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Feeling totally hopeless and nowhere to turn...

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 37

Hi Seatle,

I have suffered from severe anxiety/agoraphobia now for almost ten years. I am also in no way a professional, but I will share something with you, and I would recommend talking to a Dr about this.

I do suffer from anxiety, but like you I was having these crazy things go on with my heart, it was scaring me so bad I was afraid to go to sleep. Finally I seen my OB GYN, and because I had a hysterectomy when I was in my 20's I had been on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for years. They took me off the Depo Estradiol, and put me on Bio Identical hormones, and within hours it was gone. No more heart palpitations, none and the only time I feel them now is when I forget my hormone pill. I was amazed, truly amazed because I truly thought at any moment I was going to have a heart attack, and was very upset with my regular Dr that he could not see this.

For a couple of weeks I was so excited the palpitations were gone that my anxiety got better, but unfortunately something happened that triggered an attack, and right back to square one I went.

Good luck, and maybe that is something you could check on with your Dr. My heart truly goes out to you, because that is a scary feeling. Seems like there is a great group of people here for support. I have only been on here a few days, and so far extremely impressed with everyone, and this program!!

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11216

Hi Seattlepoet,

Welcome to the group. I am very sorry to hear about the difficult experiences you have had with health care. I can see how you would feel frustrated and even scared after all that! Well, you are no longer alone in this. You have us as your support team and we will figure this out together.

I am not a doctor so I cannot diagnose you but I can say that everything you described does sound like anxiety. You mention you have gone through the loss of a job, this is an incredibly stressful transition that can very likely trigger anxiety. You also mentioned that you have had panic attacks before. Although it doesn't sound like what you are experiencing is Panic Attacks it does sound like Generalized Anxiety. Heart palpitations, chest tightness and dizziness can all be symptoms of anxiety. You might want to check out our mental health screener at http://wb-dat.net/WB-DAT/ to check your symptoms yourself.

Keep in mind that when you are anxious you are more likely to have heart palpitations you also have heightened awareness of your symptoms and will notice symptoms more easily. Noticing these symptoms usually increases the anxiety which creates a vicious cycle. The good news is that you can take control of the symptoms. Of course all the things you have been doing like avoiding caffeine, sleeping well, eating healthy, exercising and breathing techniques are an important part of managing the anxiety; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is also an essential element. This program, which is based on CBT, will teach you about anxiety, how to control your thoughts and actions to in turn control your fear which will manage the symptom of heart palpitations. I encourage you to get started on session one and make a schedule for yourself in regards to when you plan on working through the program. Anxiety is a very manageable disorder and we will be right here listening and helping you if you run into any trouble.

So, after reading all that what are some thoughts going through your head? Do you have any questions or concerns?

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Rebekah.

What is your white cell count? Infection can cause all of your symptoms, an echo cardiogram of your heart would be a good idea at your age especially if your white cell count is up. Thankfully in Canada I get these tests done free.

It may be all in your head, but not in the way the Doctors think. Anxiety can manifest itself as physical or mental or both and it can bounce from one to the other.

This site has good relaxation and coping skills and very good support.

Medication, even herbals is only a bandaid, CBT does work but you need to understand it.

I have chronic staph infection acquired in the hospital and it plays havoc with my anxiety levels. CBT takes care of the anxiety side effect.

Before you can fix something you need to know why it is broke. It can be anything from actual deficiencies to core beliefs. But the bottom line is that it can be fixed.

Davit.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 4

Hi ((hugs)) I am new here. As a matter of fact this is my first post. I am in NO WAY an expert on these kinds of things:-) I can however relate to your irregular heartbeat. I have had it for a long time. I have never had any issues with my heart. So I do my best not to worry about it. I know with anxiety when you worry about it, the anxiety makes the heartbeat more irregular and faster. It is very scary and I am so sorry they treated you the way you did. I have taken comfort in the fact that all my doctors have never said anything other than my heart is a little closer to the surface than most which makes it easier for me to notice the beating --- it is very similar to what you describe. I have the heaviness sometimes too. I am very athletic and healthy and take good care of myself, so feel pretty ok about my heart health despite the symptoms. There are recovery tests you can do for your heart.....you do a few mins of cardio and take your pulse, then rest and take it again after a minute and then after two.....I can't remember the exact guidelines but there are many sites online about it. If it falls within a certain range, your heart recovers very healthily. Also, your age, makes me wonder if you could be having the beginnings of menopausal symptoms. I started when I was 35. THAT can cause heart palpitations like you describe. Dr. Christianne Northrup has an excellent book that talks about this and lots of other symptoms.....The Wisdom of Menopause....it reassured me too. Also anxiety and depression both get worse for a lot of women at this age. It sounds like you have really been checked over by the doctors. I am just so sorry they did it in such an unprofessional sounding way.....it is hard enough when you feel anxious and then to have your symptoms and feelings dismissed. One other thing you can have checked is your C Reactive Protein, it is a real good indicator of heart health also.......hope this helps......

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1

Hello. I am a 39 year old caring, loving woman who feels
that my life is being taken from me from these symptoms. I feel
totally hopeless and helpless. Therefore,
I am a scared person and feel I am the
walking dead. I simply do not know how much longer I can go
on like this. I spent about three hours
a day online looking for answers, and know I have to reach out for support. I
am feeling very alone and I simply do not know what to do. I have CONSTANT irregular heartbeat and
palpitations, but they are happening ALL THE TIME and my doctor says there is
nothing wrong with me. I have had three EKG’s and have been to the ER as well
as a 48 hour monitor and a Cardiologist, who was a complete jerk and his staff should
not work with people…they were horribly abusive to me in how they spoke to me
and did not take me seriously.
I want to state: I do not eat sugar, drink caffeine (I have
been off of it for a month), sodium or high fat foods, do drugs, smoke, drink
alcohol and am not on any major medications.
I am taking: Hawthorne, Taurine, Co Q 10, Vitamin B 100 and Vitamin D3. None of it has been helping with the irregular
heartbeat though a Chiropractor told me I would.

Yes, I do have stress, but I do not feel in any way that I
am having panic attacks. Can someone out
there give me consolation, compassion, support, love, whatever you want to
give? I have been down this road before,
but my heart is doing things that scare me.
I CONSTANTLY feel the irregular heartbeat and I feel chest pain and
pressure. I feel my heartbeat in my
throat. Yet, my primary care doctor, who
is a woman, thinks I am crazy and that nothing at all is wrong with me.

After his staff lied to my Cardiologist, he told me I was
not welcome in his office anymore b/c I had questions! I felt so degraded and overwhelmed and
majorly abused. That is a long story. I have called the Patient Advocacy department
and they have not called me back. I need
help. He did say I had Sinus Arrythmia
and it is PAC’s and that it is causing me to feel the irregular heartbeats, but
did not explain much else to me. And he
wanted me out of his office. I left his
office in a lot of emotional pain and fear.
I need help b/c the ER did a chest x ray, a chest cat scan for a pulmonary
embolism and an EKG, but that is it.

I went to the ER and the ER doctor was rather arrogant (The
doctor was a woman doctor) at a major hospital here in Seattle. I was overwhelmed with her telling me it was
just anxiety. There was no explanation to me as to why the palpitations happen constantly
except to say that I have anxiety, and that is not a sufficient answer for me.

I went through panic attacks back in 2007, and back then, I
would have the panic attacks even in the absence of heart palpitations.

Now, I am getting the heart palpitations in absence of the attacks.

Here are the things that are happening in my life:

1.
I have been unemployed since June 29^th
and it has been hard, but I do not feel in any way that I have been having
panic attacks.
I Had HORRIBLE vertigo and dizziness these past
four months and then in the past month, it went away. But I still have ongoing heart palpitations
and irregular heartbeat. How can it be
panic if I am not having attacks?

3. I have gone off of Prozac and I have removed
myself off of caffeine for a month.
I need help for coping.
I feel totally alone. I wake up
with these Irregular heartbeats and palpitations. I go to bed with them. I pray to God they will stop.
I have suffered so much in this state and recently and I
wonder how much longer the suffering will continue…I have been laid off on June
29^th and lost my health insurance on July 31^st. I have used up my husband’s five visits he
had on this limited benefit plan. I have no benefits left. I am completely
despondent…I feel I need to see an Electrophysiologist and a cardiologist for a
second opinion b/c I have been treated horribly by the doctors here.
I am from the East Coast, and have been VERY UNHAPPY with
medical care here in Seattle. I feel that the doctors would rather die than
help someone. They are cold and
compassionless. I grew up near
Washington D.C. and our medical care was a lot better.
Right now, I am wondering if there is something they have
not missed…And I feel I need an Echo…then the other part of me is wondering if
this is just some weird manifestation of panic or if this is withdrawal from Prozac
and caffeine and this is the manifestation…

I have tried: Acupuncture, meditation, breathing techniques,
sleeping, herbal remedies (listed above), water, eating very, very healthy and
numerous other things to no avail…The Palpitations and irregular heartbeat just
continue, and continue.

I also have pain and heaviness in my chest.

Rebekah

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