I don't know if this is the best place to post this... maybe here, maybe the lounge, maybe the outreach forum, I dont know for sure. Just looking for some... advice. so, I've had a strange last couple of days, and I'm just wondering if anyone here has had something similar, or can provide any further insight than I've already received. I've felt really strange the last few days, when im laying down, I can feel my heart pounding, in my chest, in my neck, ears, just pounding away. Not fast, not strange paced, not in strange patterns or anything, it feels/sounds like a regular heartbeat, just... its so strong I can feel it all over. It all started Friday, I had a late night, with some drinks, Only got about 4 or 5 hours of sleep. I was up early, and it was a nice day out, so my girlfriend and I went for a 2 hour walk or so through a park here. Before I went, because I was so tired, I stopped and pick up one of them "5 hour energy" drink things, I downed that, and got a gatorade as well because I felt a bit hungover, and though I could hydrate myself with that. I felt no real problems during the walk. After that I got home, felt fine, her and I then went out for dinner, and a coffee on the way home, and then I stayed in Saturday night and just had a glass of wine, so I could go to bed early because I knew I'd be tired. So saturday night, im sitting here watching TV, and I was dead tired, just sippin away on a glass of wine, and I started to get really warm, and started to sweat. That passed after about 5 minutes or so, then i decided, ok, im way too tired for this, I'm going to bed. So I went to bed at about 1030. Then I woke up at about 1am, with a nosebleed. Which is extremely rare for me. I think it may have been the second only in my life. I got up, and took care of that, and while I was, I noticed that my right arm was a bit tingly (which happens to me alot because of how I sleep on it I believe) and it was really cold. So I shook it off and tried to go back to bed, but I couldnt. My heart just kept pounding. This was when I first realized it as I mentioned at that start of this post. It was pounding so hard I thought it was going to explode. There was no chest pain or anything associated with it, it just... was pounding away and annoying me. Which then, because of who I am, caused me to start getting really really stressed out. Which of course, made the heart pounding worse. I just kept getting more and more worked up. So I called my gf, she came over and slept with me. Well, she slept, I just kept rolling around in a panic because of what was going on with my body. So it kept getting worse and worse, like I said, I could breathe fine, i had no problems taking deep breaths, I needed to pretty often, but had no problems doing so. So sunday rolled around, and I went to a walk in clinic here after talking to my mom who is a nurse. She encouraged me to go, so I went, they checked my blood pressure, and listened to my heart and breathing, and all was fine said the doc. But suggested that I go for a stress test to check out how my heart works while walking and such, and he sent me to get some blood work done. So i think everyone kind of assumed that little episode saturday night was based on the So I went and got the blood work done today, results pending of course. The stress test is scheduled for next Tuesday. I have a doctors appointment scheduled with my family doc for next Monday. Later yesterday, I slept, almost the entire day, and night. Which makes sense because I was so sleep deprived I guess. However, the whole time laying there I could hear my heart beating, not as "loud" as the previous night. I went and got the blood thing done this morning, and went to work. I got there, and just felt so weak, and run down, and tired, and I felt myself I guess starting to panic again, then while im sitting at my desk I could feel my heart pounding again, so I decided to go home. I came home, shovelled some snow, laid down and had a nap. While laying down, could still hear my heart thumping away, quite mildly as opposed to the previous 2 days/nights. I woke up, did some housework, and Im feeling pretty good. My mom is ssuggesting/offering to take me to the ER at the hospital, but I don't know. I feel okay right now, If I laid down I'd probably fall asleep, still hearing my heart thumping away. I just don't know what to do, or whats happening. Just wondering if anyone else out there had felt something similar and had any advice to offer. My mom now seems to think my lingering issues are more due to panic attacks now than anything. I've always been pretty uptight, easy to get stressed out, easy to jump from feeling okay, to doom and gloom, and Ive always gotten stressed out while doing it. I dunno, just wanted to see if anyone had anything valuable out there to offer.
two things i might consider doing (not that they're a good idea, but works for me when i'm stressed): 1) walk 2+ miles, shower, and eat a lot of low sodium stuff 2) take like a quarter of a xanny i wouldn't keep drinking to calm you down, because the alcohol can later act as a stimulant.
all symptoms of a panic attack bro. get yourself checked to make sure it's nothing serious and keep an eye on it. drinking things with caffeine makes it worse.
Hey Brandon, Only a doctor can give you the reassurance you really need, and you have already done the right thing by going to see one. As anlgp said, what you are going through sounds like classic symptoms of panic attacks and anxiety. Anxiety is much worse after drinking alcohol. And with all the caffeine you put into your system after the drinking, it's no wonder you were feeling so anxious. Anxiety can cause a huge range of symptoms (most harmless), racing / pounding heart, etc. If it's anxiety related, which it sounds like, rest easy that you are probably fine. Your doctor will verify this. In the meantime here's a website with some other symptoms you may experience with anxiety and panic attacks - http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml I've been having some anxiety issues myself the past few months, and have found it's no laughing matter. The anxiety causes physical symptoms, which themselves are scary which then creates more anxiety. It's a fear of fear cycle. Hopefully a good report from your doctor will put your mind at ease. But it is possible your anxiety could remain. I'd eliminate the caffeine and alcohol until you are feeling like yourself again. If you still feel anxious and panicky after seeing your doctor there are some great books out there that will help. Your doctor may even prescribe you some medication to help, but I would use that as a last resort. Any medication for anxiety can be very habit forming and you could become completely dependent on it. In the short term, try doing simple things you enjoy doing. Keeping yourself busy will keep your mind from racing. I've found posting on Phins.com helps! Exercise like jogging is also great. Edited to add: If your symptoms get severe and you feel like you are having a panic attack, just try and accept it, and ride it out. Accept the fact that the symptoms you are feeling are just a panic attack and that you'll be fine. Hope you feel better!
Yeah man it also sounds like anxiety/panic attacks to me as well. Just try to reduce stress in your life and cut back on stuff like others have said. If it gets worse see a doc. I know personally that if you have it the one time you will feel your heart pound, tightness in the chest, or your heart/ chest just feels weird will be in bed. Other times of the day you usually don't feel it at all unless your stress gets worse. Try sleeping in a chair or something at night to help out if you don't want to see a doc. It sounds like nothing man....I've had the same symptoms for about a year or so and I'm not dead yet. Just don't let your stress get out of hand because its not fun at all...see a doc as I said if it gets worse.
I`ve been dealing with issues like this for many years. Let me just tell you that,from experience, alcohol mixed with caffeine makes your nervous system run haywire. Your metabolism couldnt level out and it makes the whole body feel shaky and anxious. Then,worrying about how you`re feeling makes the sensations ten times worse-which leads to anxiety and snowballs into a full blown panic attack. Pounding heartbeats are a given when your body goes thru this. Its always the right move to get medical treatment and testing just to make sure and you stated you did,good for you. If anything is wrong an extensive stress test will pinpoint the problem. ....Good luck,brother .Although, I`m willing to bet you have no underlying heart issues.
I would definitely do the stress test for nothing else other than piece of mind. It sounds to me that you were sleep deprived and you mixed in some heavy doses of caffeine and some alcohol. Those energy drinks are really really bad for your heart. I would encourage anyone who drinks a lot of them to do their own research though and not to take it strictly from me. I actually gave up all forms of caffeine over a year ago. I'm hoping that mixed with regular exercise and a better diet will lengthen my life in the long term. I'd like to live to see my kids have kids of their own. Anyway, you're doing the right things by going to see your doctor. Get your sleep, take it easy on the caffeine, and you'll start to feel better.
Just an update, I layed down shortly after posting originally, and all i could feel was just my heart thumping away. So I was chatting with my mom (who as I said, is also a nurse) and she thought I should go to the ER, just to be safe. So I got down there, they took more blood from me, did an ecg test, took some chest x-rays, and at the end of the night, said they don't see anything wrong with the results of all of the above. So that's a good thing. I suggested to them the idea of it being anxiety/panic related, the doc said its possible, but before just writing it off as that, they want to do some further checking. So since the stress test was booked, we're going ahead with that on Tuesday, and before then sometime they are going to hook me up with a holter monitor, just to get some more info over a longer period of time. All the results will be sent over to my doctor, hopefully before my appointment with him next week so we have a full picture of what's going on then. Thanks for the advice/suggestions and opinions guys, greatly appreciated.
Thanks man. Ive spent the day at home from work to relax, I've slept an awful lot the last 2 days or so. I'm not sure why, but i just can't stay awake. My stomach is messed up too, everytime I eat i feel like i could throw up, or i just get a really uncomfy feeling in my gut. Still when I lay down, or when im sitting up, I can feel my heart thumping away, all sounds normal still, and its not as noticable as before, but its not going away no matter what I do. Only time well tell I suppose.
While it may be panic attacks or other minor conditions that are fairly easily treatable through excersise and/or medicine, it could also be something much more serious. My father experienced the same symptoms with endocarditis (the deterioration of your heart valves) and he almost died before going to a specialist because he figured it was just a cold making him sleepy for a few weeks. He almost died and this was in his late 40's. While you probably do not have this condition either, I want you to realize that there are hundreds of things it could be and several of them can be life changing experiences. We can guess all day long and scare the crap out of you with meaningless opinions, or you can go see a specialist if the tests do not show anything (which they probably will). Until then eat balanced meals, get as much exercise as you can stand (even if it's a long walk like someone else said), and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Allow yourself at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and stay away from the alcohol (which is a blood thinner and could be a secondary cause of these symptoms) until you get an answer. I hope this helps. By the way, your stomach is messed up because you are scared/nervous. Whatever is wrong....it's wrong and stress will not fix it. Relax, excersise a little, and it should go away.
I don't know exactly what it was, but all 3 times it was checked during the weekend they told me it was "normal"
He was sober then though....the worst symptoms were after drinking alcohol. Hopefully it is something they can catch and treat early before it becomes more than a good scare.
Which is a good indication of anxiety. While you are correct that there is a chance it could be something more, since everything has come back normal so far I don't think there is any need to be mentioning life threatening conditions at this point. Especially when Brandon is experiencing some anxiety, whether due to physical symptoms or anxiety induced symptoms. At this point, that type of speculation is only going to trigger more panic. Let's let the doctors make the medical diagnosis.
Dude I have almost the exact same symptoms and I have an anxiety disorder. You ever wonder why so many people with anxiety go to the doc thinking they are having heart problems...think Urban Meyer recently. Having it checked out is a good thing but don't stress yourself about it...easier said than done with anxiety but the sleeping etc is a common symptom. You'll figure it out soon enough but I'd be shocked if its not anxiety related...like I said I've had these same kind of symptoms for at least a year and I am not dead yet. Just hang in there man you'll be fine, I have known quite a few people with stress and guess what we all thought we had heart problems and had the same symptoms as you. I believe all you need is some anti-anxiety meds and you'll be all good. Also typically when someone has actual heart problems they will have shortness of breath after walking short distances or won't be able to do their normal activities without getting exhausted a lot quicker (but low energy is a sign of anxiety as well). Since you have said nothing about your everyday tasks making you feel like you ran a marathon and no real pain just heart thumping (I think it also feels like it sort of stops, starts, then rolls over but its anxiety and a rush of adrenaline actually). Anxiety can make your body do things you never though possible. So just keep you head up and I bet a simple anti-anxiety med will fix you up. Also if you want to talk any about anxiety you can PM and I can see if I can help.
check into pulsatile tinnitus. heart pounding real hard i could feel it. no ear ringing symptoms. i had the very same thing and the same problems. turned out i was diagnosed with Meniere's disease
So far so good. All my bloodwork came back fine, I had the good old stress test on the treadmill at the hospital today, they said everything seemed fine there, but i could stand to loose a few pounds... haha couldn't we all though? I have one test left, thats to wear a holter monitor for 48 hours just to make sure my heartbeat is normal. However, I cant get that done until march 29th, which is pretty awful, but whatever. Im feeling better. General consensus amongst all the docs I've seen is probably a reaction to all the damn stimulants I had the day the crap hit the fan with my heart pounding out of my chest.
I just saw this and I had the same thing pretty much. I had arrythmia, namely a-fb, and went all thru the tests to make sure there were no blockages, etc. All that was fine but this a-fib just drives me nuts. No energy, get out of breath easily, etc. I had several cardioversions, all lasting only about a week. When I fell out of rythym, I would stay out. I had an ablation procedure last August but it is nearly a year long total process of healing inside. But I fell out within a month, had another cardioversion and it fell out. So, I waited 3 more months, was put on CPAP for sleep apnea and had my last cardioversion just before Christmas. Apparently, i've turned a big corner as it stayed in for a month and then started to fall out. But it reset itself, something it never did before, off and on. Somedays, it goes out as much as 5 times and I may stay in for several days at a time. One thing I notice is that lately, when I fall out, it resets within 15 minutes or so. That's not too bad as it doesn't seem to affect my energy level. When it used to stay out for several hours, i still wasn't worth a darn the rest of that day. If this thing winds up going out briefly once in a blue moon, then I can live with that. Otherwise, I can't deal with it well even tho that's the hand I've been dealt. But I can tell when i'm ready to fall out and from knowing that sensation now, i realize that I've had this problem many years ago. Difference being is that it used to re-set and then it wouldn't. Back then, I had no clue what it was. When it hit, I just sit and relaxed in my truck for a few, sipped on some H2O, took a few deep breaths to catch my second wind and off i'd go again. Anyway, I hope your holter monitor revealed good results and hope you'll feel better.
Thanks man. Just had the monitor on for Monday and Tuesday, haven't heard anything yet. Which, hopefully is a good thing. I've started to wonder if maybe my issue is really just having high blood pressure, so I've had my mom (who's a nurse) give me a blood pressure monitor, so starting tomorrow I'm going to check it every now and then just to make sure all is well. Also, I chatted with my Doc about stress and anxiety, wondering if my original issue was really a panic attack, he suggested I avoid medication if possiblt, and suggested a book for me to read to learn more about it, and about controlling it if that really is my issue, so we'll see how that goes. Thanks for sharing your experience though. Any bit of info helps!
