Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Treatment For Heart Palpitations And Severe Anxiety
Question: Hello, I wore a Holter monitor for a 24 hr period ....because I keep having heart palpitations ( I am 56 yrs old).all this started about 3 weeks ago...my ekg came back excellent..before this...but I keep feeling the heart palpitations so I wore the monitor...it came back over that 24 hrs of 2 fast beat sessions ...like 5 beats at a time then...do you consider this a good or bad reading...?...also I do have severe anxiety that comes and goes on me.....
Brief Answer:
Better control of the heart rate; stress reduction
Detailed Answer:
Greetings, madame. Thank you for your question. I am Dr. Meriton. I carefully read your query and understood your concern.
Combining the factors you described, a 56-year old woman with anxiety, adding the peri-menopausal state, this finding is not uncommon. There are a lot of types of anxieties that one can experience. For example, even fear is considered a type of anxiety - situational fear. I am telling you this because all types of anxieties have one thing in common - the flush of cathecolamines (adrenalin, noradrenalin) in the body, which, among others, have a marked effect on the heart rate, by raising it. If there were only two bursts of tachycardia, then it is a little worrisome. However, you are a candidate to be put on heart rate controlling drugs, to prevent or suppress these bouts. I would recommend beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers or antiarrhythmics, and also recommend that you should discuss this option with your cardiologist.
One or two months after you will be put on treatment, another 24- or 48-hour Holter rhythm monitor would be in place.
If it suits you and if you can actually feel the moment when your heart "jump starts", you can also wear an episode rhythm monitor, which is nothing different than Holter, but you can switch it on and off when you feel the symptoms.
As for the anxiety, my opinion is that measures should be taken in this area. I would recommend a drug from the class of benzodiazepines, and/or an antipsychotic drug, if the anxiety interferes with your quality of life. For further details, like the given drug and its dosage, I recommend you to contact your general practitioner or a psychiatrist, to address this issue.
In the end, I suggest that the blood electrolyte levels (sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and phosphorus) should be measured.
I hope I was helpful and thorough with my answer. If you have further questions, I am ready and glad to help you.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Better control of the heart rate; stress reduction
Detailed Answer:
Greetings, madame. Thank you for your question. I am Dr. Meriton. I carefully read your query and understood your concern.
Combining the factors you described, a 56-year old woman with anxiety, adding the peri-menopausal state, this finding is not uncommon. There are a lot of types of anxieties that one can experience. For example, even fear is considered a type of anxiety - situational fear. I am telling you this because all types of anxieties have one thing in common - the flush of cathecolamines (adrenalin, noradrenalin) in the body, which, among others, have a marked effect on the heart rate, by raising it. If there were only two bursts of tachycardia, then it is a little worrisome. However, you are a candidate to be put on heart rate controlling drugs, to prevent or suppress these bouts. I would recommend beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers or antiarrhythmics, and also recommend that you should discuss this option with your cardiologist.
One or two months after you will be put on treatment, another 24- or 48-hour Holter rhythm monitor would be in place.
If it suits you and if you can actually feel the moment when your heart "jump starts", you can also wear an episode rhythm monitor, which is nothing different than Holter, but you can switch it on and off when you feel the symptoms.
As for the anxiety, my opinion is that measures should be taken in this area. I would recommend a drug from the class of benzodiazepines, and/or an antipsychotic drug, if the anxiety interferes with your quality of life. For further details, like the given drug and its dosage, I recommend you to contact your general practitioner or a psychiatrist, to address this issue.
In the end, I suggest that the blood electrolyte levels (sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and phosphorus) should be measured.
I hope I was helpful and thorough with my answer. If you have further questions, I am ready and glad to help you.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
