Please Help: Heart Racing & Skipping Beats

[[Fl...]]

I am almost at 8 years of Benzos and all drugs. I quit cold Turkey. Over the past few months I have started to have heart racing episodes where my heart will randomly jump to 150-180 beats a minute. Years ago I had echo on heart, which was normal. Wore heart monitor for a couple weeks. Diagnosed with PVC and some tachycardia episodes. Blood work normal. Cardiologist said heart is fine. He said at time likely related to discontinuing benzos. Heart issues have been my main problem since I quit back in 2015. They have waxed and wained over the years. At times going away completely for months. 
 

Now heart problems are back just as bad as acute withdrawal again. In the past year I have suffered a couple sudden losses in family, stress with my wife out of work and finance worries, plus my own stress with my job. I quit smoking a month ago and things went from heart issues weekly to multiple times a day. Not sure if quitting nicotine on my sensitive CNS (has been since I cold Turkeyed the benzos), has anything to do with it? In the past couple years I have been back to drinking alcohol as I considered myself healed minus the tendon heart stuff. Maybe that is to play here as well? I have cut way back on alcohol now. Not sure if that too is causing any setback type issues this far out?

 

I am out of work again. Rushed to ER couple weeks ago with heart episode. I was sitting in my home office, ending work day and suddenly my heart skipped beats, and HR took off to 150s. I tried to do vagal maneuver and hood ice to bring it down. Wa so anxious, felt like I was going to die. HR went up to 180s and was having PVCs. Told wife to call 911. No chest pain, etc. though felt like I was going to die. By time I got into EMS my heart rate was down to 140, and by time I got to ER was back at 85. My normal resting HR is 65-70. My blood pressure is 110/75 normally. The ER did full blood work, EKG, and chest X-ray, all normal. Found nothing though DR said not normal and may be anxiety from quitting smoking cause pain attacks. I have to wait month to get into cardiologist again. 
 

I have lost 15lbs without trying over last few months. I feel very fatigued and depressed. Anxious over my heart and having another episode. Since I have been out of work past couple weeks, less stress, have even bake to lessen symptoms, heart doesn’t get to 180s. Able to breath it down before my panic sets in. Lately when I eat, I get skipped beats and heart racing soon after. Have lots of gas in my upper chest since I quit smoking and am constipated. Looked and this is normal for nicotine withdrawal. Not sure what is going on with my heart. Why I am having these crazy scary heart racing episodes again and every darn day. It leaves me fatigued, anxious and depressed. I can’t leave my house with fear of having heart racing event. For exercise I walk around house to get heart up. Other than that I lay in my bed and read, trying to figure this out. I’m tired of calling 911 to house and they check me, I know hospital will say I am fine as I have so many times in past. Just stuck in this crazy heart racing loop. 
 

Is it possible to have setback this far out? Never had single heart issue before I quit benzos. Any reassurance or info would be so helpful. I am at a loss. I am so scared. I just want to be okay again. Thank you 🙏 

[[ne...]]

Been there and still there. Just had a Holter monitor again this week for 5 days. This screams NSVT or SVT....could it be? I had an episode of it when I came off benzos CT in addition to crazy PVCs. I am now dealing with flutters (maybe PACs?) and need to figure out what they are. I've been off 8 months. 

Are you on a beta blocker or heart med? Some will get ablations for this but that depends on a lot of factors. I so feel for you-totally understand the fears associated with this. 

[[Fl...]]

Thank you for reply Nervouswreck.. whenci first came off 8 years ago I had episodes of SVT. Those episodes my heart would go from resting and immediately to 160-190, and then would immediately end moments later. That is usually how you can tell SVT. My episodes gradually ramp up over several seconds or minutes and then go down over several minutes. This is typical of sinus tachycardia which is what is picked up on my Kardia mobile EKG. Similar to my SVT just presents as sinus tachycardia. Not sure what is causing it. Feels like my body is locked into flight or fight all day and night, feel toxic anxiety all over. Also feel it may be related to my stomach. I quit smoking a month ago, lots of gas buildup and GI symptoms from nicotine withdrawal, seems to drive my heart stuff. I definitely have heart phobia as it has been my biggest issue throughout my benzo withdrawal. Just not sure exactly why now it has ramped back up, this far out. Nobody ever has an answer, always say oh it’s anxiety, though most of the time when this happens I am relaxed and not anxious. Though have heard you can have panic attacks for no reason at all, so o don’t know, so frustrating and scary. 

[[he...]]

Did they test your thyroid hormone levels in the ER? Just curious.

i have this happen to me all the time. No explanation and they haven’t been able to catch the rhythm either. I just try to breathe through it, vagal down and give it time to pass. Then it lasts longer than a minute or so I start to worry. Cardiologist said it’s not going to make my heart stop but damn it’s awful. Especially when it happens out of no where at all. 

[[Fl...]]

Healing, sorry you are dealing with this too. They did check my thyroid and said everything was good. Nobody seems to know why it happens. Typically would get it once a week at most, now it is daily, and just so exhausting. I will be relaxing doing nothing and boom HR at 150. Just annoying and scary all wrapped into one. 

[[La...]]

Ok I see you had thyroid check

Edited September 11, 2023 by [La...]

[[Ol...]]

FloridaBlue you and I have had a parallel journey. Today was my 6 year anniversary being benzo free. Klonapin was my drug. And heart issues have been my long term symptom. I have had svt/pvcs/pacs throughout my 6 years. I went into prolonged afib in November last year. I had to have an ablation to fix it. It was a temporary fix. I think my issues are tied to the vagal nerve. I have gastrointestinal issues as well. I find that my symptoms ramp up after I eat. It’s been an exhausting 6 years, my friend.  I truly miss our old forum protected withdrawal board. This new format makes my head hurt. 

[[...]]

Quitting nicotine is super hard. Mentally and physically. The  whole cns.

Quit the drinking. You know that. People don't need alcohol at all.

2 major whammies .

Yeah I can see you having reactions.

Hunker down.

You can do it 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by [...]

[[An...]]

You have been off benzos over 8 years so IMO, likely unrelated to past benzo use. It does sound like you have a lot of stress (esp. financial) going on in your life ATM after reading what you wrote. Congrats. on also quitting the smokes. The nicotine w/d could also be playing a role in the racing heart episodes. IDK since I have never smoked. If the nicotine is playing a role, things should get better with more time away from the nicotine. My heart palps have settled down ATM but they were really bad 4 months ago. I would only get the racing heart with panic episodes, horrible feeling so I know exactly what you are experiencing friend. Have you ever tried to meditate?

When you were on benzos, what were you taking them for?

[[Ol...]]

I think the thing that strikes me is that we don't really know how the gut-brain-heart axis is "rewired" by Benzowithdrawal.  Common sense would say, "oh, you are years into your post withdrawal period...there is no way this could be related.  Now you have a legitimate disease process at work."  This may be true...OR, we can theorize that our gut-brain-heart axis has been rewired and some of us will wrestle with heart racing, svt, NSVT, afib, premature atrial contractions or premature ventricular contractions.   In the end we may never know.  But my lived experience is this, I have issues now that I did not have before withdrawal.  And then throw the past 3 Covid years into the mix....and honestly, I can be a hot mess.  Some days I do better than others, but there are days that my nervous system and cardio issues are as unstable as a third world power grid.  I can be rational one moment, then left terrified and in a fetal position.  Just another frightened animal, because I cannot understand what (has) or is happening to me.  I am grateful for the sharing experiences we have here, because the myriad of doctors (neuro, cardiac, endocrine, and primary care) do not understand or believe me.  At best they are patronizing.  Thanks for starting the post.