Fast heart rate - panic? SVT?

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Hi all,

Last Christmas I had an episode, in which my heart suddenly started beating 207 bpm (according to my Apple Watch) but then slowed down gradually as soon as I was able to leave the room and be alone. I really thought it was probably anxiety. I have hypochondria.

Anyway, it didn’t happen again until November of this year. I had a similar situation happen at the beginning of November, but again, it calmed down as soon as I sat down. I didn’t feel too scared since it went really fast, and I wasn’t alone. I didn’t count that time. It was after a big meal. The first time this happened I had just eaten a big meal too. I thought maybe it was a vagus nerve thing.

So this brings me to last week. I was getting ready for work, getting ready to get my kids dressed, and suddenly I felt my heart racing. Racing. I panicked. I was all alone with my little ones and I got so scared. I grabbed my phone to count my pulse and i counted 230 bpm. I totally freaked out. It wouldn’t stop. I have read about SVT so I tried some tips to stop it. Nope. I just knew I was going to die. I pictured myself being loaded into an ambulance while my sweet babies stood there watching. You know those racing images during anxiety? It was horrible. So I loaded my kids in my car and took them quickly to daycare (right down the street a little) and as soon as I was away from my kids and in my car my heart rate started to come down. This whole thing probably lasted 10 min. It was still pretty high about an hour later when I went to an urgent care. I think it was sitting at like 135. I was so jittery, tingly, upset.

They did an EKG and said it was normal. As soon as they said it was probably anxiety my pulse dropped down to normal. I really thought I was dying.

The NP at urgent care suggested I wear a 24 hour monitor. I am considering it. But in the meantime, what the hell? Can a panic attack do this? I’ve never had a full blown panic attack. I’ve had situations where I’ve gotten overwhelmed and started to feel like I needed to run away, but that’s usually when I’m in a situation that causes me panic (public speaking, a busy mall, etc.) This came out of nowhere. I didn’t feel especially anxious when it happened. It was just like BAM! And my heart rate didn’t immediately normalize. It took a long time to feel normal again. It was a gradual drop.

Everyone I have talked to has said “that’s what panic attacks feel like”. But can panic attacks make your hr shoot up to 200+ bpm? Is that even possible?

I’m so sensitive to my heart rate ever since that first episode happened last Christmas. I feel every beat and I get very upset if it feels fast. I’m hoping it was anxiety and not a heart condition. I’m 31, female, with no history of heart problems in my family. I’m just so confused and scared. I should say that I am a very high stress person. I have a stressful job and I have my two kids. I also have bad anxiety. I don’t think I get enough sleep. I believe it’s totally possible that my body has just had it, and that these three instances have been episodes of sudden adrenaline and panic. My body has stored so much trauma and fear. I just don’t know if 200 or more bpm during a panic attack is normal, and I don’t want to assume this is anxiety if it isn’t.

Anyone have thoughts?

[venusbluejeans]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your problem.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

[Careful1]

I have heard from others that those apple watches aren't all that accurate.

I have SVT and my episodes start and stop suddenly. Could you be having episodes of SVT? Sure... Could it be panic attacks? Sure could.. If you had the EKG while you were having symptoms and it was normal, then that episode wasn't SVT because the EKG would have shown it...

If they recommend you wear a 24 hour holter monitor or an event monitor for a couple weeks, then you probably should... Just to make sure...

Oh and yes, ones heart rate can get pretty high during a panic attack...

[ankietyjoe]

All watch/phone/fitbit HR monitors are notorious for doubling your heart rate because of the way they measure it. 230bpm is almost certainly really 115bpm, 200bpm will be 100bpm etc. They do it all the time.

Everything else you describe is classic anxiety, and nothing to worry about medically. It feels awful, but is harmless.

Next time you feel that way, just DON'T reach for your HR measuring device. There's no value in knowing that your HR is fast, and if it was medically significant you'd know about it. Anxiety is just a sensation, not an indicator of a health problem.

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All watch/phone/fitbit HR monitors are notorious for doubling your heart rate because of the way they measure it. 230bpm is almost certainly really 115bpm, 200bpm will be 100bpm etc. They do it all the time.

Everything else you describe is classic anxiety, and nothing to worry about medically. It feels awful, but is harmless.

Next time you feel that way, just DON'T reach for your HR measuring device. There's no value in knowing that your HR is fast, and if it was medically significant you'd know about it. Anxiety is just a sensation, not an indicator of a health problem.

Yeah that first time I wasn’t so sure that my watch was correct. Yesterday I got really panicked and my watch didn’t even catch it. I have a little pulse oximeter and on that my heart rate was 160, so I’m annoyed that my watch didn’t even register it or notice that it had increased.....

When that latest episode happened last week I counted my pulse manually but who knows if I did it correctly in that moment? I was so panicked I easily could have skipped right over the 20’s and went right to 30. It was just a horrible feeling and I didn’t know if your heart rate can get so high during a panic attack (200 bpm). Mine definitely has gotten to 160+ though, and that’s when the attack is just gearing up, before I really melt down. So it’s possible I guess that my heart rate could have been 200 or more because I was in full panic mode. It was awful.

[ankietyjoe]

Yeah it's horrible for sure. I have manually measured mine in the 180's in the past so 200bpm is possible, but it is 'just' anxiety. I know it's not easy to rationalise, but your body in pumping adrenaline into your system and your heart rate can only go one way, which is up.

By far the best thing to do is just let it be and NOT check. As hard as it is, just don't check. It doesn't actually serve any purpose other than for you to worry even more about what's going on, when in reality there is absolutely no danger at all in your heart rate being that high for short periods of time, even if it was that high for hours, it's fine....it can cope.

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Yeah it's horrible for sure. I have manually measured mine in the 180's in the past so 200bpm is possible, but it is 'just' anxiety. I know it's not easy to rationalise, but your body in pumping adrenaline into your system and your heart rate can only go one way, which is up.

By far the best thing to do is just let it be and NOT check. As hard as it is, just don't check. It doesn't actually serve any purpose other than for you to worry even more about what's going on, when in reality there is absolutely no danger at all in your heart rate being that high for short periods of time, even if it was that high for hours, it's fine....it can cope.

Is it common or normal for panic attacks to happen unexpectedly without a trigger? I’ve had moments when I’ve been overwhelmed and anxious, dizzy, etc. but this was just totally out of nowhere. It’s like suddenly my body was just overloaded with adrenaline for no reason.

[ankietyjoe]

Yup, completely normal.

Anxiety has to be treated as a broader issue. Whilst there can be obvious triggers, it's just as common to happen out of the blue. It's about the overall state of your central nervous system.

[Careful1]

Is it common or normal for panic attacks to happen unexpectedly without a trigger? I’ve had moments when I’ve been overwhelmed and anxious, dizzy, etc. but this was just totally out of nowhere. It’s like suddenly my body was just overloaded with adrenaline for no reason.

This certainly sounds like a panic attack and yes they sometimes come out of no where which is why a lot of people have a hard time believing they had a panic attack or are suffering from anxiety in the beginning.

I have had some very high heart rates during panic attacks... Its no fun and they are certainly scary but not harmful. I am sorry that you have had to experience it. No one who hasn't ever had to go through a panic attack can ever really understand how terrifying it is... (((hugs)))

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This certainly sounds like a panic attack and yes they sometimes come out of no where which is why a lot of people have a hard time believing they had a panic attack or are suffering from anxiety in the beginning.

I have had some very high heart rates during panic attacks... Its no fun and they are certainly scary but not harmful. I am sorry that you have had to experience it. No one who hasn't ever had to go through a panic attack can ever really understand how terrifying it is... (((hugs)))

Thank you. It was awful. And now I’ve been having them daily. But I’m able to bring myself out of them. I’m terrified it’s a heart condition that caused my episode last week. I hate this.