Can anxiety lead to palpitations?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 26-year-old male. My weight is 240 pounds, and I am 5 feet 9 inches tall. I have had an anxiety disorder for about six years. Most of the time when I am anxious, I experience heart palpitations. It feels like my heart either skips a beat, slows down, or suddenly speeds up. During these episodes, I often feel dizzy. The palpitations mostly happen when I am lying down.

For six months, I was doing well without any palpitations. But a week ago, I was asleep and heard someone trying to open my apartment door, which scared me. My heart felt like it stopped, and I immediately thought I would start having palpitations again. Since then, I have been experiencing palpitations along with dizziness and fatigue.

I have had several ECGs, and nothing was found. Is this dangerous? Could it be fatal? Can I work out even if I have palpitations? I am very worried about whether I have heart disease. One of my reports showed sinus tachycardia, possible left atrial enlargement, a nonspecific T-wave abnormality, and an abnormal ECG. Another test done two months later showed no abnormalities.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand that you are concerned about your heart test results. Overall, your most recent EKG (electrocardiogram) did not show any issues. In both reports (attachments removed to protect patient identity), the heart marker troponin-I was within the normal range, indicating that there were no abnormalities in your heart function.

Typically, cardiac test results are reviewed by a cardiologist in combination with a physical examination to give a complete picture of heart health. "Sinus tachycardia" means that while your heart is following a regular pattern, it is beating faster than usual. An increased heart rate due to structural abnormalities or conduction issues would not be classified as sinus tachycardia.

In the later tests you mentioned, nothing abnormal was detected, meaning there was no correlation between your symptoms and any heart health issues. Otherwise, treatment or medication might have been recommended to address any heart defect. The report also noted a "possible left atrial enlargement," though this was not confirmed based on the data provided here. Additionally, the nonspecific T-wave abnormality was not definitively linked to any health issue. If any concerns remained, they likely would have conducted further investigations, which they did not, suggesting there was not much cause for concern.

Since these reports are from some time ago, it would be wise to go back for a comprehensive heart evaluation. Your cardiologist might suggest a full assessment, potentially including a physical exam, EKG, echocardiography, exercise stress test, and additional cardiac markers, if necessary.

Regards.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes, if there had been any significant abnormality, they likely would not have left it unaddressed. They would have considered managing it with medication or other treatments. You are right that energy drinks can be harmful to our hearts and overall health. They should not be consumed in large quantities, especially at short intervals, as they can seriously impact the heart and other vital organs. Excessive energy drink intake can elevate both heart rate and blood pressure.

The good news is that these effects are generally reversible once you stop consuming them in large amounts. The best approach is to drink plain water and ensure a good night’s sleep.

Please feel free to ask if you have more questions.

Thank you.