Xander
05-12-12, 00:57
New to the forum, so hello.
I had a panic attack just over a month ago and since then I've felt like I've had severe heart issues. My heart will race at any time of the day or night, seemingly with no trigger whatsoever. I've had blood tests done at the doctors, which came back all clear. The doctor prescribed me some beta-blockers but after taking only one, I felt infinitely worse. I was incredibly agitated up the the point I literally had to pace up and down my room. Ended up with the paramedics at my house taking blood and giving me a quick ECG but they said I was physically fine too.
I've smoked weed regularly, in large amounts for around 10 years (I'm 25 now), smoked plenty of unfiltered tobacco along with the joints, I've eaten crap frozen food for years-on-end and basically lived an incredibly unhealthy life. I'm not overweight though, if anything probably a little underweight. Since having these heart problems it's given me the impetus to eat far more fresh and healthy foods and I've been off the tobacco and weed, and coffee for that matter, for a month now. Unfortunately I'm still getting strange heart palpitations and a racing heart out of nowhere. It would appear that it's anxiety rather than anything physical but I was never an anxious person before this panic attack and the subsequent issues with my heart. It's a strange cycle of heart problems causing anxiety and anxiety causing heart problems.
My doctor has given me some diazepam, although only very few at a time and at a very low dosage (2mg) which helps calm me down when I feel an anxiety/panic attack coming on. The only problem is that this is clearly not a long term solution. My doctor floated the idea of taking SSRI's (anti-depressants) but I'm by and large not a depressed person. Maybe existentially, but the only real thing getting me down is this strange situation I've found myself in with the heart and anxiety troubles. I'm very reluctant to take SSRI's due to the side effects, especially since they make you more agitated for the first few weeks, which is the last thing I need/want. I'd like to inquire about CBT treatment but it'll likely be useless or unavailable to me since the NHS here in Scotland isn't very well funded in those departments. I'm due to receive a 24 hour ECG in less than a week too, just to help put my mind at rest that it's definitely not a physical issue.
That was all a bit of a ramble and I didn't really pose any questions, but reading everyone else's stories was comforting, so I thought I'd type out my own. Who knows how much longer I'll have to deal with this, or how I'll treat it, but hopefully it'll all be in the past soon and I can go back to feeling like myself again.
Oh and hopefully I've put this in the correct section of the forum, if not, then Mods can feel free to move it, obviously.
I had a panic attack just over a month ago and since then I've felt like I've had severe heart issues. My heart will race at any time of the day or night, seemingly with no trigger whatsoever. I've had blood tests done at the doctors, which came back all clear. The doctor prescribed me some beta-blockers but after taking only one, I felt infinitely worse. I was incredibly agitated up the the point I literally had to pace up and down my room. Ended up with the paramedics at my house taking blood and giving me a quick ECG but they said I was physically fine too.
I've smoked weed regularly, in large amounts for around 10 years (I'm 25 now), smoked plenty of unfiltered tobacco along with the joints, I've eaten crap frozen food for years-on-end and basically lived an incredibly unhealthy life. I'm not overweight though, if anything probably a little underweight. Since having these heart problems it's given me the impetus to eat far more fresh and healthy foods and I've been off the tobacco and weed, and coffee for that matter, for a month now. Unfortunately I'm still getting strange heart palpitations and a racing heart out of nowhere. It would appear that it's anxiety rather than anything physical but I was never an anxious person before this panic attack and the subsequent issues with my heart. It's a strange cycle of heart problems causing anxiety and anxiety causing heart problems.
My doctor has given me some diazepam, although only very few at a time and at a very low dosage (2mg) which helps calm me down when I feel an anxiety/panic attack coming on. The only problem is that this is clearly not a long term solution. My doctor floated the idea of taking SSRI's (anti-depressants) but I'm by and large not a depressed person. Maybe existentially, but the only real thing getting me down is this strange situation I've found myself in with the heart and anxiety troubles. I'm very reluctant to take SSRI's due to the side effects, especially since they make you more agitated for the first few weeks, which is the last thing I need/want. I'd like to inquire about CBT treatment but it'll likely be useless or unavailable to me since the NHS here in Scotland isn't very well funded in those departments. I'm due to receive a 24 hour ECG in less than a week too, just to help put my mind at rest that it's definitely not a physical issue.
That was all a bit of a ramble and I didn't really pose any questions, but reading everyone else's stories was comforting, so I thought I'd type out my own. Who knows how much longer I'll have to deal with this, or how I'll treat it, but hopefully it'll all be in the past soon and I can go back to feeling like myself again.
Oh and hopefully I've put this in the correct section of the forum, if not, then Mods can feel free to move it, obviously.