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Anxiety and swallowing air.

Posted , 6 users are following.

rawb
rawb

So during the summer autumn and beginning of winter i had a pretty bad anxiety disorder. (most likely panic disorder) was having panic attacks about 10 times a day for seemingly no reason with symptoms like; heart racing feeling sick dizzy indigestion irregular heart beat surrealisation shortness of breath etc. I like to think i've come out the other side and weathered most of the storm.

But in certain situations where my heart rate is being involuntarily raised (such as in the shower-upto 140bpm, walking fast to catch transport 120bpm etc doing housework 110bpm) i'm finding im getting a weird sensation. I'm not entirely sure it is my heart but more a weak LES letting air travel around into my stomach freely. It causes me to literally stand still to try gather myself, it's 9/10 followed by me subconsciously forcing myself to suck air out of my stomach and burp.

I feel it's a chicken/egg scenario. i'm not sure if it happens cause im aware im raising my heart rate and anxiety takes over and all my inner muscles go weird, or if it happens which then is followed by anxiety i find im unnaturally tense when this is happening too usually my pec minor, major shoulders arms and hands, like im clenching reading to punch someone in the face.

Does anyone else have trouble with swallowing too much air or do you think it could be an irregular heart beat? any advice would be nice! 

(p.s. I very seldomly have an actual panic attack anymore. my diet is very clean- i don't drink, i don't smoke, i don't take drugs, not on any medication, i don't have caffeine and very limited amounts of sugar. have 3 meals a day covering all food groups. I don't exercise per say but i do do yoga every couple of days and meditate every night but i don't do ANY cardio. it scares me with all this happening.)

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • billie18342
    billie18342 rawb

    Posted

    How long did you go through the panic attacks? Days? Weeks? Months? What was your heart rate during a panic attack? I am asking because I am going through the exact same thing!!! The dizziness and in realization is the worst.
    • rawb
      rawb billie18342

      Posted

      Started 2014 around November, and got on top of it around 2015 November time. So about a year, I slowly declined up until about May 2015 then I went off work for 3 months and sat at home panicking all day everyday. Lol worst thing you can do is let it control you. As soon as I got back into the swing of things it all stopped. I did yoga once a day and then meditated late at night before bed which helped me sleep. Heart rate during a panic attack went 140 sometimes. But it's nothing to fear it's just fast cause your body is pumping it with adrenaline. The dizziness will be because of your breathing habits. Try really really hard to slow your breathing. (I know it's hard) I did buyoko (I think that's the spelling) breathing techniques sometimes before or after yoga. Don't worry too much pal, you'll come out of it the other side. If you were ill (physically) it shows up on heart tests very clearly and your doctor would know. So don't worry. smile
  • billie18342
    billie18342 rawb

    Posted

    Your post I believe is heaven sent!!! I have had 30+ ekgs and seen three cardiologists, and an electro physiologist and was still worried they missed something!!! It was the fast heart rate that got me. My fast heart rate was 190 during a panic attack!!! But what happened was I sat up and noticed my heart was beating kinda fast, I panicked and stood up and my heart rate jumped to 190. So I think all three things played together. Does this sound right? I mean with all these ekgs if something was there they would see it right?
    • rawb
      rawb billie18342

      Posted

      Oh yeah. It'd show up like a red flag. They'd spot it straight away. Even if it was slightly damaged. 190 it quite high and I don't think those reasons would stock pile on top of each other like you're implying. But 190 isn't ABNORMAL. it is what it is. If your heart rate goes back to normal then awesome. It's just anxietysmile
  • billie18342
    billie18342 rawb

    Posted

    I mean they would have seen something right?
  • Howll
    Howll rawb

    Posted

    It could be to do with the gastric side of it, I'm suffering really bad acid reflux and indigestion which is making me burp and swallow air much more than usual.
    • rawb
      rawb Howll

      Posted

      I thought that could be the problem, I went on a course of lanzaprosole to lower my stomach acid, but it just made me feel physically sick all the time. If I really really concentrate when breathing and eating I don't swallow any air, but it's very life consuming. I don't want to be vigilant all day every day. Just want to be normal again. Haha
    • Howll
      Howll rawb

      Posted

      I know how it feels to want to feel normal again, it feels like I've gotta think about everything I'm doing, instead of just living life in the moment like I used to! It's so frustrating, it's as if you're in a constant battle with yourself.
  • SPatel787
    SPatel787 rawb

    Posted

    Hi

    I am also having similar issue, mainly swallowing air.

    Any treatment worked for you.

    Thanks.

    • aoife25261
      aoife25261 SPatel787

      Posted

      Hello have you found a cure ? I'm having The same problem. It's awfull. As soon as I swallow my upper part of my stomach inflates with air and I'm burping all day. Irrates my throat. I don't know what has caused it.

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