Quote Originally Posted by millymichelle View Post
I'm Camille, 24 years old, and I've had anxiety/panic disorder since I was 21. I am prescribed Ativan which I only take as needed rather than everyday.

For the last 7 days, I have had NON STOP heart palpitations/beat skipping. In the past I had a palp here a palp there, usually only like 4 a month. But this last week has been like 10 a day. I'm so scared!

YES, things in my life have been causing me more stress than usual (but just STRESS, not "I'm about to die" anxiety like usual). Things at work are tense with a new co worker, and things with my personal relationships are up and down. STRESSFUL. But not anything I feel I panic about.

When the stressful situation is happening, my heart rate rises...which is normal. But then I find that the heartbeat skipping comes like 5 hours later for no reason when I'm under NO stress. For example, today I woke up very rested and peaceful and then BAM! Heart skipped a beat twice in a row. What the?!?!?

The other thing that scares me is that I am a fit, athletic person. I never have any heart issues before, during or after I workout. I was on the elliptical two days ago, and I swear EVERY MINUTE my heart skipped a beat...whether I was at a high pace or low pace. And they say exercise is GOOD for anxiety?!?

It's starting to piss me off. I have NO past heart problems and find it unlikely that I could have developed a heart condition or heart disease so young and so quickly and so out of nowhere. (For reference, I got my heart checked by a cardiologist in 2012..just 3 years ago...and was cleared completely. He said it was fine. HAVE I DEVELOPED A HEART ISSUE IN JUST 3 YEARS?!?!?!?)

Can someone relate to this or relate to me? I have made a doc appointment, but it's not for 4 days. Has anyone else experienced this? WHY WONT IT GO AWAY?! Not even taking my Ativan and relaxing makes it go away. It just comes and goes whenever it wants...

Can someone please talk me through this? I don't get what's going on with me!!!


(btw, NO chest pain or tightening, just the palpitations and dull pain in my left arm.....it just did it again! UGH)
If you have been checked in the recent past and you were/are fine, safe to say it is your anxiety

Palpitations caused by shallow breathing. Anxious people often are constantly scanning their body for things such as pains and palps. That also causing you to start chest breathing.

Breathe normally with your stomach up and down and watch how fast the palps stop.