Constant fast heartrate with anxiety?

[CathyT]

Hi all,
I have fibromyalgia with all its funky symptoms, and have been going through perimenopause for my entire life :eek: .
I'm trying to sort out what I'm going through now. I was out in the garden 5 weeks ago working hard, and my heartrate took off, and the panic started. I got very confused too.
Its been there ever since. I easily break out in a sweat, and feel sick. I'm taking a little xanax here and there, which helps a little, but not for long.
My life has sort of come to a grinding halt, since the "garden incident". It just doesn't make sense to me.
I've seen the doc and he feels I need to be back on my old BP med (beta blocker), but I hated the side-effects from that, and my pressure is normal most of the time.
Is it possible to have a constant faster heartrate and you break out in a sweat and feel weak, like you have the flu, and it ends up just being anxiety/panic?? Can it be that constant and that all body compassing??
Thanks.

[tic chick]

hey cathy! *smallrose

YES! panic attacks and anxiety can make your heart beat fast, make you feel sweaty and weak.

please read this article, it describes the symptoms and what causes a panic attack:
http://www.helphorizons.com/care/search_details.htm?id=457

this website has has other topics relating to anxiety, like watching yourself and what happens after a panic attack.

whatever happened 5 weeks ago was not a concrete incident; what i mean is you can't relate your anxiety to a specific event, like hearing bad news or something distressing. you were gardening and you had a panic attack. now you are watching yourself and noticing everything that seems odd with your body and trying to find an explanation for it. i empathize with you, because that is exactly the way things happened with me when i had panic attacks.

cathy, there are many beta blockers. if you have high blood pressure, you really have to be on medication. if you had these side effects, tell the doctor and ask if you can try another drug. if that drug gives you side effects that you don't like, ask to try another. estrogen helps prevent heart disease in women until they reach menopause. then, you really have to take care of any cardiovascular problems. if you doubt that you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor if he would put a holter monitor on you. you get a prescription for a holter monitor and wear it for a day or two and it takes periodic measurements of your blood pressure and your doctor can see if you do have high blood pressure.

xanax is a fast acting drug and is out of your system fast, also. that means it will react quickly when you have a panic attack and you take it, but it won't stay in your body for long. you would have to take it everytime you felt like you were going to have a panic attack. look up the symptoms of "generalized anxiety disorder", and see if those symptoms fit what you're going through. sometimes, not controlling generalized anxiety sets you up for having panic attacks.

i suffered from panic attacks from ages 19-32. i didn't want to take drugs because i had 3 children in those years and i didn't want to be taking drugs and be worried about getting pregnant or weaning off if i did get pregnant. i was having about 2 panic attacks a week. i started taking klonopin and my panic attacks and general anxiety stopped. once in awhile, when i do feel panicky for some reason, i take an extra half pill and i am fine.

i think a good diet, exercise and supplements are great, but, if they don't help your anxiety, what is the quality of your life?

i think that's what almost everybody here on these forums has dealt with; the quality of life with medication and it's side effects, or learning coping skills to deal with your problems.

cathy, i'm 53 now. my life for the past 20+ years without weekly panic attacks has been amazing. i don't regret not taking medication back then and i don't regret taking medication now. you have to decide what YOU want to do.

i'll keep looking for your posts here and try and help you with any questions you have. i am sure others will be here with their advice and experiences, because anxiety is such a universal issue.

take care of yourself, cathy,
jeannie