How do you calm your heart anxiety?

[Jinaiya]

My heart has been a central point of focus for my anxiety/panic attacks since my first attack at the age of 16 (13 years ago). Not always, but often, my heart is involved either by racing, pounding, palpitations, etc.

If I don't go into full panic mode, if I can prevent it, I manage. I breath deeply (feel my stomach rise), try movies, video games. I drink chamomile tea. The last two days I've tried brisk walks, but I feel more anxious and get chest pains and feel short of breath, so that hasn't worked. I always try to focus my thoughts elsewhere. (I become so intune with the beat of my heart that it consumes my thoughts and becomes very intimidating). IF I can do this, my heart will slow and I can move on (like just now for example, when I first started typing this my heart was racing, now I am calm).

**I tried a relaxation ap on my phone last night (3am) while I was plagued with this. It helped a little but as soon as it was over, the panic resumed.**

My question today is: What do you do to calm your heart racing/pounding/palps? What's your success rate with your strategy's? Do you have any recommendations for me? I really look forward to hearing your replies!

Thanks! :)

[RobinG]

My heart has been a central point of focus for my anxiety/panic attacks since my first attack at the age of 16 (13 years ago). Not always, but often, my heart is involved either by racing, pounding, palpitations, etc.

If I don't go into full panic mode, if I can prevent it, I manage. I breath deeply (feel my stomach rise), try movies, video games. I drink chamomile tea. The last two days I've tried brisk walks, but I feel more anxious and get chest pains and feel short of breath, so that hasn't worked. I always try to focus my thoughts elsewhere. (I become so intune with the beat of my heart that it consumes my thoughts and becomes very intimidating). IF I can do this, my heart will slow and I can move on (like just now for example, when I first started typing this my heart was racing, now I am calm).

**I tried a relaxation ap on my phone last night (3am) while I was plagued with this. It helped a little but as soon as it was over, the panic resumed.**

My question today is: What do you do to calm your heart racing/pounding/palps? What's your success rate with your strategy's? Do you have any recommendations for me? I really look forward to hearing your replies!

Thanks! :)

Hi Jinaiya.. I hav the heart pounding, throbbing too. Lately it goes to my head also. I hav also been on a beta blocker for that. Only thing for me that stops it when its really bad is xanax. Since ive been on the zoloft its helped too, because the heart & head thing was getting way bad all over again, yet i still get it when stressed for any little reason. I also use breathing, meditation, exercise, sometimes nothing seems to work, then i use xanax. Hope u find relief, its a awful feeling i know!!

[RobinG]

**I tried a relaxation ap on my phone last night (3am) while I was plagued with this. It helped a little but as soon as it was over, the panic resumed.**

Anxiety happens because your nervous system is too high , it is to over stimulated . Try to fix it when in this state amounts to shutting the gate after the horse has bolted .

These apps , mediation , yoga are all good things . But what most people do is they wait until that are that bad and then try to use them to fix the problem .

They should be used to stop you getting there in the first place . Make it part of your day . Every day spend a little time just chilling out , even if its just sitting with a cuppa , listening to your favorite music. Do it when you feel good not when you feel shit .

If you do this often enough then your nerves will not get that high to start with and you wont have to worry so much about how you react.

At my worse my anxiety was 24/7 and bad, being feed by a very bad drug reaction , i could not eat , sleep , sit and most of the time i was crying . I stated to meditate and every day up to three times a day . Some times i could not do it , i would lay down and feel like i was falling so had to get up and go back to it . But within a month of doing this i noticed a huge differance .

As i said all these tools are good but nothing will bring your out of a bad state but time so use them to stop you getting there in the first place .

I hav used tools also which is very helpeful but at times nothing works! But mentioning tools, if i identify my fears & face them directly that helps, take control instead of the fear having control. Also doing exercises in doing something to lesson the sentivitie like cbt teaches helps much too!

[Jinaiya]

Robin,

Did you find your heart issues worsened when you started Zoloft? I have noticed an increase in both the amount of time my heart races and the frequency of the attacks.
I also will wake up with this now in the middle of the night where as before I never had trouble sleeping.

[Jinaiya]

Forwells, you are so very right in your post. In fact, I knew when I went to do it last night that it may not do much, but it was 3am and I was tired, scared and desperate. I plan to use the meditation every night before bed for awhile and see if it helps!! :)

[RobinG]

Robin,

Did you find your heart issues worsened when you started Zoloft? I have noticed an increase in both the amount of time my heart races and the frequency of the attacks.
I also will wake up with this now in the middle of the night where as before I never had trouble sleeping.

Jinaiya, the zoloft has actually helped with the throbbing & pounding heart & head. My whole body! But if i hav any caffine at all it starts it up! Im more sensitive to caffine since zoloft, i mean even decaf & certain teas. I wouldnt dare go near reg. coffee! Regular exercise helps too! Keeping thoughts possitive is a major help also!! Best wishes to u!! :)

[angieproc1977]

My word I could have wrote this whole post myself, my main anxiety is my heart and when the palps start I just can't calm down I can't just lie there and relax I have to pace around so I can't concentrate on my heartbeat I think the idea of doing the apps and strategies while calm before the nerves even kick in are a good idea think I will give that a try myself.. Someone said they get that feeling of falling I have trouble sleeping sometimes cos this happens everytime I begin to fall asleep and it feels like my heart is sinking x

[PanicCured]

I was engulfed in heart anxiety 24/7. I could not contain my palpitations My heart got up to 162 beats per minute and every day I would wake up to this. My anxiety and physical sensations that went along with it consumed me all day long. When the anxiety went away, the sensations that went along with it went away. Treat the anxiety.