HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Does Anxiety And Panic Cause Irregular Heartbeat And Chest Pain?

I ve been having irregular heartbeat off and on for about two months now. It started with chest pain, etc. and I went to the emergency room and they tested me....everything okay then i went to a cardiologist and he said everything is okay and they think i am having panic attacks i went for a second opinion and an electro cardiologist has me wearing a monitor now for several weeks and then when i had sex for the first time in a while on sunday it got the irregular heartbeat again..Could all of this be caused by anxiety/panic?
Wed, 4 Nov 2015
Report Abuse
Cardiologist 's  Response
Greetings. Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern.

Yes, it could result from panic attacks/generalized anxiety disorder. You see, every type of anxiety, even fear (called situational anxiety, in medical terms), is characterized by a acutely high level of chatecholamines (adrenalin and noradrenalin) in the human organism. They have a lot of effects in the human body, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, among others. These attacks can also cause organic symptoms, with psychological etiology (cause), such as chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness of the limbs, etc. Now, adding that all cardiac tests came back normal, and that rhythm monitor is not showing anything wrong for several weeks, my opinion, also, is that these are panic attacks or anxiety attacks. These attacks do not have a known cause, but they certainly have known triggers, such as public performances, standing in crowded or lonely circumstances, entering in narrow passages or closed areas etc. However, this is not a disease, it is merely a disorder which severely affects the quality of life or work of the person experiencing it. Therefore, my recommendation would be for you to consult a psychiatrist and be treated with a sedative (benzodiazepines) and, if severely affecting your quality of life, an anti-psychotic drug (for the mood swings), to suppress, prevent, even minimize these attacks. Once the panic attack is treated, the cardiac symptoms are abolished.

I hope I was helpful with my answer. Wish you a good health.

Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
I find this answer helpful

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Loading Online Doctors....
Does Anxiety And Panic Cause Irregular Heartbeat And Chest Pain?

Greetings. Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern. Yes, it could result from panic attacks/generalized anxiety disorder. You see, every type of anxiety, even fear (called situational anxiety, in medical terms), is characterized by a acutely high level of chatecholamines (adrenalin and noradrenalin) in the human organism. They have a lot of effects in the human body, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, among others. These attacks can also cause organic symptoms, with psychological etiology (cause), such as chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness of the limbs, etc. Now, adding that all cardiac tests came back normal, and that rhythm monitor is not showing anything wrong for several weeks, my opinion, also, is that these are panic attacks or anxiety attacks. These attacks do not have a known cause, but they certainly have known triggers, such as public performances, standing in crowded or lonely circumstances, entering in narrow passages or closed areas etc. However, this is not a disease, it is merely a disorder which severely affects the quality of life or work of the person experiencing it. Therefore, my recommendation would be for you to consult a psychiatrist and be treated with a sedative (benzodiazepines) and, if severely affecting your quality of life, an anti-psychotic drug (for the mood swings), to suppress, prevent, even minimize these attacks. Once the panic attack is treated, the cardiac symptoms are abolished. I hope I was helpful with my answer. Wish you a good health. Best regards, Dr. Meriton