I've been having erratic palpitations for 2 weeks now, is it my panic disorder or something more serious
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Hopefully someone can help me with this. I can not see a doctor since I'm in the process of switching counties for my medical and have to wait. But I've been diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder, and panic disorders since February, 2022. For some odd reason, for the past two weeks, I get this severe erratic palpitations that seems worse than my usual anxiety palpitations. I have an ekg device and it tells me arrythmia, tachycardia, vpb and skipped beats. It usually happens when I'm moving to a sitting or lying down position and vice versa. But its worse when I lye down. I get short breath and feels as if there is an empty space in my chest with lack of oxygen. I'm a healthy male in my late 20s who goes to the gym 5 days a week, drink fruit smoothies once a day. I have to literally stand back up for it to beat normal. But when I drink caffeine or one beer, it goes hay wire. (I know they can trigger it). My heart beats fast, thumps hard, and skips many times all at once along with short breath. I am getting it throughout the day now. Even when I stay away from everything bad. At times, when I sit in a leaning forward position my chest feels squeezed like its suffocation and it begins to happen. Almost every time I use the toilet or just naturally sitting. It feels like AFib more than a panic attack since most of the time I am calm and I act normal even when it occurs. I do have cardiophobia but I do not panic about anything unless I get really lightheaded which only happened when I first experienced my first few attacks.. Please help, this is getting in the way of my life! I feel like my heart will just stop when I lye down.
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Phoenix72 Trubz559
Edited
I too have cut out everything bad but I still have palpitations, though not nearly as bad as yours. I find that boxing in the anxiety helps and not letting it rule you -- accepting that you have them AND that they will not kill you -- that helps. How is your sleep? For me, getting better sleep is critical and good sleep reduces the # and severity of palpitations. Also, the vagus nerve regulates heartrate and if it's pinched or messed up somehow, it can create palpitations. It might help to look up stretches for the vagus nerve and see if they help. I'm pretty sure they will help you b/c you mentioned the toilet and using the bathroom involves the vagus nerve. It's probably a good idea to make sure you have enough magnesium - do you take anything to help with the palpitations already?
Trubz559 Phoenix72
Posted
Hi Phoenix, thanks for the response. I was taking setraline (SSRI) medications but stopped two months after. It only made my chest pain felt worse, especially soon after taking them. Real reason I stopped taking them also was that I started getting bradycardia from it (40-50 bpm) along with short breath, even when I was actively working as a order picker at a warehouse (always lifting heavy nonstop). I had a few bad episodes from the medication at work that I had to go home. Sometimes I take xanax and it helps A LOT, love them but sadly can't always have them since I'm not prescribed to them, my friend's mom gets them. My friend is a nurse and tells me I might have anxiety, and maybe a real health problem since I get them basically every time I lye down. It beats erratically while skipping A LOT. But I don't get no other symptoms but upper chest pressure and short breath, no fainting or lightheadedness. Thanks for the tip on the vagus nerve, I shall start adding those to my yoga routine. Last night, my palpitations lasted up to 3 hours, the longest I had them. I was all good today then suddenly got it again around 9am for about an hour now. I'm typing while having palpitations. I'm just praying every day ill be alright till my medical kicks in.
Trubz559 Phoenix72
Edited
Update : I have to thank you for mentioning about the vagus nerve! I looked up stretching techniques for it and found the valsalva maneuver and it worked instantly! I can sit and lye down without any palpitations. I drank caffeine and nothing! Thank you so much!
Phoenix72 Trubz559
Posted
That is so awesome! I'm glad that helped to such a great degree!
Phoenix72
Posted
Understood about the SSRI...the side effects from them often suck. I'm in the middle of changing my meds and I'm on duloxetine and buspirone for anxiety, so I get it. I was going to add this to my original comment but I guess you can't here. Peace! You're gonna make it.