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Can Stress And Anxiety Cause Atrial Fibrillation?
Question: Hi Dr Sharka....I was speaking with you the other day about my svt and lvc's Can stress and anxiety alone cause or induce atrial fibrillation? I am wearing a loop monitor to check my heart palpitations...in the past I have had benign Pvc's and occasional short runs of svt....I am very anxious wearing this monitor and I am afraid I am going to induce atrial fibrillation.....it scares me .....I keep thinking due to my stress while doing this test I am going to cause a fib ......can this actually happen?
XXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Just relax! Nothing dangerous is going to happen with you!
Detailed Answer:
Hello again, dear XXXXX!
I am glad to stay in contact with you, and to be helpful for you!
Regarding your concern, I would like to explain that stress and anxiety do affect several aspects of our life, interfere with our thoughts, are frequently present when we make right or wrong important decisions, do interfere wit hour feelings, etc.
Anxiety do interfere with several aspects of our cerebral activity, as well as heart and other organs.
In fact, anxiety is considered a triggering factor for inducing arrhythmia, as alcohol, caffeine, etc. are.
But, it is necessary the presence of a favorable myocardial environment to permit to triggering factors initiate an arrhythmia. Also anxiety does not prefer atrial fibrillation over other kinds of arrhythmia.
Fortunately, you have a structurally normal heart (as confirmed by your previous cardiac tests), and no presence of that unfavorable environment could be found.
So relax! It is hard for triggering factors to induce serious and life-threatening arrhythmias, or severely aggravate the present ones (such as PVCs or SVT).
SO, my answer is definitely NO! Anxiety could not induce atrial fibrillation!
You don't have to worry about loop recorder, as it is totally harmless for you. It just keeps monitoring (registering) possible events. It cannot induce any arrhythmias, nor aggravate any present ones.
So just relax, my dear!
Nothing dangerous is going to happen!
Hope to have been helpful for you!
Do not hesitate to be in contact with me for any possible uncertainties!
Best regards,
Dr. Iliri
Just relax! Nothing dangerous is going to happen with you!
Detailed Answer:
Hello again, dear XXXXX!
I am glad to stay in contact with you, and to be helpful for you!
Regarding your concern, I would like to explain that stress and anxiety do affect several aspects of our life, interfere with our thoughts, are frequently present when we make right or wrong important decisions, do interfere wit hour feelings, etc.
Anxiety do interfere with several aspects of our cerebral activity, as well as heart and other organs.
In fact, anxiety is considered a triggering factor for inducing arrhythmia, as alcohol, caffeine, etc. are.
But, it is necessary the presence of a favorable myocardial environment to permit to triggering factors initiate an arrhythmia. Also anxiety does not prefer atrial fibrillation over other kinds of arrhythmia.
Fortunately, you have a structurally normal heart (as confirmed by your previous cardiac tests), and no presence of that unfavorable environment could be found.
So relax! It is hard for triggering factors to induce serious and life-threatening arrhythmias, or severely aggravate the present ones (such as PVCs or SVT).
SO, my answer is definitely NO! Anxiety could not induce atrial fibrillation!
You don't have to worry about loop recorder, as it is totally harmless for you. It just keeps monitoring (registering) possible events. It cannot induce any arrhythmias, nor aggravate any present ones.
So just relax, my dear!
Nothing dangerous is going to happen!
Hope to have been helpful for you!
Do not hesitate to be in contact with me for any possible uncertainties!
Best regards,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Dr Sharka.....I am having another worry......I have a fear of my blood pressure being high...whenever I am at the dr it reads high because I am in a panic....I have taken it at home and the first reading is sometimes a little elevated ...maybe 130/75 and then it comes down to an average of 120/75.....I always take it at home before I have a drs appt because I am soon nervous at the drs.....is this a normal anxiety reaction.... I have in the past become obsessed with taking my blood pressure at home even....taking it upwards of 50 times a day.....I know this is related to my ocd anxiety disorder but it scares me that what if it is high...my husband took the blood pressure machine away from me and my therapist told me I need to stop taking it.....do you think my blood pressure is ok even though it increases during my anxiety attacks?
Brief Answer:
It is just white coat hypertension.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear XXXX!
Your clinical scenario is compatible with what is called white coat hypertension.
That is a situation, when the person is normotensive, but shows high blood pressure readings when measured in a doctor's office.
This is primarily because of increased anxiety.
So relax! Nothing wrong is going on with your blood pressure.
This happens to many persons when visiting a doctor.
As your therapist has told you, frequent measurement of your BP will not be of any help.
Regards,
Dr. Iliri
It is just white coat hypertension.
Detailed Answer:
Hi, dear XXXX!
Your clinical scenario is compatible with what is called white coat hypertension.
That is a situation, when the person is normotensive, but shows high blood pressure readings when measured in a doctor's office.
This is primarily because of increased anxiety.
So relax! Nothing wrong is going on with your blood pressure.
This happens to many persons when visiting a doctor.
As your therapist has told you, frequent measurement of your BP will not be of any help.
Regards,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
So the right thing to do is to treat the anxiety both e blood pressure right? I am switching over meds now so hopefully I will get some relief from the anxiety. I just worried because when I was having my echo done I was sooooo anxious. I was in tears with fright my pressure went up to like 160/100 but by the end of it is was down in the 120's. Is that normal for such a drastic change. I was in a panic state crying, shaking, upset. Is my blood pressure still ok. I took it when I got home and relaxed and it went down to 119/73
Brief Answer:
You are in perfectly good health conditions!
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX!
There is nothing wrong with your blood pressure. In fact, it seems to be quite normal. No any antihypertensive therapies is necessary.
As I explained you, it is called white coat hypertension. It is not harmful at all. It is a momentary phenomenon, totally associated with increased anxiety and nothing else.
All this is happening because you are a tender and sensible person, and pay attention to everything around you.
Just relax! You are in perfectly good health conditions!
My best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
You are in perfectly good health conditions!
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX!
There is nothing wrong with your blood pressure. In fact, it seems to be quite normal. No any antihypertensive therapies is necessary.
As I explained you, it is called white coat hypertension. It is not harmful at all. It is a momentary phenomenon, totally associated with increased anxiety and nothing else.
All this is happening because you are a tender and sensible person, and pay attention to everything around you.
Just relax! You are in perfectly good health conditions!
My best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks again.
Is it ok for me to take robaxin( methocabamol) with my Svt? I hurt my back and it's super stiff. Would like to take a muscle relaxer.
Is it ok for me to take robaxin( methocabamol) with my Svt? I hurt my back and it's super stiff. Would like to take a muscle relaxer.
Brief Answer:
Robaxin seems to be safe in cardiac arrhythmia patients
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
I would like to explain that though robaxin (methocarbamol) has miorelaxant and sedative properties, it exerts no direct action on the contractile mechanism of striated muscle of the heart or the motor end plate or the nerve fiber.
In fact it shows its effect by acting directly on the central nervous system.
As it is a sedative and myorelaxant therapeutic option, it relieves pain and hands decreases hyperadrenergysm. This later effect is directly correlated with a positive impact on possible cardiac arrhythmia occurrence.
So it is a safe drug and has not been proven to show any adverse impact on cardiac arrhythmia patients.
The only common potential adverse effects of robaxin are: possible hypotension, rarely bradycardia and syncopes.
So I strongly recommend you to closely monitor frequently your heart rate and blood pressure if you are going to use this drug.
If you have any uncertainties you can ask me again in the future.
Greetings! Dr. Iliri
Robaxin seems to be safe in cardiac arrhythmia patients
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
I would like to explain that though robaxin (methocarbamol) has miorelaxant and sedative properties, it exerts no direct action on the contractile mechanism of striated muscle of the heart or the motor end plate or the nerve fiber.
In fact it shows its effect by acting directly on the central nervous system.
As it is a sedative and myorelaxant therapeutic option, it relieves pain and hands decreases hyperadrenergysm. This later effect is directly correlated with a positive impact on possible cardiac arrhythmia occurrence.
So it is a safe drug and has not been proven to show any adverse impact on cardiac arrhythmia patients.
The only common potential adverse effects of robaxin are: possible hypotension, rarely bradycardia and syncopes.
So I strongly recommend you to closely monitor frequently your heart rate and blood pressure if you are going to use this drug.
If you have any uncertainties you can ask me again in the future.
Greetings! Dr. Iliri
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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