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Heart issues/anxiety symptoms after eating or standing up

Posted , 23 users are following.

fedup53409
fedup53409

Hi everyone,

Does anybody else mostly just have issues only after eating or standing up/ moving around? Lately every time I eat, about 10 mins later my heart starts racing and feels irregular in its rythm, almost as if it stops for a second and then suddenly goes extra hard/fast. Sometimes I get a thudding/squeezing pain in my heart as well, which makes the whole left side of my chest hurt for days afterwards. It feels like I've strained my muscles doing chest exercises or something! Also, when I stand up after sitting or lying down for a while, I feel light headed and my heart races, and my stomachs feel odd - like all the blood is rushing to it or something. It's hard to describe. I also feel out of breath after eating and standing.

i just feel really scared because these symptoms don't just feel random any more, they feel related to eating or moving around somehow, and it has me convinced that this is evidence that there's something wrong with my heart. If it was anxiety, wouldn't it happen randomly throughout the day no matter what I was doing?

Also, When these symptoms first started happening to me a few years so ago, they were really mild and very infrequent, and seemed to happen randomly. Now, it happens everyday and it feels like they are getting worse. The pain is stronger and the heartbeat feels much more erratic. I feel so scared, especially as there is a history of heart attack and stroke in my family. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack any day now, or sudden heart failure. I've had resting ecgs which were fine, had an echo which I'm waiting for results for, and getting a 12 day monitor in a week. Despite this, I don't feel reassured at all. 

Has anyone else experienced any of this, with eating and moving around etc?

0 likes, 61 replies

61 Replies

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  • ashley70570
    ashley70570 fedup53409

    Posted

    I have chest pains n numbness in my left arm n sometimes i do not feel anxious but i do worry alot about my health. I think it makes it worse thinking bout it
  • BellaLuna
    BellaLuna fedup53409

    Posted

    You have a natural surge in your blood sugars after eating and for some people that can increase anxiety symptoms, I always feel generally worse after my evening meal in particular, symptoms from moving around sometimes come from low blood pressure, not dangerous low but just a little drop, a CPN once told me to stay hydrated to help with that and that most of us don't drink enough without realising it.

    You could try smaller but more frequent meals to keep your blood sugars even, I know you must be very worried because of your family history but remember anxiety is a liar, it will convince you that there is something seriously wrong.

    Once you have got your results and have evidence that there is no physical issue try a technique that has been helping me in the past few days, stop fighting the anxiety symptoms and instead invite them in, welcome them and actively encourage them, do it at home in a comfortable place at first.

    I know it's not easy, our instinct is to fight those symptoms away but if you let them in you start to accept that they cannot harm you, you will have the evidence from your tests to back that up too, anxiety thrives on fear, it feeds off it and as soon as you know that the feelings wont harm you that fear reduces and the anxiety symptoms subside because there is nothing for it to feed off anymore.

    Take care x

    • fedup53409
      fedup53409 BellaLuna

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. That does make a lot of sense, about the blood sugars after eating. I definitely haven't been keeping as hydrated as usual lately, so I'll try being better at that and see if it helps. It is so hard to not be terrified when the symptoms start, it really feels like your heart is going to give out!  Good tip about the smaller meals too - because I'm now so nervous about eating, I leave it til I'm starving and then have a meal, so that probably isn't helping at all x
    • BellaLuna
      BellaLuna fedup53409

      Posted

      It's so hard I know, you really do think something awful is happening but remember anxiety is a liar, of course the feelings are very real but they are not the awful things that anxiety is making you believe they could be.

      The eating is tricky especially when you feel anxious about it, I am guilty of this myself but more due to appetite loss/anorexia predisposition but you tell yourself that when your body is working with anxiety it is working harder than usual and you need to fuel it, small meals do work really well and keep a glass of water nearby or a bottle if you are out, it really does help because you can just sip on it and it becomes a habit in the end x

    • moeblue
      moeblue BellaLuna

      Posted

      Hey There Bella,

      I am 34 today. And I have been suffering from anxiety GAd etc for last 30 months or so. I used to weigh 100 kilos and my Bp used to be 140/95. So I reduced my weight to 80 now and Normally my Bp is around 120/80. But the problem is my Anxiety. I am always scared. I am carrying my BP monitor everywhere every time. I get anxious in unusual circumstances. Like when I go out for Dinner with family I am very edgy. My BP shoots to 150/105. And I need to go back to my Car and check my BP and take deep breaths and it comes back to 125/85 range. sad I often happen to encounter high BPM around 100 for around 15-20 minutes. I don't know what to do. I have a family history of Cardiac Arrest as my Dad died of it @55. But after that I am so so scared that I have stopped living normally. Please advice.

      Moe

    • allyson31618
      allyson31618 moeblue

      Posted

      I feel the same I have severe anxiety I feel like gonna have a heart attack my heart starts having palpitations I'm always Shakey and in easy I'm constantly checking my respirations and pulse and BP I have done all the test they all came back negative Dr told me I have really bad anxiety and chronic sinusitis my mom died of amyloidosis at the age of 58 she developed to much protein and it deposited into her heart and that's what caused her heart attack my dad had a heart attack about 1 yr ago but his heart attack was a smokers induced heart attack I just do my 4-7-8 breathing and listen to relaxing music and I'm able to control at times I can't though sometimes like today it's been out of control best of luck to you I hope you get better

  • 200Down
    200Down fedup53409

    Posted

    What BellaLuna suggested DOES realy work. I used to have full blown panic attacks which gradualy progressed from plain old anxiety into a few ER visits. I didn't even know they where panic attacks sense it happened that I had hyperthyroid problems which can have the exact same symptoms. Racing heartrate, shortness of breath, etc....  Needless to say I never took any meds for anxiety or those attacks because once you actualy can accept that it REALLY is anxiety and not some other problems, you can learn to accept it and eventualy it'll happen less and less to the point where you'll likely never have at all accept on rair occations where anxiety is a GOOD thing. Like when someone sticks a gun in your face..... anxiety isn't always a bad thing but just not ALL the time wink

    So yes, if you can get a handle on your anxiety before it turns into actual Panic Attacks, trust me you don't wanna get to that point as Panic Attacks are a whole other animal. Fear of the unknowns is where all my anxiety started. Write down a list of any question you want answered before going into your doc to get checked out so you can grill them for all the info you need to get a handle on it(Information is FREE so ask everything you need to, until your curiosity is satisfied. Trust me it'll help HEEPS with avoiding future anxiety over medical issues). Even if it IS a crappy diagnosis, just knowing WHY you're feeling those things and which ones you SHOULD be worried about, will drastricaly reduce anxiety.

    Some things that anxiety can cause ALL by itself if it gets bad enough like mine was..... This is just what I experienced from anxiety alone which I thought was much much more:

    -- Increased heartrate (could be anywhere up to Panic Attack stages well over 180+ bpm. This is why you wanna get a handle on anxiety before the Panic stages because that actually can be dangerous depending on your heart health).

    -- Increased Blood Pressure (If you don't have high blood pressure problems to begin with then this shouldn't be much of an issue. For me, I've yet to ever have pressures jump more than 40 sys. or dia. even during panic stages.)

    -- Gut problems such as aches and pains all over. Many times worsening after ANY meal and rediculous amounts of GAS and GAS pains.  After I got a handle on anxiety they all but completely dissapeared.

    -- Runny stools. As long as it isn't very dark(nearly black) or with any RED in it(if it is... then get your butt to a doc or the ER), otherwise it's likely all stress and/or anxiety. Even as little as 10-20 minutes of really high anxiety about something can do it.

    -- Shortness of breath. If you're feeling anxous about something and you get shortness of breath just step back and ask yourself.... "Am I suffocating?". Is it instead just a bit more "work" to breath? If you're not actually suffocating then don't worry. I always got shortness of breath which was almost always shortly before actual Panic Attacks and during them.  To avoid escolation into Panic Attacks if and when you get that scary shortness of breath feeling, stand up straight or sit back in your chair. Seriously, it works. We unknowingly ball up and make it worse when we aren't breathing well or if our heartrate is fast. Which will make the shortness of breath even worse along with increased chest pressure just from leaning forward.

    Anyways I could go on and on..... instead of that I'll give you a link that REALLY helped me deal with anxiety and Panic Attacks.  Read the whole thing as I'm sure there's something there that should help if you're struggling with it. At the very least it may get you off those nasty "cover up" meds which everyone downs all day long for anxiety these days.

    Good luck and God Bless guys. Everything will be fine, get yourself a checkup and ask those questions, questions and more questions. Don't forget to breath lolz

  • 200Down
    200Down fedup53409

    Posted

    I forgot to mention, in reference to fedup53409's original post.

    I'm no doctor but I did have all of what you described and the heart(palpitations) are especially scary.  Have someone check your thyroid levels. It can mess with your heartrate and rythim amoung other things.

    Also it's normal for heartrate and bloodpressure to go up after eating but it shouldn't be flat out racing. And if I had to GUESS, it sounds almost exactly like you've gotten yourself so wound up over this problem instead of going to have it checked out that you're now having small anxiety attacks over it and have gotten hypersensitive to "feelings" in your body like I did.

    Go have yourself checked out, as you're doing the SAME thing I did. LItteraly turning into a headcase over it instead of going in and dealing with it.

    Again, if they havn't already checked it...., have them check thyroid levels and blood sugar levels. I was missdiagnosed for nearly 20 years before having to resort to the internet to find the answers myself and more or less hand the doctors the "hyperthyroid" diagnosis lol. Funny because it's honestly not THAT uncommon....

     

    • fedup53409
      fedup53409 200Down

      Posted

      Thanks for your replies. It is very possible that I now have anxiety over eating which is making it a lot worse - I do feel on edge when I eat, just waiting for the symptoms to kick in.

      I actually had my thyroid levels checked when I went to A&E during one of my first experiences of these symptoms, and the tests were fine. They referred me to a cardiologist who performed an echo; not sure what the results of that were yet, I need to contact my gp about that. They did send me a letter this week though scheduling a further test in a month, for a possible chest X-ray. I also picked up my cardiocall monitor today, so at least I can record the symptoms when they happen and they can take a closer look. Just a waiting game now really, and trying to keep calm in the meantime x

    • 200Down
      200Down fedup53409

      Posted

      Ahhhhh, it wouldn't supprise me if the leading cause of anxiety problems starts with something heart related.......

      I have a murmur along with the hyperthyroid issue. One of my valves is letting blood pass "backwards" back through the heart. Can't remember what it's called right now but still have to go back in for 6 month checkups. So needless to say any odd feelings in my chest still gets to me a bit.

      I hope they find an answer for you instead of "you're perfectly fine" and "stop worrying about it". Sounds like your doctors are at least listening to you. My heart specialist took some coaxing to even put a stethiscope to my chest at all because she thought she had it all figured out before even seeing me the first time. I just kept saying "no something isn't right" and her response was "I've done this for 20ish years, there's nothing wrong with you and It's probably all your thyroid and come back when you get that fixed".  Couple hours later and an ultrasound, I get a phonecall from her personaly telling me guess what.... there is a problem. Needless to say I never went back to her again. Doctors can be real headcases in the states I swear..... Seems you are your own best advocate when it comes to health issues. That or I'm just unlucky with doctors haha

      Sounds like you're in much better hands than I was at first though. Heya, when you find out what it is, please update us!

       

    • ashley70570
      ashley70570 200Down

      Posted

      Thats how they did me i kept going back to back n even haf alot of ct scan they ssy my heart is fine n the chest psins n numbness is caused by anxiety i get dull aching psins n some times tingling in my chest n sometimes my chest n shoulders are heavy whst fo yoi think
    • 200Down
      200Down ashley70570

      Posted

      Ashley,

      It might be hard to deal with the anxiety without SOME kind of diagnosis first but I still have those symptoms just like you so it may very well be anxiety related. It may even be worth the time to get a second oppinion just to put your mind at ease so you can deal with the anxiety more easily. If it helps, regardless of what you have or don't have, I'm sure they have checked for all the most life threatening things already so you can relax. Even if there is an issue, it must not be THAT bad or they'd have found something already. 

      Franky says relax!! Breeeeath in and hold it for 5 seconds or so...... and then out slooooooowwwwllyyyy....... so you don't have to add light-headed and fainting spells to your list of symptoms from hyperventilating.  smile

      Chiropractors can work wanders if you're a stress pot. Got rid of most of the aches, tingling, and numbness in my arms and legs by my second visit. You may need weekly visits at first if it's your first time to one. I still visit monthly. It's worth it if only to rule out nerve issues related to stress for a meesly 35$ a visit if nothing else. Just a thought.

    • ashley70570
      ashley70570 200Down

      Posted

      Thank you n i have been over 30 times to the doctor n er n they all say the same thing but i also have a stomach ulcer npw n i read they can csuse pain also
  • rachelmarie24
    rachelmarie24 fedup53409

    Posted

    Oh, ok I get this all the time too if I eat a lot or if I'm just about full.. so what I do is eat very small amounts of food throughout the day.. so small breakfast, very small lunch, small dinner (child portion maybe) and some snacks in between smile hope u get better soon.. it's such an awful feeling ...
    • 200Down
      200Down rachelmarie24

      Posted

      Same here.  Although I've gotten a handle on the panic attacks, I've yet to get a handle on the anxiety after eating. The heavier the meal the worse it is.  It used to take me all day to eat one regular sized meal split into 4-6 sittings it was soo bad lolz..... So yeah you aint alone.  It gets better though after you know what it is.

      Here's what I was told from a doctor that actually took the time to explain it wink

      First you get hypersensitive to any changes going on in your body. Usually this is from some other health issue that gets you "thinkin" and makes you much more aware of all the lil feelings that normaly you wouldn't even notice.

      When your body digests food it actualy can feel pretty terrible if you're sensitive to it. Heart rate rises along with bp and your body goes to work. And it really has to work quite hard to digest which is why we're soo dang tired after those big meals and EVEN more soo if you have anxiety during that time too. It's flipping exausting.

      Third. If you also get anxious on top of feeling all the digesting going on, your heart will be even faster, add more gas to the equation, gut discomfort from all that extra gas, diaria too if the anxiety is bad enough... blah blah blah.

      Yeah rachel I'm glad you posted that cuss I forgot about it and what you said does def help.  But you can beat it! I'm getting there slowly. It doesn't happen during every meal anymore at least. Also soups are very easy to digest. Try a light soup out and you should be able to eat a whole meal like that without too much issue. And chew your food!!! lolz seriously.... eat too fast = more air and harder to digest :P 

    • fedup53409
      fedup53409 rachelmarie24

      Posted

      Thanks x it's reassuring hearing that other people get these symptoms after eating, I'll try and remember that next time I freak out about it!
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