It was a disturbing evening last night, my heart began to race

When this happened I did take some aspirin--it can't hurt occasionally! I went to the doctor today and the EKG was borderline so I'll be going to a cardiologist in the next ten days or so. Hopefully, it is nothing, but I'm 56 and one can't be too careful..I'm not afraid of dying at all, I just don't want to be a burden on my children!

I knew someone who was tryig to quit smoking and he used that patch for 2yrs now. I used to smoke many yrs ago. When i quit i went cold turkey. They didnt invent all these help quit things they have now. I believe cold turkey is the best way. You have to fight that urge untill the cravings end and they do. They get so strong that you dont think you can endure it. But if you do they start to subside after that. If im close enough to a smoker to inhale some of the smoke i get congested like im alergic to them. Sometimes when people sit next to me on the bus their clothes stink like smoke. Even worse is their breath will stink of smoke too.

Thanks Lady M! I had them during my divorce which was very stressful, I just remembered that this morning. I worked on my breathing and it got a little better but I think just going to bed helped a lot. I'm not going anywhere soon due to the ice and snow so my body had better behave itself!

I was going to say the same thing as LM but she already said it. Dragon, I had the same thing happen to me. It scared me and I went to the ER only to find out that my heart was fine and I was just having a bad palpitation episode. You can be stressed or not stressed when this happens. I never did find out why this one particular episode lasted so long but I'm still here to talk about it so it's not an urgent thing. They can be quite scary, for sure, only paliptations don't always indicate that something bad is wrong. Of course, it could, and it's not a bad idea to get it checked out, just to put your mind at ease. I went through a whole heart series thing at Johns Hopkins Hospital, including a stress test, only to find out that my heart is fine and dandy. I simply have these palpitations. I'm on medication to help regulate my heart so I don't have the paliptations nearly as often as I used to but, still, they didn't mean anything was wrong. Oh, one thing, does/did anyone else in your family have paliptations? I was told they tend to run in families, at least the ones that don't indicate a heart problem and I learned that my mother also had these palpitations. Anyway, they can be nothing to worry about but they can sometimes indicate a problem. Because it's your heart, I'd suggest getting it checked out if only to reassure you that nothing is wrong. Sometimes, worrying that something is wrong with your heart can cause heart issues and you don't want that!

I am glad that you are being checked out Dragon, let us know how things go

I saw someone today and they recommended a cardiologist because my EKG was a bit hinky. I'll probably be seeing that doctor within ten days, I guess. Best to find these things out before they get bad!

I do not remember what it was called. They tried a lot of home remdies and she made lots of trips to the ER. Her heart rate was going up to 200bpm or more. They eventually ran an electrode through the vein in her leg and cauterized the nerve in her heart that was misfiring. If it was an anxiety attack that you had, getting more rest and having coffee only in the morning. I can imagine that when it started, thinking about the weather and roads and being afraid made it worse. One time might be nothing to be concerned about, but I would rather you hear that from a doctor than from friends here on MyLot.

I did time it and it was about 150 beats per minute. Very scary for me. I tried to breathe deeply and slowly, calm my mind and other tricks but although it slowed down slightly after more than an hour it took a long time to get back to normal--in fact, I went to sleep like that and awoke normal. I'm glad your friend got hers taken care of, what do they call it? I hope I don't have to give up coffee, it's one of the few pleasures in life I have right now! I always said that if you can't start the morning with a good cup of coffee you might as well give up and die.

I hope you get the best of health always ..

Well, I've been having these episodes for awhile now but usually it lasts just a minute or so and no real pattern. I'm getting checked out today just to be sure what it really is.

At least it reminded me that I need to make a will soon. As soon as the weather clears up and the roads aren't slick as glass I'll make an appointment. I should have a doctor, anyway, just in case. When I went in with appendicitis and had no doctor they told me I should have one. I need to stop being so cheap.

Good health is beyond value. If you loose your health because you didn't pay attention to your body and get help when you needed it there is nothing that upi can buy that will replace it.

sorry for typo, should read, there is nothing that you can buy that will replace it.

Dear Pikey, you are so sweet! I have an appointment for tomorrow morning. I spent 2 hours looking for a doctor! Most of them aren't accepting new patients and some of them have closed their offices because of the new health insurance regulations and pricing but I found what I hope is a good one. Thank goodness they finally got the salt trucks out today!! I'm sure it's nothing but at 56, I think it's no longer wise to "tough it out" when some physical symptom really upsets me. I'll let you all know how it goes!

I am very pleased that you have found a Dr. You are right not to tough it out. 56 isn't old but it is a time when our bodes are changing and are not always on their best behaviour. Please let us/me know what happens.

I went to the doc yesterday and got the whole shebang done--EKG, blood tests for cholesterol and a few other things and also got x-rays of my spine and hips which are incredibly painful. Mammogram will be on Monday--I haven't been to a doc for at least 8 years so I was due for a checkup. They'll be calling me with an appointment with a cardiologist as the EKG indicated some abnormality. I feel a bit better, I hate uncertainty and inaction so at least I'm doing something!

It's quite startling, isn't it? Very uncomfortable! I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, I haven't been to a doctor for about 10 years! But at 56, it could or could not mean something and I guess it's best to be certain. I'm very glad that in your case it was nothing!

Hi again dear. I hope it turned out to be nothing in your case as well. I used to drink from time to time those energizer drinks with taurine, especially when i was working at Ubisoft, a software company where you were focusing on the computer for at least 8 hours a day, and when i gave blood (donated) she found a high pulse and asked me if i drank any coffee or coca cola and i said no, and then when i told her i drank an energy drink she flipped out for a second and told me it is a lot worse then coca cola so since then i gave it up and i don't miss it at all :).

I'm seeing a doctor this morning, thank you! There's nothing in my life that really scares me--when you're 56, you've lived through and survived most of the scariness life has to offer!

Thank you, Christoph, that's a very good point! I had just finished eating some soup for dinner that I made myself. For the past year I've cut out nearly all salt and additives--even a can of green beans contains added salt! It's very hard to avoid things like excessive salt and MSG when you don't grow your own food but I found that by making everything myself I can cut out most of it. Even Healthy Choice frozen dinners--supposedly good for you--contain more salt in one dinner than we're supposed to have all day! Thanks for your concern! I'm getting checked for this today, just to be sure it's not something dangerous.

Thank you! I did go to the doctor on the 15th and my EKG was abnormal so I will be seeing a cardiologist soon. I got blood tests for cholesterol and all the other stuff we should be concerned about and should have the results soon. I'm glad I went. I'd rather know what's going on than wonder about it. I don't mind bad news, I just want to know the truth. But I'm sure the news will be good or at least something I can take action on.

Thanks, Angel, I might get to the doc when the roads are cleared up. I hate to spend the money but it might be false economy to skip it. I do know that it's time to make a will, which I've put off because I'm so darned cheap. It'll save my kids a lot of hassle if I just get it done!

Hiya dragon, What´s most important is you than any Will. First of all get yourself checked over and it may well be just anxiety. Anxiety causes so many horrible symptoms. But there again it might not be that. Better first talk to your Doctor he will understand I´m sure and see if there is anything making you feel that way.

The trouble is, I wasn't asleep but relaxing on the couch watching one of my favorite television shows. I've awoken from nightmares before with a racing heart but it's no longer common for me, my nightmares pretty much stopped when my husband left--isn't that strange?! But I'm seeing a doctor today, thanks for your concern!

Thank you, Lingli! I've never had heart trouble but my family has and I want nothing to do with it--better to get checked out, even though I hate going to the doctor. I did feel lightheaded and that concerned me more than the rapid pulse.

Thanks, Yoyo! I'm going this morning. I'd rather know for sure what it is than live with uncertainty. Heart problems are common on my father's side so it would be stupid not to have it checked out. I tend to go with the anxiety attack theory but better to be sure.

As a matter of fact, I have an appointment this morning. I didn't have a doctor before now, it was hard to find one that was accepting new patients! I'll be glad to find out, finally, what it is and what to do about it. I hate uncertainty worse than I hate going to the doctor!

I have a lot of heartburn lately, too. It's awful, isn't it? You should get checked out, your diagnosis could have changed over the years. I don't like to see the doctor but I do want to know what this is and rule out anything serious--or know what it is and do something about it if it is serious. My boys would be devastated if I were to leave them now. One is between jobs and one is in the middle of a stormy love affair and they need me! I'm seeing the doc tomorrow. Horrible time finding a doctor, most aren't accepting new patients. I called at least 3 whose offices were disconnected--I knew we were losing doctors but in a town of 65,000 this is ridiculous!

Thank you! I'm seeing a doctor today, apparently it's not an uncommon problem. That's what's great about this place, you learn so much! Welcome to myLot! You'll meet all kinds of great people here from all over the world and learn so much--it's a lot of fun!