Hello doctor,
I am a 38-year-old female who has recently been having very fast heart rate episodes. This has been happening on and off for the past ten weeks. When it happens, it comes on suddenly, and my heart rate goes up to 165 bpm. It is very frightening. I have been to my doctor twice, but he thinks it is anxiety, and he gave me Propranolol 80 mg modified release capsules to take every day. My heart rate is acceptable when I take them, and I feel calm. I am scared if it is not anxiety and something severely wrong with my heart. I had two echocardiograms last year, which were normal. The cardiologist said nothing was wrong with my heart and not to worry. I am a very anxious person, and I worry all the time lately. It has been getting worse and more severe. I do not know if this fast heart rate is anxiety or if there is something seriously wrong with me. I was going out of my mind with worry and scared to live my life. I was taking my daughter to school today, and my heart started racing out of nowhere. I took a Propranolol 40 mg straight away, but my heart rate went up, down, and up again. I am honestly terrified if there is a problem with my heart. I feel shaky and dizzy with a dry mouth, too, when it happens. I have had a complete blood count, and the levels are normal. My blood pressure is also normal. My doctor referred me to a heart specialist, and I saw him last week. He said I had four normal echocardiograms in the previous two years and a stress treadmill test. The reports were normal and said if anything were wrong with my heart, these tests would have shown up something. He said that I have extreme anxiety and that nothing is wrong with my heart, but I am terrified if I have a problem. I am scared to leave the house and have no life now. I cannot go out and enjoy myself as I am afraid of having a fast heart rate when I am out and I will have a stroke or heart attack. He did all blood tests, which were normal, but I was unsure about this cholesterol blood test result. I am just going out of my mind with worry as the fast heart rate is happening almost daily. I have enclosed a copy of the echo result.