Heart palpitations- anxiety

[lifeistiring]

Hi, I don't know if anyone else has anything similar but I am really struggling with palpitations atm. I've had them on and off for years now and they have been investigated and I'm told they're benign and not of concern, albeit uncomfortable. I don't know if I've just got so tuned into my heart beat over the years I feel every little thing. I'm lucky to have private health care through my employer and so I see a cardiologist who gives me a recording device which is attached to my phone and I can do mini ecgs and send them over to him by email. I've had various tests and check ups including echo scans etc but I still cannot accept there's no my a serious problem being missed. I do suffer with anxiety, specifically health anxiety and so this is a real hard one for me as I live in fear of my heart just stopping and not being there for my children. The palpitations often disappear for a while or I'll only have the odd one throughout the day, but for weeks now they've been terrible and I've had them persistently through the day; more so at night when I'm resting and can feel them more. I just can't live like this anymore in this worry and fear, I'm not enjoying life and am just existing really. We've had a really rough few years as a family and I'm struggling to let go of it all, as I'm expected to. Sorry to ramble on but I wanted to know how other people cope with theirs and if they really could all be down to anxiety? I get them at random when I'm not even anxious. I don't know why they're worse sometimes than others. Thanks for listening x

I've had them on and off for maybe five or ten years. Like a flutter or sometimes a rumble. It's pretty disconcerting. I just ignored them at first. Around that time I was also investigated for light headedness and the blood test showed I was low in iron. I had a course of ferrous fumurate and the palpitations stopped.

The second time they picked up was around the time I lost a fair bit of weight. Looking back I don't think I was eating enough/properly. They continued for ages then I started using a nutrition tracking app. I could see that I was getting 100% of Recommended Daily Allowances for the essential vitamins and minerals and they cleared up.

I have an inkling it might have been low potassium or magnesium but can't be sure. I read can both be linked to palpitations.

Sorry that's an essay there. Have you tried magnesium supplements?

I have the same thing, when its bad I have fainted and I get chest pain and breathless. I was prescribed beta blockers which definitely made a difference. I am off them now but occassionally take st johns wort or CBD oil capsules but tbh not noticed much difference in my mood.

My cardiologist said it was quite common in women with young children / stressful jobs these days. You are not alone.

Hi, thanks so much for your helpful replies. I may go to my gp and request some blood tests but funnily enough I had some general ones done a week ago and heard nothing (that's my drs way of saying all ok as they only call if you need something) so I presume my iron is ok if that's tested in a full blood count.

If they are anxiety related how come they've ramped up after the event?

Thank you x

Sorry meant to ask if you can recommend a nutrition tracking app? Thanks x

I get them and they always start several days after the event where I was anxious.

Hi Catsforlife, thanks for hours reply. They're awful aren't they, but glad I'm not alone in this. I just don't know why the last few weeks the palpitations have increased so much? Out of the blue and they make me feel dizzy and just generally unwell, although this is probably the anxiety of them as I've become so fixated on them. I just can't seem to accept they're normal no matter how many times I'm told, they feel so alien and uncomfortable! X