HomeAnswersCardiologyincreased heart rateI take Bisoprolol but sometimes have an increased heart rate with intermittent chest pain which my doctor suspect is anxiety. Please help.

Does anxiety cause an increased heart rate with intermittent chest pain?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. K. Shobana

Published At April 19, 2023
Reviewed AtAugust 7, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 21-year-old male. I was a heavy drinker for the past year and occasionally smoked when I went out drinking with my friends. Two months back, I was completely fine and went out to drink with friends. I remembered I drank a lot and went to sleep. Right after waking up even with a sufficient amount of sleep, on that day, I did not feel normal. I did not feel rested at all and I carried on with my daily activities, but when I was driving, I had trouble breathing with numbness in my limbs. I got admitted to the hospital on that day and my ECG showed that I have an irregular heartbeat on the very day I was admitted. The ECG however, showed normal results after a few days. I also did a stress test, echocardiogram, and CT scan and got discharged after a few days. My cardiologist told me there was nothing wrong with me and it should be anxiety. After a few weeks after the first visit to the hospital, I had a feeling that I was going to faint and had trouble breathing, so I went to the emergency unit once more. This time the cardiologist gave me a Holter to wear for three days and the result came out normal. In the end, my doctor gave me 1.25 mg of Bisoprolol to lower my BP and HR, and it does make me feel better. But even with medication, I still feel sleepy during the day and it makes me feel like not doing anything or going anywhere. In conclusion, I have been having these symptoms for two months now, every single day and it is bothering my life, making me incapable to carry out my daily activities. I always feel tired every day and my heart rate is sometimes around 100 bpm with chest pain that comes and goes for a few seconds. It is a rollercoaster ride for me this year, with ups and downs, but at least I am definitely feeling better than the past few weeks and can at least carry out some activities in my life. But I do not feel how I used to feel years ago, I feel weak now and I cannot skip Bisoprolol, or else my heart rate will go up. I am very confused as most of the doctors I visited told me it is because of anxiety but I always feel like there is something wrong with my heart. Please help.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern. Binge drinking can cause episodes of atrial fibrillation and PVCs (premature ventricular contractions). This can give symptoms of palpitations. Your Holter did not detect it perhaps because it occurs only during binge drinking. Unrefreshed sleep occurs usually in depression and in sleep apnea. A sleep study is done to detect sleep apnea. In any way, alcohol is itself a disease. Stop it immediately. Hope this helps. Thanks and take care.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Muhammad Zohaib Siddiq
Dr. Muhammad Zohaib Siddiq

Cardiology

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