and they're back again... (sigh)

[panicface]

so it seems with this disease we all have our own special versions cooked up. a unique hell often as not.

every few years my symptoms kick back up with a slight new twist, of course i'm aging as well (39) so you can never be 100% sure it's business as usual.

i've gone through two STRONG episodes of ectopics, i have no real way of knowing that's what they are as i've got a deep fear of hospitals. but i've had them since i was fourteen (my first panic attack) and am still standing. i don't get faint, they don't run in strings, my heart just feels like it skips a beat and the next beat is strong - then a tingling sensation down my arms and hands - i assume the latter is adrenleline i pump out as my brain realizes i'm about to drop dead.

first episode lasted for months, maybe 50 a day, second episode happened when i was traveling alone in paris - maybe 2 weeks. this last episode started 2 weeks ago... some days have 30+, lately more like 50+.. it's disconcerting as you all well know. disheartening, frightening, devaluing, morbid, terrifying, I could go on...

In my life I've realized palps come in 3 varieties:

1. i can just be generally anxious, as that subconscious anxiety builds up i start to get more grouchy (like an 80yo man with piles basically), i snap at people, yell at drivers and then out of the blue (laying in bed, watching TV) WHAM comes the panic attack - probably no need to describe that on this forum, let's just say i'm reduced to a 5yo child, crying, paranoid, waiting to die... I take my xanax, stay on it for 2 or 3 days to 'reset' my body/mind and i'm fine again - a man instead of a coward.

2. sickness, or stress on my body. about 3 days before i show symptoms i'll start 'throwing palps' - i'll get the palps first, wonder if i'm going to have a panic attack or drop dead - and live with them for 3 days until i realize i've now got the flu, a head cold, tonsilitis etc.. the worse the palps the worse the sickness. i take this to mean that there are subtle changes going on in my body (fighting off infection) and the palps are triggered... hey buddy - something ain't right in here...

3. these unknown kinds that last for weeks or months... the first thing i attempt to do is a 'reset' - but that doesn't work - the xanax just makes me not care too much if i drop dead (since i'm usually sleeping). they concern me - make my quality of life turn to crap. but what can i do? tired of hearing from my closest friends that's its all in my head. what does it matter WHERE it comes from - the symptoms and feeling are still there.

just writing this tonight since it's acting up badly, i took a course of zithromax thinking that there might be some low level infection going on that was causing the prolonged palps - but of course turns out there wasn't.

i few other things that are part of my life with this disease - probably with some of you too?

- migraines with aura
- MAV (migraine associated vertigo)
- fatigue: i go through phases where i can sleep for 18 hours a day, and it lasts anywhere from 1-4 weeks.
- bloating: i was convinced i had Celiac's disease but now i think it's anxiety - my stomach bloats up to twice it's size and is HARD inside, feel like i'm going to drop dead, difficult to swallow, difficult to walk around as i feel self conscious, not to mention the trips to the bathroom.

i'm confident (fingers crossed) my heart is okay.. i can work out on the treadmill for 75 min straight with no palps - but tend to get them when i'm just hanging out at home.. i can have sex with only a few - again it's when i'm calming down they come....

any advice? a special diet, things to avoid, staying on xanax, beta blockers etc...



do you think anxiety

[Dibbler]

Try and not be too harsh on yourself. You are most certainly not a coward. you are uniquely you with all the strengths and weaknesses that go together to make us what we are, a person.

For my ectopic beats I take...

Taurine
Magnesium complex

...have a read up about those two as a supplement and if you want to consider using them then have a chat with your doctor first and ensure that they work well with any meds you are taking.

Also I try and limit my alcohol intake and stay away from caffeine. Both of those make my situation with ectopic's worse.

Next I am learning to try and not attach too much importance to them. I have sort of realised that nothing bad is going to happen to me whilst having them so I just ride them out and learn to distract myself. The brain simply can't think about two things at once so if I try my very best to think and concentrate on something other than my heart or my health then that helps. Not easy but, as with most things, it gets better with practise.

You will overcome this in time. Do not be too judgemental on yourself and the very best wishes.

[Kelley]

Hiya.
I too am an eptopic sufferer. I had some nasty ones this morning....felt like my heart was fluttering and flip flopping all over the place! You're lucky you only get up to 50 per day, some of us can have thousands!!
I also can sympathize with the visual migraines as I get those too! They only just started for me this year and I've already had about 5! Do you think they're related to anxiety? They're really making me flip out at the moment!

The palps wont harm you, they happen outside the heart and your heart beat will continue to beat nicely no matter what interruption it gets.

Kel

[panicface]

hey kelly.

i don't like to read things about people having 'thousands' a day - seems that whenever my brain knows something is possible it then can go out and create that exact situation for me - lol.

do i think migraines and anxiety are related? yup, i believe so - i think people who tend to have the anxiety problems are often hyper-sensitive, for my migraines - they normally happen, and MAV symptoms normally show up when my brain gets overstimulated.

i've stopped the migraines for a few years now by understanding their cause... for me it was not taking care of my eyes - they would get dry and i'd get a migraine, or i would walk suddenly into a bright light and i would get the aura - etc.

i also supplement with 500mg magnesium, 400mg B2, high quality fish oil, baby aspirin EVERY day and this seems to help. if i forget to take them i'm reminded by my head within 12 hours as i start to feel motion sick.

[selphie]

soz panicface i get thousands aday also. all day every day well not actually thousands but loads an loads today ive had em terribly today i have had at least 200 skips thumps misses flips just had me dinner and they have come on like mad. oh and thanks kelley for reasurring me about the beats happening outside the heart coz i thought i was on the verge of a panic attack again.