heart racing

[ryan clearwater 0]

I woke up today walked to the computer sat for 3 minutes when i checked my pulse it was probably 120. stood up and it went to 153. went to ER they said EKG is normal...i wasn't anxious. could it be heart problem?

[laceymayxxoo 7]

I sure everything is cool maybe you panicked and it made your heart rate go up if doc said everything is normal don't panic so much

[JOYCICLE 654]

The EKG would show a heart problem. Sometimes we get so accustomed to being anxious throughout the day, we don't even realize we are. I have had huge swings in HR many many times. If you got it checked, then accept what they told you  

[ryan clearwater 0]

Day 2 same EXACT thing......

 

How can this happen 3 minutes out of bed?

[Gilly 1086]

The nature of the beast ryan, plays these kind of tricks on us. The EKG was normal, trust that.

[Elyse 3]

I recognize what you're describing Ryan. It has been some years ago, but I used to experience the same thing. My heart starting racing for -as it seems- no reason at all. Especially when I was lying in my bed. One moment I was perfectly normal, the next my heartbeat went up to a 1000 (or so it felt) and I was gasping for breath. But it didn't just happen in bed, it also would occur when I was travelling by train (very embarrassing, people would all stare at me...), or at work, or watching tv even. I went to see the doctor at least three times because of these 'attacks' and every time he reassured me that there was noting wrong with my heart, and that it was hyperventilation and that it was harmless. 

 

Of course, if you feel worried that something is wrong, don't hesitate to visit your doctor. Perhaps it's even better when you do, so he can reassure you.

 

And as for me... I didn't hyperventilate for quite a while now, and that is because -when it happened- I told myself not to worry. Always thought about a 'dumb-blonde-joke' (dumb blonde went to the hairdresser, wearing a walkman. Hairdresser told her that she had to put away the walkman, otherwise he could'nt give her a proper haircut. Blonde did as she was told, but after about 2 minutes she dropped from the chair... dead! Hairdresser was very curious what she was listening to so he put on the earphones. It appeared to be an instruction tape, saying: breath in... breath out... breath in... breath out...)

 

I know it's silly... but somehow it helped. I also told myself -like the instruction tape- to breath in and breath out. And another thing that helped -during the night- was the presence of a small, soft, cuddly toy on my shoulder. Somehow that would reassure me and would fight the racing-heart-attacks. What I think is the essence of the 'cuddly toy method' is to to find something, some object or activity perhaps, that will make you feel at ease again.

 

And there's also something else you can try. Think of something in your life when you really felt good about yourself, something that made you very happy, something that you are proud of. Write down without thinking why it made you feel good and read those lines over and over again until they're in your head. Then go out and buy a special small object that fits in your hand... something that attracts you, something you can connect with, it could be anything. And every time when you feel an attack coming up, pick up that object and think of that special moment in your life, repeating in your head the lines you wrote down about it. I think that finally did the trick for me.

 

This is a very long reply, I just wanted to share my experiences with you, hoping they may help you. But please, when you're not sure if there is a physical problem, go see your PhD.