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AIBU?

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Original poster

To go to A & E?

338 replies

AlwaysAnxiousAnnie · 31/12/2023 19:36

For some.time.now I've had major anxiety about my heart due to an episode last year of very bad heart palpitations, lasted hours and was so scary. It was like my heart was so out of rhythm. I went to A and E and they said it's anxiety, I've had numerous ECG, I've had a 24 hr heart monitor. They said they found nothing of concern just ectopic beats and and atrial thud. Apparently this is no cause for concern. So I was discharged from cardiology. I regularly have heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, breathlessness. Again it's anxiety apparently. Alas, I have developed this cardiac anxiety.
Anyway, tonight after studying up after dinner, my heart out of no where just started beating so hard and so fast in my chest. It felt like it was going to explode. Straight away I panicked, and then tried to calm myself down. I've so ce managed to calm myself but I heart beat feels all over the place. No pain or anything else. Its new Year's Eve and A&E will be busy. My DH is not very happy with me telling me not to go because it's all in my head. I've convinced myself.i won't see morning or at the very least my heart is about to give up very soon. Now I'm in this spiral of death anxiety of I could drop dead and be dead by this next time year and no one is believing me about my heart problem...am I being unreasonable to want to go to A & E and get checked out or ring 111 at th very least.. or am I just being dramatic, an anxious mess. The more I'm panicking the worst it's getting but I wasn't panicking when it first started this evening.

OP posts:
hitherandhither · 31/12/2023 20:54

@AlwaysAnxiousAnnie so you have a toddler? Eyes in the back of your head time if I remember it correctly!

Do you feel supported at home? Do you feel your partner is there for you, helping you out? I'm wondering if you are always on alert? It's hard work having a child, not just the physical loss but the mental load.

PartridgeInAPearShape · 31/12/2023 20:54

@AlwaysAnxiousAnnie not sure if you saw this earlier post but post-Covid POTS is something many people report in the Long Covid community. Have you had Covid? Maybe your GP isn’t aware of how viral infections can trigger POTS - it’s under diagnosed and often misdiagnosed in women as anxiety.

https://www.webmd.com/covid/covid-19-pots

COVID-19 and POTS: What You Should Know

You’ve recovered from COVID-19, but now your heart races and you get dizzy when you stand up. Is there be a link? It’s possible -- here’s what you should know.

https://www.webmd.com/covid/covid-19-pots

Luxell934 · 31/12/2023 20:54

I’ve had panic attacks that came out of nowhere, racing heart, my whole body going cold and tingly with extreme anxiety.

You need to distract yourself, read a book, organise your wardrobe, paint your nails, go for a walk, play a game with your husband, do anything to distract yourself.

newoldfluff · 31/12/2023 20:54

Ignore the fact A&E will be busy. It's irrelevant to your decision. Either you feel it may be an emergancy or you don't.

Maia77 · 31/12/2023 20:55

Slow your breathing down. Deep, slow breaths. It should help. There's some doctor, cardiologist on youtube, explaining how most palpitations are harmless and slow, deep breathing will help.

EmporiumHawkins · 31/12/2023 20:55

AlwaysAnxiousAnnie · 31/12/2023 19:46

I think I'm struging to believe it's anxiety as a specially tonight it just came out of no where and I was feeling very calm and relaxed. I've had other instances of the same around twice in the last month or so. Again my GP says no problems.

im no expert, but when the body is digesting certain foods or liquids sometimes the combination can cause increased heart rate, i believe its similar with eg coffee, etc

Seliak · 31/12/2023 20:55

Pineapple35 · 31/12/2023 20:44

Take the medication prescribed
Do not go to A+E
The nhs is struggling and at breaking point.
You've had a ecg, 24hr tape and bloods and nothing was found which is very reassuring and you said yourself worrying makes it worse.
So take the medication to help you lower your heart rate

This. Take the medication you've been prescribed. Please don't go to A&E.

Mummen · 31/12/2023 20:56

Something similar has been happening to one of my family members over the past 10 years or so. No amount of heart monitoring could detect it until they were able to get to the hospital when the palpitations were happening. The diagnosis in the end was SVT. The consultant recommended buying an Alive Cor Kardia Mobile at home ECG device which allows you to take an ECG while the palpitations are occurring. It stores the ECG on an app on your phone which you can then share with doctors. Costs about £100 so isn't cheap but could be worth it for peace of mind. They also prescribed beta blockers...

Grimpo · 31/12/2023 20:56

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steff13 · 31/12/2023 20:58

Frangipanyoul8r · 31/12/2023 20:53

You need to get a pulse oximeter. They are cheap and easy to use, give your pulse, heart rate pattern and blood oxygen levels. I used one all the time when I had a bout of extreme anxiety after having a pulmonary embolism. It just reassured me that I had anxiety and that my stats were fine - which then reduced my anxiety.

She said she has one but her husband hides the batteries from it because she sits and obsesses about it.

I say this is someone with pretty extreme anxiety - in order for this to get better you have to actually do something.

Santaiscomingsoon · 31/12/2023 20:59

I would invest in a smart watch if you don’t have one. It alarms if you have any heart issues which puts my mind at rest.

ditalini · 31/12/2023 20:59

Frangipanyoul8r · 31/12/2023 20:53

You need to get a pulse oximeter. They are cheap and easy to use, give your pulse, heart rate pattern and blood oxygen levels. I used one all the time when I had a bout of extreme anxiety after having a pulmonary embolism. It just reassured me that I had anxiety and that my stats were fine - which then reduced my anxiety.

She has one. Her dh has to remove the battery otherwise she obsesses over it.

Things that usually reassure people can often have the opposite affect in people with health anxiety.

Op, I'm going to pointlessly add to the encouragement to take your medication which has been prescribed for you based on observations, investigations and your medical history to this point.

Grimpo · 31/12/2023 21:01

And unless they look at my heart like structurally there is no way to know it's structurally sound.

I don't think that's quite correct. If your heart was not structurally sound, it wouldn't consistently be producing OK traces when checked.

OP, have you been taught calming techniques?

RedHelenB · 31/12/2023 21:01

Pripsen · 31/12/2023 19:51

Take the beta blockers. They were prescribed for a reason

This.

Original poster
AlwaysAnxiousAnnie · 31/12/2023 21:01

hitherandhither · 31/12/2023 20:54

@AlwaysAnxiousAnnie so you have a toddler? Eyes in the back of your head time if I remember it correctly!

Do you feel supported at home? Do you feel your partner is there for you, helping you out? I'm wondering if you are always on alert? It's hard work having a child, not just the physical loss but the mental load.

Yes, he is a little terror at the moment! I don't feel supported to be honest. I've had her anxiety and OCD for long time. My DH is not supportive with my mental health. He gets irratated with me and I don't blame.him, I imagine it would be draining. He doesn't help me or with childcare or housework and I feel very lonely and depressed most of the time.mostly because of my anxiety.

OP posts:
IsTheOffDutyDoneYet · 31/12/2023 21:02

OP. I have panic attacks. They don’t present how you would think a panic attack is. But my heart races like mad, I have the most awful feeling in my chest and spreading to my stomach. It comes out of nowhere and is an awful experience. I have Propranolol, which really helps. I’d suggest you take what you’ve been given. For the diazepam how much have you been prescribed?

Original poster
AlwaysAnxiousAnnie · 31/12/2023 21:03

Grimpo · 31/12/2023 21:01

And unless they look at my heart like structurally there is no way to know it's structurally sound.

I don't think that's quite correct. If your heart was not structurally sound, it wouldn't consistently be producing OK traces when checked.

OP, have you been taught calming techniques?

Yes I use lots of different techniques, such as box breathing in panic and mindfullness, especially at night in bed because it does sometimes get worse or I get more noticable heart palpitations at night. The mindfulness and deep muscle relaxation had been helpful to me.

OP posts:
Bakingdiva · 31/12/2023 21:03

@AlwaysAnxiousAnnie Have you had your thyroid checked. I have Graves disease - which causes an overactive thyroid, which caused anxiety (which I've never suffered with), heart palpitations, shaking hands, weight loss (that one was welcome!), exhaustion and difficulty sleeping.

Quite a few people report that they are dismissed with anxiety meds, beta blockers etc, which kind of work but not fully. Eventually they get a thyroid test and their results are really high. Might be worth a consideration?

Original poster
AlwaysAnxiousAnnie · 31/12/2023 21:04

IsTheOffDutyDoneYet · 31/12/2023 21:02

OP. I have panic attacks. They don’t present how you would think a panic attack is. But my heart races like mad, I have the most awful feeling in my chest and spreading to my stomach. It comes out of nowhere and is an awful experience. I have Propranolol, which really helps. I’d suggest you take what you’ve been given. For the diazepam how much have you been prescribed?

2mg and as and when required. He only gave me five tablets which I still have all of them

OP posts:
Original poster
AlwaysAnxiousAnnie · 31/12/2023 21:04

Bakingdiva · 31/12/2023 21:03

@AlwaysAnxiousAnnie Have you had your thyroid checked. I have Graves disease - which causes an overactive thyroid, which caused anxiety (which I've never suffered with), heart palpitations, shaking hands, weight loss (that one was welcome!), exhaustion and difficulty sleeping.

Quite a few people report that they are dismissed with anxiety meds, beta blockers etc, which kind of work but not fully. Eventually they get a thyroid test and their results are really high. Might be worth a consideration?

Yes I had my thyroid checked last month and it was all normal

OP posts:
Imisscoffee2021 · 31/12/2023 21:05

I recently had bad palpitations and was getting really worried, I wpuld just get exhausted and my heart would feel like it was faltering and pounding. My sister whose a biologist and had similar suggesting vit b deficiency and since taking strong supplements its totally gone. Nor saying that's what you hv but night be good to rule out via blood test.

Original poster
AlwaysAnxiousAnnie · 31/12/2023 21:06

Imisscoffee2021 · 31/12/2023 21:05

I recently had bad palpitations and was getting really worried, I wpuld just get exhausted and my heart would feel like it was faltering and pounding. My sister whose a biologist and had similar suggesting vit b deficiency and since taking strong supplements its totally gone. Nor saying that's what you hv but night be good to rule out via blood test.

Yes I've had vit b12 which was normal

OP posts:
ClematisBlue49 · 31/12/2023 21:08

Sorry you are going through this. I had the same after my father died very suddenly of a heart attack.

I note that you said you'd just had dinner. I sometimes get palpitations if I eat a large meal or one with a lot of salt in it. I'd suggest drinking water and taking a beta blocker. I was prescribed propranalol for anxiety and they do make a difference. As your anxiety is related to heart health, you have the added reassurance that the medication supports your heart by making it work less hard, as well as generally calming you down.

NB You say you are scared to take the medication in case your heart slows down too much, but you would have to take a large number of tablets for that to happen.

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 31/12/2023 21:09

Get an Apple Watch. They can do basic ECGs and might help you catch whatever is going on.

RedHelenB · 31/12/2023 21:09

quarrelmerchant · 31/12/2023 20:03

I've convinced myself.i won't see morning or at the very least my heart is about to give up very soon

You said you've calmed yourself down then said this. Telling yourself you're going to die isn't calming yourself down.

If you can convince yourself, try convincing yourself it'll be fine. And take the medication, you have a dad tgqt csn look out for your dc IF there are any side effects.