Heart palpitations and panic

[howtostopbloodypanicking]

Trying to get to sleep … had a long and difficult funeral yesterday and then 12 hour Uni placement shift today .. am absolutely exhausted but as soon as I lay down heart started racing and felt a bit funny . It’s done that a few times recently and had ECGs (six since September) and told each time it’s normal and most likely panic attacks . How do you stop them? It’s a horrible feeling; each time it happens I find myself close to dialling 999 out of terror .

It’s like a jolt in my chest folllorwd by heart racing abs feeling very faint/lightheaded abs stwnahe .

*and strange

Magnesium can help.

Propranolol can also help with anxiety and calm palpitations down.

@bestcattoyintheworld

Magnesium can help.

Propranolol can also help with anxiety and calm palpitations down.

Thank you, I’m prescribed propranolol yes, last tablet was at 4pm (3 a day) so am guessing it’s worn off . Keeps coming back . I’m scared I’m going to be seriously ill . NHS24 said to try and sleep it off and that they’re 99% sure it’s panic attacks but I’m terrified .

If it was a panic attack I believe you’d have feelings of anxiety before the actual panic attack. I have them but that’s always how they come about. I listened to the happy place podcast (Fearne Cotton) yesterday with Mel Robbins on it and it was really insightful. Fearne opened up about how she doesn’t do live TV anymore because she starts feeling so worried and then it turns into a panic attack. Mel explained how to shut down the anxious feelings and turn it into excitement instead because your body can’t tell the difference between worry and excitement (same physiological responses: racing heart, sweating, flushed etc). Are you feeling anything before the panic attacks or is it literally just your heart?

You poor thing. It's an awful feeling. Try box breathing - slow inhale through the nose for 4'secs, hold for 4, then release for 4. Try to focus on your breath
Repeat until your heart rate slows & you feel better

@sarah13xx

If it was a panic attack I believe you’d have feelings of anxiety before the actual panic attack. I have them but that’s always how they come about. I listened to the happy place podcast (Fearne Cotton) yesterday with Mel Robbins on it and it was really insightful. Fearne opened up about how she doesn’t do live TV anymore because she starts feeling so worried and then it turns into a panic attack. Mel explained how to shut down the anxious feelings and turn it into excitement instead because your body can’t tell the difference between worry and excitement (same physiological responses: racing heart, sweating, flushed etc). Are you feeling anything before the panic attacks or is it literally just your heart?

I’m permanently anxious, I’m always scared unfortunately, I’m very anxious of my heart in general so any slight twinge or sensation in my chest has alarm bells going iyswim . It’s difficult to tell what’s coke first but I’m very hyper aware, check my pulse 30 times a day etc .

Yes to propranolol (beta blockers), which help control the frightening palpitations and other physical symptoms, which in turn helps to calm you down. I had exactly the same years ago in early 30s, rushed to hospital for EKGs, heart normal, perfectly good health. My doctor said ‘But your life at the moment is very stressful’, and I just didn’t accept that it was — though now I see it retrospectively.

Betablockers really help, but I think for me the key thing was realising that these were panic attacks, not symptoms of a serious disease. That was a huge relief. Knowing it was nothing malfunctioning helped me feel much calmer as they were happening, able to focus on breathing etc.

Do you drink caffeine? I get anxiety and palpitations and can't tolerate caffeine now because the palpitations get so much worse.

You sound like you could benefit from an ssri tbh. Your anxiety seems quite bad.

Yeah I second what pp has said about a longer term anxiety medication. If you can treat the anxiety it shouldn’t lead to panic attacks the same. I would definitely recommend listening to that podcast, it made so much sense to me! I’m on beta blockers but only take them now and again before a big social thing or sometimes before work. I have thought an ssri would probably be better though as I totally know that on edge feeling

Everything about this op says panic attack not heart attack. I really sympathise because I’ve been there and it’s a horrible loop. The funny feeling is probably caused by an adrenaline rush. You need to try really hard to focus on something else until you fall asleep. Easier said than done I know. Will watching tv help? I know that’s not conductive to sleep in general but it sounds like you’ve had a difficult couple of days and tonight is just about managing.

Beyond today, I found what really helped me was exercising.Taking up running helped me sleep and it also showed me what it was ACTUALLy like to be out of breath and not hyperventilating. Also weirdly making my heart work hard in a healthy way made me feel more confident and reaffirmed that I was the young healthy person I was I reality and not someone on the verge of a heart attack all the time. It also burns of a lot of the nervous energy and produces endorphins etc etc
Ask your doctor for slow release beta blockers, they might work for you better

I have PSVT- all my palpitations start with a bang/ thump feeling and then the racing heart rates. It's not panic or anxiety for me- it's a trapped ectopic beat- and episodes can either resolve quickly (seconds) by themselves or take ages (longest was over 30 minutes of HR @170+ which was exhausting). Beta blockers didn't work for me as I have low BP so they made me feel awful. I have been on anti depressants for my mental health and they haven't had an impact of it either.

What I find helps stop the palpitations when they kick off is either splashing very cold water on my face and neck or performing the valsalva manoeuvre which resets the vagus nerve and slows everything down. I make sure to avoid caffeine after 12pm as the more of it I drink the more frequent my palpitations become, try to stay hydrated and I'm more aware that if I am very tired then I'm more likely to have episodes.

This book is good:

www.amazon.ca/Untangle-Your-Anxiety-Overcoming-Disorder/dp/B08YQM9SPY/ref=pd_aw_fbt_img_2/140-5084599-4542630?pd_rd_w=WfkUz&pf_rd_p=44c507fe-d441-4b85-8f02-7683c65dfc08&pf_rd_r=638J9P608VXEVP1FHKYH&pd_rd_r=0796f56e-a4b0-485a-aa12-2e359c39a670&pd_rd_wg=bxBlO&pd_rd_i=B08YQM9SPY&psc=1

Sorry for .ca link just google it! The author
Also had a Instagram page.

My friend had palpitations and chest pain and was eventually diagnosed with SVT
www.nhs.uk/conditions/supraventricular-tachycardia-svt/

As a couple of pps have suggested, you could have an arrhythmia. The majority are not actually dangerous so nothing to panic about, but equally not pleasant, and my heart is perfectly healthy and completely normal ecg's the majority of the time - need to where an ambulatory monitor for a week or so to pick it up.

I'm very lucky and have 2 - SvT and AF, managed with beta blockers for years but they're not working so well for me now.

I often get the AF at night. Fast and irregular heart rate and my Apple Watch can detect it. Stress, alcohol, illness and lack of sleep are all a trigger for me.

The SvT is better controlled by the beta blockers and I don't get it as often. That is a very definite sensation, like being winded, before it kicks in. Heart races so fast you can see it pounding, chest feels like someone's sat on it, can't breathe easily etc. HR's normally over 170 for me, but 220 is the worst I've had it.

The recommendations I've had from cardiologists is to go to A&E if lasts over 30 mins (very rarely does) and to try the valsalva manoeuvre (used to work well for my SvT). Google it, but it's essentially like trying to pop your ears but putting that pressure into your chest - so a deep breath and and then pushing out against your chest rather than breath out for as long as you can. Used to stop my palpatations straight away.

Go back to gp if the beta blockers don't help things settle down. Whether it's panic attacks or an arrhythmia they should be improving it, but you may need a different dose, or different type. I have 5mg of bisoprolol, was looking at upping to twice a day but I struggle with fatigue so cardiologist referring me for an ablation procedure.

You poor thing, totally sympathise. And 100% sure it's panic.
Disagree with PP who says you'd feel anxious before. With anxiety, it's not always a conscious, obvious anxiety. It can feel like the physical symptoms come out of nowhere. And it sounds like your baseline stress/.anxiety levels are super high, so it would only take the slightest thing to set you off.

None of these are miracle cures, but from 20 years of anxiety, I know these things help me:

• no more than 2 cups of caffeinated drinks a day, only in the morning
• try and regulate blood sugar - eat a diabetic type diet, with no big spikes of sugar - a good diet in general always makes me feel calmer.
• drink loads more water than feels normal
• take magnesium and vitamin B complex every day
• take a walk/some exercise every day - perhaps before bed to burn off any extra adrenaline rushing through you
• see your GP to see if you need to increase/change meds
• most of all - a good psychologist is worth their weight in gold! x

Could you be in perimenopause or menopause. I had heart palpitations, panic attacks and anxiety before I figured out what was wrong with me. I ended up in A+E a few times. Told it was not my heart. HRT sorted it out for me