very scared

[mariah1]

well i im 17 and have had these fast,rapid and once in a while hard or almost irregular feeling heart beats.i found this website and read very useful info but i would feel better if sum1 would reply directly.it usualy happens after i am laying in bed.i notice them almost instantly.i found out im pregnantwhile i was in the hospital 4 dehydration,and my heart started doing it wheni was laying in the hospital bed.i calledthe doctor in but he couldnt hear anything wrong.i am not nervous and i dont have anxiety.
i am reallyscared .i am afraid my heart is going to quit beating or explode.
please help

[Jaco45er]

Hiya Mariah

You say you don't have anxiety? but you are anxious over your heart.

Heart fears is probably the most common cause of anxiety for health anxiety sufferers, purely because it's such a vital organ.

Once a Doctor has checked you out (this is important for anyone suffering from anything, and you should never take medical advice from forums as gospel) and says you are all clear, what you may have is a wee case of Heath anxiety.

When you do suffer from anxiety, or just having an anxious time, you tend to tune into your body. All of us could lay still and hear our heartbeat, that thudding feeling in your tummy, neck and temples with every heartbeat.

To the non-sufferer these are dismissed, but to the anxiety sufferer? well it's panic button time, "OMG my heart, I can hear it, it's banging away, this must mean something serious, I am about to die".

These irrational thoughts all add to what you are thinking, more adrenaline is released into the blood stream and before you know it, your hearts beating so fast you could light up a small town.

Now assuming you have (or will) get your doc just to give you the all clear, here is the good news.

Your Doc would have picked up on any heart issues.

You are waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy too young to statistically have heart problems

You have not said anything that a perfectly healthy, health anxiety sufferer won't relate to.

Possibly you are just a little more "tuned in" to how you feel and sensitive to finding out you are pregnant (congratulations btw :)).

Remember to discuss this with your Doc, but if you are still finding it bothersome, try and seek out a copy of "hope and help for your nerves" by Claire Weekes, it's a self help book that discusses the fears over health anxiety.

Good luck

Jaco

[kimmiepie]

Hi.

You say you are pregnant..which is a known trigger for palpitations. It's very very normal and many women get them. When I was pregnant was the first time I ever experienced them. They continued after pregnancy but are worse during (I'm pregnant again). So pregnancy itself can cause this problem.

Also, you said you were dehydrated. That is also a huge factor in palpitations. Staying hydrated will help your heart to regulate itself.

That being said, you will be just fine. Just have your doctor run a few tests for reassurance, but I am sure it is the normal palpitations/ectopic/missed beats/PVC's whatever you call them that so many of us get.

[mariah1]

thank you all very much.

[Mikke]

You need not to worry about your heart suddenly stopping.
Most people with ectopic heart beats fear the heart will stop - but ectopics are not a symptom of cardiac arrest. In fact, it's rarely a symptom of anything at all, but that's another story.
The ectopic beat is in fact an extra heart beat, a premature one - and instead og ever thinking of stopping, your heart instead throws in an extra beat.