View Full Version : heart beating hard continuously - HELP PLEASE
Okay, so after waking up yet again from another bad anxiety/acid reflux attack at 1:22AM, (it happened right out of a dead sleep again, and I only managed to sleep for 20 minutes) I've been unable to go back to sleep. In total, I've been awake for 24hrs now.
My heart keeps beating hard continuously. Not too fast, but not too slow either. Each beat vibrates my whole chest and I can feel the vibrations of it while I'm laying down in bed. Every time I try to fall asleep, right before I do, I get this strange, uncomfortable surge of adrenaline in the center of my chest and my heart speeds up a bit. This is turn causes me to be wide awake once again. I can't win!! :/
I can't rest, I can't sleep, I can't think straight.... It feels like my own body is attacking me constantly and I don't know how much more I can really take. Tonight has been a night from hell. I even had diahrrea earlier because my stomach was being affected by all this. I keep having to urinate frequently as well.
Panic and anxiety is literally consuming me and my life overall. I'm about to break down and cry. Breathing exercises aren't working, mindfulness isn't working, meditation isn't working, etc. :/
What should I do?? Please reply asap... I'm fearing the absolute worse over here :/!!!!
I've had nights like this :( so I feel for what you are going through right now.
Do you sleep on your back? I find that lying on my back I can feel my heart more, it is a very uncomfortable feeling. Also, the reflux doesn't help. Could you try propping yourself up a little higher with another pillow to calm the reflux down?
On the nights when I have high anxiety I am up and peeing like every hour. So so annoying!
I am here if you just want or need to talk :)
---------- Post added at 21:06 ---------- Previous post was at 21:03 ----------
Can you try to distract yourself by watching TV or something? Just to get your mind out of the anxiety/fear cycle for a little while.
I'm so scared. It's never been this bad before. I wish I could leave my body and wait for this awfulness to pass.
No sleep = more anxiety.. I can't sleep to save my life right now :/!!
What should I do? I have some Ativan 1MG...
GlobusGirl32
21-07-14, 12:11
Happens to me all the time. Weirdest vibration in my chest like my heart is echoing! Ughh. I slept for maybe an hour last night and now have to get up for work. It is so frustrating and very scary sometimes. I learn something new about panic/anxiety everyday. The symptoms are so real and consume you. It is very hard. Talking helps me to calm down, also knowing I'm not the only one :/
Have you taken the Ativan? If that is going to give you some peace and much needed rest then I would probably take it.
I agree, Globus. Anxiety is a curse....
I feel like just falling down flat on my face. All these physical symptoms and sleepless nights are too much to bare. I'm only 20 years old :/ I should be enjoying life...not dreading it!!
---------- Post added at 07:18 ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 ----------
Panda, I'm not sure if I should take one. The last time I took one to calm me down was at the ER back in December. The next day, I felt 10x worse as a result and my anxiety was exacerbated throughout that following week :/
It's that or the ER again...
I haven't eaten since midnight. Should I try that..?
I don't know. I'm just so desperate for some peace.
Ok....eating would be a good idea. Might help to settle those stomach acids. I understand your fear of taking meds. If it makes you feel worse then don't take it. Is there someone nearby you can phone for some support?
Just my Mom. I was already over my Uncle's all last night because of this but he lives a good distance away.
...Would anyone like to sucker punch me hard enough? Perhaps that'll help.
Nooooo...don't say that :( Can you give your mum a call, perhaps she can spend some time with you until you can calm down a bit. What time is it in the USA now?
It is currently 7:42 AM...
25 hours awake :/
I've been through that before....a few weeks ago actually. Got to the point where I just started laughing hysterically at everything from pure exhaustion, then fell asleep at around midday, slept peacefully for a few hours and woke up feeling much better :)
Have you eaten yet?
I hope that's what happens with me... What's the longest anxiety has kept you up?
I'm baking muffins hah...
That day...it was probably about 26 hours. That was my worst day...and I survived! :)
Mmmmmm.....muffins :) can I have one? Haha.
It's getting close to my bedtime now so I'm going to log off soon, but I hope that after some breakfast you will feel better and be able to get some rest.
Take care. Talk again soon.
I just tried to sleep but to no avail. I still can't call completely asleep because of that weird sensation in my chest :/ it's getting a bit scary.
I've had similar things before - once had this weird sensation in my chest area that felt like a kind of vibration / buzzing sensation every time I breathed in and out... It's making me feel weird just thinking about it now! It lasted for about two days and I hardly slept a wink.
Think the longest I've been awake was around 36 hours straight when I was feeling really on edge. Don't worry though - when your body really needs to sleep, it will do and you won't be able to do much else than to lay down and close your eyes :) I know how incredibly hard it can be when you're laying down, trying to relax but your mind and body seems to go at a thousand mph, so I try to listen to some relaxing music, or perhaps watch some ASMR / relaxation videos on YouTube. If you can distract yourself long enough from your worries you'll soon nod off.
Good luck - hope you feel better soon :)
Thank you... 36 hours? You have me beat by 8 hours :P
Ugh yes....this is terrible. I truly hope that this is the peak of the anxiety and I'll soon be able to drift off to an uninterrupted slumber.
Everyone's scaring me, though. Telling me it's a heart attack/heart failure or sleep apnea etc...
I'm afraid to go back to sleep because I don't want to wake up into another panic attack :/
From what I know, if was a heart attack or heart failure you wouldn't be able to sit there typing all these messages... You'd be dialling 911 and in a lot of discomfort.
Try not to listen to what other people tell you - especially if they are unfamiliar with mental illness (and medical issues in general) and stop Googling your symptoms if you can - I could take any symptom and turn it into a serious illness within 5 minutes if I wanted to :)
Maybe have a nice relaxing bath... Drink a warm cup of something (no caffeine)... Create a relaxing atmosphere in your room... Listen to some calming audio... Lay down and drift off :)
I'll give it a shot. My body is just going to go to sleep eventually with our without my permission from sheer exhaustion i guess. I might consider taking an Ativan if it gets too much again.....
I can't believe anxiety and depression can cause such devastation in one's every waking and unconscious moment....
Just got back from the ER. They did nothing other than check my pulse, heart beat, and blood pressure.
Nothing to help me sleep...
They referred me to a mental health clinic... I have an appointment Thursday.
Don't see how that helps me now :/
Just got back from the ER. They did nothing other than check my pulse, heart beat, and blood pressure.
Nothing to help me sleep...
They referred me to a mental health clinic... I have an appointment Thursday.
Don't see how that helps me now :/
Well that's good news, in that there obviously isn't anything seriously wrong with you... They wouldn't let you go so soon if they thought there was.
As I said before, sooner or later your body will just have to have sleep and you'll nod off... Just try and relax as much as you can (I know that is easier said than done!) and I'm sure you'll be fine :)
Wintear, some tips that might help you.
Find a CD, something relaxing/gentle, keep it playing through the night very quietly in the background in your bedroom.
Have lots of pillows, so you are slightly sitting up rather than lying down, this helps not hearing your heart constantly pumping away.
Place your hand just above your belly button on your abdomen and gently do circle movements one way, then the other; this will calm down the stomach. Keep your hand on your abdomen until you fall asleep.
Don't try to fall asleep, have the attitude to stay awake. (You are more likely to fall asleep if you don't try).
Drink a glass of water before going to bed, this is good for the heart.
Stock up on Almond Nuts, these are very good for calming Anxiety.
Drink Green Tea and chamomile Tea; good for digestion and Anxiety and Stress.
Keep telling yourself it is Anxiety and it will pass and you will be ok.
Make sure you eat breakfast, Oats are very good for Anxiety, so something like Porridge is very good.
Hope some this helps? :ohmy:
sputnikmoon
21-07-14, 22:51
Don't worry too much about your sleep, you will be fine and you won't crack up - worrying about sleeping is what will keep you up, your mind will keep activating to check if your falling asleep or not :p
The longest I've been without sleep is around 4 1/2 days, not through anxiety though - just had a lot of tight deadline based work to do for a demanding client.
I didn't crack up, I didn't collapse or do anything loopy and had no adverse side effects once I did get to sleep. I just felt tired, then I'd perk up, then I'd feel tired again.
Your mind and body are more resilliant than you'd believe and when it gets to the point that you actually need the sleep, you'll honestly just fall asleep.
You should find a moment when you can settle, get a good book/magazine or pop your headphones in with an audiobook or a relaxing album and just chill. Don't put too much pressure on falling asleep - in the short term you don't need half as much sleep as you think you do.
You'll be fine and in a week or so, you'll look back at this and have a good anxiety story to tell people and marvel at the funny things your mind can do :)
The hospital found nothing wrong, your heart and circulation are remarkably simple, if your pulse sounds fine, the heart rate is normal and the blood pressure is within a good range, then the chance of anything actually being wrong is absolubtly tiny.
That's why most check ups only involved a listen to the heart, timing of the pulse and measure of blood pressure... If something was up, one of those would offer a clue to begin further tests. The chance of those 3 checks being fine but something sinister happening is absolubtly tiny!
So relax, the chest issues are tension and adrenaline seeping into the blood brought on by your tension - it won't hurt you, your body isn't broken or ill, in fact it's doing exactly what it thinks it should do in order to keep you safe as your mind is telling it to be on the look out for something wrong :)
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