Anxiety Or Heart Issues

[pondy]

Hey Folks,

Since September I've had a change in condition - not sure if it is anxiety or heart related. Here's the lowdown:

- episodes of sudden & extreme fatigue

- shortness of breath

- lump in the throat & choking feeling (sometimes - not every episode)

- racing, pounding heart which I can feel way down in my descending aorta.

- sometimes weak pulse (almost non-palpable), sometimes hummingbird fast pulse

- feeling lightheaded

All or some of the above can happen up to 4 times per day. Typically they last 20 minutes to maybe an hour. Some days I have no symptoms at all.

Heart problems are prevalent in my family, so is depression & anxiety. I'm being treated for generalized anxiety disorder with a very small dose of benzodiazapines (for like past 8 years - same dose). FYI, the Alprazolam (Activas Labs) is gluten free but they can't guarantee no cc, per my Pharmacist.

Stress test (in 2007) was normal. Holter monitor test last week result was "nothing significant". Potassium & Sodium labs normal. No anemia. Thyroid functions normal. My diastolic blood pressure has been high (for me, 85-90 is high). Vitamin D level on the low-normal side as of a few months ago. I take B12 daily.

Still... these episodes are so alarming. They are starting to interfere with my job performance. I ended up in the ER in early Sept. & the hospital staff concluded nothing.

I feel like a nutcase - like I'm obsessing over it & making it worse. Wish I could shut up & forget about it.

[mushroom]

Have you had an EKG in the ER during one of these episodes? They could be atrial fibrillation, which I get from eating certain foods (or, nowadays, sometimes just get. Period.)

[pricklypear1971]

Have you had your thyroid checked? I can't see your signature, I'm on my phone.

Some people have some of these symptoms from hyperthyroidism.

[pondy]

Have you had your thyroid checked? I can't see your signature, I'm on my phone.

Some people have some of these symptoms from hyperthyroidism.

Yes, I had it checked a couple months ago (August maybe?) - all they said was that my thyroid function is in the normal range.

[pondy]

Have you had an EKG in the ER during one of these episodes? They could be atrial fibrillation, which I get from eating certain foods (or, nowadays, sometimes just get. Period.)

I've had several EKG's since 1997 or so...

My last two were abnormally normal for me. Meaning, the one I had in 2007 was abnormal - that prompted the stress test. The one that the hospital did was pretty much the same as the one from 4 years earlier (both abnormal, but no sig. change).

I was told that I "may have" some heart tissue damage in the ventricular septum - which "might" cause some misfiring or some such thing...

Ugh! The ambiguity! Note to self: be a better advocate for myself.

[mushroom]

I've had several EKG's since 1997 or so...

My last two were abnormally normal for me. Meaning, the one I had in 2007 was abnormal - that prompted the stress test. The one that the hospital did was pretty much the same as the one from 4 years earlier (both abnormal, but no sig. change).

I was told that I "may have" some heart tissue damage in the ventricular septum - which "might" cause some misfiring or some such thing...

Ugh! The ambiguity! Note to self: be a better advocate for myself.

Did you have one of your episodes while you were wearing the Holter monitor? I wore a Holter monitor too, and had no episode while wearing it It took forever for me to find out that it was atrial fibrillation I was experiencing. I have a normal heart otherwise, on stress test and ECG, but when it fires off my EKG is all over the place

[pondy]

Did you have one of your episodes while you were wearing the Holter monitor? I wore a Holter monitor too, and had no episode while wearing it It took forever for me to find out that it was atrial fibrillation I was experiencing. I have a normal heart otherwise, on stress test and ECG, but when it fires off my EKG is all over the place

Of course not - isn't that the way it works? I only wore it for 24 hours because the symptoms were so frequent.

My mom has A-Fib & yes, it is hard to catch sometimes.

[captaincrab55]

Of course not - isn't that the way it works? I only wore it for 24 hours because the symptoms were so frequent.

My mom has A-Fib & yes, it is hard to catch sometimes.

You may need to do another Stress Test... I just had one 2 weeks ago and it only showed up when they injected some drung in me... I'm now taking half the BP meds that I was taking a month ago... I'm now taking the right med for the problem... I saw the Doc yesterday and I don't go back for 6 months... This is the best I felt in several years...

[rosetapper23]

You say that you're taking B12--is it sublingual? Are you taking enough? I would suggest testing your level, because your symptoms are dead-on for a B12 deficiency. I get all of those symptoms when my level is low...and although I used to get B12 injections, I now prefer chewing on sublingual B12 three times a day. A nice benefit is that my lifelong acne cleared up as a result.

If you end up getting tested for B12, you might ask them to check your other B vitamins, as well.

[pondy]

You say that you're taking B12--is it sublingual? Are you taking enough? I would suggest testing your level, because your symptoms are dead-on for a B12 deficiency. I get all of those symptoms when my level is low...and although I used to get B12 injections, I now prefer chewing on sublingual B12 three times a day. A nice benefit is that my lifelong acne cleared up as a result.

If you end up getting tested for B12, you might ask them to check your other B vitamins, as well.

Wow, ok. I will ask for some B level labs ASAP - that and perhaps another stress test.

Right now I take just 1000mcg of B12 in the morning - the tablets.

Thanks very much for the insight - these symptoms are incredibly frightening.