merlin05
30-08-16, 00:29
Hi there,
History:
I'm a 31 yo male, with a history of generalized and health anxiety. Back in 2011 I became very aware of my heart rate, which was generally high due to stress. Due to the high heart rate, and some chest pain the doctor's decided to do tests for a period of a few months. These included numerous blood tests, EKGs, Holter meter and and echo sound. Everything came back normal and when I had the discharge meeting from the hospital cardiologist she told me that I've got nothing to worry about, just to relax and let my heart do it's thing (or words to that effect).
Now:
I've started to get symptoms which I think are effectively ectopic beats... basically I can feel my heart beats (sometimes) and at times they feel very irregular, almost like fluttering in my chest. I have no other symptoms: no pain, and I don't feel tired. In fact I think the beats become regular if I exercise. They are worse when I'm sitting, especially if I'm slouched over a computer. I have the feeling that by doing so-called 7-11 breathing I can make my heart beat regular again.
Up until very recently I was receiving CBT for health anxiety, which has been very helpful (except that I wasn't getting the ecoptic beats until a few weeks in to the CBT). I mentioned this to my counsellor and she said it's a normal thing, I'm just more aware of it than most people and that I need to practice external focus etc. Also the fact that I've had my heart checked (quite thoroughly, albeit around 5 yrs ago now) should tell me I've fine.
I had a 2 week long break from the ectopic beats when I was on holiday recently, but they started again when I got back to London. In the morning I also have a mild burning sensation in my mouth, which I think it GERD (reflux) which I guess could be related to it. The flutters actually feel like they originate from low in my chest, maybe near the stomach.
I'm still worried though, the counsellor wants me to resist going to the GP to get it checked but how does she know it's fine?
History:
I'm a 31 yo male, with a history of generalized and health anxiety. Back in 2011 I became very aware of my heart rate, which was generally high due to stress. Due to the high heart rate, and some chest pain the doctor's decided to do tests for a period of a few months. These included numerous blood tests, EKGs, Holter meter and and echo sound. Everything came back normal and when I had the discharge meeting from the hospital cardiologist she told me that I've got nothing to worry about, just to relax and let my heart do it's thing (or words to that effect).
Now:
I've started to get symptoms which I think are effectively ectopic beats... basically I can feel my heart beats (sometimes) and at times they feel very irregular, almost like fluttering in my chest. I have no other symptoms: no pain, and I don't feel tired. In fact I think the beats become regular if I exercise. They are worse when I'm sitting, especially if I'm slouched over a computer. I have the feeling that by doing so-called 7-11 breathing I can make my heart beat regular again.
Up until very recently I was receiving CBT for health anxiety, which has been very helpful (except that I wasn't getting the ecoptic beats until a few weeks in to the CBT). I mentioned this to my counsellor and she said it's a normal thing, I'm just more aware of it than most people and that I need to practice external focus etc. Also the fact that I've had my heart checked (quite thoroughly, albeit around 5 yrs ago now) should tell me I've fine.
I had a 2 week long break from the ectopic beats when I was on holiday recently, but they started again when I got back to London. In the morning I also have a mild burning sensation in my mouth, which I think it GERD (reflux) which I guess could be related to it. The flutters actually feel like they originate from low in my chest, maybe near the stomach.
I'm still worried though, the counsellor wants me to resist going to the GP to get it checked but how does she know it's fine?