Struggling with heart worries

[nicoleanna]

I’ve have always had anxiety and health anxiety.

Recently it has become so bad again that I took myself to the ER for chest pains and left side tingling and “weakness.” My heart rate when I got there was 130. And leaving was 90. They did an ekg, ran blood test for clotting, d dimer, heart failure, and urine. Everything was normal. They gave me Ativan and an IV for dehydration. Which helped.

I also haven’t been sleeping well like maybe 4 hours asleep each night or less for the last couple months. I started to become aware that my heart beats so fast when I stand up and I can’t put it out of my mind. I’ve stopped eating. I have muscle fatigue that switches from right to left and almost feels like my face on one side is numb. I feel like I can’t walk and my head is so floaty. I feel out of breath but my oxygen levels are good. So I would say I’m not actually out of breath.

I’m so aware of every body sensation. I feel crippled. My question is does anyone think that an ekg is enough? Possible to have a heart blockage or something else or possible an impending stroke or heart attack or arteries blocked or bad circulation on one side to feel the tingling. I obviously need to see a primary doctor but just looking for a little advice. This also happen 3 years ago and then finally went away.

[Iwant2bhealthy]

Hi nicoleanna,

Let me start by saying I'm sorry you're going through that and that I know exactly how you feel... A few years back I had the same symptoms, and I was feeling like I'm about to die. I felt that the doctors either didn’t take me seriously or that they might be missing something when diagnosing me.
The symptoms you describe (rapid heartbeats, feeling of weakness, breathlessness, sweats, shakiness, sudden heat flushes or urges to run, and more) started to happen more frequently. Also at night.

I had the ambulance come to my place once, and I had to go to ER one time. Heart rate of 146 made me feel exhausted, and sure I'm having a heart attack. At the ER I met a very nice doctor who after running all test possible told me that I clearly have anxiety. I felt so dumb that I apologised, and I said something about feeling so ashamed to find it's nothing serious. He said: "No. It is serious. You have anxiety, and it is serious". He sent me to my GP, who guided me to theraphy, and prescribed me meds. Over time with hard work and the help of meds and theraphy my anxiety lessened, and the symptoms you describe and know so well went away.

Did I fully believe my heart was ok when I left the ER that night? Of course not! Because this is how health anxiety works. You think they surely missed something, that you're one of the "lucky" people with a super rare heart disease, that the tests they've done were not enough. And until you deal with your HA all reassurance will only work temporarily.
ECG combined with other tests you had are enough to establish if you had a heart attack or a life threatening heart disease. The reality is that they wouldn't let you out of there if they saw or even suspected that something was wrong with you. But to see that clearly and to believe it you will need to deal with your helth anxiety, not run another test on your heart.

[nicoleanna]

Thanks for the reply iwant2bhealthy. It’s comforting to hear someone else went through the same thing and is doing better. I am sorry you had to go through this because it is awful. If you don’t mind me asking what other heart test did they do?

My GP I’ve been going to for 10 years or more knows my anxiety and gave me a stress test years ago which was normal and diagnosed me with palpitations. Just can’t shake the feeling of when I’m standing my heart is going all over the place goes to 120 or 130 then down and up.

My plan is to put the Apple Watch away for awhile to get my life back. I really do appreciate the reply.

[NoraB]

I’ve have always had anxiety and health anxiety.

Recently it has become so bad again that I took myself to the ER for chest pains and left side tingling and “weakness.” My heart rate when I got there was 130. And leaving was 90. They did an ekg, ran blood test for clotting, d dimer, heart failure, and urine. Everything was normal. They gave me Ativan and an IV for dehydration. Which helped.

Same here, only my heart 'stuck' at 145 bpm (resting) and for several hours. Like mine, your ECG shows that your heart is functioning as it should do - just fast. It's known as sinus tachycardia which in simple terms is fast heart rate due to anxiety..

I started to become aware that my heart beats so fast when I stand up and I can’t put it out of my mind. I’ve stopped eating. I have muscle fatigue that switches from right to left and almost feels like my face on one side is numb. I feel like I can’t walk and my head is so floaty. I feel out of breath but my oxygen levels are good. So I would say I’m not actually out of breath.

The racing on standing is a thing with me too, but I know my heart is healthy and I only notice it when I'm stressed..

Stopping eating will cause more symptoms so it's not a good idea. Even if you have no appetite (common with anxiety) it's important to eat little and often to avoid blood sugar levels going awry - which will cause more anxiety heart symptoms!

Always go with the oxygen levels and if they're good, you can be sure that this is anxiety. The feeling of not being able to get enough oxygen and actually not having enough oxygen are totally different..

I’m so aware of every body sensation. I feel crippled. My question is does anyone think that an ekg is enough? Possible to have a heart blockage or something else or possible an impending stroke or heart attack or arteries blocked or bad circulation on one side to feel the tingling. I obviously need to see a primary doctor but just looking for a little advice. This also happen 3 years ago and then finally went away.

Heart failure symptoms are not vague. If the heart is struggling to pump then you'd be experiencing real breathing issues and probably water retention in the legs, ankles and feet etc. Most importantly, there is only a 2% likelihood of someone having heart disease with a clear ECG.

IF the same thing happened to you three years ago and 'went away' what does that tell you? If you thought you had heart failure then, do you honestly think it would have just 'gone away'?

There is a condition called POTS which causes a rapid heart rate on standing (my mate has this) but it also includes light headedness, dizziness, and fainting. If these things are happening aside the elevated heart rate on standing then, yes, I'd say a visit to your GP is in order. If you're not experiencing these symptoms aside the heart rate, then you probably don't have POTS.

My policy with heart related symptoms is to get then checked out of they are new for you. This is common sense. But if you've had this before, I really wouldn't worry about it..

Everything you've mentioned is common with anxiety and when we have anxiety about our health - we fixate on areas and mistake what's normal for abnormal. I've been 100% convinced I was having a heart attack in the past when it was a nocturnal panic attack and when I ended up in A&E that time, it was most likely a reaction to MSG in a Chinese takeaway I'd had (I have MCS) but every single heart test I've had done, including an ECHO, has come back normal - just a fast heart rate because now I have White Coat Syndrome too.

Try and remind yourself that the fast heart rate is the fight or flight response. What happens is that real or imagined danger triggers this response which is there to keep us alive. This means that stress hormones are released, including adrenaline, so that we can prepare to deal with the threat or run away. When we've triggered the response enough times - constantly - we become sensitised and our system stays in sympathetic mode (fight or flight) - never calming down sufficiently as we would if we didn't have anxiety. Everybody who has health anxiety will be in constant sympathetic mode and all it takes is a single thought or seeing a headline to flood the body with stress hormones which directly feed into those imaginary diseases we think we have. I become so sensitised that I started to have panic attacks just on hearing something like a tempo change in music.

It's your mind that's crippling you. Your body is working just fine, and if you reframe your thoughts to what's true - which is that your body is working very hard to keep you alive - then this might help you?

[Iwant2bhealthy]

Checking my heart rate with my telephone was what activated my heart HA into a full panic mode. It's the worst, and stopping doing it is a very good idea!

Heart rate tempo increase when standing up is actually very normal. Standing up after siting for a while is an "action time" signal for our bodies, so your heart wants you to be ready for whatever you plan to do. Noticing it, and thinking "something is wrong!" is a typical symptom of HA, and it makes your heart rate increase even more due to adrenaline and fear. Your heart rate is high because you notice it, and because it worries you, not because you are sick physically.

I don't mind you asking about my tests, but talking about them will not help. It will offer you a 30 second window of reassurance, which will be over soon due to the HA telling you "Well, great for her but in your case its different. You realy are sick, and all the doctor's are missing something!".

The only way to stop how you are feeling right now is to go to your GP tell them all your thoughts and feelings and ask for a referral to a psychologist specialising in anxiety and panic disorders. Meds and theraphy were a life saver to me, because when I finally decided to go to the doctor I had no life anymore. Please take you HA as seriously as you take your heart.

[nicoleanna]

Today has been like Saturday when I took myself to the ER. I stand and my heart rate goes to 140 and doesn’t seem to come down. I feel panicked and jittery. I’m so scared to move because I don’t want my heart rate to go that fast for no reason. I’m at a lost of what to do. GP won’t see me for a whole month. I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack or stroke at this point. Could I have afib?

[Careful1]

If you went into the ER with an elevated heart rate they would have done an EKG on you, if you were in AFIB the EKG would have shown that. Your EKG was normal so you aren’t having episodes of AFIB.

[Iwant2bhealthy]

A whole month?! This is ridiculous! Can you not ask for an urgent visit? Where I live you can state that you urgently need help and your GP or a replacement doctor have to see you the next day. Is that possible where you live?

[nicoleanna]

Went to the ER last night. Another ECG I looked at it and it says non specific st-t wave abnormality. Anyone here experience that or know what that is? I mentioned how I could feel my pulse is my stomach and she said you do not have an aortic aneurysm. They said I was dehydrated. Received 2 bags of iv and a Xanax I was somewhat calm later but today I’m back at it with the racing heart. I also looked at an old ECG from 2018 that said possible left atrial enlargement. But having 3 ECGs in the last couple days it never showed that. Could that have been a mistake in 2018? Seeing a cardiologist tomorrow for a follow up. Freaking out all over again.


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[Iwant2bhealthy]

Went to the ER last night. Another ECG I looked at it and it says non specific st-t wave abnormality. Anyone here experience that or know what that is?

Hi anna, I'm a little confused as to how you got a cardiologist appintment in a day but need to wait a month to visit your GP and book a session with a psychologist?

Non specific st-t wave abnormalities are often linked to depression and anxiety. It might sound scary, but our hearts are not swiss watches, and they don't have to work like swiss watches to be considered healthy. Xanax wont save you if you got a heart attack, but it will help with anxiety.
To me this is another proof that the rootcause of all this is in your head. Sadly, I also know that you wont believe me now.

I can't help you here, and you can't help yourself on your own. Please look for a way to treat your anxiety.