it was all going soooo well - heart worries back again

[annie pannie]

Hi hope everyone is trying to enjoy the bank holiday sun depsite all the worries we have.

Haven't posted for quite a few weeks - for the last couple of months HA beginning to be beaten into submission but now it's back again - have spent the last two months absolutely determined to beat it by increasing my exercise despite HA abouit my heart with the usual palps, flutters, jolts, racing heart at night, chest pains etc etc.
Started off at a very slow and scary ten mins walking, now up to a quick hour and a half - hurrah hurrah. Sleeping improved and even the racing heart at night only happeing rarely (sadly last Tuesday) but managing to sleep and not take my pulse every two seconds - life really looking up. Then wham - went for short walk today am, then for a bike ride for 45 mins this pm - the first time in three years - gentle ride but really enjoyed it. So far so good. went for a good walk with dogs this evening - walking quite quickly and just as we neared home still walking quite quickly wham a MASSIVE JOLT made me gasp. So here we go again just when I think it's getting better.
My partner is not the least worried - I have been reading the web sites which say that if you get this whilst exercising its serious. I'm back to where I was. I know the No more panic site says that all these things happen when exercising or when not exercising - it's just that this jolting is so massive and scary it's quite different to the palps or the missed beats I get and it seems that whenever it happens its only when I have speeded up which makes me very scared. Has anyone else expereinced this and if so what was the outcome - do I need to be worried. I would really appreciate any thoughts. Interestingly it didn't happen during the week when I nearly ran round the same walk in half the time, or when I have a racing heart at night - no sign of palps or jolts then. Worried i am going to drop down dead because I've exercised too hard. Thank you for reading this.

[drummermike]

"Worried i am going to drop down dead because I've exercised too hard. Thank you for reading this"

The above sentence tells me it's death you are worried about.

Your heart muscle and electrical system is so strong it's amazing. It will even beat outside the body for a dew minutes and the actual cells will beat for up to a half hour too.

The muscle itself is so strong it is firmer and stronger then your husbands biceps. I wrote a little about this in another thread.

The pals as long as benign by your doctor will not hurt you. Excersize increases heart health, and reduces adrenaline, which is why you get these sudden hard Palps .......... working out mildly with weights actually burns more adrenaline then cardio. But both help. You cannot and will not stop your heart with will alone, and avoiding excersice won't change much either. Let these palps hit and keep going.

Of course if you have risk factors then have your doc put you on a monitored excersise regiment. But odds are you're fine.

READ about the heart, research it, get to know it, you'll be amazed how powerful it is .......... many people in their 60's 70's 80' treat there cardiovascular system like garbage, and the heart keeps pumping along.

I hope you feel better, keep going you just had a minor set back.

[annie pannie]

Thank you Drummermike

You are right about the fear of death - it's my biggest ever and is so huge it has stopped me living life which is why I have been sooo determined to start living again- i am glad you called it a minor setback - it put the thing into perspective - It is what my partner has been saying (his muscles incidentially are not what they used to be!) and yet sometimes we need to hear these thoughts from someone who is not so close to use.. You are also right about people treating their cardiovascualr systems very poorly - we both have a really really healthy diet, don't smoke, drink etc and always used to exercise until the anxiety hit - we cycled from one end of the UK to the other a long while ago and the aim is to get back to that level of fitness (depsite our age!).. So thank you for your thoughts and for taking the time to write.

Best wishes Annie

[drummermike]

You're welcome Annie ....... get back to the level of functioning ........ as opposed to the cross country level. Interesting how people with the healthiest bodies worry the most.

I don't have a ton of health anxiety except cancer, due to family history. But that's about it ........ I'll trade you for getting rid of my wozziness and uncomfortable feelings around people, stores, deralization etc .......

lol ............ Mike

[annie pannie]

Hi Mike

All those things are horrid aren't they - especially the stores (yes I am a woman!) Stores and shops are my fav places to have a panic attack in - lovely. Just shows how amazing the mind is - since my HA began in earnest about 6 months ago; all those other horrid symptoms have taken second place. They are still very much there but lurking somewhat; clearly because my mind is filled with other more serious stuff like dropping dead from cardiac disease. So I wonder; what can we fill our minds with instead to make sure that all these negative expereinces take a back seat in our lives. Many people I know in our situation tend also to be the kind of person who is always helping someone else, trying to make a positive contribution to our world etc; so maybe we just need to relax, enjoy and as you say, not work too hard at trying. My walk with my partner and two dogs tonight became a battle to see how fit I was instead of what it should have been; a walk in stunning English countryside with swifts and swallows screaming overhead, the smell of hawthorn blossom, the sound of the Church clock and a rosy sunset glow reflected in the river. Well I don't know about you but that's stopped my mind from dwelling on the nasty stuff. So the massive heart jolt was worth it - gave me a chance to chat to someone else about how they are feeling, pick up some friendly advice and remind myself what a beautiful place we live in. For someone who is worried about people you did a pretty good job tonight.

Best Wishes Annie

[drummermike]

a walk in stunning English countryside with swifts and swallows screaming overhead, the smell of hawthorn blossom, the sound of the Church clock and a rosy sunset glow reflected in the river.

For someone who is worried about people you did a pretty good job tonight.

Best Wishes Annie

Sounds like an amazing scene ....... and would be a great picture. I was in the city streets for almost 20 years as a Paramedic. This all came on around 40. It's all a puzzle.

Glad I could help even if it's just a bit.

~M

[annie pannie]

Ah ha - a paramedic- busy helping other people and not looking after you - is that what happened do you think?

[drummermike]

Ah ha - a paramedic- busy helping other people and not looking after you - is that what happened do you think?

I wrote a rather lengthy intro of myself when I joined. Some answers or thoughts are there. It's long though :ohmy:

I think (as do some professionals) I have seen so much in my life that it took it's toll. I think the adrenaline peaks and valleys effected me also. I think that I had a true medical organic problem first, then came the severe anxiety and everything else. I think this sucks lol, because I have a hard time living this way because all my life I lived a completly different way, doing whatever I wanted, when I wanted etc ....... so there is a tugg of war in my brain.

Yes, I have also been a people pleaser and care taker, but not always to the point of not taking care of me. BUT ironically I am having trouble helping me now ........ weird.

~M