Heart Monitor for 4 Days

[raya4]

Hi, I'm new here. Had a sudden bout of anxiety manifest in the last few months. Thought I'd get past it but seems to be getting worse. Seeing a therapist and now a psychiatrist, though I don't particularly like my psychiatrist. The only meds I'm currently on are klonopin, which I was given mostly for sleep (and benzos scare me). Docs have tried to get me both on cymbalta and prozac but I chickened out from side effects on both after less than a week, even on lowest doses. Probably do need meds but since my anxiety manifests itself as health anxiety in many ways near impossible to get me through it and my body is not used to being on any type of meds.

When at the GP this week he was concerned because my resting pulse was above 100 so he wanted me to go to the cardiologist. I did and had tests done, so I know my heart itself is fine (structure, no blockages, etc.). But have to wear a heart monitor for four days this week so they can see palps, overall heart rate, etc. The cardiologist didn't seem too concerned, but my heart starts racing every night when I try to go to sleep which is scary enough but I can't even imagine what the heart monitor will show, or how to keep my anxiety at bay while wearing. I can't check my pulse on my own cause seeing the high numbers will just make me panic more.

Recommendations for how to keep the anxiety at bay while wearing? Everybody and their mother just tells me to do deep breathing and I try, but any sort of feeling in my heart sets me off and once I'm in the panic, I can't calm down. Trying to learn meditation but its a slow process.

[ankietyjoe]

If you suffer from anxiety, 100bpm is not really uncommon, and definitely NOT a resting heart rate. The last time I was at the GP with a nasty virus last year it was about 120-130bpm. After telling him I suffered with the odd bout of anxiety which was exacerbated by infection and visits to the GP, he wasn't concerned at all.

Meditation is a slow process, but it's an incredibly powerful tool in overcoming anxiety (it's cured 95% of mine).

My advice to you is to not analyse your heart rate at any time. Anxiety will make it high, and sometimes keep it high. By far the best thing to do is just accept it and wait for it to pass. Your cardiologist has already ruled out issues, and a monitor is just a standard procedure. If you're anxious and it's high during the 4 day period it won't signify anything problematic to a cardiologist. A high heart rate is not dangerous in itself, in any way. Unless it's extremely high (close to 200 and above for prolonged periods).

As far as I can tell you have absolutely nothing to fear.

[raya4]

Thank you! That is reassuring. The cardiologist hasn't ruled out everything, but after an EKG, echo and stress test he told me he wasn't too concerned. My heart rate at the GP was 106, but I think it remained high and probably higher at times throughout all my cardio tests. However like you said, a cardiologist should be able to tell the difference between anxiety and a true problem. So prob 120-130 at times. I do know the technician said it was jumping back and forth during the stress test, which I believe was anxiety. I know not to check it myself or I will fixate.

What has been concerning for me is my pulse has definitely gone up and stayed up over time throughout the anxiety process. So what was fairly normal a month ago now is not.

Also I was trying to use my learned breathing techniques during tests to calm myself, but I'm not yet in a place where these tools help me if I'm already panicked. So then I get more panicked. Most people tell me I shouldn't worry because it's not like I'm out of breath from physical activity, etc.

If you don't mind me asking, meditation has always been a struggle for me and I'm working on it through yoga and apps and classes, but how long did it take for you to make that break through? I get frustrated because I want instant results but of course it doesn't work that way.

[ankietyjoe]

If you don't mind me asking, meditation has always been a struggle for me and I'm working on it through yoga and apps and classes, but how long did it take for you to make that break through? I get frustrated because I want instant results but of course it doesn't work that way.

You rarely get instant results from meditating. There's a misnomer that it's a relaxation technique, which it's not.

Meditation is the process of re-training your brain not to respond to every small stimulus. It's about observing whatever sensations you're experiencing at that time, and being ok with it. It took me several months to realise that through meditation I was more easily able to cope with anxiety or bouts of depression, because I knew they were always transient sensations.

I rarely have panic attacks any more, but when I do I can sit with them and not PANIC....if you know what I mean. If they take an hour to pass, that's fine. Once they're gone, I get on with my life as usual. That's the real power of meditation.

Also, my heart rate was elevated all throughout my periods of anxiety too. I had several trips to the hospital where it refused to come down below 120bpm for a day or so. Nothing was ever found to be wrong. The last time I was there one of the Doctors just said to me I had to find a way to chill out, as there was nothing they could do for me.

Everything you describe sounds perfectly 'normal' for somebody with anxiety.

[raya4]

Thank you! Your response was extremely helpful to me. I've come to realize through all of this that I have always been living ten steps in the future (and sometimes in the past) so re-training my brain is something that is going to take a considerable amount of time and I am working my hardest on it. Plus as a general perfectionist and impatient person, it can be hard for me to accept not getting something right away or something that I have to work on over the course of months. I do understand that the process is not about ignoring the anxiety or depression but being able to sit with it and observe it. Just a process to get there.

Thanks again!