pftsusan
This past May, was the worst month that I have ever lived in my entire life. Believe me when I say that I was not as strong as I was in my photo below. I suffered my first panic attack just a few days after I was diagnosed with palpitations and a heart murmur. I had already had a leaky Mitral Valve. I remember that I was in bed, when I heard an outside noise in our apartment building. I first thought that I was having another stroke. Then my palpitations where banging my heart walls so bad that I also thought my first heart attack was on the way. I later felt chest pains. Really scary!
On the third Friday of May, I had such bad chest pains for over 4 hours. I had my complex call me an ambulance. I had to prepare my cat and try to get home to her. On the way in, I told the hospital emergency doctors to check me for a possible heart attack, embolism or blood clot! They did an EKG, blood tests and all. It all turned out negative. I was given an Motrin IV for my pain, where I rested with it for four hours. Then they sent me home. I was so happy to go home to my cat.
This Tuesday I am going for a Left Heart Catheterization Procedure. To resolve all panic attacks before I got to this point, I developed a tool box that worked for me. I’m not a doctor or psychologist. So please do ask your cardiologist before attempting something like this on your own. I am also waiting for my appointment with my new counselor as I am writing this.
It was my primary Doctors who told me that I had a panic attack in May. That most of those chest pains were not real. That I was over stressed with negativity. That I needed to bring up my positive thinking to around 50 percent at the least. For I had the right to worry about my cat. A dear friend taught me had to calm my breathing and meditate. Then pet my cat. From their, my doctors designed a tool box for me. It was do your workouts. Then come home to kitty. Meditate and calm your breathing. Then pet kitty.
From there, we all worked together. We figured out the real chest pains came from GERD and just maybe some of my arteries that may be blocked more than 50 percent. Still checking into all of this. I’m using some holistic methods to try to reverse all of these. Right now, it is just better for me to be in the know on all ends.
Between May and June 2017, I was so scared out of my mind, that I was gasping for air to breath. This is how I resolved this for myself utilizing my tool box:
1. I stopped going to the emergency room for all chest pains! I first calmed my breathing. Then I addressed my pain and where it was coming from. When it was still there, it is real. When it went away, it was fake. I asked all the fake ones to leave because I was told my heart and arteries are strong. I got to point were I would ignore them and my calm breathing became free breathing. Once again automatic. Then I had some of my life back to do what I wanted and needed to do.
2. Increase your sleep and move more. Sleep deprivation makes your heart and arteries ill. It also increases panic attacks and anxiety. So the goal is to be in bed before 12 midnight. I’m still working on this one. And yes, I will get there.
3. Eat holistically! Avoid all excess starch and things that are extremely high in cholesterol to save your arteries. Keep your caffeine way under control not to set off palpitations. If you drink coffee, make it not more than one cup a day. A lot of the decaffeinated coffees are worse for your heart then the caffeinated ones are.
4. Eat mostly plant foods.
With all this said, feel free to comment and ask questions.
I used to get a lot of panic attacks. Not so much any more. I have found that I can relax myself when I feel them coming on. It doesn’t always work, but does most of the time.
Glad you have figured out a way that works for you and keeps you out of the hospital!
Susan, I have atrial fibrillation controlled by Multaq, but continue to have tachycardia even after valve replacement. Atrial fibrillation is where your heart speeds up and you are in danger of throwing a clot. Tachycardia is where your heart speeds up, but there is no danger of throwing a clot. A lot of Halter monitors are not sensitive enough to pick up. I have a monitor implanted just under the skin. I download this to the doctor at night and he can run a strip and keep an eye on me from 3 hours away. Lack of sleep definitely makes the problem worse along with overdoing. If your heart is beating fast, you cannot sleep. So it is a cycle. I have learned to rest more and keep stress to a minimum. I do have chest pains still. I don’t go to the hospital as I know this is something I must live with due to CHF and pulmonary hypertension. I don’t tell others on FB because they will panic and tell me to go to the hospital. If it beats fast for a long period of time, I may become shaky on the inside, the way it feels after a steroid shot.i hope that my input maybe helpful to someone else. I will be praying for you, as I had aortic valve replacement in 2015 and presently have problems with the mitral, but it is not leaking.
Thank you for sharing. My bp is low. Atribe and tachycardia. But not in danger of throwing a clot. Cardiologist says that my heart is pumping out blood too slow out of my upper left ventricle involving the sinus node. This and angina is why I am having the procedure on Tuesday.
It helps me to know that I have some control in this. That I can take care of myself first.
nice information share