Bad anxiety, heart palpitations etc.

[Tom Farrington]

Hi everyone, so recently my anxiety has been quite bad, I feel hopeless BUT yesterday I felt good, I felt normal but that changed. (BTW I do suffer from heart anxiety)
So anyway I had been in my bed for most of the night watching TV and what not and I had a KFC for dinner, I had wicked wings and a pepper mayo wrap, the wings are somewhat spicy but not to bad.
After I had eaten I went outside and down the drive to get the drinks out of the car, I walked back up to the house (from the driveway to the house I have to walk up a flight of stairs and up a hill, so heart rate did climb a tiny bit)
anyway, I get back into my room and lay on the bed and had another wicked wing, then a few minutes later I got this odd bubbling/fluttery in my upper chest and throat that felt like a palpitation sort of feeling (I do get the odd palpitation, like a thump in my chest for a split second but they have started to become less common) that lasted around 5-10 seconds, my pulse felt normal and consistent it was just fast, I freaked out and stated to hyperventilate and yawn alot to try and get air a bit but I calmed down a bit and I felt ok again, what the hell was this!? I cant stop thinking about it and its making me feel on edge today :(
Like I said, my anxiety has been bad lately and I have had about 5 panic attacks in the space of 2 weeks and I've been feeling nauseous, bloated, heavy and drained both mentally and physically for about 2 weeks and getting that feeling last night didn't help at all.
Please, any advice is appreciated!

I don't smoke, I'm not overweight, I don't drink and I have no one in my family that has a heart condition (grandad did have a heart attack from stress in his 50s, he is 80 now)

[NixonRulz]

They have KFC in New Zealand? Damn, who'd of thunk?

Keep eating that shit and you will have a heart attack! ;)

What you describe is exactly how I was for years. I could have wrote this thread myself, minus the KFC thing. I am not a fan of their fried breaded poultry.

You probably understand this based on your words but I will say it anyway for those in the class that may not have been paying attention.

Almost ALL times people get palpitations is becasue of shallow breathing. Anxious people generally mouth breath in shallow breaths. Enough air doesn't make its way to those lungs of yours and then a palpitation happens. Said palpitation is scary so you begin to focus on it and that makes you even more anxious which causes more shallow breaths which causes more palpitations until you hyperventilate your way right into a glorious panic attack.

Wash. Rinse . Repeat

I still get palpitations. But when i get one I understand it is just my body saying "hey dumb ass, throw some air to us lungs down here." Then I do just that. And since I know why palpitations occur and understand they are completely normal for me and other folks who tend to be anxious, it does not scare me. No panic can come and the palps quickly stop.

When you feel one or one coming, don't deep breathe but just bring air in normally filling your lungs causing your stomach to rise and exhale normally out of your nose. That should do the trick!

There are a few here that could give you even better types of breathing advice techniques but unfortunately I am not one of them.

I am sure they will chime in.

[needtogetwell]

You are right on the money Nixon, breathing is key. Filling the bottom of your lungs, feels like your stomach is pushing out, and slow exhale works wonders.

It takes practice to do it without thinking but it works.

[Dahila]

You are right on the money Nixon, breathing is key. Filling the bottom of your lungs, feels like your stomach is pushing out, and slow exhale works wonders.

It takes practice to do it without thinking but it works.
That's right, when we breathe we should do this:))