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Palpitations only when walking

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jennifer70719
jennifer70719

Hello everyone! I am curious to know if there is anyone that has similar symptons to myself?

Whenever I go for a walk, I get palpitations!

It's worth noting I have had anxiety for 15 years, in particular I used to have health anxiety as a teenager that came back this year when I had a bit of an exisential crisis and worry about dying around my 30th birthday, so recently I have panicked about dying a lot and been anxious all day every day, feeling exhausted and fed up at this point! i keep getting aches and pains that im panicking about. 😦

I saw my GP today who, because of the combo of chest/backpain and palpitations/dizziness, sent me to the hospital today to check for blood clots (family history), my bloods, Ecg and chest x ray was fine, but they were only checking my lungs. whilst my back pain they think is muscular, i worry its my heart due to the palpitations and feeling light headed when i exercise. but they didnt check my heart as seemed okay on the ecg, and i need to ask my GP for the 24 hour ECG - last time i booked it took three weeks so if it does again, more anxiety for me 😦

my tl;dr question basically is, could my anxiety be triggering only when walking, because i am expecting it? has anyone with anxiety only had palpitations at certain times? i feel hugely anxious sat down at home as i am thinking about my health, but i dont get palpitations (just dread haha), literally only start getting a bunch of palpitations if i exert myself, if its anxiety it had a wicked way of convincing me i have heart failure, but would love all your thoughts 😦

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • natalie23195
    natalie23195 jennifer70719

    Posted

    I started having health anxiety in August when I went to the dr with chest pain and a pharmacist told me I was having a heart attack .. which I wasn't then a week later my stepdad passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack which h caused me bad anxiety and panic attacks I can worry about having anything from cancers to ms but it always comes back to my heart. I had 2 chest xrays and a chest scan in oct they was normal I've had 4 lots full bloods done thyroid checked all normal. when I first started getting panic attacks heart palpitations was a main symptom then they went away now theyve come back I'm getting them nearly every day only one or 2 flutters sometimes can miss a day then back to where I am but I get sir hunger feeling also which makes me really bloated n burping alot but I have gerd so not sure if that's why i get the air hunger so stressfull

    • jennifer70719
      jennifer70719 natalie23195

      Posted

      thanks for your response! i do actually have graves disease but its hypo now which i dont think causes palpitations and my levels are fine. i get palpitations 100% when walking, if i dont go for a walk that day, i wont get palpitations.

      i am with you on everything going to the big C word, also worried about having heart failure as I feel so fatigued and drained. although the nurse said my chest pain didnt sound like heart issues and my ecg was okay (i was lying down though).

      been having acid problems, too, wonder if GERD is anxiety induced. i sometimes wonder if im not having palpitations and its just stomach acid as it feels like a flutter in my chest like its doing flips.

  • jan34534
    jan34534 jennifer70719

    Edited

    i’ve had anxiety for over 40 years and have had every symptom that anxiety causes. One of the things it causes is rapid heartbeat and also possibly fatigue when doing any kind of exercise. Even walking.

    that’s because anxiety and stress take a huge toll on the body and when you try to exert yourself the body has to work hard to even just walk. so the heart rate has to go up to keep up with the demand.

    you are too young to have heart failure and the ECG would have shown that something was wrong because with heart failure there are ECG changes. anxiety can also cause skipped heartbeats which I have had on and off for years. It’s not dangerous when it’s due to anxiety. I think you would feel a lot better if you weren’t thinking so much about all of this. Too much overthinking can actually worse than the symptoms

    . What I decided to do was to get myself in the best physical condition possible. I started exercising, using weight machines to build core strength , eating only healthy foods and staying hydrated! For my mind I would listen to soothing meditations for anxiety, overthinking, or just relaxing. When I build myself up like that, my heart does not race.

    so , be determined to be the best you can be and don’t give away your power to anxiety and fear! YouTube has a lot of talks on this subject along with the great meditations. Take care

    • jennifer70719
      jennifer70719 jan34534

      Posted

      thanks so much for your response, its very reassuring, since my post i have been worried about hearing my heart beat loudly in my left ear and ringing, and getting chest pain. i have re read what you wrote a few times to calm myself down as its probably health anxiety causing this.

      my GP wants me to do a 24 hour ecg to check my heart, and the wait is always the worst part for anxiety!

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