Ghaaa, not again.

[azurelunatic]

Not sure I've mentioned this before, but every now and then my heart decides to do something interesting: go about double-time, rather harder than it ought to. It usually doesn't. This happened maybe once every two months, if then, when I was a teenager, and now happens maybe twice a year, if that.

Did that tonight for about three minutes: after the first two and a half minutes, I decided that enough was enough, controlled my breathing, and sure enough, within three breaths, my heart rate dropped back down to its sedate speed of distinctly less than 120.

This is something to keep an eye on, but not, from my perspective, anything really worrisome. Noting it down so I'll have this to refer back to when it happens again.

Comments

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

I have something known as Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT) or, more simply, an irregular heartbeat. It is often misdiagnosed as anxiety attacks. If your heart beat varies for no apparent reason you definitely want to get it checked, and don't take "you're just a little upset" for an answer. Don't underestimate heart problems.

[azurelunatic]

It seems to happen most often after a minute startlement of the sort that would spike your heart rate for a second, then normally you'd chill out; these tend to just stick on. It's remarkably distinct from panic attacks in that those affect the entire fight-or-flight system. I'll have to ask Mama what, exactly, Aunt Joan has up with her heart, as this may or may not be the same thing.

Usually I just wait the spells out; they have only ever once lasted over a few minutes. This time I got annoyed and chose to end it myself with my own control of heart rate powers.