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anxiety-based heart palpitations & nausea
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 !! 🙂
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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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1 ReactionI’m pretty sure you are suffering from anxiety, all the symptoms that you describe are very similar to this ailment, of course I am not a medical professional but I’m a longtime sufferer of anxiety. The neck pain is caused by tension and it’s a common spot for muscles to tense up which leads to pain, nausea is another symptom of anxiety because it’s difficult to eat when you’re stressed and it can cause nausea, palpitations are also caused by anxiety. I suffer from chronic anxiety and I have all the symptoms that you mentioned, I started young too and it pretty much has been with me forever. It’s very wise that you have been checked out by the doctors but if it continues to trouble you then you may need some help from a medication like an antidepressant, perhaps therapy could help you to find out what’s causing your anxiety because there’s usually a cause that you might not be aware of and that is why therapy can be very beneficial, best wishes.
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3 Reactions@colely - Good advice.
I'd just add that the most reputable websites to use for more information are those that end in *.org (hospitals, nonprofits focused on certain condition, or *.edu (academic, research institutions).
That would include: Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and condition-specific nonprofits, amongst others.
I have had heart palpitations over the years and my PCP at the time had me wear a "Holter harness" (I think it was called) for a day and it would record any unusual episodes, and I would also make a note if/when I noticed a racing heart.
For me that did not result in any specific diagnosis, and like you my EKGs were fine.
But the Holter monitor might still be used to try to record the palpitations when they occur.
Ask Qs, read reputable professional sites associated with major medical centers/hospitals and academic institutions that are involved in research on these issues.
Take care.