Do you ever get the rapid heart beat?
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| Tue, 11-15-2005 - 2:37pm |
If so, how do you deal with it? I just can't stand it when it happens to me. First I get a hot flash that starts at the nape of my neck and surges over my head and to my face and down my arms. Then my heart starts racing and sometimes it won't settle down for a good hour or so.
The first time this happened last May I thought I was having a heart attack and called 911. Was in the ER all morning and all heart tests came back normal but they couldn't figure out what was driving up my heart rate. They even asked me if I might be having a panic attack. At the time that was the furthest thing from my mind. Life was good, nothign made me nervous so I told them that I wasn't. Looking back I'm quite certain it was a panic attack. I've had several more since then and sometimes I just can't tell if it's a panic attack or something more. So far I haven't had to head back into the ER when it happens. I try and ride it out and eventually it settles down.
I just hate this feeling though. It hasn't happened to me in three weeks now, thank God. And the last time it happened to me was two days after I began taking Zoloft. I just wonder if the Zoloft made things worse before starting to make things better.
Now I have anxiety about having a panic attack. I get so nervous about it sometimes.

I have had the rapid heartbeat many times. Of course it scares me into thinking the end is near because it couldn't just be anxiety. It must be something fatal, such as a heart attack. I know it isn't funny @ all, but I have had them for 35 plus years, so I try to laugh a bit @ myself. It keeps me sane. Also, I feel that I can't get my breath & sometimes have abdominal pain. So far, I am still standing. Try to make a game out of these bluemarlin_girl. Tell your self you're fine, it will be over soon, noone ever died from panic, it's just anxiety & not your heart.
Yup, I know what you mean! Before I was diagnosed I had dh take me to the ER with chest pain... of course it turned out to be nothing.