blaze100 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I've been having problems sleeping lately. My heart feels like it's flipping and I have general discomfort in front of my chest. Only notice it when I go to bed and the house gets quiet. I went to ER last week and they said EKG was perfect and blood work was OK..no signs of heart attack. They thought it was gastric and told me to take prilosec. It hasn't helped much. Last night, as my chest was flopping away, I got to thinking that there could be some kind of tumor growing near my heart causing these problems. I have appts with cardiologist and pulmonologist in the next month. All my scans are up-to-date and were OK, but maybe I should do another scan. Has anyone here had similar experience caused by a tumor? Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanie55 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Hi Barb, Any possibility that it could be stress induced? Sometimes our bodies react quite differently when we are under stress, which I've recently found out, especially after undergoing chemo, etc. Hope so because that would be easy to take care of. Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztweb Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 My dad has this somewhat, and we are certan it is stressed induced. He has been tested, and only after a sleep-apnea test did they tell him he would be ok, but to always have his meds for a possible onset of heart attack. I don't really know, but I would keep checking on it...our tickers are pretty important! Good luck! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Definately get it checked to be on the safe side. Just want to let you know that I have had the same symptoms and they were anxiety relaetd. (I know, I can just envision the shock on your faces ) It felt just like flip flops and also palpatated. It was soooo uncomfortable. It lasted a few weeks. I get episodes every once in awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindog Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Hi Barb, I don't have LC, but I do get this very symptom almost every night of my life when I get into bed. Like you, I went and got many tests done, they all came back clear. I was told it is stress/anxiety and perhaps also caused by indigestion. I will hope and pray that it's nothing more serious, I'm sure that it's not. Best, -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Barb, After taking all the tests and hearing they are all clear, I vote for anxiety. Talk to your primary care physician and check into anti-anxiety medication. I find the quiet times to be the times the monsters start to surface. When the monsters surface, I break out the Xanax and take an Ambien before I go to bed. Shuts those darn monsters up and lets me sleep. I've had the same bottle of both medications for three years now, only taking them when the elephants sits on my chest and my life starts spiraling. Part of anxiety is feeling totally out of control of your life. Find ways to take that control back. Exercise is a good way to get rid of those monsters, too. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl Ferguson Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Barb, Noticing you had 2 stints installed in May, I would think your Surgeon would want to know about it. I would see if you could see that Doc sooner, just to be on the safe side. Cheryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LisainFlorida Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Hi...I too experienced your same kind of symptoms. Have you had your thyroid checked out. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I now take meds for it and it helps a lot. I was also told that stress/anxiety can cause these symptoms too. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Yep. flippity flops. Like a crappie flipping on the floor of an ice shanty, right? The more you concentrate on them, the worse they seem to get? Horrid feeling. Just horrid. I will be surprised if the results are other than stress/anxiety induced. Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze100 Posted September 13, 2006 Author Share Posted September 13, 2006 Thanks guys. Some good ideas. Cindi was right on, like a crappie on ice. Last night it started again. Hubby snoring away, and I'm flipping away. So instead of reaching for the antacids, I got a xanex. Sensations stopped within 10 minutes and I had no problem falling asleep. I exercise about 50 minutes everyday since the stents. Got my lipid panel back yesterday, total cholesterol is 114. And I've lost about 40 lbs since stents, only 60 lbs more to go. I have the nuclear stress test on 27th. I've been in contact with heart office nurse and see the nurses in cardiac rehab every week. I'm thinking about that hyperthyroid suggestion too. This has been checked several times, but am told it is difficult to diagnose. Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieB Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Me too. Mine is/was attributed to stress and anxiety and I experienced these for about 4 years (ironically started just as I graduated and my dad was dx. with LC, hmmmmmm...) Lifestyle changes, eating habits and anti-anxiety meds (for only 2 months) helped, and I was also just dx. with thyroid so am now only taking a daily thryroid med. I have only had one chest "episode" in 9 months! Of course no diagnosis will be found here or from us, your docs will have to do that, but some great ideas to bring up to your doc. as well. Glad to hear the xanax helped! That's good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellakc2 Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 I don't know you age, but menopause can give you heart papitations and sleepness nights. It might not be cancer related. I tend to agree w/ anxiety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze100 Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 Just an update. After several nights of skipping and fluttering, I finally decided that it might be something that I'm eating everyday. So... yesterday I cut out all soda pop, nuts, licorice, and those cocoa via superdark chocolate covered almonds (the only chocolate cardiac rehab allows us to eat ) Guess what? Slept like a baby last night. So now just have to narrow it down a bit more, but I am so happy it was something so simple. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiecrow Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Glad to hear it was something simple! Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindog Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 YAY Barb !! So glad it was not something serious. My heart sounds like a Tito Puente Rumba on a regular basis Perhaps I should cool down the snacks also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolhg Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Be careful of what you eat before going to bed. Some foods will get to get your heart going as if you had been drinking coffee. Sodas and diet sodas will get your heart to pumpin' fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze100 Posted September 23, 2006 Author Share Posted September 23, 2006 Well reporting another great night of sleep. I ate exactly same foods yesterday as day before. So now...I'm going to add back the snacks - one at a time - to narrow down the culprit. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debi Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 Barb, I jsut saw this post and was going to tell you to cut down on your caffeine, but by the time I finished reading, your problem has pretty much been solved! I used to drink about 2 coffee pots of coffee a day until one day, I had a mad fluttering and flip-flopping and thought i was dying. Doctor said that it was from caffeine. So the last 14 years, I can only have one cup of coffee in the morning, one in the late afternoon and NO sodas containing caffeine, and be careful with the chocolates. If I somehow lose the balance, I end up having palpitations and flutterings. Also, stress does bring them on. When I was recuperating from surgery, I was getting the "heart turning over" ones all night long. I kept asking the nurses about them because they still scare me, and they kept saying not to worry, they were monitoring me, and they weren't the 'bad' palpitations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze100 Posted September 24, 2006 Author Share Posted September 24, 2006 Thank you for the replies. So far, so good. If giving up soda and chocolate is all it takes, then so be it. I hope this is the end of it. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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