Heart Worries

[maxcjs0101]

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're having a good day. Would like to ask if anyone has experienced anything similar to what im feeling now as this is causing a mess towards my mind, relationship and its affecting my work.

Background: Approx 3 weeks ago i noticed my heart skipping while having alcohol (wasnt overdoing it or drunk). It lasted for two to three days and during that period i lost sleep and went to the ER. Blood test for thyroid was normal, ECG showed sinus tachycardia.

Eversince then the skipping stopped but I had difficulty sleeping at night as i was very aware of my heart beating so i went to a cardiologist who did Stress Test (everything normal except its showing Arrhythmia (Preectopic Atrial Contractions) & a normal Echo test). Since then i started exercise and eating better and have lost 12pounds and having normal BMI.


My current issue is:
- I get the "lump in the throat" feeling and sometimes feel like i cant get enough air but it goes away when im talking or concentrating on doing something else. I guess this is due to anxiety but im still worried and will be seeing an ENT.

- I have less than normal sleep (around 5 hours on average) as there's awareness of heartbeat (eventhough its around 80bpm)

- My heart will race for no reason during the same time of the day in the evening ard 7PM and it will go till 120bpm. If i exercise before that, the heart rate will go down after cooling down but will stay elevated. When i feel my racing pulse, i feel an irregular heart beat (eg: dub dub dub, dubdubdub, dub dub dub) which makes me extremely anxious and scared. Is this PAC or something else?

- I notice this irregular heart rate only during episodes in the evening as above. However, it will start to slow down in 1-2 hours (around 90+bpm) and continues to slow down to about 70ish before bedtime without any medication.

- Im also aware of my heartbeat most of the time during the day especially when sitting.


Im sorry for the long post but i am in so much distress i am unable to work properly because of all these issues above and i cant seem to stop googling, taking HR every few mins and searching for similar issues in reddit which adds to the anxiety im already having.

[Pkstracy]

Anxiety is a pain and will cause heart rate to go up, every time you inhale, eat, move your heart rate will go up, perhaps ask the doctor for the 24 hour heart monitor?

[maxcjs0101]

Hello, thank you for your reply.
Thing is while im always an anxious, hypochondriac at all times, im not sure if these are caused by anxiety. Granted, im not getting enough sleep and i think there's quite a big "sleep debt" it all feels so debilitating.

I just got a holter installed an hour ago (was supposed to do this last week but i hesitated).

[BlueIris]

Believe me, sleep deprivation will cause palps and a fast heart rate every time.

[ankietyjoe]

It's all completely 'normal' with anxiety. Not having enough sleep is enough to cause your heart rate to be erratic and faster. You being aware and monitoring it is enough to keep squirting adrenaline into your system, which will also make it faster/irregular.

The evening heart rate is quite common for people who eat a main meal at night. If you're eating a large meal around 5-6pm it would be quite normal to have a heart rate spike soon afterwards, which would normally take about 2-4 hours to come back down again.

You've had all the medical tests and they've come back fine, what you really need to do is stop focusing on it and attaching negative meaning to something that's actually quite normal.

[maxcjs0101]

Thank you BlueIris & axkietyjoe for your replies.

Now that im the holter, this stupid racing heart isnt showing up tonight.

[Pkstracy]

Yep all normal with anxiety and lack of sleep.

[wavey]

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're having a good day. Would like to ask if anyone has experienced anything similar to what im feeling now as this is causing a mess towards my mind, relationship and its affecting my work.

Background: Approx 3 weeks ago i noticed my heart skipping while having alcohol (wasnt overdoing it or drunk). It lasted for two to three days and during that period i lost sleep and went to the ER. Blood test for thyroid was normal, ECG showed sinus tachycardia.

Eversince then the skipping stopped but I had difficulty sleeping at night as i was very aware of my heart beating so i went to a cardiologist who did Stress Test (everything normal except its showing Arrhythmia (Preectopic Atrial Contractions) & a normal Echo test). Since then i started exercise and eating better and have lost 12pounds and having normal BMI.


My current issue is:
- I get the "lump in the throat" feeling and sometimes feel like i cant get enough air but it goes away when im talking or concentrating on doing something else. I guess this is due to anxiety but im still worried and will be seeing an ENT.

- I have less than normal sleep (around 5 hours on average) as there's awareness of heartbeat (eventhough its around 80bpm)

- My heart will race for no reason during the same time of the day in the evening ard 7PM and it will go till 120bpm. If i exercise before that, the heart rate will go down after cooling down but will stay elevated. When i feel my racing pulse, i feel an irregular heart beat (eg: dub dub dub, dubdubdub, dub dub dub) which makes me extremely anxious and scared. Is this PAC or something else?

- I notice this irregular heart rate only during episodes in the evening as above. However, it will start to slow down in 1-2 hours (around 90+bpm) and continues to slow down to about 70ish before bedtime without any medication.

- Im also aware of my heartbeat most of the time during the day especially when sitting.

Hi,

I dream of 5 hours sleep! I am having some similar symptoms to you. Finding it very difficult to sleep because of adrenaline spikes just as I am about to drop off. Been building up for a few weeks now and my sleep is gradually getting worse. If I can get 4 hours of broken sleep I'm doing well. It's like a vicious circle because I start getting anxious when I go to bed in expectation of the adrenaline spikes.


I have a lump feeling, dryish throat sometimes, which is a symptom of anxiety. It goes when concentrating on something else because we are more relaxed.

I woke up a couple of times this year with a fast heart rate and irregular heart beats, which scared me - however, it was actually caused by dehydration and a lack of electrolytes (potassium, magnesium etc.). Drinking a couple of glasses of coconut water per day really helped (especially the irregular heart beats) - it has electrolytes in it, and is often given to runners at the end of marathons. I think the episode has made me much more aware of my heart. I notice irregular heartbeats much more, and for a time last month I was waking up and timing my heart - it was actually on average around 68 to 74 BPM.

Heart rate speeding up after meals is common - this might be the reason behind the speeding up in the evening. I guess it depends what and when you are eating. Might be worth looking at diets that lessen insulin spikes; although you seem to have looked at your diet as well as starting excercise.