Possible heart issue or is it a panic attack?

[Kb97]

Hey,
I used to use this forum years ago and was a regular user (forgot my password and stuff so this is a new account). My past is that I've suffered with panic disorder, gad, depression and hypochondria from a young age but I came off medication a year and a half ago because I felt I was ready. Anyway, I've had what I've thought were panic attacks for years but it's always seemed that mine have been a lot more intense to other peoples. I had an episode last Thursday where I couldn't breathe, the feeling I get is that my heart is constantly jumping and when my heart jumps I feel like I have to drop to the floor and have no energy to move until it does the feeling again. I struggle to breathe and lately it's been happening for no reason at all (probably my panic disorder though). I'm sorry if it sounds strange but to be honest I'm writing this post in the hope that it's not just me that has these intense panic attacks help! Anyway during this episode it didn't stop after 10 mins, I couldn't calm down and my partner could see I was in a lot of distress as I struggled to breathe and he called an ambulance. I went into the ambulance with a heart rate of 140 and what they described as "artial fibrillation" type palptations (he said my heart wasn't beating regularly). However, by the time I'd got to the hospital 30 mins or so later when they hooked me up to the ecg at the hospital everything was fine and they repeated the ecg 4 times over 7 hours. I had a blood test, the doctor told me that he suspects I have artial fibrillation (I'm only 19 with nothing dangerous to do with the heart in my family) and that I should go to my gp for a referral. This was all off that one test they took in the ambulance that I wasn't still for, was talking and was shivering as well as messing about with the heart thing on my finger. Could the ecg be wrong? I went to my gp who obviously decided not to take me serious 1 because he hadn't had the ecg sent through to him and 2 because of my mental health conditions. But he agreed to send me for an ecg and a blood test. Which I did but obviously I feel the ecg isn't going to pick up anything if there is anything because I was completely fine when it was taken? I just want to know if anyone has had any experience similar with panic attacks or my whole situation really and advice. As I know for a fact I'll go back next week and he'll tell me he won't be referring me. Oh and I found out the next day after the hospital I have flu if that helps!
Thanks for reading as I know it's a long post!

[Clydesdale Epona]

I'll start off by saying,
when my sister has a panic attack it is almost always certain that she will pass out, she honestly can't get a breath in and will end up passing out (thanks to the lack of oxygen to the brain) i myself am fairly great with panic attacks but late last year after coming out i got regular ones that almost made me pass out too.
it's not uncommon for anxiety to cause such derailing symptoms that can be passed off as something else. when i was 10 i had about 4 standard ECGS and 1 24hr one because my doctor was really concerned about my irregular heart, it could often get so fast but after a lot of searching he worked out it was down to anxiety and some breathing problem(i forgot the name oops ). i myself don't suffer with panic attacks badly unless i'm particularly stressed but i know others do x

[Kb97]

Thank you it's quite comforting to read something like that. I just don't think it was the best thing for the doctor to tell me that he thinks I could have it when I'm a hypochondriac! I haven't actually had any since Thursday I felt it coming last night, stopped it before it happened and I'm sure myself that there's nothing wrong with my heart. It's just very worrying when a doctor tells you something that has seemed to be quite unreliable based off of one test.

[up a ladder]

KB
Firstly, no ambulance team or consultant will class a false alarm as a waste of time. Believe me, I have had a heart attack and last night was carted off in an ambulance due to a suspected heart attack. I only got back a few hours ago after all the tests were negative. The reason for the suspected attack was that I am currently anxious (very) and I started to get similar pains that I had 6 years ago when it was a real heart attack. The whole NHS team were aware of my anxiety and still provided all the care they would had it been non anxiety related. Don't beat yourself up and accept poor support from your GP.
I will tell you, the pain from the oncoming Heart attack was damned severe and easily differentiated from the panic attack heart racing and palps. The horrible state Panic leaves us in actually make what we believe the symtoms of the impending Heart attack worse. So you have every right to be cautious. But as I said, the Heart attack pain was incredible and very different as at the time I did not notice a racing heart or palps, it was purely pain and a lot of it. I would say it is like indigestion with heart burn on a very high scale.

[Kb97]

Up a ladder
Thank you for your words. I think I might ask for a 24 hour monitor but I'm sure it's going to be declined, I just don't understand how something so devious would appear on an ambulance ecg and 20 mins later would be gone on the hospital ecg. I've been told by my gp it's extremely rare like 1 in millions almost that I have it as I have no family history, nothing coming up on my bloods last week (I've had another test awaiting results) and he's currently 100% sure it's panic disorder. My partner has noticed my palpitations as have i and i went to the doctors years ago and was told it was panic disorder. So really I'm stuck in an endless maze as what can I really do if he refuses me a monitor?

[KarloShen]

I've had similar, not this bad, but similar experience with panic attacks. I could breath normally, but with every inhale it hurt so bad, that I couldn't move, I had to sit down.

It is interesting that you feel exhausted. Because in most cases anxiety shouldn't cause exhaustion and the lack of power in muscles, that actually is one of the main tests how you can do a check if it is a heart attack or just a panic attack.

I'm a hypochondriac myslef, so this probably isn't very calming, but if you have this kind of panic attack again I would highly advise that you do the following tests:

Try moving a small part of your body. (Your fingers for example, if this doesn't cause huge exhaustment continue)
Next try moving your arms.
Then your legs.
Then try to stand up (if your sitting)
Try to do situps.


Gradually increase the physical exercise intensity, if you at any point feel really exhausted doing any of these things call the ambulance again.

When I was having these kind of problems, I did 24H monitoring and other examinations, everything was fine, so I had to convince myself that it is just a panic attack.

[Kb97]

I've had similar, not this bad, but similar experience with panic attacks. I could breath normally, but with every inhale it hurt so bad, that I couldn't move, I had to sit down.

It is interesting that you feel exhausted. Because in most cases anxiety shouldn't cause exhaustion and the lack of power in muscles, that actually is one of the main tests how you can do a check if it is a heart attack or just a panic attack.

I'm a hypochondriac myslef, so this probably isn't very calming, but if you have this kind of panic attack again I would highly advise that you do the following tests:

Try moving a small part of your body. (Your fingers for example, if this doesn't cause huge exhaustment continue)
Next try moving your arms.
Then your legs.
Then try to stand up (if your sitting)
Try to do situps.


Gradually increase the physical exercise intensity, if you at any point feel really exhausted doing any of these things call the ambulance again.

When I was having these kind of problems, I did 24H monitoring and other examinations, everything was fine, so I had to convince myself that it is just a panic attack.

Hey,
I was seen by a paramedic as it was happening pretty much, I could walk and talk I was fine. They assured me at the hospital it wasn't anything malicious like a heart attack but could be something called artial fibrillation. I had all of the possible tests done at A&E chest x ray, blood test and 4 ecgs. The only ecg that come up abnormal was the one in the ambulance when I was still in that 'zone'. Like when these attacks are happening I can move no problem, I have no pain it's more like a dropping heavy feeling on my chest and it's extremely frightening. On the upside I haven't had one now since I went into hospital (I was having one daily that last one being the most manic one) and I think it's probably because I'm frightened about going back to the hospital. I get a blood test and another ECG result back next week. I think I will push for a 24 hour monitor for the reason that the first ecg did show artial fibrillation fingers crossed they give me it because as I said my gp (who I've only just moved to might I add) didn't take me seriously nor did he even look at the ecg from the ambulance.

[KarloShen]

Hey,
I was seen by a paramedic as it was happening pretty much, I could walk and talk I was fine. They assured me at the hospital it wasn't anything malicious like a heart attack but could be something called artial fibrillation. I had all of the possible tests done at A&E chest x ray, blood test and 4 ecgs. The only ecg that come up abnormal was the one in the ambulance when I was still in that 'zone'. Like when these attacks are happening I can move no problem, I have no pain it's more like a dropping heavy feeling on my chest and it's extremely frightening. On the upside I haven't had one now since I went into hospital (I was having one daily that last one being the most manic one) and I think it's probably because I'm frightened about going back to the hospital. I get a blood test and another ECG result back next week. I think I will push for a 24 hour monitor for the reason that the first ecg did show artial fibrillation fingers crossed they give me it because as I said my gp (who I've only just moved to might I add) didn't take me seriously nor did he even look at the ecg from the ambulance.

I had something very similar, but I'm not sure it was related to my panic attacks, and I definitely didn't feel weak when it was happening.

It was really interesting, my heart would beat normaly, then skip 1 - 2 beats, (assuming normal 60 - 70 beats per second) and then it would beat arrhythmically to compensate for the skipped beats.

I did a 24h monitoring, it came up with normal results, there were a few skipped beats that looked out of place, but the doctor said that I shouldn't worry about and so I didn't, although when I was having the 24h monitor, I didn't notice it happening.

I would suggest that you change the doctor if possible.

The main question that I'm trying to understand is, are you afraid of something when experiencing these feelings?

For example having a heart attack, or anything else, that amplifies the anxiety.

P.S. The dropping feeling on your chest is a normal thing, when experiencing anxiety or panic attacks.

[Kb97]

Hey,
Late reply didn't see your answer but I've actually found a better way to describe it after it happened yesterday. It starts with chest butterflies then I panic that there's something wrong with my heart I guess that's it because I immediately start feeling my pulse. This time I was anxious. Other times I've been tired, had tons of caffeine or after smoking (stopped smoking now)

[ihavefears]

Hi, it sounds to me like just a panic attack, and not a heart related issue.