Ectopic beats - loads everyday! Worried!

Hi all,

I am new here but have been using this site as a way to try and relax my mind! However recently my anxiety has got worse and I needed to reach out. This is a bit messy and I may sound a bit crazy with the amount of symptoms I’m feeling!

So about a month ago I began noticing that my heart was skipping beats - these were only a couple a day. However after a week or so I began noticing them becoming more frequent. So now I notice (particularly after I eat) that I have a lot more skipped beats.

I ended up in A&E on the 31st July due to palpitations and chest pain. Had an ECG, oxygen levels checked - all normal. Minus a slightly elevated heart rate. I was told to follow up with my GP if I was still concerned, but they couldn’t find anything of concern. So I went to my GP, as the skipped beats continued.

I also have moments in the day where my heart will just start beating so fast and gives a weird weak, uneasy feeling in my stomach!

They did another ECG which came back normal and a blood test. Thyroid function etc normal but my CBC was satisfactory. Of course that worries me but they said it’s nothing to worry about. Is satisfactory on a blood test normal??

Alongside this, I feel upper back pain, itching all over, headaches and feel like something constantly stuck in my throat! And pressure on my chest...I also have a fear of leukaemia! As I felt I was bruising easily! I had my blood pressure taken and it left Petechiae on my skin! It disappeared after 5 days but that worried me a lot.

I now have itching skin all over, occasional night sweats (not drenching) and not every night but of course I only notice when it does happen and a suffocating feeling, pain (on and off) in my mid upper back and chest pressure. Really fatigued and stressed out!

So all of this is driving me crazy! I keep thinking something is definitely wrong, as I haven’t felt quite myself for about 5 weeks now!

I am waiting on a 24 hour ECG now but I’m also afraid that something else is wrong. Please can someone help put my mind at ease! Anyone else experienced this?

Hi and welcome.
Has all of this happened at the same time or are the symptoms evolving? I find that I'll start with one worry and once my anxiety is off more & more things pop up to worry about. Sometimes I can barely remember the original worry! Not saying that's the case with you but if it is, you might want to stop and think if those extra pains are anxiety induced xx

Hi Kah,

Thank you so much for your quick response - really appreciate it! :flowers:

I have had health anxiety for many years and unfortunately have googled so much previously that now when certain symptoms appear, I automatically assume the worst.

I would say that the symptoms are evolving and completely see your point. When I think about it, it all started with the skipped beats and as I started to notice them more, the pains started and I suddenly ended up in A&E. Its very hard to tell though with anxiety. I know anxiety can really mess with your mind and make you feel physically unwell but I cannot seem to accept that it could be anxiety :weep:.

Can anxiety cause these symptoms??

Take a look at THIS.

Positive thoughts

That is exactly how I am. I no longer Google but have so much information from previous worries that I think I'm half qualified to be a doctor lol!!! Problem is, every ache & pain I can put down to something terrible.
And as much as I tell myself it's 'just anxiety' as soon as I think 'yes but what if' all reasoning goes out the window!!

I think the the majority of people with HA are in this vicious cycle ☹️

Thank you so much for that Fishmanpa!

Kah - I know!! Its is so annoying. In this case, ignorance is really bliss. I wish I didn't google so much cause now I can't get away from it.

Been feeling pretty awful today - loads of skipped heart beats, that weird suffocating feeling, headaches and feeling so fatigued. Doing my head in!

I think its also cause I'm stressing myself out that my CBC was satisfactory - although the receptionist said to me that its nothing to worry about, my anxiety is haunting me with the what ifs!

I've has repeated cycles of this bad health anxiety but a few months ago, I was doing SO well and starting to toughen up. Now I am back to square one! :weep:

Use that to your advantage and keep telling yourself you've managed to fight the anxiety once, you can do it again ����

Hi,

So I have been experiencing ectopic beats for the past month. Been to the GP and did two ECG, both came back normal. Had blood tests done all came back normal/satisfactory... however yesterday I noticed I have been getting a lot! Like one every few minutes - it gets much worse after I eat. I am aware ectopic beats can get worse with anxiety but it is possible for ectopics to continue even when you are trying to stay calm? I am trying my best not to think about them and they still keep happening. Which makes me worry that my heart is under some sort of strain! Alongside this having weird pressure in my throat! :weep:

My question is - is it possible to having symptoms from anxiety even if your trying to keep calm? Can we be anxious and get symptoms even when we don't think we are stressed? I'm trying so hard to relax but its really annoying that even when you think rationally and you still get symptoms!! HELP please!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PiaR

My question is - is it possible to having symptoms from anxiety even if your trying to keep calm? Can we be anxious and get symptoms even when we don't think we are stressed?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fishmanpa

Anxiety is like a campfire. When you're in the midst of a spiral the fire is burning bright and hot. When the flames die down, there's still a bed of red hot coals burning away just waiting for some more fuel. You may not feel anxious but your body is still on high alert and has a bed of hot anxiety coals inside just waiting to flare up. Just like a campfire, the hot coals of anxiety take a long time to finally go out.

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Positive thoughts

Thank you Fishmanpa - that actually really helps! Driving me mad - trying so hard to not be anxious but I still feel awful!

Thank you Kah! :)

Really trying... anxiety is the worst thing to have. It really is!

I worked my way up to hundreds a day, sometimes 15 in a minute.
I use the term “worked my way up” because that is exactly what I did. When I figured out my heart was skipping beats I panicked. It took 3 months of meditation and calm for them to essentially go away.
I still get them, but I don’t know how many per day because I am not focused on them. But once in a while I feel them. They are normal and benign. Avoid spending the $1000 I did feeding my panic with dr appointments and gadgets. Just breathe, accept them, and most of all, accept them. (Yes I know I repeated myself).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Believe me I know just how bad it can be xxxxxxx

You can do it too!! Sending you lots of strength and positivity! :bighug1:

Hi Josh!

Thank you for your reply!

I do feel thats what I have done too - worked my way up. Before I was having a couple a day... while I did kind of notice them, I would be like oh well but then suddenly I started focusing on them. Now I'm even afraid to eat cause it brings it on. Today has been a bit better but yesterday was ridiculous!

You're right - I do need to just breathe! Its such a vicious cycle!

They can be firmly tied to the stomach area in many people - full stomach, tight abdominal muscles from anxiety, indigestion etc. This is because part of the vagus nerve runs near the stomach, and has some effect on the heart when stimulated. I can even tie a belt of a dressing gown firmly and it makes them happen, or lean on my stomach. Benign condition.

I’ve been pretty anxious for the past 5 weeks and concerned with ectopic heart beats and generally feeling unwell. I’ve had periods of extreme fatigue... yesterday I went to the zoo, did quite a bit of walking but was finding that I was getting so tired compared to normal. My legs and feet were hurting so much. I’ve woken up today feeling like I have absolutely no energy at all. Headache and face is burning but there’s no fever. Is it normal to feel this exhausted?? I’m worried there’s an underlying cause. Had a blood test done and it was normal but my CBC was satisfactory. After googling (I know I shouldn’t have) I’ve seen that satisfactory- no further action means that it’s pretty much normal but I’m worried that something was amiss. That’s why they didn’t say normal.
I do tend to wake up a lot on the night too - I find myself lying there with my eyes closed but thinking. Is this normal?? Would really appreciate some advice!

Thank you!!

Completely normal for anxiety, unfortunately, yes.

Furthermore, if you were walking around in the heat yesterday you may have dehydrated yourself, especially with electrolytes. I would try sipping on about a litre of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in it and seeing if that helps. Proper electrolytes with potassium would be better, but salt (preferably sea salt) might help. Even if it doesn't, fatigue can be extreme with anxiety. Especially if you add to the worry by googling.

Thank you BlueIris!

I literally have no energy to do anything and have bad headaches for the past week. Painkillers don’t seem to help :(

Hi ankietyjoe - thank you for your message. Really appreciate it. I will try the salt water. I just find it shocking that anxiety can make you sooooo exhausted, alongside all the other ways it can make you feel. I keep thinking something else must be wrong. I know I just need to calm down and get a good sleep, which I haven’t done for a while. Such a vicious cycle! I feel like I have a cold but there’s no cold! :( thank you for your response though!

For what it's worth, what you're describing sounds quite a lot like the way I feel when my depression acts up. Every part of my body aches, and moving at all can feel like a superhuman effort.

When your anxiety is high, cortisol and adrenaline are high (and vice versa).

When those hormones are present, all the repair functions in the body are shut down. You don't heal, you don't digest, your body doesn't repair anything and you also smash through your nutritional reserves too.

When I had fatigue the first time (it was horrendous) I ended up eating 15 portions of veg a day AND taking high quality supplements AND taking organic wheatgrass juice powder AND fasted from time to time to give my gut a break AND cut out all exercise apart from low intensity walking etc AND meditated AND etc etc etc.

It's basically a rebuilding exercise, but the most important thing is to bring your body down again, you have to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system into repair/rest mode.

Hi BlueIris,

Thank you for your message. It is such a horrendous feeling! I know it doesn’t help that my sleep pattern isn’t great either. Lately I feel like I’m just lying there awake sometimes and not really sleeping, if it makes sense. Just feel so tired allllll the time!

I had one of those nights last night. Waking up every couple of hours and anxiety dreams in-between.

Hi Ankietyjoe,

Thank you so much for this. Wow - I didn’t realise it that it realised this hormone and that was the effects! I know anxiety can make you feel awful but this awful? It’s such a vicious cycle with health anxiety because I can’t tell what’s happening to me! :weep: Thank you for your message though. It’s made me feel better!

Hi all!
Sorry I know I’m basically posting a thread a day due to my high anxiety levels. I can’t seem to just accept that I’m okay.

So due to my ectopic heartbeats and generally feeling unwell, my GP arranged a blood test for me. The results came back normal but my CBC was satisfactory. When I asked the receptionist she did say that the doctors comment was “Satisfactory - no further action”. Although I know that I should be happy and reassured - I’m not :(

Does satisfactory mean there’s something a miss? I have been worrying about blood cancers lately because I felt I was bruising easily.

I haven’t had any weight loss of anything but I do feel tired and weak in general.

Satisfactory is doctor-speak for "all good", don't fret.

Hi BlueIris,

Thank you - that makes me feel better! Guess I was just worried that the word normal was not used! :)

Nah, it's just semantics :) You're golden.

Thank you Carys! I have started taking Magnesium Taurate and it is helping somewhat but still having a few ectopics. I guess its a cycle - you feel one ectopic and then you start panicking, which brings on more. SO annoying!!

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen