Dealing with some anxiety tonight

[bin_tenn]

Hi all. I'm currently dealing with some anxiety, and I'd just like some encouragement. Reassurance sounds good, but I'm not asking for it because I know that's ultimately not helpful. So I'm just wanting to vent and ask for encouragement.

Some time this morning, after I had been awake for a while, I felt a heart palpitation (the "skipped beat" type). No big deal, I kept going about my day. Then it happened again a few minutes later. Again, no big deal. But then it continued to happen, and I've been having them off and on all day, much more than usual. They did seem to stop completely for a while this afternoon, but they're back tonight, quite frequent. This afternoon I was able to play guitar for a bit, get up and around, play with the kids, etc.

My pulse is normal in the sense that it isn't erratic. When the palpitations occur I can feel the brief pause in my pulse, followed by a harder beat, then back to normal until it happens again. I know that isn't abnormal (to feel the brief pause and such), just trying to add relevant details. When I had AFib with RVR in 2016 my heart rate was somewhere around 200 BPM, and the rhythm was very obviously erratic.

Now I'm feeling nauseous. Gagging a bit. I wonder if I should go to the ER. I'd really hate to do that, because it could very well be just anxiety. One, I don't want to waste resources, and two I don't want to unnecessarily expose myself to COVID. This sucks...

 

[ThankfulJen]

Yeah. It does suck. But try to remind yourself that your cardiologist has checked you out and gave you the all good! The nausea and gagging could just be from the anxiousness getting worse. I think you are good. Just having an off day. Maybe you could give your cardiologist a call tomorrow if your still getting them and feeling anxious. Maybe even make an appointment. Maybe a warm bath might help. Some deep breathing and distraction! Hope you start to feeling better soon!

 

[bigjetplane2]

You have felt this before, and even worse and it was all good. The more thought you are giving it, the more power it’s getting.
What has worked before for you to get calm and relaxed?

 

[Cuchculan]

Now doubt you ate some time during the whole day. Mix them both together and that might be why you are feeling as you are. Nausea and the likes. Which sounds a bit like your acid reflux. Maybe a milder version. Brought on after eating. Because of the heart palps all day long.

 

[Doug97]

Anxiety and not eating can both cause nausea. Your heart symptoms are nothing new since the last time you got throughly checked out and given the all clear. Is there something underneath your HA that's bothering you?

 

[Cuchculan]

You been speaking to Emilly again? I did warm you she would be no good for your heart.

 

[Jonathan123]

Poor Emilly! Is she going to be blamed for everything that goes wrong? Come on guys, giver her a break!!! But seriously, that so called skipped heartbeat is no more than a double beat making up for the missed beat. For the past 30 odd years I have had palpitations on and off. It was that that began my anxiety. When I was told I was OK, after wearing out no end of ECG machines, I began to accept them. Something has triggered them off. Can be indigestion, or some event you may not even have noticed. It's all OK!

 

[bin_tenn]

I was able to consult with the doctor via phone last night, and they recommended what I suspected: due to the frequency of these skips, go to the ER for an EKG. Had it been business hours I imagine they would've recommended visiting the office instead. Oddly enough, shortly after talking to the doctor the palpitations stopped completely. Some time after that I felt nauseous, even gagged a bit. I eventually fell asleep, and woke up to my alarm this morning.

Now I'm only feeling anxious that the skipped beats will return today, but not uncontrollably anxious. I can manage this. I have it in my mind at the moment that my heart is going to start skipping beats any moment now. I'll just have to try and ignore that thought, and remind myself that I'll be fine. If they do indeed start to again today I'll pop in at the doctor's office for an EKG.

I did notice last night that deep breaths would often trigger the skips. Leaning over would trigger them. Stretching with one or both arms over my head would trigger them. I did also start burping a fair amount. I had taken Tums earlier in the evening because I had hints of reflux and I thought that may resolve the palpitations. It didn't, but it did get rid of the reflux at least.

I think I just freaked myself out yesterday. Yes, I've felt that sort of thing before, palpitations all day long. But before, they were actually following a pattern. I had timed them, and they occurred every two or three minutes on the dot, lasting roughly 24 hours. I saw my cardiologist that time. I don't recall if he did an EKG, but either way he seemed to conclude that "they sure can be a nuisance sometimes, huh?" And that was it.

Thanks everyone. We'll see how things go today. If it returns I'll see my doctor. Otherwise I'll be just fine and won't have to go in.

 

[Phillies Phan]

I of course wish you the best Bin, but as the hypochondriac that I am, I’m wondering first how you were able to speak with your doctor during the night, and how you can if necessary just “pop” in today to see your GP? If I was having a HA crisis during the night there is no way I could reach my doctor let alone get her to call me! I’d have to either go to the ER or call in the morning, likely getting a call the following day or if lucky, later that day.

Im envious

 

[Doug97]

I of course wish you the best Bin, but as the hypochondriac that I am, I’m wondering first how you were able to speak with your doctor during the night, and how you can if necessary just “pop” in today to see your GP? If I was having a HA crisis during the night there is no way I could reach my doctor let alone get her to call me! I’d have to either go to the ER or call in the morning, likely getting a call the following day or if lucky, later that day.

Im envious

Me too!

@bin_tenn, you should ask your doc for a 24hr heart monitor to wear. That will make sure the intermittent palpitations are recorded. In my experience palpitations never happen while you're hooked up to a EKG machine.

 

[bin_tenn]

I of course wish you the best Bin, but as the hypochondriac that I am, I’m wondering first how you were able to speak with your doctor during the night, and how you can if necessary just “pop” in today to see your GP? If I was having a HA crisis during the night there is no way I could reach my doctor let alone get her to call me! I’d have to either go to the ER or call in the morning, likely getting a call the following day or if lucky, later that day.

Im envious

It's an urgent care clinic, but they also do primary/family medicine. They're much easier to get a hold of like that compared to a standard doc office, but I was still very surprised I heard back from them last night. I'm also able to pop in because it's an urgent care, no appointment needed. That does complicate things a bit, because the wait could be rather long, but I prefer it over the traditional doctor office experience.

In my experience palpitations never happen while you're hooked up to a EKG machine.

LoL this is absolutely true. I wore a Holter monitor for a week in 2015. I don't recall having any palpitations during that time, but the doctor saw several benign PVCs. When I had AFib in 2016, the subsequent follow-up testing (echocardiogram and stress test) showed no defects / abnormalities. Cardiologist said I'm fine to live a normal life.

When these frequent skips occurred a few years ago (2018 if I'm not mistaken) I went straight to the cardiologist, at the advice of my primary doctor (not the same doctor I have now). Cardiologist said then that I'm fine, and even with the family history he sees no need to see / evaluate me further for another 10-20 years, minimum (when I'll be 45+) "unless something changes."

So yeah, at this point I strongly believe I freaked myself out last night. I think general stress but also feeling anxious about the episodes earlier in the day led to last night's recurrence. I'm still fine so far today.

 

[Fraser]

Good for you for your measured and rationale response.

 

[bin_tenn]

Good for you for your measured and rationale response.

Thank you! I felt a faint "skip" earlier but I'm still okay with those, it only happened once. It took me forever to accept the occasional palpitation, but I finally have, and I'm glad for that. If these episodes of frequent skips occur today I'll go see my doctor, but otherwise I'm good.

Thanks to everyone for the replies, much appreciated. Even those of us with a good overall grip on anxiety can have bad days.

 

[Phillies Phan]

Thank you! I felt a faint "skip" earlier but I'm still okay with those, it only happened once. It took me forever to accept the occasional palpitation, but I finally have, and I'm glad for that. If these episodes of frequent skips occur today I'll go see my doctor, but otherwise I'm good.

Thanks to everyone for the replies, much appreciated. Even those of us with a good overall grip on anxiety can have bad days.

Now here we have a difference between Tennessee and Ontario. You are able to go directly to a walk-in/urgent care like the old days and only have to deal with whatever wait there might be, just like pre COVID. Can’t do that in Ontario. First must call. Send any pictures if applicable, like of a bump, etc. Within a couple hours you get the doctor call back and if he/she decides you should then come in, you can otherwise you cannot.

Same with family docs. You first get a phone appointment then she decides if you can come in. Man, the good old days when I simply called for an appointment, got one same or next day and just showed up and got seen and evaluated.

While I understand and am in favor of most protocols re COVID, I think it’s ridiculous that at least regular patients at a practice have to jump through hoops, especially since they have access to our vaccination records, and can see we are double vaxed. I have a colleague who had a lump under his arm, likely a node. He called his GP and was asked to send a picture. He told me about the gymnastics he had to go through what with the camera, mirror and all to get a shot where it showed up to the extent and size/dimensions it was. So ridiculous. That needs to be seen..in 5 seconds it could be assessed in person.

 

[Doug97]

I quite liked the fact that a neurologist asked my GP to ask me to send some vids of my twitching calves. Sure beat waiting 9 months for an appointment! It's about time the medical profession caught up with modern communications technology.

 

[bin_tenn]

Now here we have a difference between Tennessee and Ontario. You are able to go directly to a walk-in/urgent care like the old days and only have to deal with whatever wait there might be, just like pre COVID. Can’t do that in Ontario. First must call. Send any pictures if applicable, like of a bump, etc. Within a couple hours you get the doctor call back and if he/she decides you should then come in, you can otherwise you cannot.

Same with family docs. You first get a phone appointment then she decides if you can come in. Man, the good old days when I simply called for an appointment, got one same or next day and just showed up and got seen and evaluated.

While I understand and am in favor of most protocols re COVID, I think it’s ridiculous that at least regular patients at a practice have to jump through hoops, especially since they have access to our vaccination records, and can see we are double vaxed. I have a colleague who had a lump under his arm, likely a node. He called his GP and was asked to send a picture. He told me about the gymnastics he had to go through what with the camera, mirror and all to get a shot where it showed up to the extent and size/dimensions it was. So ridiculous. That needs to be seen..in 5 seconds it could be assessed in person.

Yikes. I understand and am in favor of many of the protocols as well, but I agree that sounds a bit absurd. :O

I quite liked the fact that a neurologist asked my GP to ask me to send some vids of my twitching calves. Sure beat waiting 9 months for an appointment! It's about time the medical profession caught up with modern communications technology.

I agree! I'm somewhat surprised medicine hasn't been more digital (e.g. telehealth) before now.

 

[Jonathan123]

Me too!

@bin_tenn, you should ask your doc for a 24hr heart monitor to wear. That will make sure the intermittent palpitations are recorded. In my experience palpitations never happen while you're hooked up to a EKG machine.

No, and that's the really annoying part. Whenever I went for ECG's would it palpitate, oh no! But as soon as I left the docs back it came. There just is no rhyme or reason in HA. Accepting it all without comment is still a good idea.

 

[bin_tenn]

Another update. I'm still feeling well this afternoon. I've been drinking only water today, for the sake of avoiding caffeine (mostly tea). I've been limiting how much I eat at one time, and watching what I eat. So far so good. Thanks again for the replies, and here's to hoping things stay this way!

 

[Doug97]

That's great! Well done for tackling your HA head-on.