About increased heart rate, particularly at night

Posted by rave777 @rave777, Jun 30 1:38pm

I have been a bit anxious about my heart for the past 30 days or so. I went to a doctor of medicine and he said that its just gas and that I don't need to worry and that its getting worse due to my anxiety. I have had this slightly heavy feeling in my left chest for about 4 or so months and I used to have very slight issues whilst trying to take in a LONG breath but now that issue is less serious after consuming the medicine that he has prescribed for me, which included pramin 25 and indever. Now, the issue is at night, my heart suddenly begins to race(After dinner usually). Along with that I have had a stiff neck for the past 10 days or so which sometimes turns into a headache. Also , I have a throbbing feeling at the back of my head but it doesn't cause any pain. I am always thinking about my body and getting anxious. Also, I should mention that my blood pressure on the lower side currently and I have been having a lot of bed rest and am avoiding red meat and so.(Although after consuming the red meat my heart races too). I also had asthma problems earlier in my life but currently I don't have any issues and I have never had to take any inhalers.

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gravity3 | @gravity3 | Jul 1 1:39am

Second opinion? Cardiologist?

rave777 | @rave777 | Jul 1 6:47am

Could it be just anxiety? Maybe I should see a neurologist first

abid | @abid | Jul 1 8:40am

What is your maximum heart rate after dinner and what is your pulse rate during sleep (someone else can check it for you). What is your age and when did throbbing feeling started? BP on lower side is a good thing. why are you on bed rest? is the heaviness in chest related to exertion or it occurs at rest. I think it's your anxiety which is causing these issues. May bee seeing a psychiatrist would be a good idea. Inability to take a long breath without any other respiratory symptom is typical of anxiety.

minnesota10 | @minnesota10 | Jul 1 8:46am

Are you taking any meds around this time of day.
Also, check out side effects of your meds.
Wishing you the best.

divertada | @divertada | Jul 1 10:21am

I used to get random heart racing episodes. I was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia. I now take a low dose of Metropolol and live a completely normal life. I thought I was having panic attacks, not so.

gloaming | @gloaming | Jul 3 3:02am

You may benefit from someone very skilled in holistic medicine. It sounds like something is being missed, and that your entire system is 'outta whack'. A racing heart, tachycardia, is not an arrythmia, but it is indicative of an electrical disorder in your heart. Whether a virus, Vagus nerve tone, myocarditis, pericarditis, valvular problem, gas, GERD, liver disease or disorder, chemical/electrolyte imbalance....there's something there.

Has your serum levels of thyroxin checked out? You don't have hyperthyroidism?

cottagecountry | @cottagecountry | Jul 3 8:54am

Here is a link to one of Mayo Clinic's excellent articles on this very topic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-palpitations/symptoms-causes/syc-20373196
As you will see, all sorts of things can cause palpitations. You seem to have some food triggers but also over the counter medications, caffeine and even the position you sleep in can cause them. (Apparently, lyng on your left side can be problematic. Bad news for me.😉)
Palpitations are not necessarily arrhythmias. But to be on the safe side, I would suggest getting checked out first to make sure your problem is not physiological in nature. If, after establishing it is not your heart or any other underlying health problem, and it is because of anxiety, then there are many things you can do to calm your anxiety, using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques, including deep breathing (using the 4 - 3 - 7 method. (Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breathe for 3 seconds, then slowly exhale for 7 seconds. Repeat 4 or 5 times. This stimulates your built-in calming device, the Vagus Nerve.) Or consider mindfulness meditation. Lots of information out there about this topic. I use an app called Headspace. It has a 30 day trial feature so you can try it first.
Meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, is not far out , hippy-dippy stuff. It is very mainstream therapy. It helps you harness the power of that important part of your body - your brain. And it can take as little as 15 or 20 minutes day - I do 20 minutes a day. It is simple and very effective. And, most importantly, over a relatively short period of time, it can greatly enhance your quality of life.
I have an advanced degree in psychology and was in private practice for just under 10 years before transitioning to the research side of the equation . There I spent many years researching the sometimes astonishing effectiveness of simple techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness meditation, among other CBT techniques. Our brain is a very powerful tool that can, with the right tools and a little practice, help you manage life's trials and tribulations.
Wishing you all the best.