Can anyone relate?

[Wantinglifeback]

I am 5 months postpartum. I've always been a slightly anxious person. I'm a 29 year old female. I'm slightly overweight.

3 weeks ago I started having palpitations and my heart was racing. The next day I woke up with an upper respiratory infection. I went to the dr. He could hear an irregular heartbeat. He did and ecg and it was normal. Then he listened to my heart again and said he could no longer hear the irregular beat. He sent me for an echo. He said the echo was OK and I should follow up with cardiologist to try and figure out what caused the palpitations. I was still feeling them during activity. This started my obsessive checking of my blood pressure and pulse.

Last week i had a night where my heart was racing. The next day I woke up with the stomach flu. Of course my heart raced the whole 2 days I was sick.

Now for the past few days I have been feeling sorta lightheaded or like I'm in a fog. My resting heart rate has dropped from 70-80 to 50-60 and it goes down close to 45 when I lay down. So now I'm obsessively checking my pulse. I've also had some weakness in my arms and legs. I feel like I'm living in a daze or dream. My husband said I just seem "glazed over". I have a feeling of pressure behind my right eye and my vision is slightly blurred in that eye now. I've also had a lump in my throat feeling and a lower than normal body temperature.

I made an appointment for Monday to talk to my ob about possible postpartum anxiety. And my cardiologist appointment is in 2 weeks.

I'm really worried. My low heart rate is keeping me awake at night.

[Kb97]

Hey,
You sound very like myself. My heart obsession has gone on for years on and off and it all started with a quick heart racing episode. My advice to you would be to nip it in the bud as soon as possible whether that be with therapy, medication or natural remedies. It sounds like health anxiety to me as it's what I've gone through for years. I was on prozac for two years and had none of the symptoms I've been off it 2 years which has caused them to sadly return. Your mind can do strange things when you're naturally an anxious person and make you believe you have something that you don't. I have constant chest pains, I've limited my pulse checking to one a day down from 5 and I've been cleared through tests. I had artial fibrillation come back on one ambulance ecg but a further 4 were clear and a 24 hour monitor were clear. So I'm trying to put it to bed now but I know how you feel once a doctor says something (the a&e doctor was convinced I had artial fibrillation off of this one ambulance reading) my doctor looked at me like I was nuts and told me how there is no chance at my age that I have it. I've also been told how unreliable ambulance ecgs are so I'll have to just try and move on! Stop checking your pulse now before it becomes too late as I became extremely sick unable to leave the house due to it a few years back (I know it's easier said than done). Your heart will race when you feel sick or your body is down and that's just something you'll have to get used to. Get help, get reassurance from the cardiologist and you'll be fine I promise! All of the symptoms you list sound like depersonalization to me as that is how I've felt for the last 3 months. The more you worry about your heart, the more your heart rate will fluxate trust me. Sending love x

[Eerie]

I can partially relate to what you are feeling. I had 143 bpm for more than 24 hours and eventually got to the ER. I took some beta-blocants and was ok for a while, then I started once again with over 100 bpm. Even when I am not anxious I would have like 70-80 bpm. So I do not have such low heart rates. I experienced the weakness in arms and legs as well. To me, it was my left arm and calf and then it moved to my right calf. I am doing better now, thank God, but I still have anxious thoughts on a daily basis. Hope you will do better. Sending my support :)

[Wantinglifeback]

The ob believes that I have some postpartum depression coming out in the formula of anxiety. She has put me on Sertaline.

I have been able to check my pulse less, but then days like today when I don't feel good I obsessively check.

My worst and scariest symptom right now is I feel like my head is always foggy/lightheaded. It's making my eyes feel tired and a little blurry. I hope this ends soon!