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Thread: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    56

    Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hi Everyone,

    Hope you're all doing well.
    I haven't posted on hear for quite a while but still visit quite regularly.
    I had a serious bout of anxiety and depression last year. It caused me to quit my job and become agrophobic. With medication, time and effort I got through the worst of the anxiety and depression. I started a new job earlier this year but still suffer anxiety.
    All my anxiety began with heart related fears. My symptoms where mainly all related to my chest bar the lightheadeness. I'd get a pressure in my chest. A feeling of not being able to fully expand the left side of my chest when taking a breath. Breathlesness too. Also occasional fluttering sensation in the left side of my chest, sometimes what I can only describe as a spasm feeling rather than a pain on that side as well.
    During my heightened anxiety last year and after seeing my GP numerous times where I had been given an ECG and had blood tests which where all normal and diagnosed with anxiety one day I went to A&E because the pressure in my chest had become unbearable. There I had another ECG, blood tests and chest x-ray. Again, all was fine. I was told it was muscular skeletal and diagnosed with costochondritis (inflammation of the rib cartlidge). Even then it didn't ease my mind. I was still focused on my heart/chest symptoms.....it literally had taken over my life and still does now. I went privately not long after to see a cardiologist who listened to my heart and did some general examinations and said he thought I had occasional Tachycardia. He prescribed me calcium channel blockers for this. I had already seen this doctor about 3 years ago and had an echocardiagram, stress test, ecg and a spirometery which all came back negative apart from mild asthama which I knew I had so this time he deemed it not necessary to have more tests. After that I started to exercise again and became more comfortable that these feelings where just muscular or related to my asthma. I was starting to feel myself again gradually.
    Recently I have been getting these what I can best describe as like a jolt. It feels like I have blackedout for a split second but I haven't actually blacked out if that makes sense. Also getting the flutters and shooting sensations in the chest.
    I went to see my GP yesterday for the first time since the beginning of Jan and explained what had been happening. She has now refered me to see a cardiologist with the view to having a 24 hr holter monitor put on because she suspects it may be an occasional irregular heart beat.
    I am glad this is being done to be honest but frustrated that it has taken over a year for my GP to finally refer me to a cardiologist.
    I believe that my heart/chest symptoms are what caused my anxiety to spiral out of control. I know the more anxious you get the more symptoms you get too. But I do believe it's what caused my anxiety not vice versa.

    Sorry for the rant. I am just wondering whether anyone else has had an experience of being told it's anxiety all the time only to find that there was a genuine physical cause for their anxiety?

    Take care

    Neil

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    520

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hi mate,

    Originally I began my anxiety through these 'jolts' whilst trying to sleep. Then one night went to bed & couldnt sleep because my chest was jumping out etc...

    4 years later & im still here suffering, but last week I decided, with great disclipline, to stop taking my pulse every 5 mins & try to forget my symptoms.

    Everytime they come on I do something different & concentrate on what Im doing. 20mins later im not feeling so bad.

    Dont get me wrong, my anxiety is related to my chest, but I tell ya whats causing the tachicardia.

    ADRENALINE

    If ya try to relax your body, ur symptoms WILL pass or at least lessen.

    Since ive done this I have seen a noticable reduction in my adrenaline levels. Hardly feel the dreaded missed beats etc...

    Im no idiot, i know these symptoms will come back but Ill deal with them.

    Even if your tachicardic, its not life threatening. But your tachycardia sounds like anxiety related & I tell ya if ya had a serious heart prob you would know.

    At the mo I cant even exercise because when I do, my chest becomes all congested & I panic.

    Your not alone mate.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    56

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hi Peter,

    Thanks for the reply. I know I have definitely become more anxious and it's a visious circle creating more symptoms etc. I am however not as bad as I was although I am still focused on the chest.
    I don't actually think I have Tachycardia. My heart rate is normally between 50 and 70 bpm unless I am exercising which is normal.
    I still get the flutters and spasm feelings in the chest too. As I said I have that costochondritis.....now and again when I feel pressure over my chest if I stretch my arms up and back I actually feel and hear my sternum crack like knuckle. Not painfull and apparantly not a concern but weird
    I saw your post asking about adrenaline testing. That might be something I might look in to getting if these new tests come back normal.
    You say you can't exercise at the moment. I went through a stage when I was too afraid to exercise too. I started just going for long walks initially and then gradually started running and playing football again. Exercise is my sanctuary it keeps me on a level I suppose. Have you tried just starting out going for a walk yourself?

    Take care mate,

    Neil

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    173

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hi
    I am hoping the anxiety and stress is what causes missed beats and the heart pounding in the night! I hate it and it is a vicious circle, I am now anxious about going to bed in case I have a bad spell in the night. I wake up and feel my heart is beating all over the place, missing beats and really irregular. Its so hard not to feel your pulse but I have tried stopping as it scares me too much!
    I am thinking of trying the rescue remedy and see if it helps me.
    I think I would love to get fit but I also worry doing exercise will make my heart go funny and get pains in my chest. I do walk my dog everyday and run round after the kids 24/7!!
    if you find a remedy let me know!!
    bye x

  5. #5

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Rescue remedy helps me nd a herbel tea before bed time too xxxx
    __________________
    When I am anxious it is because I am living in the future. When I am depressed it is because I am living in the past.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    520

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hi Neil mate,

    Yeah Im now going for walks, but also stopping the checking of the pulse has really improved me.

    Mind you its only been a week & I still find myself listening to my body.

    Im trying to accept that your body has sensations etc... so we'll see how it goes.

    If your pulse is normally between 50-70bpm, thats very healthy if you ask me.

    Usually mine would be between 67 & 80bpm. When im very relaxed, maybe around 60bpm. Either way Im sure yours is stress related & if you can somehow stop listening to your body....very hard at 1st, you will see a noticable reduction in the symptoms.

    Let us know how you get on with those tests matey.

    Pete

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    138

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    I have been suffering from this for the past three or four days, it is the holidays I have three little ones, my marriage is not the best, and we have all been away to Devon which was lovely but very busy and full on, also my daughter had an op and had to stay in for two weeks (stay in home I mean)all been intense, but I am feeling quite positive and lifted mentally althou completely and utterly shattered if thats not a contradiction so why I am getting constant heart fluttering sensations??????????

  8. #8

    Unhappy Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hey all.

    I've been absolutely convinced my hearts in bad shape. I mean i've never had a palpitation i dont think, and my pulse seems regular, appart from sinus arrhythmia, which is when the heart speeds up when you breathe in and slows down when you exhale, that can commonly be mistaken for an abnormal cardiac rhythm but it's perfectly normal and no differant from a straight heart beat. But some times i get these huge dropping sensations which make me feel dizzy, it feels like it starts in my chest of perhaps upper abdomen, and it's really been worrying me...

    Anyone else get this? it's horrible. I saw a doctor, and all she did was listen to my heart and take my blood pressure, she assured me i was in good condition, and it was likely anxiety. But the chest pains, tightness, hot flush's and faint periods are overwhelming, i just feel hopeless. I mean, my dad keeps saying "if you were going to faint....you would, thats it, you'd drop to the floor in an instant, if you feel faint for 10 minuits or so...your not going to faint?" is this true? Also sometimes everything seems hayzy or not a part of me, everything for a split second just feels...distant and dreamy. PLEASE HELP lol i feel like im going nuts or dying :(

    Thanks, Ewan.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    402

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hey Ewan.

    Well I am the same as you, convinced at times that I have a dodgy ticker. But I have been checked out by the doctor and its OK. Although I find that hard to believe.

    Anyway, I wanted to say that during periods of intense anxiety, I feel faint and dizzy almost detached from the world. There are lots of similar posts with members feeling the same.
    The heat rises, you get anxious, feel dizzy/faint. That can all quite easily be anxiety - it is for me anyway.

    But if your concerned about the hot flushes etc...go see your doc, explain your fears honestly. Say you suffer from anxiety etc....

    And most of all post on here, it helps hugely

    Em
    x
    __________________
    Emira
    xx

    I can and will get through this....

  10. #10

    Re: Heart Flutters, Irregular heart beat?

    Hey guys!
    have read all the above posts with some relief, some wory and alot of interest.

    Im a very healthy 28yr old male, i reguarly exercise, gym 5 times a week, run, swim, play squash, football etc... i eat healthy and only drink socially.... Last October I was sat at my desk at work and all of a sudden had this very intense heart racing, fluttering, dizzy symptoms, felt short of breath, like a spasm in the chest, not painful, just strange... i felt like i was gonna pass out any second, it was so bad i had to run out of work and phone for a life to go home.
    I went straight to the hospital and had an ECG test which came back fine... up until this episode id never has this before.
    Some days the symptoms are non existent and some days they are bad.... another night i felt so bad that I went to A&E, had 2 ECG Scans, a chest x-ray, thyroid gland tests, blood tests and a 24 hour Holter monitor.... all came back healthy and fine.

    I still get these symptoms to this day, 8 mnths on, Obviously im scared as it really can interrupt your everyday life, and the natural response is to worry, thus making the symptoms worst.

    Does this sound like what most of you have been getting? is it just anxiety? i would have hoped that if there was something deeper rooted that the tests would have picked something up.
    Strange thing is i am not stressed or anxious about anything, and the first episode was a bolt out of the blue.

    Really just posting here to look for piece of mind.

    Thanks
    Paul.

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