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Heart palpitations with anxiety? If so, what to do?
Does anyone ever have heart palpitations when they are experiencing anxiety? If so, what helps you stop them? I had a heart attack last year. Should I be concerned? Dany
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@sakota- Hi Joan. Just checking in to see how things are going with you.
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1 ReactionI have recently been struggling with heart palpitations. I went to the ER for heart palpitations that felt like someone punched me in the chest, it nearly knocked me out of my chair. I was just sitting at work doing paperwork and felt it. I was given a heart monitor to wear for 7 days and they said that I had rare PACs but otherwise everything was normal. Of course I did not feel what I felt when I went to the hospital while wearing the heart monitor. In the last 11-13 years I have worn 4 monitors. In the past there were very rare PVCs seen but otherwise I have been told that they all look the same and there are no life threatening concerns. I have been told that this is due to anxiety. I can understand the heart racing but I dont feel like anxiety causes these crazy palpitations. It is very scary. I have tried several medications in the past and none of them have worked for me and recently just had a horrible reaction to Zoloft and now I am terrified to try any other medications. Right now I am only taking 10x Heatlh Multivitamin and I would like to know any natural ways or supplements that help with anxiety. I would really really like to stay away from prescription medications. This whole thing is very scary and im feeling really defeated at this point.
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1 ReactionAnxiety can cause a lot of misery. I have anxiety and health anxiety, which complicates being sick with non-anxiety related conditions. Many people in my family suffer with this. It can cause so many things, I’ve discovered. I’m trying to avoid meds too, but I will take them if necessary. I have them in a drawer, in case I do decide to start. So far, I’ve gotten excellent results with talk therapy. I also exercise daily and eat well. It’s helping my anxiety and boosting my confidence and energy.
What have you tried so far?
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2 ReactionsI suffer from anxiety and panic attacks which include heart palpitations. I’ve been on heart holsters four times and of course nothing happens when I use it.
I find that meditation, yoga and healthy eating help me. I would say sleep helps as well but I can’t sleep longer than 2-3 hours a night.
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2 ReactionsI’m no stranger to depression and anxiety, it’s a family problem on my mom’s side and I have tried meds on and off to get me through it. I started getting palpitations after a covid infection, they’re very noticeable because I can hear them, this is something new, I did the same thing by going to the doctor and later a cardiologist. I’m very grateful that they don’t find anything serious but I have been trying to cope with this for over a year…it doesn’t hurt thankfully but it’s very scary to feel and hear my heart start beating faster without doing anything to cause it, my anxiety medication doesn’t help this problem, in fact the anxiety itself is very different in how it affects me…I also get tremors in my hands and I can’t function very well until it’s gone. I know my symptoms are not uncommon but it’s still very stressful and not getting any useful help just makes it worse.
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1 ReactionI’ve been trying to stay off this site as per my therapist’s advice but I’m just going crazy. My dr. says I have catastrophic thinking and Somatization but my problems are real! All caused by anxiety and depression. Constant palpitations are just one of my issues and every test comes back normal yet I’m on Metoprolol 50 for high blood pressure among others which I’m not pleased about. All this time I’m believing the medical conditions are causing my anxiety yet it seems it’s the opposite that’s true and the cure is therapy, meditation and medication. So why am I still suffering?
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3 ReactionsI've had Afib since 2002. Too many monitors to count, the latest was a month ago. I now have CHF and the gamet of SVTs and all the other heart 3 letter acronyms. I've had 4 heart attacks, all Type II, not caused by a clot. 2 were in 2022. They were caused by out-of-control BP and pulse, brought on by electrical misfirings in my heart. I take metoprolol 100mg/day to tamp it down.
I also have anxiety. I had it so bad last Thursday that I had to take a 2nd metoprolol to stop. I knew that anxiety was triggering it but I couldn't get myself off that ledge. I work on this mentally constantly, and it's taxing. If it weren't for the metoprolol, I would be dead. Meditation, calming music, and new-age stuff help keep me fairly level most days. That means I have palpalations every day, but they're managable and I'm just barely aware of them. A few times, I get a punch in the heart that will nearly buckle me. More Zio monitors show nothing. But for me, metoprolol is the only thing keeping from the ER.
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1 ReactionI talk to my therapist about it. Deferentiating between anxiety induced ailments vs, those that aren’t can be tricky. I have conversations with myself a lot to keep it in check. Also, I believe it when a test says I’m ok. If my heart sounds good, I believe it. When my labs are good. I believe it. I feel very healthy, strong and energetic. So, that means I’m very healthy. I can’t be certain that I don’t have something, but I will log the symptoms and discuss it with my doctor, if they persist. I have the adrenaline rushes, but not nearly as often as I used to.
Post covid syndrome does cause me distress, but I won’t let it ruin my life. I will put my wellness ahead of post covid. I’ve worked on tapping, self soothing and exercise to help adjust. It’s a daily thing for me. Most of my LC symptoms have subsided. And, what I thought was neuropathy is dissipating too. So, I have a lot to be grateful for. I try to do multiple affirmations during the day that I am healthy, strong and focused. It’s a struggle when I have symptoms, but it usually helps. I see my doctor regularly and that helps. Routine screenings are prudent and help ease my anxiety. I hope that by next year at this time, I will be free.
19y female
for the last few days in particular, i wanna say just a bit over 2 weeks at this point, i’ve been waking up with severe heart palpitations for a few minutes at a time that - while they go away after a few minutes - still are noticeable to the extent that they in turn make both my normal and health anxieties worsen. this is followed by having them throughout the day at random intervals, some days to a point where i have to lie down and either take a nap or go to bed early due to how bad they are.
medication wise, i currently don’t take anything for my anxiety consistently but i have been diagnosed with severe anxiety for a few years now. i have as-needed propanolol prescribed for face flushing / “panic attack” episodes, however it makes me super tired so i try not to take it unless absolutely necessary
i used to wake up in the morning feeling the same severe palpitations due to severe anxiety from loud alarms (which - in theory, having a tornado alarm as my alarm wasn’t a good idea) or waking up having missed a social event / something that i was looking forward to due to oversleeping. this has also made me wonder if it’s a recurring feeling coming back?
doctors-wise i had a test conducted on my thyroid a few months before this that came out absolutely normal, though i have been treated for persistent neck / muscle spasming / tightness a couple months after the fact. i also had an ekg done (albeit before these palpitations started) that also came out normal
on the nausea aspect - i don’t have much to say on that outside of the fact that it’s been a persistent feeling of stomach pain / nausea accompanying these palpitations that i’m not sure are associated or not, but it usually comes and goes with the palpitations, and i’ve dealt with nausea due to my depression before, so i thought thatd be important to add
my main questions out of all of this are if anyone else has had the same due to anxiety in turns of palpitations to this extent, and if it’s become a recurring thing for you? and if anything in particular has been able to help or any ways that you manage it?
thank you so much in advance !! 🙂
Please go to mayoclinic.org and put in your symptoms. Also, if your insurance allows it, please go to an Internal Medicine clinic at a University Hospital clinic. There are so many causes for your symptoms, that one thyroid test should not be the end of a proper diagnosis and treatment. One cause that comes to my mind is that your neck problem is irritating your Vagus nerve. I personally know that when I put my neck in certain positions, I get heart palpitations and nausea. Many Decades ago, when I was a teen, I was seen by an old, uncaring, doctor who, after a few blood tests, declared me a depressed teen who needed to talk to a psychiatrist about my teen problems and take medication. The only way for a person to find out any medical information was to go to the public library and ask to see the medical book called the Merck Manual. It is how I diagnosed and saved myself. Now most people can help get the proper diagnosis and treatment by using legitimate websites.
Advocate for yourself, and inform yourself of possibilities for the doctor to consider.
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