palpitations and insomnia - anxiety or something else?

[despairingbuttrying]

I’m 35 and for the last year almost now I’ve had issues with middle of the night insomnia, as it’s called. So that is, I’m fine drifting off to sleep but then would wake up at random times in the early morning, anywhere between 1:30am to 3/4am with a standard bed time of around 11:30 – 12:30 (occasionally later than this). And when I wake up, I am wide awake and just cannot go back to sleep. However sometimes I can go back to sleep and do and so I do manage to still get around 5-6-7 hours of sleep in total despite the interruption. Other days though I can get at least 6.5 – 8. So maybe I don’t have true chronic, severe insomnia but it’s still disturbing enough to bother me because also I should mention that I never feel tired despite some days where I've only had like 3 hours sleep.

So it’s been erratic. Infact I thought that this issue was over as for the last few months I’ve been sleeping a lot better and had far less moments where I’ve woken up.

 

Recently though, I have started to get some palpitations. I got a few bouts in July, August and last month but were very fleeting and didn’t really notice it a great deal as it was more of a fluttery feeling and the occasional loud beating heart at night time. However, the last 4 days I’ve been getting them more. Again this is intermittent but it’s sometimes accompanied by this very strange, jumpy, edgy, nervy feeling. It’s hard to describe. Sometimes I get it as I’m moving from one position, going up the stairs, it feels like a surge of nervous energy running through me. I guess you could call it a mini panic attack but I can feel this faint pulse/beating sometimes in my chest, other times elsewhere in the body but this never hurts or anything, it’s merely the sensation. I had something similar but possibly more severe when I was 17 years old after a close relative had died. I remember palpitations were at its worst here but eventually they calmed down. I had all the tests then at 17 – echo, ECG and heart monitor tape – all came back normal. So that was 17/18 years ago now.

 

I’ve had episodes of them since then but this is the most sustained period right now. I guess I’ve had a few things happen in the last month or so like a close friend getting married which I guess stressed me out because I’m stressed about my own singleness, having to cut ties for good with a long term friend and I suppose just worrying about this makes things even worse.

 

I don’t have any other real accompanying symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache etc. apart from of course this insomnia which has been on and off as I mentioned. Pulse rate is normal and regular – 72 at resting, 66 perhaps during night time before bed and in the morning and this is also during one of these moments where I feel I’m having slight palpitations…which doesn’t make sense as I thought palpitations are due to a racing heart but my PULSE RATE IS NORMAL…

I’m guessing that’s a good thing right? Also I have no issues when I exercise, like I’ve done a few jogs and sprints and I’m fine although yesterday when I played tennis I did feel the palpitations getting more pronounced but again no other symptoms.

 

Has anyone had something similar?

[Els]

I've had benign palpitations when I went through a period of intense stress. Insomnia can definitely exacerbate it. Palpitations also don't really affect your pulse rate.

 

 

Palpitations without other symptoms are usually benign, but I'd just go and get a Holter test done for peace of mind. Your previous tests aren't really relevant anymore, 18 years ago is too long.

[BaileyB]

I would think it is a psychosomatic symptom of your anxiety.

 

Are you getting any help with your anxiety?

[Mr. Lucky]

I would think it is a psychosomatic symptom of your anxiety.

 

And i can think of few things more likely to cause anxiety than getting medical advice from strangers on the Internet. Your questions could likely be answered with a few simple tests in one doctor's visit.

 

despairingbuttrying, get thee to a physician...

 

Mr. Lucky

[bathtub-row]

I once went to the doctor for the same thing. Nothing emotional was going on with me at the time but a couple of months prior to that, my mother had become very ill and nearly died. I started experiencing the heart palpitations after the fact. I had no idea the two things were related but the symptoms eventually stopped so I think the doctor was right about that.

 

Because of the things you're experiencing right now, and have probably been pondering for a few months, that's probably what's going on with you. I'm assuming you're not taking any medication. If you are, that could be it, too.

[BaileyB]

And i can think of few things more likely to cause anxiety than getting medical advice from strangers on the Internet. Your questions could likely be answered with a few simple tests in one doctor's visit.

 

despairingbuttrying, get thee to a physician...

 

Mr. Lucky

 

Agreed. And when you get the "all clear" from your doctor, hopefully you can have some more discussion about the anxiety you have been experiencing (given your previous posts).

 

I too went to the doctor after my mother's death because I was having tingling in my hands and heart palpitations. We did some tests, and the diagnosis was stress and anxiety. The symptoms improved once I got the medical "all clear" and began to deal with the source of the problem. Stress and anxiety can do crazy things to your body - the physical symptoms feel very real and can be very worrisome (which contributes to the anxiety).

 

I sincerely hope that you get the help you seek.

Edited October 26, 2018 by BaileyB

[bathtub-row]

Agreed. And when you get the "all clear" from your doctor, hopefully you can have some more discussion about the anxiety you have been experiencing (given your previous posts).

 

I think she said that she went to the doctor about this and he didn't find anything wrong.

[BaileyB]

I think she said that she went to the doctor about this and he didn't find anything wrong.

 

I think he said that he went to the doctor about this 17/18 years ago. So, it’s time to go back if he’s having these symptoms again. It’s definitely time to talk about the anxiety he has been feeling, if he hasn’t done so already.