Heart pounding even with no exercise!

[Confabulous]

Hi all,
Over the last month or two I've been slightly worried. My heart is pounding (rate is around 76-84bpm at rest) and I can FEEL it thumping hard. My girlfriend could even hear it thumping through a cushion on my chest! It comes and goes but isn't related to exercise (it's 84bpm right now and I'm typing this) and isn't related to stress. I'm not prone to panic attacks and don't have a stressful job. Nothing in particular has changed in my life since it started. I'm 28 and about 3 stone overweight. Another thing is that over the past two weeks I've started to get odd cold/tingly (not pins & needles) sensations in my arms and legs at random.

Any suggestions on what it could be or what I should do? Thanks.

[VH-MLE]

Hi Confabulous,

I'm not a doctor but I didn't think your heart rate appeared overly excessive, however I'm sure one of the many medico's that frequent this site will give a more accurate assessment than I can.

In any case the heart "pounding" and "cold/tingly" sensations do not sound right so without wanting to sound alarmist (as I'm not qualified to assess your symptoms), I would strongly urge you to go to your doctor ASAP (i.e. today if possible or tomorrow at the latest) and get it checked out.

Without wanting to offend, starting a diet and exercise program to lose that excess 3 stone will no doubt be a recommendation made to you and should become a high priority. Also, if you smoke, stop immediately (easier said than done I know) and if you drink excessively, try and cut down on your alcohol intake.

All the best :).

VH-MLE

[Loose rivets]

Get to a doctor!


However, in the meantime analyze your food intake very carefully. Look for something that is causing this reaction. By this I mean look to see if there is anything new that you are taking, such as a type of wine or even strong coffee. Some wine is straight out of the chemistry lab these days!

Are you on any new medication?

Your weight is a serious issue, but don't try to correct that too rapidly until you have a clear indication of what is wrong. Diet, but with great caution. Try to get back to an intake that's exactly as it was when you were not showing these symptoms.

Be very mindful of other factors such as a reaction to substances touching your skin...petrol, or even stuff normally as innocuous as washing-up liquid for instance. Do you have any itching on your hands? Also, be sure that you are not breathing in anything that you may be reacting to.

Just get rid of all the variables so that your doctor can start with a level playing field.

What was your resting heart-rate before you noticed these other symptoms?

[gingernut]

From the story of you've given, it's unlikely that there is anything serious going on here.

Definately worth having a chat with the quack, who is likely to ask about the frequency and duration if your symptoms, your descriptions of the heart rythm,and the link between the pounding in your chest and any other symptoms, (breathlessness, feinting etc.)

I expect that the cold tingly feelings are co-incidental, and 84 BPM isn't an indication of disease.

He'll probably have a quick listen to your ticker, listen to your blood pressure, and he may refer you for other tests. (or he may not, depending on his initial findings.)

Further tests may include blood tests, (looking for any chemical resons for your symptoms), and ECG, (electrical tracing of the heart), or a 24 hour ECG. (Looking at the tracing over 24hrs.)



I suspect at the end of all this, he will give you some reassurance and advice about lifestyle.

Not one for the internet at this stage, go and see the quack, and keep us informed.:)

[Pedalz]

I second the above. If you're having high heart rate and tingly sensation could be due to circulation issues so see your G.P. and have yourself checked up.

[Fly-by-Wife]

I had my first panic / anxiety attack when I was 21 (a looong time ago now!).

My heart was racing and pounding, I felt I couldn't breathe and that I was certainly going to die.

At that time I would also have described myself as "not prone to panic attacks and don't have a stressful job" - in fact I was a student at the time, and it was the middle of the summer holidays!

You would be surprised what forms "stress" can take, where it can come from and what it can do to you!

I am not a doctor, so you must go and see your own, but (based on my own lengthy experience) it does sound possible that you are experiencing some form of anxiety / panic attacks.

If so, you have nothing to worry about - oh wait, you already are worrying about worrying about worrying about... ;)

FBW

[Loose rivets]

My post above was intended to give hope of an easy remedy to your worries.

I have been interested in chemicals affecting heart rate for a long time. I am now more than interested in minute traces of chemicals causing anaphylaxis. I hasten to add that this is only an example of how we can be affected by such small amounts of chemical interference.


Many years ago several pilots lost their medicals after failing an ECG. In most cases the need for the ECG was dictated by their AME after finding symptoms not dissimilar to yours and a clear anomaly was found at headquarters. (It was some years before AMEs had their own ECG machines.)

Some time later I was surprised to hear that coffee was blamed for the problem. No coffee, no symptoms. Gallons of boredom relieving brew on the flight-deck, a raised heart beat and a modified ECG readout. Not surprisingly the pilots wanted the livelihood back.

[nurjio]

..ask for a blood test to check thyroid function as well..

all the best

nurj :}

[Bob the Doc]

These symptoms are probably innocuous but can be a sign of abnormalities in heart rhythm or function. It is worth getting checked out but I would try not to worry too much. Are the tingly sensations related to the thumping (palpitations)? Have a good think about anything that has changed in your life - stress or dietary changes including consumption of caffeine (not just coffee!) before you see the quack so when they ask you can give an accurate answer.

Let us know how you get on

Bob

[strake]

I hope you don't mind a long post but it might provide a bit of information for someone.
I certainly agree with the points about coffee.
10 years ago I was on an international trip having to visit a number of countries in a short space of time..so, quite tired. I was required to do presetations to 20-30 people in most locations. Not a problem and never had been..I actually enjoy it.
Anyway, I don't drink coffee as a rule and if I do, it's very occassionaly and decaf with more milk than coffee..you get the drift. On this occassion, I was in Japan. It was summer and for the first time I tried an Ice Coffee for lunch. Twenty minutes later, I started the presentation and within seconds, I started feeling anxious, heart pounding, sweaty and so on. I Somehow, I struggled on but from that second was convinced I had something wrong with me. I had a miserable night thinking thoughts I'd never had before and feeling like I was plummetting downwards. The next morning I felt so scared I went to a local hospital. I was sitting on the chair shaking with my heart pounding, lips dry. The doctor checked me over, gave me a tablet and called in some students to look at me. He translated that he wanted them to see someone who was having an anxiety attack and how the mind could affect the body so radically. He also wanted to show them how quickly reassurance and diazapam would work. Within ten minutes I was calm but shaken that this had happened to me.
This episode opened a Pandoras Box for me. The experience showed me that my brain was able to instruct my body to realease some tremendously powerful chemicals,(particularly adrenalin)at the wrong time that would affect the way I act and think about myself. I had a number of further anxiety attacks that year (nothing to do with coffee) because, of course, having experienced one, the thoughts that trigger the attack more find it easier work second time round. However, with help, I learnt how to deal with them until finaly, I managed to get the lid back on the box and shove it away in a dark place.
The feelings and symptoms are probably in all of us because of our fear/flight
response but some are lucky never to trigger their innappropriate release.
I am convinced that the very strong black coffee I drunk that day caused an effect which went on to realease these symptoms in me. Needless to say, I'm now a tea or water man......:)

[yetanotherdawn]

Again, as a non-doctor and being unaware of all your circumstances, it could be that you have a longer than normal QT interval on your heartbeat. This is, I'm told, the reset rate of the heart after beating and if it is beyond so many milliseconds it can lead to periods of very rapid heartbeat which begin and end spontaneously. Once the interval gets beyond so many more milliseconds then there is a possibility of the heart failing to beat effectively, leading to possible collapse and worse. The sodium gradient across cells is also significant with regard to heart function so your salt intake is one more lifestyle choice that you may wish to consider along with the others recommended here. If you have the ECG and this interval is normal then you will have removed one of the potential problems from your list and can consider the others. Good luck.

[Golf Alpha Whisky]

I wouldn't ask a dictor how to fly a plane so why ask pilots about a medical condition?

[VH-MLE]

Dear GAW,
It is common knowledge (to most of us) that many doctors answer medically based questions on this site. Those of us that aren't doctors who do make contributions usually make that fact clear - me included.
I for one have asked for medical advice on several occasions and while I treat some of the information with caution, I have nevertheless, obtained valuable advice and have been very grateful for it.
Cheers.
VH-MLE

[gingernut]

I must say, I have had some concerns about the replies to some medical queries on here, but I reckon, on the whole, the patient (and pilot) experience enriches the forum.

If you hang around on here long enough, you tend to find that the qualified contributors tend to generally sing from the same hymn sheet anyway.

(Although even they sometimes have academic disagreements- talking of which where's Mac lately:confused::) he makes life a little less tedious)

[Fly-by-Wife]

I wouldn't ask a dictor how to fly a plane so why ask pilots about a medical condition?

What's a "dictor"? Something like a "dockhead"?

FBW

[Loose rivets]

I wouldn't ask a dictor how to fly a plane so why ask pilots about a medical condition?

Hmmm, that's a shame...dictors are known to have a wealth of knowledge about flying.:}


I must say, I have had some concerns about the replies to some medical queries on here, but I reckon, on the whole, the patient (and pilot) experience enriches the forum.


I have to say that when I first posted on this forum there weren't the number of qualified people available to answer questions. The few that could give some of their time might have not come on line for perhaps a week, so the poor worried soul might be left...well, worrying.

I would like to address the issue of laymen piping up about medicine, perhaps tonight I'll pen a reply. ( I know it's already been covered, but not on a dedicated thread.)

[Re-Heat]

Thyroid failure at a guess. Get it sorted now.

Ask for TSH and T4/T3 testing from a blood test. If you leave it, you will kill yourself within a few weeks. Don't worry about the Class 1 - there are loads flying with this condition having been sorted.

Do you feel hot when everyone else is normal temperature, or itchy?

There are a few doctors about on this board.

[Babablackship]

Re-Heat may be right, get your blood test done for thyroid function. When I had a recent bout of hyperthyroidism my pulse rate hit the roof with close to 180bpm. Symptoms include intolerance to heat, loss of weight, high blood pressure, sporadic itchiness all over the body, frequent bowel movements and general irritability. Once this is diagnosed treatment is protracted but generally effective. Good luck

[kpd]

No doctor will diagnose a patient without taking a history and doing a clinical examination and then doing tests as appropriate. Clearly people can give opinions on this forum about things like flu jabs or ECG findings but as yet no computer will take over medicine for the above reasons. Being 3 Stone overweight is clearly not a good life-style choice for anyone but no doctor or pilot can diagnose you without all of the above in the same way that you would not fly a plane without doing pre-flight checks!!! May be no major problem at all but PLEASE make sure and see a doctor.