palpitations caused by chronic hyperventilation or smth more?

[studenthazard]

Hey, this is my first post here. I just need some reassurence really.
My problems started about a year ago with a very high heart rate(110 or more in rest) and anxiety attacks. I'm taking sertraline (zoloft) 50m a day wich isnt much but its worked overall. Only for the past two weeks i've been experiencing skipped beats and fluttery sensations in my throat and torso which has made my health anxiety skyrocket. I think its caused by chronic hyperventilation, which is what started the whole elevated heart rate last year, but these palpitations are really scary and making me worry about heart disorders.
About a year ago I did have an ecg, stress and echo of my heart done and there was nothing wrong then. Would these results still count even though these are different symptoms now? Cardiologist told me I was a perfectly healthy 21y female.
What could I do to stop or lessen these funny beats? I try to do breathing excercises but that stops working really soon, or doesnt always work.
I also had some betablockers lying around (again from last year) and I'm taking a low dose of them now, which does seem to help but again not completely or consistently.

Thanks
studenthazard

[Aaahhfreakout]

Hi, I expect that unless you've had some other health issue since the tests then the doctors would still consider them valid. They might give you a portable monitor if you went back so they could see how many and what type of ectopics you're having but I don't think they'll be too concerned.

Hyperventilation is a big problem for me too and it makes a lot of sense that the muscles of the heart get twitchy since all sorts of other muscles react to over-breathing the same way. I have yet to solve it myself but I keep meaning to give meditation a serious go.

[studenthazard]

Thank you for the reply!

I am thinking its the hyperventilation because I usally have a lot of thuds when taking in a deep breath with my chest, is what I've noticed. It's not only in those instances but it does make it more likely that it's just another changing symptom caused by my anxiety and chronic hyperventilation.

I don't want to go back to the doctor, because I've been far too many times already this year and I'm slightly embarassed about it. They must think I'm a hypochondriac by now.
Anyways, I've also been thinking about meditation, but I have trouble finding the patience to get through an excercise and I never seem to quite get it. I've also had the issue that mediation seems to make me even more aware of my body?, but not in a good way, it only seems to make me even more hyperaware of what could be wrong with me physically.

I am more reassured these days that there's not actually anything wrong with me, there wasn't anything serious the last four times, so there wont be now either is what I tell myself. So I try to ignore the thuds and fluttering as best as possible but I'm having varying success with this differing from day to day.

[Aaahhfreakout]

Yeah, I was just saying in another thread that I was thinking today that maybe we need to note down everything we're doing which may be having a negative effect.

To make a list and work on it. It can't hurt to try I guess.

Edit: Oh I just wanted to add that breathing can stimulate the vagus nerve, which can cause various heart irregularities. A famous one is someone playing a long note on a trumpet can faint from vagus nerve stimulation slowing the heart. There does seem to be a relationship between the nerve and palpitations too, and if you have GERD it may be making the nerve more sensitive. Personally, yawning and sneezing can cause a skipped beat and I'm sure it's that nerve again.

[Jonp]

Hi, I used to have very bad palps, sometimes non stop for hours and up to one every other beat. I also had a high pulse after exercise not so much during. I believe they were caused by air in the stomach or bowels causing irritation to the vagus nerve which induces palps and other problems. Hyperventilation caused me to swallow air but I also read that my evening can of lager contained 1½ cans by volume of carbon dioxide. Fizzy soft drinks contain 2½ times their volume of gas. If not burped out, this gas goes into the stomach and gut before being passed. I stopped my regular lager, drinking a small glass of wine instead! Within a day or two the palpitations dramatically reduced, still occurring after tea or coffee. I then analysed how I drank hot tea or coffee and found that with each sip I was taking cooling air into my throat and lungs before swallowing. I guess that, as the valve opens to swallow, pressure in the lungs and throat forces air into the stomach. I changed how I drank, breathing out before swallowing. My palpitations almost stopped.

I tried to give up the propanolol (betablocker) I had been prescribed but the palpitations increased, though much less than before. I now take a low dose of 20mg/day. If I drink lager the palpitations come right back and I can feel pressure in the chest. If I am careless, drinking tea or hot food too fast, they come back. Stress may involve hyperventilation and chest-breathing, also causing air to be swallowed.

If you think your problems could be similar, try avoiding fizzy drinks and avoid swallowing air when eating and drinking by breathing out before swallowing.

Let me know if this helps.