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Original poster

DD (19) constant palpitations and tight chest but no GP appointments - advice, please

48 replies

Thelonelygiraffe · 05/09/2023 09:12

Hi all, I'm posting in Chat for traffic, rather than Health. Sorry about that.

I'm very worried about dd (19). She has had heart palpitations for about the last two years or so. She has had ECGs and BP monitors. At first the doc thought she might have SVT as her heart was doing uneven/out-of-time beats, but this seems to have been resolved and they are happy with her latest ECG and have said there is nothing wrong with her heart, but she still feels like she's having palpitations. Also, when she feels like this her chest is very tight and she feels like she can't get a deep full breath in or out.

She has a heart monitor app and her heart is never beating too fast or racing witb these episopdes - it just feels like it is. And I gave her a peak flow monitor yesterday and she blew 550 on it, which is well into the healthy range.

She has suffered on and off with anxiety for years - could all these be anxiety symptoms? That's what the GP and hospital docs have suggested, but she says she's having these symptoms almost constantly at the moment and she is not worried about anything. She is not under stress at all, so why is her body reacting like this?

And could it be anything physical?

She's had a few other things too over the past months: low iron, low-level UTIs often, terrible periods that make her faint/vomit most months; tonsilitis... I just don't understand why as she eats well, drinks plenty of water, has a pretty healthy lifestyle for a 19yo.

She doesn't smoke or vape. Social drinking (no change in symptoms after alcohol). Has cut right down on caffeine. Is fit - can run for 45 mins on a treadmill.

She's just rung up for a GP appt as her chest is feeling really tight again, to be told that there are none left to book but she can have a phone consultation in 11 days... our GP practioce is useless.

Can anyone advise or make any suggestions for what this might be?

OP posts:
Faz469 · 05/09/2023 09:14

Has she lost weight without trying? Sounds like she could do with her thyroid checking.

mynameiscalypso · 05/09/2023 09:14

Anaemia can cause these symptoms so I'd suggest a blood test but I would also think anxiety is the more likely. I get all off these and it's because of anxiety.

TigerRag · 05/09/2023 09:16

Is she on any medication? This appears to be the cause of my heart palpitations

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Original poster
Thelonelygiraffe · 05/09/2023 09:17

In a way, anxiety would be best, as I don't want her to have anything physical wrong, but I also don't want her having all these anxiety symptoms at her age! What can she do about that? What works for you, @mynameiscalypso?

No to weight loss. She had full bloods done and everything was OK AFAIK except iron.

Anaemia, though - that could be. Would tie in with heavy periods and low iron. Will check when dd's follow-up blood text is (she started iron supplements a month ago).

OP posts:
comedownwithme · 05/09/2023 09:19

Have they not tried her in any anxiety meds?

WhatHaveIFound · 05/09/2023 09:20

Does she get dizzy at all when she stands up? Is she underweight? Has she been tested for POTS?

My DS has it and palpitations are one of his main symptoms. He can keep it under control by drinking plenty of fluids and eating salty snacks.

Summer2424 · 05/09/2023 09:23

Hi @Thelonelygiraffe
It does sound like Aneamia.
I would take an iron supplement with an orange. Also, try Spiruilina powder and Chorella powder, it is full of iron and other vitamins (from Holland and Barrett). You can also try freshly juicing raw beetroot a carrot once or twice a week.
Hope your daughter feels better soon xx

Original poster
Thelonelygiraffe · 05/09/2023 09:24

She takes tranexamic acid during her period. At first she found it made her heart symptoms worse, then a pharmacist told her to take it with milk to line her stomach, and it has been better.

She was prescribed beta blockers but didn't like the side effects.

She's now saying that the palpitations aren't so much the problem as a really really tight chest feeling, as if something is sitting on her chest and it hurts to take a deep breath.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 05/09/2023 09:24

@Thelonelygiraffe I am on medication (but that's less for anxiety). If I feel really awful, I take a diazepam but most of the time I just ride through it or ignore it. Sometimes distraction works. The problem with anxiety-related symptoms is that you can end up being more anxious because you're worried about the symptoms and then you're trapped in a cycle. So I try to just accept it mainly. I don't have any form of health anxiety though so I can easily rationalise it as just being like, I don't know, having hiccups or something.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 05/09/2023 09:28

Yes, anxiety can have a physical cause.
I always hesitate to write this on threads but I’m going to anyway and make it clear I am NOT suggesting this is the cause for your daughter, just explaining there can very much be a physical cause.
My DH started having panic attacks over ten years ago. Had never had any kind of anxiety or related MH in his life before (he was 60 by then). They were extreme and sudden and he was taken in to hospital twice by ambulance with suspected heart issues before being released after a day or so when they concluded it must be a panic attack. We were very concerned about what on earth was causing it.
Long story short, he had brain tumour on his pituitary gland. Totally benign although it took an extreme event for it to be diagnosed as no one was looking for it.
Obviously being pituitary, all of his hormone function was effected.
So is there something that might be causing cortisol to be raised in her system which I turn could be the cause of the panic attacks?

Original poster
Thelonelygiraffe · 05/09/2023 09:31

@comedownwithme - She hasn't wanted to take any anxiety meds as a lot of the side effects are the symptoms she is currently having!

@WhatHaveIFound - PoTS could be a shout. She has some of the symptoms, and she does feel better when she lies down...

@Summer2424 - thanks. Will try the spiruilina powder and chorella powder.

OP posts:
Suzi7979 · 05/09/2023 09:32

Has she lost any weight? Might be a thyroid issue or anemia.

comedownwithme · 05/09/2023 09:34

@Thelonelygiraffe

Possible side affects.

I would say it's definitely worth trying, if all other routes are coming back with nothing.

Jackienory · 05/09/2023 09:36

Call 111

Summer2424 · 05/09/2023 10:10

Hi @Thelonelygiraffe
Sorry forgot to say, if your daughter takes an iron supplement, you can ask the doctor but from experience i wouldn't take it while on a period as the bleed will be really heavy. Once the period gets towards the end then start the iron supplements again xx

Original poster
Thelonelygiraffe · 05/09/2023 10:17

Interesting, @Summer2424 - I didn't know that.

OP posts:
Whataretheodds · 05/09/2023 10:19

Have they done a full blood count? If not ask them to.

Does she have other symptoms of anxiety?

AnnaMagnani · 05/09/2023 10:25

Has she done a diary of her peak flow taking it at various times a day, including when she does and doesn't have a tight chest?

While the charts for 'healthy peak flow' are important, what is most important is what is normal for you personally - I've never blown a peak flow out of the healthy range but I still have asthma and feel dreadful if my peak flow drops even 10 below what is normal for me.

However given her age and heavy periods, anxiety and anaemia are most likely the answer.

Original poster
Thelonelygiraffe · 05/09/2023 10:39

They have done full bloods.

The problem with anxiety-related symptoms is that you can end up being more anxious because you're worried about the symptoms and then you're trapped in a cycle. @mynameiscalypso, I'm sorry you have to deal with this but it sounds as if you have found a good way of doing so.

That's the problem with dd - although she has been told that her tight chest and other symptoms are down to anxiety, she worries about there being a physical cause so doesn't want to go anywhere, e.g. on a train or plane, in case she is taken ill and there will be no GP to help.

This summer she had panic attacks before holidays. It took a couple of days for her chest to stop feeling sore and for her to feel normal again.

And that's something else I wanted to ask. Is it normal to take a couple of days to feel better after a panic attack?? And when you are having a panic attack, is it normal to feel completely short of breath, to gasp, to feel that you can't breathe in and to feel that you haven't enough breath to walk?

OP posts:
SoCentralRain · 05/09/2023 10:43

I get those symptoms when my ferritin/iron is low, along with getting out of breath when doing nothing in particular.

comedownwithme · 05/09/2023 10:44

Thelonelygiraffe · 05/09/2023 10:39

They have done full bloods.

The problem with anxiety-related symptoms is that you can end up being more anxious because you're worried about the symptoms and then you're trapped in a cycle. @mynameiscalypso, I'm sorry you have to deal with this but it sounds as if you have found a good way of doing so.

That's the problem with dd - although she has been told that her tight chest and other symptoms are down to anxiety, she worries about there being a physical cause so doesn't want to go anywhere, e.g. on a train or plane, in case she is taken ill and there will be no GP to help.

This summer she had panic attacks before holidays. It took a couple of days for her chest to stop feeling sore and for her to feel normal again.

And that's something else I wanted to ask. Is it normal to take a couple of days to feel better after a panic attack?? And when you are having a panic attack, is it normal to feel completely short of breath, to gasp, to feel that you can't breathe in and to feel that you haven't enough breath to walk?

Honestly OP I think medication for anxiety is exactly what she needs. Even if the root cause isn't anxiety the level at which she is being affected absolutely is.

AnnaMagnani · 05/09/2023 10:45

And that's something else I wanted to ask. Is it normal to take a couple of days to feel better after a panic attack?? And when you are having a panic attack, is it normal to feel completely short of breath, to gasp, to feel that you can't breathe in and to feel that you haven't enough breath to walk?

Yes absolutely, you use up a huge amount of adrenaline in a panic attack and it takes time to recover. And yes that is normal feelings for a panic attack - you can really feel like you are going to die.

SomethingNastyInTheBallPool · 05/09/2023 10:51

Has she had Covid recently? I started having very similar symptoms out of the blue at the end of last year. At first, I put it down to stress, as I had a lot going on, but anxiety meds didn’t make any difference. I finally twigged that the onset came a few weeks after I’d had a mild dose of Covid, and my GP says they may well be linked.
I’m getting better slowly but still get palpitations sometimes and generally feel “off”.

KnittedCardi · 05/09/2023 10:53

Have you tried something really simple like Kalms. They take the edge off the anxiety and break the cycle.

DD is currently having tests for fainting, heart palps. Only had the echocardiogram so far and now going back to uni. That's private too! They are so busy. Consultant doesn't' think it is Pots or Anaemia, but she gets faint every time she gets up, or gets hot, or stands for a long time, or lifts weights.

She is scheduled an ecg, blood pressure monitor, and stick on ecg thingy, but will now have to wait until Xmas. He didn't want to do blood tests.

Ffghhhbdbfb · 05/09/2023 10:58

Was there any event before the palpitions started? I got these after a Covid vaccine and an MRI found myocarditis and another small scars from this. Palpitations started for me after this, as well as mild POTS.

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