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Thread: Flutters, skipped beats, racing heart, it’s really hard work.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    , , United Kingdom.
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    346

    Flutters, skipped beats, racing heart, it’s really hard work.

    Hi all.

    It’s been a few months I have had to deal with the new symptom of palpitations. I suppose it was only matter of time that I would add to the long list of symptoms to cause me more anxiety. But this one has me freaking out quite a bit, there are times that I can go days and not have any or at least notice any, some days I notice a few when I think about them and then there are days like today where they are here all the time!!! Constantly checking my pulse which is over 100 when I start to get panicked by them, but heart rate tends to be down around 70-80 most the time when not in panic. But the flutters and thuds don’t go away. I know I’m probably just having a sensitive anxiety period which is making me focus on them and notice them. I also didn’t had much sleep last night which might of had an effect on my body. I’m really trying to talk myself down and calm myself and do manage to do this, but then I lose focus and let the anxiety creep in and it takes over again. It’s so tiring having to keep focusing and telling yourself to relax and calm down. I’m really struggling accepting these palps which are almost every minute. I’m shattered and feel so broken 😔

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    134

    Re: Flutters, skipped beats, racing heart, it’s really hard work.

    Sorry if this will be brief, on my cell and feeling under the weather myself this morning due to having a pretty scary bunch of episodes this very night so slept very little as it got me in a very high panic.

    Most episodes I get now, and yes I'll talk a but about my experience but just to put things into perspective, so you know you're not alone, most episodes I became somewhat "immune" to and often brush them off. But sometimes, when they feel different and/or harder (harder thuds, or more in a row, the "quivering" / "fluttering" of the heart), I have more trouble controlling my anxiety response to them. Yet, I've had them since I was about 13 (that's 25 years ago) and to this day, I'm still alive (which is kind of obvious because I'm replying here), but the good news is: you too.

    Whether your episode(s) were PAC's or PVC's (ectopics), I don't know, but do know that they are very manageable, and from what I hear, you are not CONSTANTLY having them 24/7 (same as I). If it can reassure you, back in 2007, I was a full month or two where they were practically 24/7, but some lifestyle changes and, very importantly, anxiety/stress management, can go a long way, as it did for I.

    And for the record, because you mention it, my pulse can be as low as 50-60 when I'm very calm or at night, but be between 120 and 160 when I have some sinus tachycardia (rapid heart rate) episodes. The latter, I've (to my surprise) become accustomed to, and I also got out of the habit to count my pulse every time. Some people are more sensitive to stimulants and/or anxiety, even base-level anxiety. The first cigarettes I smoke in the morning, my pulse jumps from 60 or 70 to minimum 108, sometimes 150. Last night, I had drank more caffeine than other days, so that's another factor (which is well documented) to cause or favour these episodes (the ectopics where you heart skips beats / flutters / etc). I am also more anxious than usual, overthinking and worrying about stuff that I normally have under better control, and that's another culprit. From what you say, you struggle with anxiety, so even if you don't drink coffee or smoke (I don't know), anxiety/worrying in itself is a huge factor. And I know -- easier said than done -- it's sometimes harder to just relax and push all those spiralling worries away.

    One thing that helps me A LOT is doing 5 minute sessions of 4-7-8 breathing, it kicks your parasympathetic system back in check so your baseline anxiety lowers (or vanishes) which is then less prone to escalate. Another method is to stop validating your fears by giving them attention, it's a vicious cycle. I also tend to force myself to focus on something that requires my attention or "mental computing power" which then has less room left for ruminating.

    Something that I have ignored a long time because I always told myself "it can't be that simple", is exercising regularly, even if it's just daily walks (outside or inside if you're struggling with agoraphobia) or biking. You can even start out slowly and go up gradually within days/weeks if you feel it's too much for you. I know for myself, I was discouraged because doing exercise itself, even the smallest, sometimes encouraged ectopics and/or tachycardia. The reason this works is our bodies otherwise build up reserves of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline, and that alone can cause anxiety and all that follows. Exercise depletes a lot of cortisol and adrenaline excess (good thing) and the effects last for a day or more. It's not only a preventive measure but also to get rid of accumulations that are created when you have anxiety or panic attacks where more is secreted. And in turn, the less baseline anxiety you have, the less you are prone to "spiral away" mentally because your body feels better. Also (many "also's"), exercise makes you become more tolerant to adrenaline "shoots".

    Before I forget, and this is not a "sure bullet", but if you do not have renal problems such as Chronic Kidney Disease, eating bananas (not too much) or anything containing potassium, may help. If you see it doesn't help, just revert back. Potassium is one of those elements that help regulate the heartbeat. Magnesium also helps (sardines, etc) but again, some people don't notice any difference. When it does help, though, it favors reducing anxiety too. I'm not saying this as an anti-drug therapy also, I myself take an SSRI (Paroxetine) for anxiety as well as a benzo (Clonazepam) but sometimes these do not suffice.

    I'd focus on, the same way I've been trying to do since this morning after last night's episode, is that no matter what you lived or are going through, you ARE still here with us. Countless people on here have shared VERY SIMILAR stories (myself included) to the point of having this sub-thread and they are still kicking, some of which are doing WAY better now.

    What follows is in NO WAY to alarm you, because I know I personally feel that way at times when reading medical disclaimers and interpreting them as "Oh… but there's a possibility of ___". But if you feel like this is going on and you want to be 100% clear, I would still advise getting an appointment with a doctor to have it checked. Arrhythmias such as these are fairly easy to detect on EKG's, especially if you feel some WHILE you are hooked up. Nothing painful or scary, they place electrodes on various parts of your chest, abdomen and ankles. If none show up during your test, you can ask to have a Holter, a device attached at your waist (in general) which detects your heart rhythm over a period of time (often 24 or 48h, sometimes a week). Hypochondriac as I am, I've had these tests done several times since my teens and so far I'm all clear

    As for the part where you say: "I know I’m probably just having a sensitive anxiety period which is making me focus on them and notice them."
    That sounds very familiar. In fact, people who never experience them (or at least notice them), there is often MINIMUM one ectopic beat per 24h. So it could very well be just the fact you're focusing on it more. And the more you focus on it and fear them, the more probable they are of happening again because anxiety in itself can trigger many.

    You also mention lack of sleep, and one of the "enemies" of anxiety is lack of sleep and irregular and/or bad eating habits.

    Focus on positive thoughts! It's a million times easier said than done but it also trains your conscious mind to not always be in reactive mode. Something that helps me a lot also is listening to ASMR videos on Youtube with earbuds, in my case soft spoken stories read, distracting me and focusing on the gentle nature of a human "contact" (even if I do have human contact in my life such as my girlfriend). Good luck

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