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Other Could this be a dissociation disorder?

T

Tyler S

Hi guys,
I have a problem and I think its physical and not mental, but it seems like nobody beliefs me and I want to know, what you think.
(I know nobody can do diagnostics via reading, I just want to know what you think.)
So, every few weeks I have cardiovascular problems for a thew days, sometimes weeks. It comes out of nowhere, in any situation and has no correlation with stress or emotions. I can be sitting with a friend laughing and suddenly it begins. It starts with my heart racing or pounding (which can last for two hours.) and if it gets worser, I begin to shake a little bit and my legs give up (plus sweating and sometimes I can't talk anymore, because it's so exhausting). Laying down mostly helps a bit. The first time, this problem showed up, was about 9 years ago and I thought at that time I had an allergic reaction.

I had a Service Dog in Training for a couple of months and he warned me 20 minutes before it happened. I felt good at the time he warned me, but at some point I trusted him, because he was right. I felt very secure with him, but needed to give him away. The dog trainer who is specialized in service dog training told me, that it must be some kind of physical or neurological problem, because this dog couldn't warn a mental problem. My relatives on the mother's side have a long history with heart conditions. These two facts plus the feeling of it being a physical problem make me think, it is something physical. I mean, I was in a psychiatry because of ptsd and depression (both diagnosed in the psychiatry), but since one year I don't feel depressed and have no ptsd symptoms (I don't react to my triggers anymore and feel very stable).

I don't have any problem accepting it as a mental problem, if it is. I mean, I was in the psychiatry by choice and told them every symptom. (I also had derealisation, which is gone with the other problems since I moved away and had no contact to the people causing the ptsd.) At that time, I thought it could be panic attacks, but I don't have anxiety or panic while I have the heart problems. I just feel annoyed of them, because it makes school visits really difficult and I want to study after. I just want to know what it is. The therapist didn't diagnosed it as panic disorder too, because it wasn't the right diagnose. Every time I am visiting my family doctor and he/she knows, I was in a psychiatry or had depression, he/she doesn't take me seriously anymore and just want, that I hand them my therapy report over. They didn't even want to see my long time ECG or give me a doctor referral. They start to speak loud and slow, as if I were slow. They don't listen of what I am talking about. And I changed my family doctor while moving away, but at my new home aren't many family doctors so that I can change them.

Has anyone have the same problem as a dissociation etc? Or has a clue, if it even could be a mental thing, if it's not correlated to any situation or emotion? I know, they can be a problem that I don't see, but I processed the past (as far as I know) and don't feel stressed (well, only if the heart problem last very long).
 
What did your cardiovascular workup show?
It showed sinus tachycardia at day (highest 173), sinus bradycardia on night (lowest was 48), some supra ventricular extrasystoles, but no severe ventricular arrhythmia.

Have you seen a cardiologist? If not, this IMO should be your next step. The doc may require you to wear a heart monitor for a period of time.
Thanks, I will consult one.
 
Absolutely see another doctor if you need a referral to a cardiologist or a cardiologist if you don't need a referral. And do it soon.

Every time I am visiting my family doctor and he/she knows, I was in a psychiatry or had depression, he/she doesn't take me seriously anymore and just want, that I hand them my therapy report over. They didn't even want to see my long time ECG or give me a doctor referral. They start to speak loud and slow, as if I were slow.
Unfortunately, this is so common. We should not have to do the research or advocate for ourselves, but sometimes it's the only way we can get adequate care.

Best of luck!
 
Every time I am visiting my family doctor and he/she knows, I was in a psychiatry or had depression, he/she doesn't take me seriously anymore and just want, that I hand them my therapy report over. They didn't even want to see my long time ECG
You might wear a smartwatch to record your bpm readings 24/7. These ongoing reports might be reviewed online by your doctors. I'm now using a Fitbit smartwatch which is supposedly very good at recording my bpm readings.

My bradycardia average is now 51 bpm at rest. This was first diagnosed 5 decades ago using the ECG. This appears to be a sinus node problem rather than an incomplete heart-block.

As for cardiovascular problems, I also have Raynaud's syndrome which comes and goes and is based on my emotional and/or physical stress. This was also diagnosed 5 decades ago.

Since wearing my smartwatch, I've noticed that my bpm readings have been relatively consistent between resting, sleeping and cardio. However, in mid 2018, my rehab doctor had once placed me in an emotionally uncomfortable situation (intentionally) that caused me to dissociate. He then immediately took my resting bpm reading which was then 98 bpm. This bpm of 98 was extremely unusual for me as my average resting bpm was then about 56 or 58. So, yes, I'd suspect that a dissociation could definitely increase the bpm. This has happened to me.
 
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Psychological stuff like PTSD can affect the heart (eg heart racing due to panic) but physical heart issues can also cause psychological symptoms like fear because the body senses that if something wonky is going on with the heart then it's a matter of survival and hence can cause fight/ flight/ fear symptoms. So, like others have said, try to find a good cardiologist that doesn't "dismiss" psychological issues but that knows that body and brain are equally fundamental parts of who you are and that they affect each other and should be viewed as a team.
 
It showed sinus tachycardia at day (highest 173), sinus bradycardia on night (lowest was 48), some supra ventricular extrasystoles, but no severe ventricular arrhythmia.

To me this would suggest there is a cardiological problem, since it is showing up on an EKG. My vote would be to find a female cardiologist and go in up front telling them that you're having difficulties with being taken seriously, but that your symptoms are appearing on an EKG. (I saw your name, so edited this - but my recommendation actually remains the same, since female doctors are still more likely to believe their patients due to female patients having an extra barrier in treatment for being waved off as psychological problems.) It could be something like an idiopathic mitral valve prolapse, which has transient symptoms.
 
I was a cardiac nurse and I think it really, really sounds like cardiac issues. It could be supraventricular tachycardia, which would cause those symptoms, and not be seen all the time. Really, get it checked by a cardiologist.
 
I recently read on PubMed that when no cardiovascular cause can be found for bradycardia that a brain scan should be taken to rule out any possible brain lesions which might disrupt the communicate between the basal ganglia and cerebellum. I’m beginning to suspect that this might be the cause of my life-long bradycardia. Though I’ve had many MRI brain scans taken over the past decade, they now want r-fMRI testing done. Something you might want to have checked.
 
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