Generalized Heart Anxiety

[OGNinjaDon]

Hi guys,

I have a few symptoms which are obviously worrying, though I know from various forums like this one that a lot of these symptoms are nothing to worry about.

I would like to run them by you guys and hopefully get some reassurance as I believe people who suffer/suffered with these symptoms have a better understanding of their cause/threat than a doctor is willing to tell you.

I have been getting some very strange flutter sensations, for example:

- Lying in bed at night watching tv
- Turning from my back to my side in bed
- Sitting down watching TV

At all of these times my heart feels like it is fluttering, I'm not sure if this is a heart related thing or a chest spasm. The biggest one I had just moments ago which is why I am posting this. I was sitting watching a video on youtube, very relaxed, no obvious anxieties present. Then felt this 'slowing' motion for a second, felt like everything came to a stop. Then felt the fluttering sensation in the middle of my chest, followed by electric nerve sensations around the face/body, following by a series of palpitations and then returned to normal. This is the biggest one as I don't think i've ever experienced the 'stopping' sensation that this brought before.

It literally feels like your world is about to end, and this is the immediate sensation not the one that comes after this that anxiety brings. So my question to you guys is when you experience these heart sensations is it a normal experience for your world to feel like it is slowing down and stopping? Then going back to normal?

I was actually quite anx-free all day, so it seems strange to experience this. Infact that's what happens usually, I may have 3-4 days of high anxiety, no heart issues, then the day when I am most at rest, I get the heart flutters. Is this common for this to happen when at your most calm? Seems strange.

Opinions welcome, thanks.

[Sam123]

Hi,

Definitely common to experience symptoms when you are at rest, for sure. Anxiety symptoms aren't only present in the moment of stress/anxiety. Having this abnormal level of anxiety in your body doesn't just go away when you are calm and at rest, you're body is still on edge even if you don't feel like you are.

I have experienced the flutters, sometimes they felt like possible muscle spasms around my chest heart area, either way they made me jump up and believe it was my heart! I also suffer from palpitations. Now i have had this on and off for 5 years and i'm fine.

You listed the examples above and all are when you are at rest, which to me tells me it is definitely the anxiety having it's affect on your body, and now you are aware and fearful of this fluttering you will probably experience it even more. If you like you could make notes of when it happens see if there is a link, i am positive you're just fine. :)

---------- Post added at 15:36 ---------- Previous post was at 15:22 ----------

What you may feel

A "butterfly" feeling, a fluttering in the throat, followed by a heavy thump or bang in your chest. After these normal rhythm is re-established. It is not uncommon to have runs of these lasting 3 or so beats.

Things to avoid which may help minimise ectopics as they are all stimulants

Caffeine
Alcohol
Tobacco
Stimulants such as those found in decongestants.
Artificial sweeteners and diet foods
Glutimate of which MSG is an example, often found in take away's, prepared ready meals and energy bars
Dehydration

What to do to help yourself

Sleep enough
Keep well hydrated
Exercise
Balanced nutrition
Cough
Sing loudly taking big breaths
Small meals
Not sleeping or exercising after a big meal
Learn these are not dangerous and will not hurt you so reducing anxiety levels
Burping – keeps the pressure in the chest cavity lower so cannot provide a resistance in the area
Hold your nose, take a deep breath and then close your mouth and try to breath out

Just some information on the palpitations from the articles on the homepage may help :)

[OGNinjaDon]

Thanks Sam, explained very nicely.

I am noticing more and more with anxiety it's a vicious cycle, you get anxious > find a way to calm yourself down > heart/other symptoms kick in > get anxious >find a way to calm down etc. etc.

[Sam123]

Yes that's the one, and the old 'But i'm not feeling anxious i've been fine and i'm still getting these symptoms, it must be something!' we've all been there :D

[OGNinjaDon]

Yeah totally. I guess through meditation and years of being an overly chilled out person, when I got the panic attacks at first, I only had 2 and never had any since as I am able to think clearly about most situations. However, these anxieties are a general fear/belief something is wrong which is very strange. I know deep down nothing is wrong, but at the back of my mind i'm thinking... but what if there is? I need to get it checked out.

Ah well, hopefully soon I will have checked everything out, been told I am fine, with just enough time to check the first thing all over again, go round that cycle a few times and I will be fine. Haha.

[Sam123]

Yes sounds exactly like my thought patterns too, i have said in the past ' I just know there is something wrong with me ' what a strange thought to have, and like i keep telling myself even IF there were, the chances of it being something that can be easily managed are very high! I look back on the last 7/8 years and i'm sad for all the time i wasted worrying about things that never turned out to be true, through fear of being ill i was actually making myself ill. Forums like this are great and they really helped me realize the pattern of thought that so many were having which made it clear for me that it was anxiety and a fear of the unknown.

I hope you're feeling better soon i;ve got a feeling you will :yesyes:

"When i look back on all these worries, i remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened - "

"Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it take's away today's peace"

[OGNinjaDon]

I think that's the big key though, people who over-think or have very active minds are the most likely to develop pointless anxieties as they have so much to think about and with a bad lifestyle you end up thinking about the wrong things!

Some nice quotes there, thanks again for your help.