Hypochondria Support Group

Hypochondria refers to excessive worry about having a serious illness. Hypochondria is often characterized by fears that minor bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body. Many individuals with hypochondriasis express doubt and disbelief in the doctors' diagnosis.

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Heart Palpitations

Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton

Help me. Back in May, I had a palpitation attack.  Almost 6 hours of palps. About 1 per minute.  I refused to go to the doctor and it got better and worse over the remaining weeks. I have a physical coming up so I was trying to wait. Last weekend i couldn't take it. I went to "urgent care". The doctor couldn't hear anything wrong and also, an EKG, came back normal. I had palps in 2002 (but they weren't as bad) and had all the tests.  They all came back normal so I just learned to live with it. This time, the doctor wanted to do a halter monitor but I refused. What I wanted out of that visit was just some assurance that there was no massive issue with the heart.  The doctor also did blood tests and they were ALL normal.  So no electrolyte imbalance. My blood pressure was normal but slighly elevated and my heart rate was good. 70.  The doctor said that if I was just having palps that werent' 3 or more at a time, and wasn't causing any other symptoms such a dizzyness... they were likely harmless.


But I continue to have these extreme spells.  Like 2 hours with a palp per minute.  Yesterday, disgusted with it..., I decided to really up my water and I had 6 glasses of water in addition to what else I might have had.  Finally had one day without ONE palp.  


But this morning I had a few already. About 3. Even though I drank some water. 


The problem now... I can't tell if I am doing this to myself. I have become hypervigilant.  I feel like I am having constant anxiety. I have done so much over the last 4 weeks to eliminate them.  From breathing exercises to natural progesterone to water to magnesium, and they always seem to come back.  I am also concerned about the idea that if water did really curb them... why? I had a friend's mom get really dehydrated once and the doctors had no idea why. The pumped her with IV fluids and it didn't work until eventually she had a massive stroke. So I don't like the idea that I could be dehyrated enough to require me to drink fluids more than usual.  


I wish I had done the monitor last week but I work in a building with metal detectors so I couldn't go into work with it. So I didn't want to do it but had it come back normal I might have been able to feel confident I didn't really have a problem. 


I want to call the urgent care again but I have 4 days until my physical so.. 


Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
Just bumping this because I answered other posts.
FlRetired
FlRetired
Emily, so many things can cause this. That is good you are having a physical. 10 years ago, I would have episodes of heart rate going to 300 beats per minute. It lasted at least 3 minutes. I went to cardiologist and found heart was off rhythum. I had cardiac ablation, where they burn the part that throws the heart off, and now everything is fine. Everyone case is different, so good to have it checked out. My best to you.
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
Thanks FL:
The good news is that I had more water today and things did ease. But overall I have had about 10 today. But they have been spaced out and not in attacks. Which I think is preferable. I will really have no answers until they do a halter monitor.
Whatifgirl
Whatifgirl
Have you considered the possibility of perimenopause -which could exacerbate the palps that you are already having and make them worse? I believe I had read that this can occur with peri

I so understand when you said you went to the docs just wanting reassurance and they wanted to do more !
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
I have considered that. It could very well be. Apparently lower estrogen can influence the interval between beats (extend it). But there is no way to conclusively tie it to that. I will be asking my doctor to test me for estrogen changes. I am 46 and having period changes. I believe that Oprah wrote a lot about the paps she had at Peri. I guess my question on it is that it seems to be so sudden.
Trooper10
Trooper10
Please do go to urgent care if you experience any pain. Sometimes we think we are fine only to find out the situation has gotten worse. Reduce sodium in your diet and continue drinking water.
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
Why would sodium make a difference? Actually I am increasing iodized sodium as iodine has been shown to assist heart rate. I have low blood pressure. Today was a really good day. I had about 3 that I am aware of. Those were in the early morning when I hadn't had time to hydrate. Since I started hydrating I can say I have had about less than 10 a day.
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
Wow today I don't think I had one. Not one. Of course two days before my physical. Feeling happy about it as i don't think I have had a day since may without them.
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
They came back. So I asked my doctor for a holter monitor. I got it fitted yesterday and I haven't had a single palp. SOOoOO frustrating but, maybe it does show up the problem. Because of all the wires in my chest area.. I came home and took my bra off. And haven't had a one. I have been considering it being my bra. I recently lost 15 lbs and I usually lose it in my chest area first. Entirely possible that my bra is not fitting right and setting them off. This also could explain why they usually how up after about 2 PM. (takes a while for the bra to have an effect)
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
I can't believe it... I came home after getting my monitor off (literally now I don't even know if I had one in 24 hours) and it has been a steady stream of them.. I cannot believe it. I took a day off for this and I can't do it again. SOOOO frustrated. In an attempt to do something... I am going to take progesterone creme. I would think it would be anxiety and maybe some part of that plays a role but... yesterday I had a *SECOND* cup of coffee to try and get them to happen and NOTHING. Incredible.
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
So I got the monitor results back and I was "fine" ugh, I knew that would happen. I have decided I am on my own and I am decided I am NOT anxious. After looking into it I found a theory that could work. That the palps are not caused by a problem with the heart... but it all begins with irritation in the digestive track. The Vagus nerve goes all the way down to the digestive track and it can be irritated by digestive problems and bloating. This nerve causes palpitations. The reason I go there is two things (1) the only other symptom that I have is an issue with stools -- small stools, strange color, like I have IBS and (2) Lower caffeine consumption and higher water consumption seems to work consistently. Both coffee and water can irritate and help IBS. It doesn't make sense to me that I am dehydrated because I am always dehydrated. Why NOW? Of course, now because I took a drug that can cause stomach irritation.
Emily_Seaton
Emily_Seaton
Better theory... a drug that I took. I took Belviq for 6 weeks prior to this. Belviq is a kind of SSRI. In theory its "reuptake" is only inhibited as to hunger. I got off it without tapering per my doctor about 6 weeks ago. The only thing that consistently stops the palps is "water". If I don't have 3 glasses of water per day, they are there. But the normal reasons they give me don't work. They say water reduces your heart rate. But my heart rate is already low and I find water increases it. So I found that water helps your parasympathetic nerve system. This system controls your heart rate AND your digestion. It is called "rest and digest". It balances your body. So Belviq reduced my heart rate (a known side effect) and also caused over digestion. I had wet orange stools which looked like it hadn't been digested. Belviq messed up this system. I am starting to see my digestion slow so I am hopeful that the palps will calm as well. Weirdly another thing that seems to help with the palps is exercise. So I wonder if I literally have to activate the fight or flight systems to restore balance? I could have that second cup of coffee and just drink double the water to keep things ok.

I am angry at my doctor for being so clueless on this as well. She wants an event monitor next but that doesn't work for me. I work and I refuse to let everyone know I am having this issue. Plus I don't think it would work because it wouldn't record my night heart. I would have to press the button... every time I had a palp. It always feels like they only have things to shame and embarrass people so they won't ask for tests. I don't see why we can't get an echocardiogram which is basically and ultrasound of the heart. If that shows the heart is fine, I won't worry about it. Plus she never once mentioned the Belviq as a possibility. Of course, then I could blame her.