Panic attacks, heart palpitations, etc.

Hey there!
I was wondering if anyone here knows anything about taking Atenolol? I’ve been dealing with this constant tachycardia, and up until now, my doctor had me on Percocet to manage things—well, actually, it was my specialist—but they just switched me over to Atenolol 2.5mg.

Nicole Ortiz51 said:I’m running into a bit of a problem and I'm hoping someone can help. June was a pretty brutal month for me stress-wise, and ever since then, just thinking about something I'm afraid of sends my heart racing. As soon as I feel that palpitation, I start panicking, which makes everything worse. I get this huge sense of insecurity, shortness of breath, agitation, and dizziness from the racing heart. Since I've never had heart issues before, I'm thinking my head is playing tricks on me—I've always struggled with insecurity in general, and this is feeding into it. It's getting uncomfortable when I'm out in public, so I wanted to ask if anyone has advice on how to shake these fears? It's starting to worry me that even a passing thought about something scary triggers this...
Thanks a lot 👍

Hi there,
it sounds like you might be dealing with some mild, passing anxiety.
If this keeps up, go see a cardiologist. They might prescribe you a beta blocker like Atenolol. If you're certain this is purely stress-related, seeing a psychologist might be better; they could suggest some mild antidepressants or beta blockers.
I'm sure you'll bounce back quickly. Before you head to the doctor, though, try using some positive self-suggestion to help steady yourself.
Just keep telling yourself that you're okay, that everything is under control, and there's no reason to panic.
One thing: please don't go grabbing random herbal teas or buying over-the-counter pills at a drugstore without a prescription. In my experience, those usually do more harm than good.
Hopefully, you'll feel like yourself again very soon and get back to your normal routine.
Best,

slyranger20 said:I deal with those heart palpitations too... Arrhythmia issues. I had them when I was a kid, they went away, and then they came crawling back this winter. It’s that same sensation—heart racing, pressure in my head, pure panic and dread. I know deep down it's psychological, but I haven't actually done anything about it yet. I even know what triggered it: some girl spent the whole winter harassing me with texts, emails, and calls. Then there was the betrayal from a few "friends." It all took a massive toll on me, and now, whenever I get bad news, that arrhythmia just comes right back. 😢

Look,
don't let anyone mess with your head or wreck your health like this.
You can put an end to all of this today.

So, I just stumbled upon this thread and figured I’d jump in and type up a bit because I can honestly relate to so many of you...🙄
Basically, I'm dealing with the exact same stuff.😢 About a year ago, I finally kicked the smoking habit, and ever since then, my body has basically just decided to quit on me. I feel weak all the time, and out of nowhere, my heart starts racing—my pulse hits 140 just like that—and my blood pressure stays low, which usually spikes right along with that heart rate. I’ve had full blood panels done—everything looks fine. Thyroid tests? Fine. EKG? Totally normal. Everything comes back "perfect," but I still don't feel like my old self at all. Honestly, the only thing that makes sense to me is that it's all mental... even though everyone keeps telling me "don't get stressed," there's something clearly rattling around inside me if my heart is reacting this violently. I've been through enough in life, and just when I thought I finally had everything sorted out, this starts messing with me. On top of all that, my head starts spinning with these intrusive thoughts—like, what if I collapse while I'm home alone and there's nobody there to help?... It's just constant mental weight. Anyway, I won't ramble too long, but my doctor gave me some meds to keep me upright.😁He put me on 1.5 mg of Ativan—nothing crazy, just one a day and I'm okay—though even with that, I still get those bouts of palpitations and weakness sometimes, so I'm trying my best to stay in control. He also gave me some Percocet for when my pulse gets really high, but since my BP is usually sitting around 100/60, I rarely end up taking it.

First off, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone sharing such kind and helpful advice—it truly means the world to me! :*

I’ve noticed a lot of talk about different types of medication, and honestly, I try to avoid them as much as possible. I don't really want to go that route; instead, I'm determined to find ways to help myself through my own grit. For instance, over the last few days, whenever I feel that sudden wave of agitation hitting me again, I just try to ignore the heart palpitations and give my brain something else to focus on—basically, I force myself to stay busy—and within a minute or two, everything seems to settle back down to normal... I’d really suggest to everyone here that you just try telling yourself that you're going to be okay. If you can learn to take things as they come without letting them get under your skin, life feels so much lighter, I think. 🙂

@danci 2101, I completely relate to what you're going through. That sudden surge of agitation just hits out of nowhere—but if you can just push through it and hold your ground (which I know is incredibly hard, but please, stay persistent!), you'll get there. I'm still fighting my own battles and making progress slowly... because, at the end of the day, I guess it's all just in our heads!

By the way, I have this feeling that those of us dealing with this are just naturally very sensitive people—everything seems to hit us a little harder than most. My only real piece of advice would be to try and build up a bit of mental toughness and maybe try not to take things quite so personally...