Anxiety causing palpitations?

[biggerthanmybody]

Every time I get nervous or anxious my heart starts acting up. Skipping beats, thumping, pounding, fluttering, flip flopping, racing, you name it. The second I feel my heart act up, I get an intense wave of panic/adrenaline which, of course, results in more and more of the palpitations and it's just a vicious cycle. I started taking 250mg magnesium every day (my dr recommended trying it) a week or two ago but it hasn't helped yet. I've had a million EKGs most of which don't catch the weird beats and come out 100% normal, one a few years ago did catch some weird beats and I was told they were PACs which are normal and not worrisome and don't need to be treated. I've had bloodwork which was all 100% normal. If I don't feel anxious or nervous I generally don't get the weird heartbeats and if I manage to forget about them and feel calm they disappear. The second I remember them, they come back and I'm in panic and anxiety mode and they get worse and worse, which convinces me they're due to anxiety. How do you break this vicious cycle? I'm afraid my heart will go out of rhythm one of these times and I will just drop dead. They don't think I need any other tests with a normal EKG and bloodwork and they said my heart "sounds fine" when they listen to it.

I feel like I can't go out in public or drive because I start getting these funny heartbeats and fear I'll pass out or die in public or while driving.

[SJL]

250mg of Magnesium isn't a lot.

Try doubling it.

[biggerthanmybody]

250mg of Magnesium isn't a lot.

Try doubling it.

Thanks for the tip, WebMD said the max dose for my age and sex is 340/day so that's why I started with 250. I will check with the dr :)

[SJL]

You'll know when you've taken too much as you'll get diarrhea like stools, you can't really "overdose" on magnesium anyway, your body just gets rid of what it doesn't need/use.

[Miche31]

Make sure it's a good magnesium too. I can't remember which kind. I like to take the Calms Magnesium. I have these too, and anxiety ALWAYS makes them so much worse. I still have them other times too; like during my menstrual time, or if I've eaten too much, even sometimes reading in bed. Or also when I bend over. It's strange. But when I first got them 10 years ago it was so hard to get over them. I take a low dose of propranolol which helps keep the hard beats down and helps a little with anxiety (the physical part)
I also did do EKG, Echo and holter monitor. I was eventually diagnosed with SVT on my third holter monitor. But they really believe that stress causes me to go into that rhythm....so I do all I can to try to reduce stress.