Heart racing through the day? [Archive]

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PanicStriken

09-05-09, 08:23

Hi! I have a huge problem. My heart races all the time for no good reason. Some general info on me is that I am 17 and weigh 310 pounds. My BMI is 42 or "Obese". I take Luvox and Seroquel. I also take Prevacid for GERD Acid/Reflux.

I'm scared because my heart races all the time, from just after eating meals to throughout the night once I lay down. I seem to be more aware of my heart and have been to numerous ER's with what they called anxiety attacks. I've had them for about 5 years, but the racing heart beat was usually brought on by my worries, rather than the cause of them.

My doctor has done numerous EKG's and they have all turned out perfect. I've also had a halter monitor and it turned out fine. I'm tired of this, I can't ever get sleep at night, and I know going to the ER is running up bills my mother can't afford which makes me feel terrible.

Is there anything I can do? =(

Utility

09-05-09, 14:10

Hi

How easy would it be for you to reduce your weight? Even by a small amount. This will help for all over general wellbeing and help lower those medical bills.

PanicStriken

09-05-09, 22:05

Well, not very hard I don't think. I try to walk with my friends everyday for about 30 minutes, and I do have access to a local gym. The real problem for me in the weight department is self control over what I eat. I still don't eat very well. I eat a lot of fast food and little if any vegetables.

Utility

10-05-09, 02:09

Hi

Well you have given an answer to you own question of "Is there anything I can do?"

Please try and cut down on the fast food and if you do like to snack often, then snack on fruit. You will feel a lot better for it. The exercise does not have to be marathon stuff, going for walks is ideal. Just as you are doing.

Keep at it!

House fan

10-05-09, 18:28

Hi Panic

There is absolutely no question that your weight will not be helping with your symptoms, but you are a young man, and have it within you to change things if you really want to.

I'm interested in what you mean when you say 'my heart races all the time for no good reason'. Can you tell me just how fast your heart beat is when it is 'racing'? Also, is your heart rhythm normal (except for being fast), or are you suffering from 'missed heartbeats' also?

You are only 17, and heart disease in someone so young is almost unheard of. I am also interested in the palpitations-GERD connection. Do your symptoms come on shortly after eating, and continue for 2-3 hours, before returning to normal, or do they just appear anytime?

There are many people on this site who suffer from palpitations, and are not overweight, so I think it would be completely unfair to blame your symptoms solely on your weight. I would appreciate it if you could respond with some additional information.

House.

PanicStriken

11-05-09, 07:14

I just took my pulse for a minute and I got 99 beats.

Usually, little activity causes my heart rate to go up. Like taking a shower or rolling over in bed. Way more than it should. I think it scares me more because about a year ago my resting heart rate was pretty much 80ish. Sometimes below that.

But when I do little activity, with 85-99 bpm, it usually goes over 100. I went to the ER one time with a bpm of 107-110. Concerning your question about missed beats, yeah, before my heart started to feel faster than normal it felt like it skipped beats a lot. I'd go to sleep at night and feel like it skipped which woke me up.

As for the GERD, I usually get bad GERD after I eat, but my chest always feels full, and bloated. The medicine I take for it doesn't really help it at all. It also happens a lot during the night. I'll get sweaty and feel flustered. I'll get dizzy and feel like I'm faint during little activity.

I think the main reason I think it's related to something besides GERD is because of a night where I woke up, sweating, heart racing well more than 99 beats, freaking out for no reason. I say no reason because I hadn't changed anything the previous days besides start Prilosec. And I had only taken that for 4 days when that happened.

It seems like this whole thing started when I started the Prilosec. My GERD wasn't nearly as bad as it was after I was on the Prilosec for less than a week. I don't understand why that would be the case though, since Prilosec is supposed to treat the GERD not inflame it.

Trixie

11-05-09, 07:26

Trixie

11-05-09, 07:29

PanicStriken

11-05-09, 07:49

As an overweight person I can say this, you need to loose weight you are 22 stones and 17 years of age. Even if you were six feet tall you would be still overweight.

Do you eat a lot of junk food or comfort eat?

I use to be thin until I was forced to give up nursing due to a back injury and now I have put it on. I am on Xenical capsules and lost three stones (but unfortunately starting gaining weight due to some tablets the doctor gave me):mad:

Can you get Xenical capsules from your doctor?

It really is worth loosing weight you will feel so much better.:yesyes:

Have you tried sleeping in a sitting up position it would help with your acid reflux?

I'm not sure about the Xenical capsules. My psychiatrist wanted me to try a local hospital's liquid shake diet but my main doctor told me regular exercise and proper diet would be a better long term solution since those who get on that program usually gain the weight back.

I've tried elevating myself in bed but it's uncomfortable and doesn't seem to help that much. I agree I need to cut down and out on the fast-food. The only reason I eat it now is because it's fast and my mom works in the daytime so she can't make food before she goes to work. And because of my chest feelings I can't ever get to sleep until at least 5 AM when I'm so tired I don't care about my chest feelings.

Trixie

11-05-09, 09:40

I'm not sure about the Xenical capsules. My psychiatrist wanted me to try a local hospital's liquid shake diet but my main doctor told me regular exercise and proper diet would be a better long term solution since those who get on that program usually gain the weight back.

I've tried elevating myself in bed but it's uncomfortable and doesn't seem to help that much. I agree I need to cut down and out on the fast-food. The only reason I eat it now is because it's fast and my mom works in the daytime so she can't make food before she goes to work. And because of my chest feelings I can't ever get to sleep until at least 5 AM when I'm so tired I don't care about my chest feelings.

Can you cook things yourself?

PanicStriken

12-05-09, 05:55

No, I don't really know too much about cooking for myself. The only thing I know how to cook is eggs.

Trixie

12-05-09, 06:45

No, I don't really know too much about cooking for myself. The only thing I know how to cook is eggs.

Well that's a start, can you do toast as well..............eggs on toast.......better than burgers and fries.:D

Would this link be of any help? http://www.videojug.com/tag/food-and-drink

wiskersonkittens

12-05-09, 11:18

I do wonder if some of the problem is lack of sleep . . when I don't get enough sleep, especially after a prolonged period, my heart acts up. Also, do you drink coffee or other caffinated beverages -- even indulge in chocolate and sweets? If so, try cutting all that out of your diet, too, for those things can have an effect on your heart rate. I am sensitive to caffeine and sweets and have to be careful for that reason. Also, what has helped me, too, is drinking a glass of orange juice in the AM -- the potassium seems to help keep my heart regulated. And, be sure you are drinking enough water! Dehydration, even slight, can effect your heart rate, too. I wish I knew more about Prevacid, but I know these other things have worked for me. I hope I have helped a little. Hugs, wiskers ~

PanicStriken

15-05-09, 03:16

I got one of those ECG watches that you can use to monitor your heart rate and mine has been anywhere from 65 to nearly 130. It seems to stay or hover around high 80's to mid 90's. I feel very weak right now, anxious, and my chest feels funny. I know my weight plays a role, but the thing is, I get an over 100 BPM just walking to the bathroom. I haven't been doing exercise regularly for a long time, so I worry that may be the problem. When I woke up today at 6 PM my heart rate was hovering around the 60's to 70's and I felt better than I do now.

Any activity seems to make me feel weak and my heart races. Like if I walk up the stairs and it goes to 130, I'll feel weak for hours afterwards.

House fan

15-05-09, 09:21

Hi Panic

Your heart is having to work much harder than most because of the excess weight you are carrying. Have you ever tried to check in for a flight with excess baggage? You will be charged, because the extra weight means that the plane has to work harder to compensate!

Your heart has to work harder to compensate too. Your heart is not diseased, in fact, it's doing exactly what it's supposed to do under the circumstances.

As long as your heart beats in normal rhythm (even although fast), there is no immediate threat to life or health, and will not lead to catastrophe in the short term.

However, you have been asking your body to carry almost double the weight it is designed to carry, and a continuation of this will almost certainly lead to health problems in the future. The human body is very smart indeed, and can put up with a lot of abuse for years, but unless balance is restored, then unfortunately, these unpleasant symptoms you are experiencing will continue to be your daily companion.

I know how difficult it can be changing your dietry lifestyle. However, your body is waving little red flags, warning you that action is now needed.

'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!' Albert Einstein

You are a young man who has the ability to change certain aspects of your lifestyle, and by doing so, your heart (and body) will thank you for it. Always remember, a well nourished body rarely makes mistakes!

House.

Dawnio87

15-05-09, 15:03

Hi There,

I know how debilitating a weight problem can be both mentally and physically...and that was before anxiety!!!! I spend the majority or my teens overweight and at my heaviest was 19st 9 (totally unacceptable). Simple things like getting up off a chair or getting dressed would leave me out of breath for ages and my heart would be beating really fast, because i was so heavy my recovery rate was awful and this explains the prolonged breathlessness and increased heart rate. Two years ago i decided enough was enough and started a diet programme and joined the gym and managed to get down to 11 stone which for my height 5ft 8 is considered much better. I'm not going to lie, it wasnt easy and i did fluctuate a bit but the quality of life it gave me was amazing! However being at university i have regained about 3 and a half stones and am so unhappy, proving weight and anxiety can be closely linked. When i was thinner i found i didnt worry so much about my health and i was better off for it. So i am now trying to get that weight off again to hopefully ease my anxiety.

You are quite lucky in that you are male and you will lose weight at a faster rate if you put your mind to it. My friend David has recently (since january) lost 5 stones because his weight was affecting his health. He admitted himself he doesnt know much about the nutritional values of foods so he doesnt do a particular diet plan, he has literally stopped eating junk food and take aways, doesnt fry food instead boils, roasts or steams, drinks loads of water and walks for 30 mins a day, and as his success shows, this can really work! I really believe if you put your mind to it, you can do this and it will make a world of difference to your anxiety and your health as the two are inextricably linked. I wish you all the best, i really hope it gets better for you!

Dawn xo

PanicStriken

20-05-09, 09:26

Thanks for the replies. It does make a lot of sense. I am starting an exercise program down at a local gym so I can fix this mess. I've noticed, as I have anxiety, the focus of anxiety changes. I will finally start feeling okay, and then boom, another issue pops up. For some reason, the past 3 days have been hell. I've been to the ER, with full on panic attacks, just like 3 years ago, and I feel faint, dizzy, my heart's usually around 150, and my blood pressure is up.

I actually called the EMT out to the house today and only calmed down after I got in the hospital. I feel calmer because I feel safer, but that's an unrealistic situation. I have to find a way to calm myself without running off to the hospital and wasting their time and valuable services.

I feel terrible.. it seems like I finally get rid of my issues and then BOOM, and to add to it, I get panic attacks... again.

I thought I had eliminated those with the medication. I'm gonna be going to a daily therapy session until I can be more calm.

palps

31-05-09, 06:50

Re: heart racing through the day. I have awful palpitations that make me feel very ill for a whole day. This may be something to do with eating wheat or carbos.as it seems to come on then. And I really feel weak and can only lay down. BUT - I AM ENGLISH - COOK FRESH FOOD - DON'T EAT JUNK FOOD AND STILL GET THEM. In general over here we don't eat a lot of carbos. (except some teenagers of course) I eat very little carbohydrate. AND STILL I HAVE THE PALPITATIONS. SO IT CAN'T ONLY BE THAT. I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO HEAR ALSO FROM ' HOUSE FAN' WITH ANY COMMENTS . I HAVE HAD ALL THE TESTS IN ALL THE SIZES. PALPS.

House fan

31-05-09, 10:17

I'm just curious here palps, do you have any problems with digestion?

House.

BKF1515

31-05-09, 21:12

Just wanted to let you know that I went through a period of having a racing heart and palpatations - over about 9 months. In that time I was really stressed/excited about changes going on in my life - not all bad but just too much all at once - and even thinking about something stressful would make my heart start to race - really scared me. But over time I reduced that stress and gradually the heart symptoms almost disappeared. I have a heart palpatation now maybe one per week or few weeks and I used to have one per hour. Good luck, :)