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Heart Palpitations Forum >> Symptoms and other concerns >> To those who have recovered or close to recovering
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Message started by bigcountry on Jun 18^th, 2012, 11:10am

Title: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by bigcountry on Jun 18^th, 2012, 11:10am

I was wondering if any of you, if you still even come back to this website, could tell me what was it that helped you start your recovery? I have been working tirelessly for a long time now and yes I have some good days but overall I feel like I am no further down the road than I have ever been.

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by Dodger on Jun 18^th, 2012, 12:22pm

You should feel better about yourself, could even think before that you would have good days. From reading your posts I think that you have come along way down the road.

This is the way that I feel to. I still have pain and palpitations. As a matter of fact I am having chest pains now. Now I just take a deep breath and try to go about my day. I have just gotten so tired of being afraid. After all of these years nobody has found anything wrong with me besides a hiatal hernia and GERD with acid reflux. I have taken to heart (no pun intended) that heart issues take years to develop and that with regular check ups I will be well aware of my health concerns.

I am starting to exercise, I have gotten a job, got married and am moving on. I still check in to see how everybody is doing and to calm my mind on these "bad days" to help find peace. I hope you can find the same .

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by jess33 on Jun 18^th, 2012, 12:48pm

I found that you have to be 110% unafraid of these things and COMPLETELY ignore them. Thats what I did over two years ago and they vanished totally, including my anxiety. It was then that I realised my palps and anxiety went hand in hand. Unfortunately, something happened to bring my anxiety back and then so came the palps. During the time they vanished though, I never came on this forum as this just reminded me of a bad time in my life which I was then done with.

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by Typer on Jun 21^st, 2012, 6:37pm

Several people have said a good diet and lots of exercise...reducing stress etc.

I am still, like you, working on it

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by martinpetersen on Jun 22^nd, 2012, 5:57am

I still get mine ... palps, uneasy feeling of pulse round the diaphragm etc. But only rarely the "big night-spells" I have been experiencing earlier.

I'm quite sure that the "big night-spells" for me are closely connected to eating too much and drinking too much wine and beer too late and too close to bedtime. So I try to cut those factors. For the moment I've put myselv on total alcohol-stop, at least for some weeks :-) - that doesn't keep all palp-feelings away, but all in all I sleep a lot better and seldom get palpitations that "ruin" my day (or night).

Then I also really try hard to say to myself - when they do arrive - that they are benign, that they have hit me many times before without anything more happening and so on.

So I guess the summary for me is: Work both at a physical and mental level, and palpitations will diminish - and hopefully disappear one day.
And if they don't: I've got to welcome them as a part of me which I can live with.

Good luck to everybody!

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by samiam on Sep 18^th, 2012, 11:22am

I have mostly recovered (36yr old male)...you can look up my previous posts from last summer in which I saw a cardiologist, wore a 48-hr Holter monitor and had an Echo. During that time period, I was reading and posted to this forum. The cardio told me that my heart was completely normal. Shortly thereafter, I began to realize that perhaps I just had anxiety-induced palps during this time period (although no history of anxiety or palps). I did the following:

1) avoid caffeine drinks...although I do consume decaffeinated drinks now and still eat chocolate so I get a little bit.
2) Started doing cardio workouts....just 20-30 min per week, not a lot. I would also do muscle training exercises at the gym about 1 to 4 times per month and I used to sit and relax in the hot tub each time I went (since I'm much better now I stopped doing the hot tub just cuz of the extra time it takes).
3) I sleep a little better, perhaps avg 6.5 - 7 hrs per night now (I have 2 little kids so sleep is a luxury). Perhaps 1 nap on a weekend also.
4) I don't push myself to get stuff done fast, especially running errands and yard work during the hot arizona summer months. I also plan a little better.

I never did take any anxiety medication, I never even visited my primarity doctor after my last cardio appt. My palps gradually decreased both in severity and duration once I started doing these things. I hardly get palps now but during a stressful situation (just last week), I'll feel them again...but they usually subside minutes after the stressful situation is over and I'll feel normal in about 1 hr or so.

Hope this helps and good luck to all.

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by bigcountry on Sep 19^th, 2012, 9:22am

Samiam, Thanks for responding. Things are going actually much better than when I posted this original post.

I attribute my progress to some of the things you reference in your post! You really do have to give up the fight with your bodily symptoms.....they are not harmful and are just a response to your thoughts and behaviors!

It would be similar to you getting upset every time you hit your thumb with a hammer because it hurts! We need to stop fearing our symptoms and that is the key to getting our lives back!!!

Thanks again!

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by martinpetersen on Sep 19^th, 2012, 10:47am

I've had an experience during the last weeks: After a period with quite many palps, which I really felt were related to my digestive system, especially upper stomach, I went once more to the doctor and talked aboutl pulse-felling round the diapharagm many hours during day and night. He did a ecg at once - normal as can be. Then he felt and "pushed" my stomach to search for maybe aneurisms, but didn't find anythng (and also said one of those really would cause pain.) Then we talked about gastric acid, which I now and then used to feel. A bit reflux, but nok all the time.
That made him prescribe me Pantoprazole (a proton-pump-inhibitor/PPI), and during these two weeks I've been on those, I ALMOST haven't had a palpitaion episode. I have really regained my nights. So great.
The problem is you can't just eat these pills all the time, and I've got to stop tomorrow, and now I'm really interested in seeing what is going to happen!

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by bigcountry on Sep 19^th, 2012, 11:01am

Martin...exciting news. RLR has gone to great lengthsto discuss the relationship between palps and the stomach. If they, for some reason, do come back you can be relaxed and know definitively that this is the cause.

Remember its like a twitch in the eye....you wont go blind! So even if they do come back you can rest easy....and by resting easy this could reduce your anxiety, which reduces an overactive stomach....which will reduce palps!!!!!

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by martinpetersen on Sep 19^th, 2012, 11:32am

Thanks! Yes, I've been thinking something like that. And also: if it really is so closely stomach related, maybe it would be wise to really check out which food is acid-creating and which is not. (Though I have the feeling that a good part of the nice things on the menu really squeeeze the acid out of the linings ...)
We'll see, and I'll report back in some days.

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by kchendrix on Sep 19^th, 2012, 12:03pm

Just let me encourage you with one big word. BELIEVE! Stop listening to your doubting Anxious mind... realize this. You possess the power to get better. If you have been to your Doctor and ER over and over with the same results...... then it is time to BELIEVE and ACCEPT. It took RLR practically reaching through the internet and giving me a cold slap of reality and that is what it took... How could all these Doctors be wrong that I went to see? I guess I had more education on the subject? Nope not at All. Believe and tell your doubting thoughts to shutup... Keep practicing that mentality.. Will worrying about it give you one more day of life? Find a great therapist you can talk to and work out your anxious fears.. It will take a lot of work but you can do it.

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by martinpetersen on Sep 20^th, 2012, 12:59am

Yes, believing and accepting is important, I agree on that. And no doubt an important tool in breaking the anxiety-vicious circle.
And no, I don't believe that worrying about my palpitations will give me one more day in the life, BUT finding out about what causes them might give me a lot of days without that uncomfortable feeling they create. And I think that this "feeling uncomfy" is more that just something mentally; benign as it is, it does "push some buttons" in you, buttons connected to the nervous system. Chemical og physical, I don't know.

Believing and accepting? Yes, but why not improve the situation if possible? Just like you know you can open a window and let your - benign - headache fly away.

And since it seams that anxiety is not the ONLY cause of benign palps, it is, I belive, important both for "patients" and doctors to go further into causes of these. I truly believe palps are benign once you've been tested, and RLR has given some good desciption of the whole vagus nerve "thing", connecting GI-tract and heart.
How nice it would be if medicine could go further into that, so maybe we would not have just to accept, but could prevent palps from coming.

Like these PPI's might have done for me!

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by richie on Sep 20^th, 2012, 8:04am

today I carried the groceries. Heavy bag. As some of you know I have always pain on my chest. While carrying the bag , walking back from the store the pain increased on my chest and suddenly a huge squeeze or skipped beat occured while walking with this bag.
I really freaked out.

Is this normal that it occurs doing this?

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by bigcountry on Sep 20^th, 2012, 10:42am

Richie I hate to be blunt but you are just not getting it....and until you do you will just suffer.

Of course what happened is normal! You are keeping your body under such tension and fear that it is reacting appropriately every time. RLR has told you numerous times that there is nothing wrong with you....your doctors have told you.

Now you need to believe and get on with your life.....and understand that just because all of the sudden you believe, your symptoms will not just magically disappear! Your body needs time to recover from the constant 24 hours a day stress you have been putting it under!

Go get your life back and give up this fight!

I hope this helps.

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by richie on Sep 20^th, 2012, 11:00am

hi Bigcountry

I get it, believe me. I never had this squeezes while walking or carrying heavy things. Always in rest! I thought skipped heart beats while "EXERCISING" isnt that good.
My skipped beats never happened while moving before !
So you and others experienced skipped beats while moving often?

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by bigcountry on Sep 20^th, 2012, 11:05am

There are days when I have 10 a minute all day. They are no concern. If you read back over RLRs posting he says numerous times that frequency and feeling are not a concern!

Spend one day going back over this entire site and read every RLR posting! You have to pound it in to your head and that is a good way of doing it.

Everyone on this site is still alive because nothing is wrong with them....the mind can play dirty tricks if you let it! Regain control over it!

Stop googling immediately! Stop all of your bad habits around anxiety and replace them with new habits. It is the hardest thing you are ever going to do but if you want your life back you MUST do it!

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by richie on Sep 21^st, 2012, 2:47am

hi Bigcountry

I applaud your postings . But I think its not true to say that nothing is wrong physically with all posters on this forum..
I've read alot of stories of people who really have a problem or disease. Just the last posting someone has a neuropathy. I wouldnt call that nothing. and that could very well explain bodily and heart related nerve system sensations. In my opinion you cant say that everyone on this site has no severe problem and are still all alive. I wish it was true, but who controls that statement? ;-)
What I do read is that a lot of people have a lot of bodily symptoms where they are bothered by, and feel anxious about.
Because they are anxious about it, ANXIETY is the key word.
I often write, I do believe anxiety is involved in most cases, and mine. But if anxiety is the CAUSE? NO, I often don't believe that. way to easy. EVERYONE in life goes to ups and downs. But not everyone get these symptons I have on the chest, and in that severity. Not everyone gets your or others their complaints. and yet they are too anxious from time to time.
Its way more complicated than that in my opinion.
I think in 50% or more there is a bodily explanation for what we feel, but because people all react differently and modern medicine is too much about a general look of symptoms and tests , a lot of people are stuck with their symptoms. Because when an EKG said your heart is fine and you passed a stress test , your heart is ok. maybe it is, but your symptoms are still there. and the heart does react to it.
When it is from the stomach and reflux and so on.. it isnt anxiety.. it is from your stomach and reflux.. thats what I mean. You can react upon the symptoms with anxiety but your problem is reflux or your stomach. not psychosomatic.
if you have a neuropathy you have a neuropathy. will you die from your heart sensations? maybe and probably not. but you have an physical problem.
POTS..physical. Roemheld.. physical
some minor deviations with your heart. PHYSICAL
hypothyroid ..physical
And yet I read everything is anxiety.
no, there is often a disturbance somewhere in the body , probably not dangerous at all. THAT is where my fault and problem kicks in.. I think everything that isnt felt as normal is abnormal so a bad thing.
but a physical problem where due to sensations you react anxious upon

the last thing is what my problem is.
I know for sure that there are physical symptoms that I have. they are caused physically, but I react badly upon it. thats my anxiety.
What I want is for my doc to explain my bodily symptoms and ehats causing them,... the problem is..he doesnt know?>????
because he doesnt know..its anxiety.
thats the wrong way .. if you dont know..you look and do research and dont put a low B12 a low D A slow thyroid, a high ureum , neuropathy like sensations , chestsensations, pain , constant chest pain in mainly anxiety like labeling. it can be..but it isnt sure it is.
even people with real deadly diseases have anxiety. but you dont say.. well come on..its anxiety. the axiety is the result. not the instigator.

So I often read how RLR explain the arousal fight and flight theory.
And thats always involved. offcourse it is. but often its the response and not the cause. Or you got anxiety because of something your BODY does and now you have both!

I always want to know what CAUSES my complaints. not how I react upon it. THAT i understand.
How i got it in the first place , my complaints , is a mystery
A guy that was 35 years old.. ran for 25 miles a week with two fingers in his nose and from one day after he became unwell one morning detoriated in years to a wrack. all anxiety !!??
I dont know. I do believe it was and is something physical. maybe nothing really dangerous at all, where i reacted upon with anxiety. But I want to know what it was and now what it is..its only than in my opinion you can understand whats wrong and learn to deal with it.
Now its only anxiety I have to deal with but dealing with anxiety wont cure my symptoms..it only learns me how to deal with them,

before doing that you have to know WHAT your dealing with

thats my believe and also my battle now. because the only thing i hear is anxiety..but no one seems to understand that it didnt start there and thats not the only factor. you cant be anxious for 5 years 24 hours a day. a body can only be so long in arousal and than it has to unwind. I've been there so i know the difference. constant pain and burning skin and burping and intolerable exercise level isnt only anxiety. too easy and not very logical at all.
I want to know what causes it. So if its roemheld..what does that mean physically.?
Is it POTS.. what does that mean physically and ehat is the way to deal with it?
What else can cause it..and what is the danger in that..or is it safe to do everything even though you have 24 hours of pain and sensations and you react bad to exercise.?

explanation is the key. anxiety story not. Most of us became anxious due to there symptoms not the other way around

I dont mean any disrespect, I am not even say i'm right..maybe i'm dead wrong. but thats how I feel about it. and the constant battle of proving its not ONLY anxiety is a tiring and frustrating one. I know i'm no doctor but there is no better judge of how you feel than the patient him or herself.
I often say.. hypothetically.. lets asume for once my thoughts are right.. and I have Roemheld, or Pots or SFN or deficiencies vitamins and slow thyroid. in what danger am i and how can we be sure its not that .. if we can erase that possibility your one step closer to the answer. but by doing so and saying that, I get the feeling people get offended and you even more are sent away with hypochondriac or anxiety

I dont care , with all respect. Its MY body. I have the sensations , I want them GONE. I want to have my life back
And the only thing they offer me..is ..anxiety and to take a big leap of faith..nothing is wrong..

I wish also doctors would understand how difficult that is.

end of my moaning :-)

Title: Re: To those who have recovered or close to recovering
Post by martinpetersen on Sep 21^st, 2012, 3:34am

I think that was a good response, Richie, which clarified a couple of things. Among others: the difference between cause and reaction.

I too think that there are physical (and chemical) causes as well as the anxiety-ones!

And I also feel that I've heard the big chorus: "Anxiety, my friend, it's aaallllll anxiety ..." just a few times to many :-)

Enjoy your weekend.