Need laser treatment for my retina - tachycardia

[jothenurse]

Tomorrow I need to get a laser treatment for my retina. I am very scared, because when I have had the dilation of the pupils, and the lens put on my eye and then have to keep your head still while they look at your retina through the scope, my heart starts beating real fast. In the past, with panic, it has been in the 160's. I know tomorrow I will have to do the same, but for a longer period of time while they line up the laser. This is something that I need to do because I am at risk for a detached retina, and I guess that can be awful. Just wondering if I can just let my heart race during this procedure? The doctor says to take a .5mg of ativan instead of my .25mg. But I don't think that will stop the tachycardia. I just want to know that it's ok for my heart to beat this fast during the procedure and that I won't pass out. Help.

[Going home]

Hi Jo, which part of the procedure brings on the tachycardia? I mean what is it you are scared of...because its obviously acute anxiety that brings it on.

Anna xx

[jothenurse]

When you have to keep your head still for a long time, with your eyes dilated and they put a lens on your pupil. I'm not really so scared of the procedure than I am of the tachycardia. It starts pounding, and then I feel like I should not go any further with the procedure, but I know it has to be done. I know it's anxiety and because I have had tachycardia when they have used the scope looking at my retina with that bright light that I figure it'll happen again. So, it's the tachycardia I'm afraid of more than having the laser done.

[Going home]

Whatever heartrate is produced in this kind of situation is not serious...uncomfortable yes, but not serious. My guess is that once you feel it happening you panic and make it happen more. If your doctors thought you really have a heart problem they would proceed with caution, but they have never told you this, so as you say yourself, its because of your anxiety. Try to take deep breaths, in on the count of 6 and out on the count of 8. I know how you feel and its fine for somebody not having a procedure to say this, but deep down you know its anx and nothing more, so try to keep on top of it if you can.

Anna xxx

[jothenurse]

Thanks for all your encouragement. Things actually went well. I did take a .5mg Ativan before I went. Did have tachycardia, but not as high as the 160's like I have had before. The procedure went really fast, so that helped. Now, I have the next thing to do: go to the dentist for dental work. Even before my anxiety I would have tachycardia episodes in the dental chair, but I just never let it bother me. Now with the anxiety, of course it does. Maybe getting through the laser treatment will help me have more confidence with going to the dentist.

[blueangel]

Hi Jo

Well done with getting through that. Make sure you let the dentist know that you suffer from tachycardia and anxiety, and you can arrange a "stop" signal if you start to get panicky whilst you're in the chair. I did this with my dentist when I first started going to see him, as I was phobic about having stuff done to my teeth. That worked fine for me as it made me feel that I was in control.

[Anxious_gal]

my heart rate was 180ish, it was high for a few weeks, i was having regular visits to my doctor to have ECG'S, i was tachycardic and well i'm sure if it didn't harm me you should be ok x

aw well done!
I hope the dentists goes good.
we nearly always cope better than we think we will!

[jothenurse]

Thanks for the replies.