heart worries

[she1973]

Hello i'm 35 yrs old and apperently i have health anxiety or so they say!!!
i have been in and out of a&e this last week for irregular heart beats skipped beats or going extremely fast,but by the time i get to hospital they do an ecg and it's fine the dr's at the hospital just keep on telling me to go home be happy!!! dialled 999 the other morning as i felt soo out of breath and my heart was racing by the time they got here they said yes your pulse is fast took me in the ambulance got there ecg blood tests done all normal,but as soon as i walked out of there my heart was racing again.... i just don't know where to turn i feel as if i'm about to die from this and no one belives how ill i feel.
also had a heart scan done 10 months ago and it was normal

my own dr detected the skipped beats when i was seeing him for the 100th time that week and he's refered me for a 24hr monitior to be fitted..
i have noticed as soon as i get up out of bed my heart is racing away and when i sit down it slows down i regular take my pulse with a monitor i'm just soo scared i feel my life isn't worth living like this ...every day i'm getting this fast heart rate i only get a little peace when i am sat extremely still then i notice the skipped beats oh i'm going through hell can anyone relate to this
please someone help.

[nomore]

Hi Matthews and welcome to nmp!
It seems like you've been checked over a number of times and have been given the all clear, so you have nothing to worry about! Irregular heart beats and fast heart rates are all symptoms of anxiety. The irregular heart beats can feel like heart skips, flutters or what have you and are usually referred to as ectopics.

I used to have exactly the same problems you are having. When I started having those about 1 year ago I completely freaked out. I used to go into full panic mode each time I got one of those funny beats or any ache one the left side of my chest. My heart rate was also fast fairly often, especially at night, before going to sleep. Just like you, I also went to the emergency room once. I also went to my GP and after a battery of tests (multiple ECGs, blood work, stress tests, echo and Holter! :) ) I was given the all clear. The doctor said that those ectopics beats are quite common and harmless, some people like us are just more sensitive to them.

After that, with the help of this forum and a couple of good books on anxiety, I barely pay attention to the ectopics anymore, although they still happen every once in a while, especially if I am anxious or when I "expect them", if that makes sense.

Again, nothing to worry about! It's all anxiety. Just try not to pay too much attention or give into the fear, as your anxiety will "feed" on it and increase (I know, easier said than done). Just like the people at the emergency room said: "Go home and be happy". :yesyes:

[janeybaby25]

Hi Matthew, I know what you are going through & it is scary as hell but even if you are not having the palpatations or skipped beats when you are having tests done they can still detect if they is anything wrong. In my case, I was born with a heart condition & I started having palpatations & I used to ignore them until one day they got so bad I decided to go to a&e to get checked out, I had ecg all usual tests done but was having no extra beats at the time & felt ok when was getting checked out but they could see in my case they was a problem & I was admitted. I went into hospital for 4 days & for 4 days I had no problems at all! Typical eh? but all the tests they did they all showed I had a problem even when wasn't getting the symptoms & now I have a pacemaker. This is just my story & wanted to share it with you to reassure you that if your tests are coming back as normal & ok then believe them. You don't have to be having the symptoms at the time of the tests for it to pick up a problem, it will do even if you aren't. I hope this makes you feel a bit better. You are welcome to PM me if you wish. xxx

[joolee]

Hey ive had ectopics for a few years now ive had the tests done also and have been told its anxiety i used to let them bother my every day life but i dont let them anymore i still get them im getting them now as i write this lol thats why im on here for reassurance lol i get them the worst when ive got my period and the heart doctor at the hospital said its the adreniline at the left hand side of my heart and it is harmless my heart isnt stopping as i thought its just that sometimes the blood from my left bit is pumping the blood through harder so i now just think of it as that and know my heart is actually very srong and nothing to worry about they will subside if you try and not worry about them to much honestly it does work hope ive helped love Juliexxxxxxxxx

[she1973]

thank you all soo much for responding to my cry of help it does help me (not meaning to be horrible )but there are other people out there suffering like i do this anxiety stuff isn't nice ...
i used to have c.b.t every week and he described this anxiety as e.g
if u came accross this person named anxiety u would run a mile cause it's horrible cause of the way it gets into your body and mind

[Alisonj]

I understand the heart fear 100%. My dad died at 40. I have been terrified ever since. Although I have been checked over and over again I am still terrified. I dont have perfect cholestrol numbers and have had high bp in the past so I just think that intensifies the fear despite what doctors tell me. I completely understand how frightening it is. Health Anxiety is horrible, plain and simple. I hope that someday we can all find our way out of this madness!