How high was your heart rate? Any chance you're anemic? Are you drinking enough fluids, taking cold or sinus meds?

I would just ask your doc if heart damage would be the sole cause, do you need additional tests, etc. Tell him also about the anxiety and panic attacks. I do think this could still be part of living in sort of a high alert state since the PE, just based on what I experienced, but it's good to check with your doc just to be sure.

@rmb It went up to 140 even when I was sitting down. It still goes in the 120s when I'm just walking around. The docs say deconditioning but I don't think this can be chalked up to that 4 months out. No I'm not on any meds other than Eliquis.

I wouldn't the rule out deconditioning though, but he'll be able to at least rule out serious issues with your heart

Sorry I didn't see this discussion earlier, so I probably can't make any suggestions for you prior to your appointment today, but let us know how the appointment goes and whether your doctor is scheduling you for any additional testing.

@ShilosMommy They put a 48 hour Holter monitor on me and scheduled me for a stress test in two weeks. The cardiologist said based on my echo a couple of weeks ago there isn't an issue with how my heart is functioning. He admitted he did think some of my issue was anxiety but he also said sometimes a PE can mess up the electrical impulses in your heart. Anyone heard of that?

I'm not sleeping well at all lately. I've been clenching my jaw so hard at night my jaw and neck hurt. I feel like I've gone backwards emotionally and I'm not sure why. I guess I wonder if there is some underlying issue with my heart and how long will it take for them to find it...

I hope all goes well for you with the monitoring, and sorry that the stress has increased...You're in my thoughts.

I'm glad you're having the holter monitor done. I also had a holter monitor because I was having lots of palpitations, and I would get tachy really easily. I did have a lot of PACs and PVCs. The good news was that even those flip flops I felt in my chest were scary feeling, they were benign and that helped me to just not stress over them. This sounds nutty but I'd self talk to my heart and tell it to just chill, nothing bad is going on., I'm just walking. No big. It took several months for everything to calm down, and then came the day, when I was racing around, and I realized no funny beats!

Also, it took about 3 months before my resting heart rate normalized. It's usually in the mid-50's, and it was in 80's during the early part of recovery.

I really think some of us have super sensitive nervous systems that gets expressed through our cardiac system. Then add the stress of a PE and wham, things get really out of whack.

I've had some issues with palps as well. I've done a few echoes and holder monitors and, other than benign pvcs and pacs, nothing of note. I've noticed it can get better after drinking Gatorade leading me to believe dehydration may be a factor. I also have anxiety so that's likely adding to it.

Glad you're getting more tests. I didn't do the Holter but I did do the stress test and they can tell a lot from that. Even when walking on the treadmill for the stress test, my heart rate got up to 180 and the tech got worried asked the cardiologist if should continue and he said yes. Ultimately, my stress test results still came back normal. So please know a high heart doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with your heart. There could be an issue but there is a very good chance there is not. And if there is, your doctor will address it.

I know it seems like we assume everything is anxiety related. It's not so much that anxiety is the cause of everything but that anxiety heightens everything. I think too if we have sustained, simmering, just beneath the surface, anxiety over an extended period of time, eventually it catches up with you, because we physically, emotionally and mentally can not maintain that level of hyper vigilance. From my own experience, it retrospect, I spent the first 3-4 months wound up like a top, despite looking and acting normal, going to work, living my life. It is extremely taxing to live that way and will make you feel unwell in general.

So, keep your head on straight, take things a day at a time, and just see what the test results reveal.

Thank you so much everyone. I hate to hear other people experienced this but it does make me feel better to know I'm not alone. I had a very fast pulse with the acute PE and while it is not as bad as it was then I hate that feeling when I get the palpitations because it reminds me of the PE.

@rmb If you have a chance can you tell me what to expect from the stress test? They aren't going to expect me to run are they?

No they don't have you run. It's been several years since I had it and I seem to recall they had you walk on a treadmill and slowly increase the speed and the incline and actually want your heart rate up to a certain point and you keep walking until they tell you to stop or if you truly can't go on.

I think there's a way to inject you with an agent to get your heart rate up vs the treadmill, but from what I understand they do that usually if a person can't exercise at all or if you can't get to the target rate. And I think it's not very pleasant, from what I've read.

They will also sometimes then do a nuclear stress test as well so they can get an entire image of your heart. I had that along the treadmill test.

I wan to clarify too that I think the tech was concerned about the heart rate because I reached it so soon in the testing. It's all kind of fuzzy now, but I think that was the issue.