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Q: I'm Afraid I Have a Heart Problem!
asked by: violaplayr on November 15th, 2005
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This is gonna be long, sorry. Ok, i'm a 28-year old male. I am overweight, I would be considered obese. I am 5'10" and 265 pounds. I have had anxiety and panic attacks over the last few years. I also am pretty much a lifelong hypochondriac, always thinking I had something wrong with me. I also have a fear of going to the doctor, so I try to avoid that at all costs. So, now I think something is really wrong with me.

I have had palpitations where my heart feels like it skips a beat over the last couple years. I always passed these off as normal or from anxiety. Then I noticed about 2 years ago that sometimes after drinking heavily (7 or 8 drinks) I would notice when I woke up the next morning I had a very fast heartbeat, and my heart was pounding. This usually went away by the next day or that night. I looked it up on the internet and found that it could be something called "holiday heart" where people have increased heart rates after drinking.

So, in the last few months I keep paying attention to my heart rate more & more, I find myself checking my pulse all the time during the day. I could even feel the uneven heart beats in my pulse, like it could be an arrhythmia. I was very nervous about this, but having never had a heart problem and not having a family history of them, I tried to pass it off. But, I was def. Still worried in the back of my mind about it.

So now, a couple weeks ago after drinking 7 or 8 drinks one night, I actually woke up in the middle of the night with pounding heart and fast heartrate. This was unusual because usually I would be very tired and would just sleep through this, but this made me nervous so I woke up and stayed awake for a couple hours. Eventually, my heart rate calmed down after I was able to relax and I went back to sleep.

Well, since that night i've had trouble sleeping. I come close to getting to sleep and then wake right back up, feeling like a can't breathe and that my heart was pounding. It also feels like when I take my pulse at these times, I am having palpitions. Like i'll get 2 fast beats, then it goes to normal for a couple beats, then a couple more fast beats. I eventually get to sleep but it sometimes takes me a couple hours, then again some nights, I have no problem at all getting to sleep, there doesn't seem to be a pattern. Of course, I have cut out all caffeine in the last couple days now.

So, now in the last couple weeks I have also noticed that my heart rate (pulse) goes up at doing the simplest of things, like just getting out of a chair and going to the kitchen. Or, just going up the one flight of stairs in my house. I'm not out of breath really, just higher heart rate. Then in the last few days i've started feeling a slight pain in the left side of my chest. It doesn't last long, and it comes when i'm at rest usually or just standing around. It feels like a muscle cramp in my chest almost. I have been sitting akwardly on my bed on my left arm for an hour or more at a time and I was thinking this could be causing the pain in my left chest, because it feels like it hurts some in my back too.

So anyway, i'm worried sick that something is wrong with my heart now. I also got laid off from my job about 1 1/2 months ago and don't have healthcare, so if I wanted to go to the doctor it would cost a lot of money. I go back and forth worried that I have heart disease, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, and even a heart attack. What do you guys thing about all this? Could it be anxiety, could it produce all these symptoms? Sorry this is so long, but I had a lot to get off my chest.

Thanks!
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mizzaug
replied on November 15th, 2005
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Hey..heart Prob..
I think alcohol can do that..Increase your pulse...Heart rate... As for when you're takling your pulse. Are the faster beats when your inhaling? The two that skip...Because for some people, their hearts beat slightly quicker when they inhale, and slow down when they exhale...
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violaplayr
replied on November 15th, 2005
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Yes I have noticed that when I inhale my pulse is slightly faster, then goes back to normal after exhaling...
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mizzaug
replied on November 16th, 2005
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..
That should be normal..Mine does it too..There's a name for it, but it isn't harmful.. Hm. As for all the other things you've mentioned in your first post, I can relate! It seems like im never convinced im healthy..Mainly my heart..Maybe because my past. Oh well..Good luck and I hope you figure things out. :)
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synnical
replied on November 23rd, 2005
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Your Heart Probelm
I am not trying to tell you what to do, but just give you advice. Being overweight can significantly raise your blood pressure and pulse during the simplest things. Drinking does not help these matters at all. I am 5-3 and 103 pds, and when I drink heavily, the next morning my heart races and it takes quite some time before I feel normal again. Palpatations are normal, that doesnt mean your having a heart attack or whatnot. Panic attacks and the like, I get them too, raises your heart rate because of the overload dump of adrenaline in your bloodstream. My advice to you, since you said you are a hypochondriac, is to stop obsessing over it. You heart rate goes up and down throughtout the day naturally. It takes a lot for your heart to push blood from the top of your chest all the way down to your feet. When you move faster or life something, even light, your heart rate is going to rise. Walking will even increase your heart rate because it is trying to supply blood,(oxygen enriched) to your working muscles. My advice to you is to stop drinking, get on a healthy eating plan, and maybe go see a doctor just to get check out. He cant do anything to you unless you give him permission, so dont fear going. I hope all goes well for you, keep us updated :).
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kksmith603
replied on November 23rd, 2005
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The reason that your heart races the next morning (after drinking) is because you are dehydrated. Alcohol causes your body to become severely dehydrated. This is also what causes hangovers. Try drinking water in between alcoholic beverages. (not soda, or any other carbonated beverages. These will just intensify the effects of the alcohol.) I guarantee you will feel better than usual the next day! Also, the best thing for your body is to lose weight. Hey, pm me and we'll do it together! Being overweight does cause your heart to go into overdrive.
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nitesco
replied on November 28th, 2005
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kksmith603 wrote:
the reason that your heart races the next morning (after drinking) is because you are dehydrated. Alcohol causes your body to become severely dehydrated. This is also what causes hangovers. Try drinking water in between alcoholic beverages. (not soda, or any other carbonated beverages. These will just intensify the effects of the alcohol.) I guarantee you will feel better than usual the next day! Also, the best thing for your body is to lose weight. Hey, pm me and we'll do it together! Being overweight does cause your heart to go into overdrive.

alcohol inhibits the release of the antidiuretic horome (adh). Adh increases water absorption in the kidneys, so if the hormone is not released you become dehydrated. Usually when you are dehydrated your urine is more yellow because it has highly concentrated. However with alcohol you have lots of water exiting your body making your urine less concentrated yet you are still dehdrated.
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JGP
replied on December 27th, 2005
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You have got to stop drinking so much....When you are dehydrated you can also be leeching minerals from your bloodstream which are necessary for a normal heartbeat, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Try to maintain a healthy diet...Or go to your local healthfood store and have a talk with the owner...A good health food store might give you some good insight.
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