Anxiety Attackswith Heart Palps-anyone Else Strugglinghonestly?
Hey everyone! So I'm Neil, and yeah, 48 years old, currently bedridden with a super bad case of anxiety. Up untill 2019, things were awesome-I had tis great job in support work, regular trips out, nature walks, breaks away, you know? Life couldn't get much better.
But then everything changd during a spring day in March when we were driving to visit family. Suddenly my chest got really tight and I started gasping for breath, with pins and needles shooting up my arms into my ribs. My heart was racing like crazy, and I was sweating buckets. It happened again on the way back home.
From there, it just kept getting worse. Teh same symptoms hit me in a bus or at a shop or supermarket. Eventually, I couldn't do my job anymore. My doctor said it was all anxiety-based but with symptoms that bad, I didn't buy it-thought something more serious had to be going on.
So one day while shopping, I fainted and spent 30 minutes in the local walk-in center. My world kept shrinking-I couldn't handle busy places or shops anymore, and even shoort nature walks were out of the question. By then, the pandemic hit and staying home became my only comfort zone.
In August 2020, palpitations started happening every few minutes for two whle weeks. I was terrified and ended up bedridden in our spare room, thinking something serious was wrong. My doctor still insisted it was anxiety-driven though.
I wondered if there was some heart condition causing all this, but the palpitations would come and go like that. Thaat constant uncertainty kept me in a state of fear and dread.
The worst came in June 2021 when my palpitations were so bothersome I almost couldn't handle it. The doc called out paramedics,they said my heart rate was at an alarmig 136, but they wouldn't take me to the hospital due to pandemic restrictions and my anxious state.
Going outside during the lockdown made things worse. My anxiety spiked, leaving me unable to function properly. For example, taking a shower became such a chore tht even sitting on a stool barely helped-just getting in or out would set off physical symptoms.
I've seen 4 different doctors, 3 nurses, an endocrinologist, therapists, and psychologists, but I still don't have clear answers. Sometimes it feels like no one believes me when I say there's something more going on than just anxiety.
Nowadays, I still get occasional palpitations or fluttering, even if they come less often-up to 10 days without a single one. When I do try to move around the house or visit teh bathroom, my chest gets tight and pins and needles start creeping in, making me dizzy, breathless, exhausted.
Every morning feels like a challenge-I wake up anxious about what the day will bring and if those palpitations might show up again. It's so frustrating because I want someone to give me that magic pill or therapy that can fix everything and let me live normally again.
I've been avoiding antidepressants as well and sticking with being vegetarian, trying my best not to rely too heavily on pills for a quick solution.
So here I am now, hoping there's maybe someone out there who has experienced the same stuff as me. Do you get palpitations? How do they impact your life? How do you cope?
Any advice or shared experiences would mean the world. Thanks for reading my story and tkaing some time to think about it.
Best wishes,
Neil
8 Replies
Hey! After reading what you're going through right now, I just wanted to say that I think things really will get better with determination and acceptance. I went through something similar two years ago and at one point thought there would be no end in sight, but there was-it just takes time. CBT therapy has been really helpful for me; it's all about working on your mindset and retraining the way you think. The physical symptoms are definitely real and can be very worrying, but they're often linked to your nervous system.
I still have some mild symptoms from time to time, but I've learned to accept them and take small steps each day. When I was first dealing with this, I was bedridden for a while and saw doctors constantly-went through so many tests, all of which came back fine. To manage it, I started doing slow exercises for fatigue (I found some great routines on YouTube), as well as meditation and deep breathing techniques. I also began using CBD oil to hlp with the attacks, and I use lavender essential oil too.
It's really important to accept these symptoms and even encourage them sometimes-tell your body that you're ready for whatever it brings so it gets stronger. Box breathing can be a great technique; try doing it daily. Yoga has been amazing as well-I started slowly, just five minutes at first, but gradually built up from there. It takes time, but I never thought I'd live my life normally again, and yet here I am.
I hope you fid all this helpful and that you'll take things one step at a time. You can do it! Wishing you the best of luck on your journey to recovery.
Hey there,
Thanks a million for getting back to me-it made my day! Seriously,your message was a total pick-me-up. It's like talking to someone who totally gets whta i'ts all about every single day, so your advice means more to me than anything the docs say.
I'll definitely look into the stuff you mentioned and try everything because I'm really hoping to get my life back on track. And yeah, I'm going to ask about CBT tomorow too.
Also, in case you're wondering, I'm checking out home ECG monitors as well-they might help with that heart thing keeping me up at night. You've definitely got me thinking about new paths and it's awesome to hear success stories from people who've been there.
Thanks so much for everything!
You're very welcome. You will get there; don't give up. Imagine yourself doing what you love once more. It can feel shocking and silly at first, but keep moving forward and don't look back. I still experience anxiety on occasion, but it doesn't defeat me anymore. I stopped monitoring my pulse and checking for heart issues because it only made things worse. As long as medically everything is fine, you will regain your normal self again.
Thanks so much for saying that-really does make a difference hearing such kind stuff. Once I've got this new monitor, I'll know whether it's my poor old heart causing all the trouble or something ele. Appreciate your support, seriously! 🌟
Thank you for your response, John. The symptoms are indeed very real, and I wouldn't wish this on anyone else. Your message resonated with me and provided some insight, which is why I came here-to seek ideas from others who have been in a similar situation. For now, I am considering purchasing an ECG machine to ease my mind about my heart health. Sicne visiting the surgery isn't an option for me, when the doctor suggested getting an ECG device for home use, it seemed like a viable solution. Prior to your suggestion, buying one hadn't crossed my mind at all. Do you have any recommendations for specific models? I hope your exercise routine goes well and thank you again for reaching out.
Have you ever considered doing CBT courses? I mean, they really helped me understand that my thoughts totally shape my emotions.It's like learning new ways to deal with stuff by chaging how I look at things. You know, your thoughts have a huge impact on what you're feeling and going through-so it's kind of a big deal to figure out how to handle them differently.
Hey there, just wanted to let you know I've got a docor's call on Tuesday morning, so I'll bring it up then. Appreciate your advice-trying everytihng at this point!
Thanks for the info, I think it sounds good to me. I'll check it out now, maybe.