My Heart Is In My Throat...Literally

Nurses General Nursing

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OK...someone please help me. For the past 2 years I have been getting these weird palpatations, and it feels like my heart is beating in my throat. When it happens, I feel very lightheaded, like I may faint. It usually goes away in about 10 minutes. It used to happen every few months but now it happens every few weeks. IT usually happens when I bend down, but somtimes I will be standing there doing nothing. It happened at work and I put the pulse ox on my finger and it said my HR was 185. I checked it myself and got 180. So I had a nurse double check and it was. It happened the other day at my mom's and my HR was 220! It happened again yesterday. Also, I have been getting chest pain...not bad, just noticeable, even without the palpitations. I am afraid to go to the doctor because a) it might be something bad or B) it may be nothing and I will feel like an ass. It is NOT anxiety, either. It happens when I am doing nothing or bending over to tie my shoes. Please someone tell me SOMETHING. HAs anyone else had this?

Specializes in Home Health.

Good advice stargazer. I would see the internist first too.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

ya know I am OUTA here. do what you choose----your symptoms are scary but far be it from me to advise where I AM NOT helping. SEEE YA. there are a lot of attention-grabbing threads here lately anyhoooooo...so i am moving on.

Yep....you'll either get dead or better. You've had good advice. Choice is yours. Good luck.

Geez....I said I will go to the doctor!!!!

If I wasn't sick before, I am now. I just ate enough sushi to fill a whale. Plus appetizers, bread and 2 white russians. I think I am gonna explode. For the record, I do appreciate the advice and based on the advice, I have decided to go to my doctor. I just wanted feedback from people to see if you all felt my concern was warranted. Thanks to everyone! I'll let you know what happens.

It's probably the ephedra. It didn't bother you before because you were very young and probably not under as much physical stress as you were. I never took ephedra, but had the same problems with PSVT at about the same age. Hate to suggest it might be emotional, but I looked at my life and changed specialties to one that suited my personality better and the need for huge amounts of caffeine and sugar to keep me going went away.

I haven't been taking the ephedra and it is NOT emotional, for the billioneth time. I think I know when I am anxious or stressed. This is something totally weird that happens out of the blue. I KNOW my body. I think a lot of people get msdx becuase doctors and the like chalk up their s/s to stress and never take them seriously. It's frustrating. Anyway, I am not concerned with that right now.It hasn't happened since the day after Xmas. I am more concerned with this nasty stomach ailment I have had since Monday. If the other thing doesn't kill me, dehydration will:(

(sorry I am grouchy)

Originally posted by Flo1216

I know, but I feel stupid. I am only 27

And you will feel less stupid laying on a slab in the morgue?!! My step mother (she was around 35 at the time) had a doctor check her out. She felt 'o.k.' but had breating problems. Turned out that the doctor found she had a rather large hole in her heart. Another couple of, "Oh, i'll just put it off 'till tomorrow", and she would have had no tomorrows. Get it checked!

It may be just depression, anxiety or lack of sleep. Or it may be something else. You won't know until you see someone. No doctor is going to fault you for getting it checked.

b--

[i think I know when I am anxious or stressed]

Oooops, sorry. I used the a word in my last post :)

A few years ago I went to the doctors for a check up and mentioned a few problems (mostly stomach). He noticed I was sighing a lot (something I never paid attention to). He asked me about heart palps. I had them but really wasn't paying attention to those either (yea, I know, typical nurse, pay attention to everyone else and forget myself untill it gets bad). He made me run down for him a day in the life of brian (no, not the movie). Sure enough, I was stressed. I guess I just thought I was suppose to feel this way. Wierd.

NOT THAT YOU ARE STRESSED, just thought I would share that.

b--

Specializes in PACU, PICU, ICU, Peds, Education.

A friend's daughter has the same symptoms. She is 8. My niece has episodes of SVT 2-3 times a week. She is 23. Neither's are attributed to stress. Both are thought to be related to unusual electrical pathways within the heart.

C

Thanks, Charity. Not that I don't have stress or anxiety. Of course I do. But my body does not react this way under stress. Usually, I just have to pee a lot. It's just that it IS possible for a young, otherwise healthy female to have something going on that isn't psychosomatic.

its also possible for young people to get all riled up and think that there is something majorly wrong when there isnt

its not all that clear flo, I hope its nothing serious....

your body can do crazy things when stressed ...

I hope you get yourself to a dr soon, I know when ur feeling bad its not easy to drag yourself to see one , but really , u gotta get some answers...

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