Long story, what is happening to me

[Paul87]

I’m sorry that this maybe a long story but I would like to detail it well so me and others could get the right help I been a anxiety suffer for maybe 10-12 years I do have agoraphobia and depression and also GERD (acid reflux)

A few months ago now maybe 3-5 months ago was casually sat eating a lunch time sandwich I can’t remember if I coughed or didn’t before this happened but half way through my sandwich my heart went all weird it started to feel strange like flutter? So I forced a cough or 2 to try and stop it I’m not sure why but it was my instinct and it was still fluttering....like a scared child I ran to my bedroom to sit on my floor by somewhere during this time it stopped fluttering anyway I sat on bedroom floor with my heart racing really fast I would guess that it’s faster then my usual panic attacks

This happened almost instantly as the fluttering stopped I tried to calm myself saying I be okay it’s okay in my thoughts I couldn’t do it my heart was beating hard and fast.....by now I started feel weird like lightheaded maybe? This is when I ran downstairs and couldn’t take it anymore and feel to my knees this is when people in my house went to see if I’m okay and tried to relax me

Afterwards after I relaxed I laid on sofa twitching with no energy no thoughts no expression just no energy at all body twitching and feeling weak

The experience and how long it lasted scared me a lot so much so I been paranoid and scared of it coming back

Which of course leads to anxiety I been wondering and worrying what this could be?

But since then....it has happened a few times once while sat on toilet and I coughed which wasn’t as bad as the first one

Anyway after the toilet one which actually was like 2-3 months after the first one I became more scared and more paranoid and in the end I have full generalised anxiety back

The fear of it even controls my OCD where I have to do or move things over and over or it will happen to me again, I’m scared to go out or increase my heart rate or face anxiety in case it happens again

But lately I have noticed I been having tiny ones like nearly every other day? My anxiety has been improving again and I haven’t had one of those attacks on that scale in a while so I was improving and gaining confidence

When I say tiny ones I will give a example I don’t know if this is normal because I’m hyper conscious so I might be noticing something that has always been happening?

I was at a friends house I’m starting to finally tackle agoraphobia and anxiety again I’m not exactly fully confident or comfortable there yet so I am slightly on edge anyway we order McDonald’s as a treat so after waiting for food I was hungry I went to the door and collected it and walked to the table and sat down as I did

I had a flutter and I just paused and stared down at the table thinking ooooo and paused to be able to focus on it

It lasted a second maybe one flutter? I did get worried slightly and concerned it happened but nothing afterwards happened etc so I was gaining confidence

Anyway this little ones kinda happened a few times and haven’t been a issue I do always go ooooo and focus each time though

Anyway 2 days later is today and I woke up like usual at 7am ish and I decided I needed a morning poo which is common for me so I sat on the toilet and watched a YouTube video when suddenly a flutter happens a cough happened during it to try and correct it but I can’t quite remember if a cough started it if so this will be twice I’m sat on a toilet and coughed and this happened I think not entirely sure?

Anyway my thoughts was like oh this will go like the rest seconds later it didn’t I started to go oh no ohhhhhh nooo flushed my toilet etc super quick and moved fast to my room

Somewhere along that time the flutter stopped but my heart was racing fast so I tried to think like it’s okay I’m okay which didn’t help then I started take deep breaths which didn’t help instead i had to wake my family up while they held my hand and helped me calm down

And now I feel weak I feel shaky I felt lightheaded straight after too and also have chest pains but could be acid reflux

I don’t know what’s happening to me or how to stop this I’m scared and want it to not happen again

[WiredIncorrectly]

Ah, the good old flutter. Yep, I got that one too.

When I was a student some 10 years ago I was in a shared house with other students. I was cleaning out my lizard tank when I felt a flutter in my chest. It was like a machine gun. Then it stopped, and then it happened again. Felt like I was breathing cold air and like my breaths wasn't filling my body with oxygen. I was shaking, and weak. My face turned pail. I Felt a hollow empty feeling inside. I kept coughing to make it stop but it wouldn't. It would stop for 10 seconds but I would fear it coming back so my anxiety was making it happen again. Vicious cycle.

While my heart was skipping and fluttering I burst into another students room frantic screaming I'm dying. I was acting like I was having a bad acid trip or something lol. Anyway my girlfriend called ambulance, my little brother was crying his eyes out thinking I was dying. I was convinced I was a goner.

Ambulance came and they said it was anxiety. They didn't even take me to the hospital. The trauma of that anxiety attack caused me to pull a muscle in my rib that was sore for days. Externally sore. I was scared to clean my lizards after that event and I sold them.

But at that moment in time I was convinced I was dying. My brother still recalls his fear about that event. My anxiety attack scared him.

So yes, anxiety can do strange s**t to us. It's horrible. But 10 years on I'm still here. I still have flutters and skips daily. But they no longer scare me or bother me. The last thing you want is a panic attack while having heart skips/flutters because the adrenaline from the anxiety will make it 10x worse.

You need to find a way to break the cycle. I have had that experience happen out of the blue a few times when it gets very bad. I always call an ambulance and it's always the same result.

[Ethansmom]

I could have written this story myself. I get flutters ALL the time. In fact, i just had one this morning, after eating. Shortly after, i let out a big burp. I think it's anxiety/mixed with acid reflux/gas, etc. Then we fear it--- which gives us more anxiety and the cycle continues. I'm considering a beta blocker to stop these. Unfortunately, they don't always work :(

[heartfreaked]

Horrible feeling but there's a simple test here which could give you some reassurance, if you're feeling the flutter, immediately check your pulse (two fingers on the neck or wrist, either is fine), if it feels steady & strong, it's extremely unlikely to be anything to do with your heart & is most likely muscular, gastric or just plan anxiety, if you feel an irregular beat or a racing beat, then you could be getting Ectopic beats (can be felt as extra beats, skipped beats or fluttering), these are usually harmless (anxiety is a big trigger) but worth getting checked out for reassurance.

[jenni89]

I feel your pain. Two years ago, I arrived home from work. Had a bowl of cereal. I sat there as calm as could be and "thud" a palpitation occurred that sent me to my feet. I started pacing the house, saying "something is wrong with me" my younger brother probably thought I was crazy. Every heartbeat felt strange, I ended up on my knees at one point. I remember thinking "This is it. I'm a goner" I made my brother call an ambulance, but of course, symptoms subsided and everything checked out when they did arrive and perform the EKG. I did go to the hospital to have further tests and they all came back normal. I lived in fear after that, similar to you. I eventually had my palpitations caught on the EKG at the Dr. They were simple and harmless PACs that feel like danger. I lived in extreme fear after that day, I eventually started taking Zoloft and Propranolol, which I am still on two years later. My palpitations no longer rule my days and are not intense when they do come for a visit. However, I do still live in fear of pushing myself physically. I think it will take awhile to overcome. But I'm still here, two years later.

Anxiety is a b$#*!