a shower and ended up having a huge panic in the shower as my heart rate was just pounding. I went downstairs and sat in the garden and contemplated calling an ambulance but instead I called a friend and tried to distract myself. I ended up taking a 10mg propanolol and Gradually my heart rate went down but all day it was in the 70’s/80’s and it felt uncomfortable. Fast forward to the next morning and it happens again, this time I tried calming techniques which helped slightly and I went about my day, but again all day heart rate was in the 80’s and I had noticed when I moved around it was reading at 112/120bpm.
I ended up messaging my doctor and have an appointment for Tuesday morning. Friday morning it wasn’t as bad but I woke up with that same feeling of anxiety and focusing on my heart rate and it was generally high during the day and high when I was moving around. Saturday morning it happened again when I got up and I ended up having a panic attack and taking 20mg of propanolol and a diazepam which managed to help me stay comfortable for the rest of the day. So the jist is really that my heart feels like it’s uncomfortable and racing all the time. My heart rate varies from 68-to 84 at rest and then shoot’s up to 130 sometimes just walking round the house. My heart feels uncomfortable and I have a soreness in my chest. I took my blood pressure which was 103/65. My oxygen level is also okay. But I’m terrified something is wrong with my heart and I can’t calm down, I know they will want to do bloods and probably an ecg but I get myself so worked up waiting for test results it’s too much for my anxiety to cope with. I have this constant feeling of anxiety and dread in my chest and I know that can also be a symptom of heart problems. Has anyone had this before and it turned out to be okay?

Many thanks
Chloe

This morning I got downstairs after getting up and it clocked at 150bpm!
It went down again when I sat down but I don’t understand what’s happening and I’m scarrd

[Sparkling_Fairy]

I can't offer much since heart anxiety is my main source of anxiety, but just wanted to let you know you're not alone!
It's interesting our perception of fast. My heart rate used to be in the 80s by default, that to me was slow. It would shoot up over 100 the moment I got up and moved and easily go to 140/150 for seemingly no reason. I had this for years and it was normal to me. That's just how I was used to it. Then I had an instance where my heart went to 180 and stayed there for a few hours.
After that my GP said that didn't sound like anxiety and she put me on daily propranolol.
I've been taking that for 10 months now and my heart hasn't raced since. But now my heart rate is typically in the 60s, often even high 50s. So now when my heart goes to the 80s it feels fast and uncomfortable to me. And can really freak me out! The propranolol, as helpful a medication as it's been, has actually made me more afraid of my heart because now I feel it should no longer go faster and when it does I panic.
But the reality is, that 80 isn't fast at all!!! Normal heart rate at rest is between 60 and 100 so your heart being around 80 all day is perfectly fine! It's just heightened stress, but it's genuinely not fast. But I fully understand that it feels fast to you, because it feels fast to me now too. And I used to think it was slow. It really is all about perception!

[Sunflower2]

I don’t know your history, and this is just my experience. I have a couple of conditions that result in a fast heart rate so it is always higher than average. It’s currently at 90/100bpm while sitting looking at my phone. It can jump up to 130/40/50 or has done 200 bpm!
It used to really worry me but I have just learned to live with it, after having had various tests and seeing a cardiologist. Generally as long as it’s in regular sinus rhythm, doctors and cardiologists are not worried about it. Even if it is an arrhythmia, most of them are harmless. I have an arrhythmia which is under control with propranolol and I still do everything I used to do. Fast heart rates feel scary but almost always not anything to worry about!

[Chlobo]

I don’t know your history, and this is just my experience. I have a couple of conditions that result in a fast heart rate so it is always higher than average. It’s currently at 90/100bpm while sitting looking at my phone. It can jump up to 130/40/50 or has done 200 bpm!
It used to really worry me but I have just learned to live with it, after having had various tests and seeing a cardiologist. Generally as long as it’s in regular sinus rhythm, doctors and cardiologists are not worried about it. Even if it is an arrhythmia, most of them are harmless. I have an arrhythmia which is under control with propranolol and I still do everything I used to do. Fast heart rates feel scary but almost always not anything to worry about!

Hello, thanks for your reply.
I have always had palpitations and skipped beats for years on and off, I actually had two ecg’s done a couple of years ago, one in A&E and one at the GP surgery. The one I had at A&E was all over the place but I was having a horrendous panic attack during the test and the doctor said the result was down to anxiety. I had bloods done and a chest xray which were normal and was sent home. The second ecg I had I had taken my prescribed propranolol for anxiety beforehand as my doctor hadn’t said otherwise and the ecg was perfect but I’m scared it was a false good result due to the propan regulating my heart.
Strangely my resting heart rate is quite good and sometimes it’s in the higher 60’s. It’s just in the morning for the last few days it shoots so high when I wake up, it seems to calm down after an hour or so and regulate but I can’t understand why. It’s reassuring that you have had the same heart rate and it isn’t anything too serious. I keep thinking I must have a bad heart. I have my appointment tomorrow so I’m hoping it goes okay.

[Chlobo]

I can't offer much since heart anxiety is my main source of anxiety, but just wanted to let you know you're not alone!
It's interesting our perception of fast. My heart rate used to be in the 80s by default, that to me was slow. It would shoot up over 100 the moment I got up and moved and easily go to 140/150 for seemingly no reason. I had this for years and it was normal to me. That's just how I was used to it. Then I had an instance where my heart went to 180 and stayed there for a few hours.
After that my GP said that didn't sound like anxiety and she put me on daily propranolol.
I've been taking that for 10 months now and my heart hasn't raced since. But now my heart rate is typically in the 60s, often even high 50s. So now when my heart goes to the 80s it feels fast and uncomfortable to me. And can really freak me out! The propranolol, as helpful a medication as it's been, has actually made me more afraid of my heart because now I feel it should no longer go faster and when it does I panic.
But the reality is, that 80 isn't fast at all!!! Normal heart rate at rest is between 60 and 100 so your heart being around 80 all day is perfectly fine! It's just heightened stress, but it's genuinely not fast. But I fully understand that it feels fast to you, because it feels fast to me now too. And I used to think it was slow. It really is all about perception!

Thank you for your reply, that’s reassuring that you have had the same sort of heart rate as me. Did you have any testing done? My heart can go into the late 60’s at rest so that is pretty good but it’s the racing that worries me in the morning. I’ve felt okay all day today after the initial first hour of waking up, it’s so strange that it seems to really start up when I get out of bed from waking up, I’m sleeping all night and I’m waking up without a jump it just seems to start as soon as I stand. But then this afternoon it was lower but jumping to about 100 from 80 upon standing. Sometimes 112. I’ve just become obsessed with feeling my pulse and I’m dreading the doctors appointment tomorrow. I used to go to the doctors all the time but because I went so much I have recently gone the other way and try to avoid them at all costs

[Eevie]

I’m currently going through something similar.
My resting heart rate has always been high due to being so anxious all the time, however a few weeks ago I was making a cup of tea when I felt my heart pounding quicker and quicker it was speeding up and felt like I was about to drop dead. I couldn’t breathe and had to get onto the floor. It was at 195 on my watch and pulse oximetre

My parents rang an ambulance who did an ecg which was ok but they took me in because my heart rate was still high, my bloods and ecg were ok in hospital and I’m waiting for a 24 hour monitor at some point. I’ve also been put on the propranolol but it makes me feel a little odd.
I’ve been scared to really get out of bed and walking up my stairs causes me huge anxiety as my heart rate shoots up.

It’s causing my anxiety to be out of control I’m terrified something is wrong with my heart. I’m fixated on my watch which doesn’t help I know if I see it going up I’ll no doubt make it worse through anxiety.

[Chlobo]

I’m currently going through something similar.
My resting heart rate has always been high due to being so anxious all the time, however a few weeks ago I was making a cup of tea when I felt my heart pounding quicker and quicker it was speeding up and felt like I was about to drop dead. I couldn’t breathe and had to get onto the floor. It was at 195 on my watch and pulse oximetre

My parents rang an ambulance who did an ecg which was ok but they took me in because my heart rate was still high, my bloods and ecg were ok in hospital and I’m waiting for a 24 hour monitor at some point. I’ve also been put on the propranolol but it makes me feel a little odd.
I’ve been scared to really get out of bed and walking up my stairs causes me huge anxiety as my heart rate shoots up.

It’s causing my anxiety to be out of control I’m terrified something is wrong with my heart. I’m fixated on my watch which doesn’t help I know if I see it going up I’ll no doubt make it worse through anxiety.

So sorry you’re feeling and dealing with this, I actually don’t own a watch of any sort that does heart rate because I’ll become obsessed. I do have an oxy meter with HR and oxygen but I don’t feel like I can take that out in public so I can control it better.
I went to the doctors yesterday and she didn’t blood pressure and an ECG, she said the ECG was fine like yours and I do feel reassured as should you that the issue isn’t heart related in that respect. They can also do bloods related directly to the hearts health which you would have had done at A&E which also makes it certain that your heart is healthy. I do have a higher heart rate generally but I think that’s years and years of anxiety coursing through us. The doctor told me it’s an organic issue, so could be anemia, thyroid or my anxiety has just got me in a loop. She has asked me to do some bloods so I’ll see what that says. My heart rate at the doctors was 150 yesterday because I was so panicked, and that was with trying to do box breathing so I think it would have been higher otherwise. Anxiety is a very nasty beast at times and causes such a lot of problems physically. My heart rate is actually okay this morning coincidently now i have been told it looks healthy

[WiredIncorrectly]

How are you sleeping, and eating?

I know from my own experience - including today - that if I get a poor night sleep (had 4 hours sleep last night) my heart rate will be faster when standing. In the 120bpm range. If I panic over this, it will shoot up to 150bpm+

I first noticed this when I was 17. Keep in mind I'm now almost 40. More sleep solves it.

Also, I'm the same with those watches. I sold mine a couple weeks after I had it because it caused me to obsess, which created more anxiety.

[Eevie]

So sorry you’re feeling and dealing with this, I actually don’t own a watch of any sort that does heart rate because I’ll become obsessed. I do have an oxy meter with HR and oxygen but I don’t feel like I can take that out in public so I can control it better.
I went to the doctors yesterday and she didn’t blood pressure and an ECG, she said the ECG was fine like yours and I do feel reassured as should you that the issue isn’t heart related in that respect. They can also do bloods related directly to the hearts health which you would have had done at A&E which also makes it certain that your heart is healthy. I do have a higher heart rate generally but I think that’s years and years of anxiety coursing through us. The doctor told me it’s an organic issue, so could be anemia, thyroid or my anxiety has just got me in a loop. She has asked me to do some bloods so I’ll see what that says. My heart rate at the doctors was 150 yesterday because I was so panicked, and that was with trying to do box breathing so I think it would have been higher otherwise. Anxiety is a very nasty beast at times and causes such a lot of problems physically. My heart rate is actually okay this morning coincidently now i have been told it looks healthy

I need to stop wearing my watch as I know as soon as I see it going higher it causes my anxiety to make it go even higher. It’s just become something I check constantly and it’s not good at all. I’m struggling to take it off.

I’m glad you had some tests and that your ecg was good.

I had an episode again this morning, so I’m very anxious today. I’m used to my heart rate being high daily and more so when having a panic attack but this speeding up and beating very hard out of nowhere is terrifying me. It got to 167 today grabbed my propranolol and lay down for an hour until it calmed.

I’m sorry it was high yesterday at the drs but that’s probably very normal as you were no doubt anxious about your health/tests. I’m glad it’s ok today after being told it looks healthy!