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Inappropriate sinus tachycardia caused by anxiety

Posted , 7 users are following.

rachel02253
rachel02253

Hi im just wondering if anyone can relate, i recently had a cardiology appointment and during the ecg i felt my heart racing which is why im there in the 1st place it was about 120bpm on the machine and was told i had sinus tachycardia i usually feel missed beats after the "episode" which usually start with a nervous feeling in the stomach i feel Hot and lightheaded and then after the heart beat increases it starts to "flip" around is this anxiety or a serious condition that causes the sinus tachycardia im confused? Im having a month long monitor to find what the "flipping" sensation mayne as only the fast beat was picked up on the ecg at the time so im half way to a diagnosis im a 28 year old female worried i may have something serious although ive hadany tests all ok.

1 like, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • rachel02253
    rachel02253

    Posted

    Also forgot to mention my episodes usually start with a urge to go the toilet is this normal with heart conditions or is this anxiety
  • JaneTx
    JaneTx rachel02253

    Posted

    Anxiety does not cause tachycardia - anxiety is caused BY Tachycardia.  Find a cardiologist who is familiar with Dysautonomia - problems with the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).  The ANS controls involuntary body functions such as circulatory (heart rate), respiratory, digestive, metabolic, endocrine (kidney), and immune systems.  Anything going on in these systems can send signals to the ANS which might react incorrectly and launch into "fight or flight mode", and anxiety results when the conscious brain doesn't know why.  Properly diagnosed, Dysautonomia is very manageable.

    • rachel02253
      rachel02253 JaneTx

      Posted

      Well the cardiologist said that with sinus tachycardia the biggest cause it anxiety with it being a normal rhythm as such so im a little confused it isn't always racing just a couple of times a week maybe or at the moment i have flu so it seems really bad when i walk around i can deal with it if its not dangerous just the not knowing

    • JaneTx
      JaneTx rachel02253

      Posted

      Straight from the website of Dysautonomia International (dot org) - "Inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST), a form of dysautonomia ..."  Dysautonomia is an emerging medical concept that apparently hasn't made it into medical schools and mainstream medical practice yet.  Too many cardiologists can't see out of their tiny little specialty box to see how the heart and circulatory system are part of much bigger body "systems" and how other parts of the body and the Autonomic Nervous System can affect the heart and circulatory system.  My daughter's pediatric cardiologist is a Dysautomia expert and he gets furious when other doctors try to blow off heart symptoms as mental issues.  Other things that can affect the heart are Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium and Sodium deficiencies or imbalances - for example, magnesium sulfate is sometimes given IV in emergency rooms to prevent seizures.  Certain vitamins also influence how well the "-ium" minerals are absorbed and utilized, this is where a dietition might help.

    • rachel02253
      rachel02253 JaneTx

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply so is this a dangerous condition or something that comes and goes it started maybe 18months ago, is it worth going to the doctors to speak about this?
    • JaneTx
      JaneTx rachel02253

      Posted

      I would not call this a dangerous condition.  Actually knowing what is causing your symptoms and how (like catching the virus currently making the rounds will stimulate the immune system which stimulates the ANS which affects the circulatory system and the heart) gives you the tools to manage it more effectively and make your life better and perhaps some peace of mind.  Good luck discussing these emerging "systems" concepts and Dysautonomia with doctors.

  • anxietysite123
    anxietysite123 rachel02253

    Posted

    No... Sinus tachychardia isn't ONLY caused by anxiety, but it definitely is.. Do you have inappropriate sinus tach or regular? The way my cardiologist described it, unless you're a hard athlete, we all have sinus tach.. All of us.. That just means that with excersise, our pulse gets above 100.. Its the most common thing to have. I have it too, so does everyone around you probably. Inappropriate can also be caused by anxiety, as long as other heart problems are ruled out.

    • rachel02253
      rachel02253 anxietysite123

      Posted

      Hi well the cardiologist said after he recorded the ecg at 120bpm that it was sinus tachycardia but would this cause the flipping missed beat sensation if its supposed to be a normal rhythm? I get those as the heart speeds up and now and then il have a random flutter with minimal heart rate increases. Im not sure if im too aware of heart rate increases such as walking upstairs, eating too much or even standing up its like im way to conscious of all of it then i feel my heart beats to hard and fast because i concentrate so hard on it maybe
    • anxietysite123
      anxietysite123 rachel02253

      Posted

      That's exactly why.. If your cardiologist isn't worried, chalk it all up to anxiety.. I used to get heart palps ALL of the time.. I even felt them on the holter monitor, where the doctor said it wasn't even my heart.. My anxiety was basically giving me the feelings of skipped beats and stuff, but my testing was showing differently.

    • JaneTx
      JaneTx anxietysite123

      Posted

      True, some anxiety can be traced to conscious concerns (like worried about not doing a good enough job), and counseling can help with that stuff.  That kind of anxiety will still kick the ANS into "fight or flight mode", and any physical minor irregularities in the circulatory system may manifest as symptoms.  My point is that many times seemingly unrelated problems can kick the ANS with the same end result symptoms - when I eat some bad greasy food, I get a tremendous amount of anxiety until it finally clears my system, then I feel fine again.  But since I know my digestive system can kick my ANS, I don't worry about my anxiety and I just curse myself for eating something I know I shouldn't have eaten and ride it out.  That is why counseling sometimes seems to help quite a bit and sometimes it doesn't.  The cardiologists see truly life threatening conditions every day, and if they tell you not to worry about your cardiac symptoms, they mean it.  They just won't try to guess what brought on the anxiety in the first place as it's not originating with the circulatory system and outside their "box", I don't think they intend to dismiss the anxiety, but it always seems to come off that way.

    • anxietysite123
      anxietysite123 JaneTx

      Posted

      That is so true about the food, I thought it was just me! Every single time I eat something greasy or something that I dont normally eat anymore, I get so anxious and sick for probably 2 days straight.. If I have coffee, forget it I'll be in a panic attack for like 5 days

    • JaneTx
      JaneTx anxietysite123

      Posted

      The digestive system is a big part of the Autonomic Nervous System.  Another emerging medical area is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and within the past 10 years they're finding links between it and POTS (a form of Dysautonomia).  MCAS and Celiac Disease and other food allergies and sensitivities can loop back to the ANS and cause really weird symptoms.

  • billiejo86504
    billiejo86504 rachel02253

    Posted

    Hi Rachel I would ask your cardiologist that question I have tachycardia I take medication to control my heart rate although my heart is beating normal I have palpitations along with anxiety it all started have me feeling nauseous in the pit of my stomach and the nervous feeling that's the way it started before I too have an appointment with my cardiologists on Wednesday get all the information you can from your cardiologist maybe he can give you something for the heart rate hope everything goes well

  • ashley2842
    ashley2842 rachel02253

    Posted

    I was go ogling anxiety induced tachycardia and your post is one that came up. I registered for this site just so I could reply to your comment. Are you still having symptoms??
  • jimjames
    jimjames rachel02253

    Posted

    I realize this is an old thread but just wondering how you are doing now? IST is more associated with young women, like yourself and is usually not considered serious.  I also have recently been having episodes and I'm not female nor young and I also wonder about the anxiety connection which I read may be one of several triggers. How long do your attacks last? Do you feel fatigued after?

    Jim

    • tara77076
      tara77076 jimjames

      Posted

      hey i seen nobody answered you jim how are you today?

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