montos
08-10-09, 06:46
Hi Everyone,
So I've posted here a few times about my hypochondria and fear of health problems. It had been getting worse for the last 8 months or so.
Anyway, about a month ago I started having some fluttery feelings in my chest as I would go to sleep. My anxiety seemed to make it worse but I ignored them since I've always been told "skipped beats are normal" and about a week later I had an especially bad episode. I had a full blown panic attack about it and then my heart really started to go crazy. I went to the ER and I was in atrial fibrillation. I converted back to normal sinus rhythm shortly after and they sent me home with a referral to a cardiologist.
I've been reading this board and I find there are people here who say "don't worry, the chances of anything bad happening from abnormal heart beats is slim to none in young people". Well, I don't believe it anymore. Since this happened I've seem tons of young people (some on this board) who have this condition and many of them seem to have anxiety issues.
I'm not trying to scare anyone but just saying that if you have heart palpitations, don't ignore them. Stress CAN lead to atrial fibrillation, as can excess cafeine and alcohol (after university exams, apparently the ERs always see a few party-goes who developed a fib).
When I get the fluttery feelings, if I get up they go away. If I take some Ativan they go away. I seriously wish I hadn't ignored them that night because now they seem a lot worse and I'm living in fear of it happening again.
Can anyone else relate to this?
Montos
So I've posted here a few times about my hypochondria and fear of health problems. It had been getting worse for the last 8 months or so.
Anyway, about a month ago I started having some fluttery feelings in my chest as I would go to sleep. My anxiety seemed to make it worse but I ignored them since I've always been told "skipped beats are normal" and about a week later I had an especially bad episode. I had a full blown panic attack about it and then my heart really started to go crazy. I went to the ER and I was in atrial fibrillation. I converted back to normal sinus rhythm shortly after and they sent me home with a referral to a cardiologist.
I've been reading this board and I find there are people here who say "don't worry, the chances of anything bad happening from abnormal heart beats is slim to none in young people". Well, I don't believe it anymore. Since this happened I've seem tons of young people (some on this board) who have this condition and many of them seem to have anxiety issues.
I'm not trying to scare anyone but just saying that if you have heart palpitations, don't ignore them. Stress CAN lead to atrial fibrillation, as can excess cafeine and alcohol (after university exams, apparently the ERs always see a few party-goes who developed a fib).
When I get the fluttery feelings, if I get up they go away. If I take some Ativan they go away. I seriously wish I hadn't ignored them that night because now they seem a lot worse and I'm living in fear of it happening again.
Can anyone else relate to this?
Montos