AHHH! This stupid racing heart...

[snowpea]

It's become the bane of my existence!

It seems to come and go...sometimes I have alot of trouble with my heart, and cannot stop thinking about it. Other times..I don't even think of it and feel fine.

Today I went to urgent care clinic to ask for a small temporary prescription of Xanax, as I'm flying tomorrow. Well, at the clinic I conviently had a MASSIVE panic attack. My heart was going 165 and they said they could not let me leave until they did an EKG. As usual the EKG came back totally normal. I've had my thyroid tested, diabetes test, anemia...all have come back normal. I never have chest pain with my racing heart, never feel sick or dizzy or short of breath, my blood pressure is always slightly elevated (like today during my horrifying attack) or perfectly normal. Not to mention I have had alot of stress in my life, a sudden death in the family, my husband and I were laid off at the SAME time from the same stupid company, we need to pick up and move to a new city tomorrow. Yet all these facts do not stop me from nearly pooping my pants when my heart starts racing so badly...it's such a nightmare, such an awful scary feeling. I feel so convinced there is something wrong with me :(

Then today I took some Xanax and my anxiety still broke through, and my heart was still racing uncontrollably. It takes me hours to fight through the panic, and hours for my heart to come back to a normal bpm. Sometimes eve a whole day depending on how bad my attack was.

Sorry this is so long, it's been so much for me, so scary and lonely because, I don;t like talking about it with people in my life. I feel so silly, like why can't I just calm my heart with the power of thought? When it's really bad...nothing stops it racing so high. Has anyone else experienced anything similar to this??

[angelmum63]

i think probably everyone here has experienced something similar. it is horrible... i hate it too. i'm learning all i can about anxiety and coping techniques. thought i had a break through not having an attack for four nights... my anxiety wakes me from sleep... how rude! last night it came back again... i was devastated... my hope that i was going to get a few weeks or even months of reprieve drained from me. i did the self pity thing last night.. got me nowhere. so today i started thinking... i can't give up. I won't give up. I refuse to give up! there is something/someone out there that has that coping technique that is right for me... and i am going to find it!

i wish u well. we all got to soldier on!

[Belle]

Hi,
Has your dr ever recommended a beta blocker rather than Benzodiazepams to treat your racing heart?
I myself take beta-blockers rather than anything else because they 'don't mess with your head' so to speak and I can function quite normaly on them, they're also not addictive and I haven't experienced any side effects. These help me with racing heart, sweating, clamminess, dry mouth. It's not a cure ofcourse as anxiety needs to be dealt with in a cognitive way first and foremost, but just thought I'd let you know this drug is better suited to this symptom of anxiety rather than xanax. Here's some basic info off google.

Beta blockers are a type of medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems. However, beta blockers are also prescribed off-label for anxiety. Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of norepinephrine, a stress hormone involved in the fight-or-flight response. This helps control the physical symptoms of anxiety such as rapid heart rate, a trembling voice, sweating, dizziness, and shaky hands.

Because beta blockers don’t affect the emotional symptoms of anxiety such as worry, they’re most helpful for phobias, particularly social phobia and performance anxiety.If you’re anticipating a specific anxiety-producing situation (such as giving a speech), taking a beta blocker in advance can help reduce your “nerves.”

[snowpea]

I have infact been thinking of beta blockers lately! It;s the one thing a doctor has never told me about, but it does sound like the type of thing which would be perfect for my situation, rather than Xanax. I think I will definitely speak to a doctor about that.

Also thank you for the reply angelmum, you really hit the nail on the head. I often think I've gotten over my attacks when I've gone awhile feeling good...and then wham, I'm right back where I started! You make some fantastic points though, it made me feel quite a bit better about the whole situation!

[1970]

Belle

an interesting read about the beta blockers

Do you take them daily or just when a situation arises and you feel like you need them

you say no side effects for you as well

cheers

[1970]

Hi,

Beta blockers are a type of medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems. However, beta blockers are also prescribed off-label for anxiety. Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of norepinephrine, a stress hormone involved in the fight-or-flight response. This helps control the physical symptoms of anxiety such as rapid heart rate, a trembling voice, sweating, dizziness, and shaky hands.

Because beta blockers don’t affect the emotional symptoms of anxiety such as worry, they’re most helpful for phobias, particularly social phobia and performance anxiety.If you’re anticipating a specific anxiety-producing situation (such as giving a speech), taking a beta blocker in advance can help reduce your “nerves.”

heres an extract on the ssri's

SSRI's
(e.g. Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Aropax, Paxil)
Attempts to find medications with fewer and less serious side-effects led to the discovery of another group of medication that act more selectively. SSRI's enhance the signals in nerves that transmit messages with serotonin. Effexor - a selective serotonin and norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor, trazodone and nefazadone (Desyrel and Serzone) , - serotonin modulators, mirtazepine (Remeron), a serotonin and norepinepherine enhancer and bupropion (Wellbutrin) a norepinepherine enhancer. Side-effects include nausea, diarrhea, headache, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, sexual dysfunction and reduced motivation. Some of the SSRI's are associated with a 'discontinuation syndrome' if stopped abruptly. While not dangerous, these symptoms can quite often be confused with anxiety symptoms. In addition to their use as antidepressants, SSRI's have also been used to treat panic disorder, bulimia, obsessive compulsive disorder, excessive anger/agression and premenstral symdrome.


So my point is here from what i read a beta blocker, blocks the norepinepherine which has do do with our fight and flight response, but the ssri's enhance the norepinepherine, so from an anxiety point of view is enhancing them not a good thing?

Are ssri's enhancing the norepinepherine then hieghtening an anxiety attack, after all ssri's are made to treat depression but have been found to be of some use in some people with anxiety, is it like throwing more fuel on a fire already burning out of control ?

[Belle]

I take 1 tablet a day, half in the morning and half at night.
They can be taken when needed and is more effective like that when you don't have an anxiety disorder, but more have performance anxiety. So someone like a public speaker, or musician/artist who only gets anxious when going on stage, someone who only gets a racing heart or sweats alot due to anxiety but is well in every other way.

For me, I can't take anti-depressants and benzos, mainly because they greaten my anxiety and have a sedative effect on the brain so affect driving ability, co-ordination, memory etc. I can't afford to feel like a zombie and that's how I feel with everything else. Beta-blockers don't do that, they don't help with all anxiety symptoms which is why dr's won't prescribe them much. I don't know medical terminology, but I do know they slow down your adrenalin which is a factor in your flight/fight response. It's like adrenalin junkies who jump off planes, they do it for the 'rush of adrenalin' that includes that pounding heart, sweating, hyperness. We get a rush of adrenalin watching tv, not so fun!! So beta-blockers literally slow everything, your heart, blood flow, so you can't peak in an anxiety attack.

1970 SSRI's are well known to cause anxiety and if you look at their side-effects they all list anxiety as one of them. I know for myself they made my anxiety worse and I've heard alot of people with anxiety say the same thing. So why do dr's prescribe them? They will always tell you for their sedative effect and because they're not as addictive as benzos. Benzos are for short term use like 2 weeks or only when needed, ssri's can be taken for months.
In my opinion, dr's know squat, and why do they still prescribe them for anxiety? I think has to do with the manufacturers who make billions of dollars a year from these, who have a vested interest in promoting them as treating anxiety and I would never look at studies from the manufacturer but studies from independant people and these studies have shown they are not effective in treating anxiety disorders. SSRI's have their place, but in treating anxiety, your better off putting a toothpick through your eye!
No seriously, I've always said it, cbt therapy, natural stress relief teqniques, good diet, positive thinking, happiness in your life, understanding what anxiety is and why you get it and how to control it, and repitition, keep repeating all these things, incorporate them in your everyday life. And stay positive that it will get better.

[Robbed]

So my point is here from what i read a beta blocker, blocks the norepinepherine which has do do with our fight and flight response, but the ssri's enhance the norepinepherine, so from an anxiety point of view is enhancing them not a good thing?

Are ssri's enhancing the norepinepherine then hieghtening an anxiety attack, after all ssri's are made to treat depression but have been found to be of some use in some people with anxiety, is it like throwing more fuel on a fire already burning out of control ?

Therein lies much of the problem with medications. For instance, SSRIs help to alleviate depression and anxiety for some people some of the time, and to some degree. This would tend to suggest that low serotonin might be a problem. On the other hand, problems like depression and anxiety have even been helped by experimental medications which REDUCE serotonin. And, to confuse things further, it has never been definitely shown that depression and anxiety is truly a problem low serotonin. Now perhaps serotonin IS low with some depression and anxiety, at least in certain key areas of the brain. And it might be desirable to increase serotonin in those areas. But drugs with increase serotonin in a wholesale manner might not be the answer, since high levels of serotonin might also cause problems, at least in certain areas. And the same thing goes for norepinephrine. Maybe what it REALLY needed is for the levels of these neurotransmitters to be fine tuned, rather than increased in a wholesale manner. Medications are unlikely to do this. But dealing with anxiety disorder in a cognitive manner CAN.

[1970]

Thanks again Belle

Ive only ever been on aropax and zoloft which are ssri's, beta blockers do sound better as it makes sense that the ssri's can increase anxiety

I know side effects of medication are different on everyone, but you don't have any problems with low blood pressure or feeling dizzy when getting up fast or dizzy in general when on beta blockers

Sorry snowpea i didnt mean to hijack your thread

[Belle]

Thanks again Belle

Ive only ever been on aropax and zoloft which are ssri's, beta blockers do sound better as it makes sense that the ssri's can increase anxiety

I know side effects of medication are different on everyone, but you don't have any problems with low blood pressure or feeling dizzy when getting up fast or dizzy in general when on beta blockers

Sorry snowpea i didnt mean to hijack your thread

If you have certain heart conditions like low blood pressure they are not recommended. Otherwise you won't have this issue and I don't have any side effects whatsover on these.
I did have to stop taking them when I was pregnant and when I was pregnant I suffered alot of low blood pressure which is common in pregnancy. I was very nauseous, vomiting, dizzy and had fainted twice. It's a completely different feeling to anxiety though so you will know the difference if you did have low blood pressure.

[angelmum63]

thanks snowpea... i appreciated ur comments!

[Bez]

Sorry for digging this up again...but I wanted to see how ppl are still doing on the beta blockers? In a nutshell I have tried 3 ssris that made me terribly sick. I'm on 1 xanax xr that usually does the trick. My anxiety always leads to a racing heart and tightness in my chest. My psych never mentioned a beta blocker before but I'm see a new person next week and will ask about it. I just constantly feel my heart pounding which feeds the anxiety. I want to get off xanax for all the reasons people know about and only use it when i need to like flying.

I just have a several concern of my heart. I'm 37 and had all the tests done and they are fine. My gf is a RN and she reassures me I'm fine yet I'm scared I'll have a heart attack. And when I think about beta blockers and affecting the heart that scares me.

[sharp]

Hi Snowpea i replied to a prevous post u made about xanax and i replied to u suggesting beta blockers. Just messaging to ask u to let us know how you get on with the beta blockers if u decide to take them.
Talking about depression meds, im on venlafaxine and the stupid thing is i read the leaflet and the side effects where exactly the same as the symptoms of anxiety so i had a laugh with my bf and said "how do i know if the tablets arent working or if im getting side effects" lol.
Belle i was pissing myself laughing with what u said "adrenalin junkies jump from an aeroplane to get an adrenalin rush but we just have to watch the tv to get 1" haha loved it, its so true.
Bez when i 1st start taking beta blockers i was scared of the effect it would have on my heart, as i knew it slowed your heart rate down i then had to be reassured off the doc that it wouldnt stop my heart. Iv stopped taking them now as im a bit better but one thing i noticed whilst taking them is they did calm my heart rate down but i was getting flutters and palps, but since i stopped taking them i havnt really had any(maybes once a week whereas when on betablockers it would hapen regulary every day). thing is tho u can get palps when u have anxiety so im not 100percent sure if it was the beta blockers or not.