Panic attacks and very high heart rate

Hi!!

I have been struggling a lot with panic attacks recently and I’m getting really freaked out by my heart rate. My heart rate seems to go as high as 190’s when I have a panic attack. I’m 29 years old. High heart rate is one of my triggers so I find it increasingly difficult to calm down when I’m having a panic attack and because of this my heart rate keeps increasing. I want to know if a heart rate can only go up to a certain rate so no more anxiety will trigger it to go even faster? Something I’m worried about is that more anxiety will keep triggering it to go faster and faster until it causes something like fibrillation or something..!!

Has anyone else suffered with this type of anxiety and overcome it? I would be so grateful for some advice from anyone!! I really need help :(

Gosh I really feel for you, panic attacks like this are intense. Mine used to get up to 200bpm, you can control this though... through the breath, though I understand when one is in panic mode it’s easier said than done. Remind yourself when you next have one, that however horrid it is, it’s just a panic attack (and I don’t mean Patronisingly-they are bloody shite!)
But breathing is your friend here. Try and breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Going on all fours on sitting on the knees used to help me too. A face splash with cold water was always useful for me. You cannot cause damage though, your heart is just getting a good workout.
Hope you feel better soon. I used to get panic like this a lot, through education and cbt, and meds it subsided.

I used to see over 180bpm and it's normal. It's high even for a panic attack, but it's still something that happens for a lot of people. It's not dangerous at all, your heart is capable of beating that fast without issue, especially at your age.

Leon is right, you really need to tell yourself it's just anxiety. The issue for you now is that your trigger is heart rate (mine used to be too) and therefore you get stuck in a self sustaining loop of adrenaline spikes.

Your heart rate won't just keep getting faster and faster because of anxiety, your body knows not to kill itself.

Thanks for the advice Leon and it’s really good to hear you overcame your anxiety. It gives me hope! :)

Thanks for your advice anxietyjoe! How did you overcome your anxiety? I’m interested to hear what helped you as it sounds like you have the same trigger. I know that exercise is good for anx but now I feel I can’t even exercise because as soon as my heart starts racing I get triggered and start having a panic attack on top of my heart racing from exercise! It’s ridiculous! It’s so true the self-sustaining loop of adrenaline spikes.

There was a point I kept checking my pulse too but I’ve tried to stop doing that because it just seemed to trigger me every time. Then I always have the thought what if I don’t check and it’s worryingly high and I should be going to the hospital... I feel like a lot of my anxiety is just maintained by terrible catastrophic thoughts.

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Originally Posted by AnxiousGirl1

Thanks for the advice Leon and it’s really good to hear you overcame your anxiety. It gives me hope! :)

Thanks for your advice anxietyjoe! How did you overcome your anxiety? I’m interested to hear what helped you as it sounds like you have the same trigger. I know that exercise is good for anx but now I feel I can’t even exercise because as soon as my heart starts racing I get triggered and start having a panic attack on top of my heart racing from exercise! It’s ridiculous! It’s so true the self-sustaining loop of adrenaline spikes.

There was a point I kept checking my pulse too but I’ve tried to stop doing that because it just seemed to trigger me every time. Then I always have the thought what if I don’t check and it’s worryingly high and I should be going to the hospital... I feel like a lot of my anxiety is just maintained by terrible catastrophic thoughts.

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It's good that you've already identified this, as it's the key to overcoming this fear. You don't need to check it, your body is capable of looking after itself without you checking and consciously worrying about something that you don't need to be worrying about.

First thing to do is stop checking (you've done that). Second thing to do is practice not reacting to a panic attack, and not checking how fast your heart is going during the attack. It serves no purpose at all. Another stage will be deliberately raising your heart rate with exercise. Even walking up the stairs is enough to start with. Do something like that, allow your heart rate to rise and allow yourself to observe the rise and accept it as normal. Then repeat doing that hundreds and hundreds of times!

You really just need to relearn the idea that your heart rate will go up and down during the day, and accept that it knows how to look after itself.

Bigger picture, anxiety needs to be dealt with too. That's a whole other subject but for me it was a combination of dietary change, lowering of stress, meditation, acceptance and increase in exercise.

Thanks for the advice! 😊 Really helpful!!

I am going to try some of your suggestions. I think I need to get to the point where I’m comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and not entertain catastrophic irrational thoughts. So much easier said than done but hopefully persistence will get me there! 😬

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Originally Posted by AnxiousGirl1

Thanks for the advice!  Really helpful!!

I am going to try some of your suggestions. I think I need to get to the point where I’m comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and not entertain catastrophic irrational thoughts. So much easier said than done but hopefully persistence will get me there! 

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That is exactly what you need to do, and no it's not easy.

It's very, very doable though. Next time the heart rate spikes, distract yourself. Use a mantra, tell yourself 'this will pass'. Tell yourself 'this is not dangerous'. Because it's not.

I used to have the exact same issue with exercise - it still tries to rear its head when I'm walking up very steep hills (of all places :roflmao:). I use the same techniques as posted before me - breathing, not checking the pulse rate etc.

I also found doing exercise that involved mental activity alongside it helped massively. I started playing table tennis, which involves a lot of thinking, and it stopped me focusing on my pulse. I now play in the local league and am really missing the exercise during lockdown, which considering how anxious I used to get while just walking, is quite a turn around!

It's not easy, but it can be done :)