Anyone Else Get Palpitations?

[LaurenRose]

I too experience palpitations and skipping beats, I too have received a clean bill of health. I do many of the things that others have talked about in this thread. One thing that really works for me along side of these techniques is that I talk to my heart, send my focused energy and tell it to "calm the "f" down." Both my counselor and my therapist laughed at my wording when I told them that's what I do. It made me pause and reflect on my wording but for whatever reason it works. Kind of weird I know and not sure if it is a form of [insert word] seeing it as a separate entity from me. My therapist says it is because I am so compartmentalized. *Shrugs* sounds about right. In any case, it works for me sometimes. I can feel it begin to slow. For some reason, when I concentrate on taking breathes - as soon as I focus on it, my breath deserts me and my body heaves to get air. I have learned that this is something to continue working on but when my heart is doing funky things to let go of using breathing and send my energy to calming my heart down.

 

[Tinyflame]

Lol- yikes, jellymint, I tell my 'brain' to 'F off' on occassion but my 'heart' is too gentle, lol.
I'm glad it works.

 

[angelheart]

Only in extreme situations.

Most of the time it's just normal jitters that can be worked through.

I had my first full blown panic attack...very scary.

 

[Spero3]

Th

Spero,

I have terrible panic attacks and I run. Sometimes...my heart rate going up can trigger one while running but rarely because I remain very focused. I listen to my music and just concentrate on my body moving. I will concentrate on my legs and how the muscles feel etc. I dunno..sounds weird but works for me. Running is what helps keep me sane. I sleep better, eat better and feel better when I am. If you think you are going to have a panic attack when running...you will. I know this is difficult and easier said than done but focusing is the only thing that works for me.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will try that with music.

 

[Gamereign555]

Its all very stressful to think about it and the symptoms themselves can be quite confusing. It all pretty much amounts to awareness of symptoms causing fright/anxiety which all kind of feeds the monster that is your symptoms in the first place. Just remembering that your breathing a certain way will help you regulate your heartbeat, pretty soon youll become less and less aware of your surroundings and symptoms and fall asleep. Medication can skip those steps in my experience, but only to wake up with the same symptoms I went to sleep with! That took me a while to learn and utilize, but still my body forgets how and I have to re practice my breathing exercises again or do things to reset my breathing patterns.

Now I'm trying to learn how to breathe during trigger moments so I dont feel im in an increasing panic mode. Initially my body learned it half way, I could sit down without panic but my breathing would fatigue me greatly. Trying to find a happy medium is hopefully something my body will get used to.

I also noticed that workouts that lean towards aerobic are far more effective in the long run to making me feel better even if it troubles my breathing at the time, the rest of the day I feel much better than doing hardly anything. It made me feel like I did when I used to have my job, good.

 

[Spero3]

You stated it perfectly when you said your breathing causes you fatigue! That is exactly what happen to me, and until you said that I couldn't find the words for it. I feel some anxiety, but it is the fatigue that really gets me. I think I hold my breath even when I am working out. I am trying to be more aware and focus on my breathing. Thanks for posting!

Spero

 

[J-Diz]

Thanks CHW, how did you go coming off the paxil? I'm thinking about seeing the doctor soon as well, not quite sure if it's cutting the mustard anymore. What did you switch to?

 

[Kb3]

I used to get heart palpitations frequently, but thankfully that's calmed down a lot.

Somebody else mentioned to be careful when drinking alcohol and I have to agree. If I have more than 2-3 drinks on one occasion I will wake up in the early hours with my heart banging out of my chest. It may be the combination of alcohol and seroquel working against each other, or something else entirely, but whatever it is, it is really frightening.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Palpitations are more than just being *aware* of your heartbeat! Well, for me anyway. I wore the halter monitor and my heart actually does a triple beat instead of a double. Atenolol helps, but I stopped taking it as the UK has determined it raises your risk for diabetes and has downgraded it's use. They're brought on by heat, drinking, and lack of sleep for the most part. Oh yeah, and caffeine! Losing weight has helped as well.

 

[Lucycat]

Palpitations are more than just being *aware* of your heartbeat!

Sorry, I just have to disagree with you there. What you are describing, a triple beat, is an arrhythmia not a palpitation. I am not saying that you would not feel it, but it is not the same thing.

 

[KP the nut]

Yes, I can feel my heart pounding and actually hear the blood rushing through my veins. Terrifying I feel as if I am having a heart attack. Never told my doctor that.

 

[Grama-Herc]

For the love of God people, BREATHE. If you breathe your tingling hands stop tingling and you heart issues will go away. I tend to unconsiouly hold my breath and until it feels like my heart is going to pound its way out of my chest I'm not aware I am doing it. Slow deep breathes with your eyes closed and think good thoughts and you should be fine====well, it works for me! These palpatations are irregular heart beats and IMHO, related to real or imagined stress.

Once I received my diagnosis the frequency and intensity of these decreased somewhat, but did not go away. I use them to help me recognize that I am in panic mode==if that makes any sense. They remind me to BREATHE. But they are frightening for sure, especially when you don't know what they are. Panic/anxiety is very hard on our physical body. Stress is even worse. But palpatations goes with the territory my friends