Thudding Heartbeat!

[Carnation]

By my reckoning; my heart has been thumping away like I am wearing it outside my body for nearly 3 weeks; especially when resting. :shrug:
It is a very scary feeling, I think I am about to have HA and I get flushes and it is driving me mad! If I am doing something, it doesn't seem to appear, it is when I am sitting, standing still or lying down.
It started when I had my blood pressure taken at the Docs and it was a little high and then I took another reading with my Mum's machine and it was high again and then to make matters worse, I took a reading during a Panic Attack which resulted in me staying in bed for a very long time!
I don't want anymore readings, I don't want to know if I am about to die or dangerously near to it.
Why is this happening? It won't let me rest and I am exhausted! :weep:

[MyNameIsTerry]

Carnation,

This sounds like classic too much adrenaline to me. Hyper vigilance too.

You get up and do things and you feel it less so a) you are employing physical exercise which will cause adrenaline to be metabolized into other chemicals and b) you are experiencing other sensations hence cannot sit and just concentrate on these ones.

I've had it myself in my blips sometimes but lots more when I was worse years ago. When I had my first breakdown I would lie on my side in bed, as normal, and could hear my heartbeat in my head pounding in my ears. It used to keep me awake and I would worry about feeling it. When I relapsed I found bright light was brighter than before. Fight or flight makes the senses more keen, it's supposed to do that to help is deal with the physical threats it was created for.

I found these issues go as you recover more, they simply disappear because you are less hyper vigilant and the ongoing higher levels of adrenaline settle to a lower level, even though the can still be going on a fair bit.

[Carnation]

Thanks Terry, you are my saviour yet again. :hugs:
My brain tells me just that, but my subconcious is telling me something else!
I should know all of this by now, there is not much that I have not had. :D
yes, bright lights. Was sitting in a Supermarket cafe and counted over 80 spotlights; felt really spaced out. :ohmy:
The heart pounding is really interferring with my relaxation/meditation; such a distraction!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I remember mine. In truth, I can't say how I resolved some of those earlier symptoms as I just got into a routine and kept going & going and they seemed to disappear. Maybe it was about breaking the constant anxiety that underpins everything? Like how inserting relaxation does little but over time you start to learn you can relax...although I can't say I've mastered that one! :doh: far from it!!!

I would get spaced out in those big places. The lights just seemed to glare. The same with the sun itself. When I had a return of some of the old panic in supermarkets a couple of years ago what did help was focussing on something, an object. Focussing hard or trying to read something & concentrate on it (which can be hard), and doing this for a few minutes. This seemed to take my focus away from the symptoms and then they weren't as strong and I could let them go.

There are distraction techniques that do that. They may help when trying to relax? Perhaps do an intent focus style one and then move into meditation?

In your meditation, do you use breathing inductions at the start? In mine I had 3 that focussed on different aspects of breathing. I couldn't always focus on them enough to get beyond my symptoms, that took time. With the pressure you are under, that might be hard but if you have been ok until now, then it's still possible as things have been bad before and you didn't mention this then.

[Shazamataz]

Oh the thudding heart! I've had weeks of that and it's finally settled after readjusting medication and getting rid of SSRI for good. Like you I didn't notice it if I was doing things but as soon as I lay down BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, if I lay on my left side it felt like the beats were bouncing me off the bed!

It seems to be an anxiety thing which means it will be an adrenalin thing. Should improve as you get your anxiety under control.

Good luck!

[Carnation]

Thanks Shazamatazz. :)
I would like to think it is the adrenalin, because the 'BOOM, BOOM, BOOM', is just like a pre Alien coming out of my chest!

My Anxiety is high and because of recent stressful situations, it has not had a chance to recover from any of them. I have just bounced from one trauma to another.
Thanks for taking the time to post. :)

Terry, I find the breathing techniques difficult at the moment. I start panicking and then can't do it. I am using smells, touch and sight to distract me and try to focus in detail on something to detract me from my Mind. :ohmy:
I was actually thinking today, that I have had this before in the past; before I was diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder.
I used to get it a lot at work. If I had a problem/deadline/pressure, my heart would be pounding when I went to bed and remember lying on my stomach as that was the only position I could not feel and hear it.
When I had my initial breakdown, I did not really have it or notice it, but that was probably because I was more concerned with the chest pain that led to me phoning 111 all the time because I thought I was having a heat attack.
My blood pressure readings then were brilliant and I have to say that I am constantly 24/7 thinking about those high readings which are really worrying me to hell! :scared15:

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi carnation

Do you mean your heart is beating hard and fast?

Mine has just started an hour ago beating hard and it's scary! Then it started beating fast as well, just like when having a panic attack only I'm not!

I'm sick of all this too :weep: I'm not feeling well and I'm hoping that's what the problem is. A doc told me many yrs ago that your heart beats faster when you have an infection coz your body is trying to fight it off, but I'm not sure about the beating hard bit!

Getting a lot of things going in in my body lately and I don't like it!!

I see this post was in January so I'm a bit late, sorry.

How are you now? I hope you are ok.

Els
Xx

[Carnation]

Yes, I have had it hard and fast and just a thumping.
My normal reaction was to panic over it, check pulse, try to slow it down with breathing exercises and in the end, I just let it do what it wanted and took 'Claire Weekes' advice of accepting it and reminding myself that if it is beating, then I am ALIVE! Glad I did, because I don't get it too much now, so it worked. :yesyes:

I am still in recovery from my relapse BettyBoop. I'm back with another therapist and most days I despair, but I carry on trying anything I can to recover.
I have bad acid reflux now and I am constantly worrying about my BP and HA.
My life is a nightmare and daily tasks have become painfully difficult.
I had a bit of a breakthrough yesterday going to my Mums, but today I am left with exhaustion and depression. The 'depression' is almost taking over the anxiety now. :ohmy:

How are you BettyBoop? :hugs:

[xBettyBoopx]

Now that I'm further in the day, I feel like I have flu, my throat is on fire, I think thats also why my heart rate is up. I have acid reflux too. Where does it end?!

Nice to see that you went to your mums yesterday. It will be exhausting as you spend all your energy trying not to feel bad. I hate to be a 'copycat' but depression took over the anxiety for me too after I gave up smoking all those yrs ago but anxiety is back now with a avengence!!

Dr Claire Weekes knew all about this damn anxiety but the way out seems far too difficult.

I saw on your other post that you haven't heard about ESA yet, I hope you hear soon and that it's good news.

Take care carnation.

Els
Xx