I woke up last night , after being asleep for approx. 45mins, and my heart was pounding! I don't remember any bad dream, I had a hell of a time calming down, where is this adrenilin (SP?) rush when I could use it??
Has this happened to you and is there any tricks to slow down a heartbeat? how to handle aniexity?
Oh, it was, for sure, an aniexity attack, I haven't had one for years- THEY ARE THE WORSE!!

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Love, J.

I don't know but if it happens again, see your doctor.............it could be something serious!

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Square dancing is friendship set to music!

I would go get it checked anyway. DH has a heart condition and it's nothing to mess around with. If it's anxiety then you don't really need to worry, but that is also a symptom of other problems.

Are you going through menopause?

How do you feel during the day?

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

About 3 years ago this used to hapeen to me quite often. . .I actually ended up in the ER several times. If you bear down (kind of like you're trying to force out gas. . lol) it may stop. That's what I was told to do. . .it worked sometimes. I found getting up and walking around would sometimes help to, even though they tell you lying down should help. Just a little background with me. . .. it took about 2 years before I ever got a diagnosis. . .they did every heart test under the sun. . .I was having anxiety attacks too. . .they would start at night. They finally figured out that I had a bad gallbladder and I had it removed. . .BUT I was still having rapid heart beat issuses (and irregular ones too). It turns out I was severly anemic. . ..once that was taken care of all those symptoms went away (thank God!). I know it can be very scary when it's happening. . .especially if you can't get it to stop. Good luck. . .I hope you can figure out why this is happening to you.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

I have svt (supraventricular tachycardia ) and have episodes like that. Not saying that's what you have, it's probably just anxiety.

Bearing down like Hambirg said works sometimes, so does Ice cold water. Either step into a cold shower, or fill a bowl with water and Ice and stick your head in it for as long as you can.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

I also have that problem. I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after being rushed to the hospital by ambulance last March. By the time I got to the ER, my heart was beating 190 times a minute! After more testing, my cardiologist changed it to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Here's the reason that is good news.

Most cases of atrial fibrillation are caused by heart disease or an abnormality of the heart. However, between 12 and 30 per cent of all cases do not involve an underlying heart problem. These cases are classified as lone atrial fibrillation (LAF) or, by some cardiologists, as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

LAF is not life-threatening and is far less likely to precipitate a stroke than is atrial fibrillation involving heart problems.

Still I'm on Coumadin and will probably remain on it for the rest of my days.

Heart problems like what I have tend to run in my family. The doctor also believes that my thyroid removal some 9 years ago may be partially responsible.

Bottom line for you.... get thee to the doctors and have yourself checked out!

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Please have yourself checked out. I was having problems with a rapid heart-
beat when I was only 36 yrs. old. I kept going to the doctor and they could find nothing, I had surgery for something else and they monitor you closely and nothing. Then one day my heart started to race and would not stop. I left the doctor's office in the mobile intensive unit and was in the ICU, then transferred to a teaching hospital and had an ablation to the heart. It cured me but never want that again, you are awake in the OR, and it took eight hours. At times you are alone as they are doing stuff with the computer to have the heart duplicate what it did, and there I am saying "Hello anyone here??" Also, I kept telling the doctors that when I was showering it would start and the specialist said that was one of the signs?
Please if in doubt get it checked.

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Sometimes the elevator often the shaft

Have the doc explain how to massage the carotoid (sp) artery in the neck. I believe if you massage it firmy for 30 seconds it's supposed to help. Only do one side though!! if you do them at the same time you will pass out.

i agree you should have it checked by your dr. I have experienced this, but suffer from anxiety and my friends have also said it is a menopause symptom.

Definitely see your doc, but, really, in the meantime, don't worry too much about it.

My mom has svt like me and she had the ablation done, she's had no problems ever since. I've been considering it.

This does work, but it can increase the risk of a stroke, so talk to your doc before trying it.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

Thank you all for your replies!

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Love, J.

I also have heart rate issues. My heart rate will go as far up as 165 measured and as low as 40. I often wear a holter and also the 30 day recorder. I take Verapamil to help regulate it but it doesn't work that well. I was scheduled to go in Dec. to have a pacemaker/Difib combo inserted and I chickened out. My Dr. told me that we would try one more med (the verapamil) and if it didn't work I would have to get it done in March. So I guess I am going in March.

I also have Mitral Valve Prolaspe which really isn't that bad as long as you follow the precautions. I have had 3 heart attacks and I am only 37 they are not sure what has caused them. I have to see the cardiologist every 3 months faithfully for Echo Cardigrams and Stress test. I also get my holter and if they get blips on the holter I get the 30 day pretty much once every 3 months.

One of the big things for me was learning to manage caffiene. You would be suprised how many things besides coffeee, tea and chocolate have caffiene. Which can make your heart race even hours after you have consumed it. Also if you smoke that can effect your heart rate.

I was always told that if your heart rate is enough that you notice it have it checked out. It maybe nothing but then again it maybe more than you think. I learned this the hard way.

Good Luck to you

Wow, I have mitral valve prolapse and pvc's. You are right, caffiene is in lots of things and it really does mess with the heart if the heart is sensitive. Good luck to you!

Caffeine can for sure cause a rapid heart beat. It never bothered me before, but once I cut down, the problem went away.

Have you had your Thyroid checked recently? Hyperthyroidism can cause a rapid heartbeat, anxiety, panic attacks, etc.

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There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one!
-Harry Chapin

My husband the cathater ablation done in October and he hasn't had an episode since. He's 39 and had atrial fibrilation for the last 8 years about 3 times a year. It was a better choice than being on meds for the rest of his life, since he was so young when it started.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Check with your doctor, I had a heart rate that would go to 230 BPM for NO reason, I had every test, monitor and all and my cardiologist could NOT help me, I went to a electrophysologist, I had a electrical short and had to have a cardiac ablation to 'end' the short path, took no more than 1 1/2, 2 hours and all fixed!

A few years ago I went to a doctor for a routine physical and brought up my life of heart palpitations/rapid heartbeats. it just so happend my new doctor had specialized in cardiology when she was in school and so she had a tendency to look for that kind of stuff in her regular patients. She gave me an EKG and noticed a slight difference in my EKG that showed her I had something called WPW Wolff Parkinson White syndrome. it basically means you have an extra electrical path that makes your heart fire off extra beats sometimes. I had ablation surgery that basically burned out the extra electrical path and have been fine since. make sure you dont assume it is anxiety- I have heard holding your breath and bearing down helps keep palpitations at bay
Good luck!

My cause was caffeine. I have never been a coffee drinker but iced tea and colas were constants. Now that I have given up tea and only have soda once in a while, I seldom have any rapid heartbeats.

Caffeine is a culprit in lumpy breast tissue, and I believe some think there is a link to incontinence. Two and possibly three good reasons to avoid it.

Gee, after reading this thread, I am going to drastically cut down on my caffeine consumption