[cyurus]

Hi everyone,
I am new to this site. Wow this is great! Hats off to u jeff for starting this site.
A little about me. I am 27 (28 in two weeks..yikes) and like all of you have PVCs and PACs. I am currently in school to become a PA or NP. I hope to help people in distress because I know how it feels.

I have done the monitor thing and have been on Beta blockers (Toprol XR) for 2 years now. It sucks to have this at an early age. I work in an ER and I see A-fib, PACs, and all sorts of cardiac stuff all of the time. I just can't figure my own out. I think the worst part of this is the anxiety and not knowing what to do. This really holds me back from life, and makes me tired. I have had normal stress echoes to date. However I don't feel normal. Any ideas? Suggestions? Dr.'s in the NY CT area?

I look forward to "meeting" all of you and hope I can be of some help.

Colleen (i love these little faces..LOL)

[Jeff]

Hi Colleen - Great to have you here. My sister's a PA - attended Midwestern in Chicago. And like you (and me) she has many of the same issues. I guess the apples don't fall far from the familial tree in my family.

I know what you mean about not feeling yourself and it holding you back. The anxiety can be really gripping. At times when I was mentally at my weakest points, if I were to go for a walk or something I would take along my cell phone and pre-dial 911, and hold the phone in my pocket, finger on the "talk" button. Just in case. Looking back on it I must've seemed silly to my wife, but I was doing the best I could to cope at that point.

One thing my sister recommended to me, something she used for awhile herself with some success, was an SSRI. Now I know you're on a beta blocker, so that may not be the best option, but when my sister was doing her residency, and having to deal with a different doctor every day, that doctor's quirks and demands, she was a stress monkey. No sleep, on edge every day at work. Then she started on a SSRI and things started looking up, and she started having fewer irregularities in her rhythm. I absolutely hated the idea of taking anything like that, but now that I've been on one for a few months, I'm wondering why I was so worked up about it. I feel good, more relaxed and my head seems clearer. Less clouded with anxieties and stress.

But I also think that for me it should be a short term solution until I get into a habit of managing my stress better. (Even so, taking that little pill is so easy....)

So that's one idea - Rx.

I would imagine that if you're spending time in an ER that you have to have a pretty high stress level, too. Couple that with crazy shifts and you're probably ripe for the skipped beats. Do you have any hobbies or activities you like to engage your brain in outside of work?

(Again welcome, and much success in your studies.)

[jkfrench]

Boy, I admire you for working in the ER. My anxiety over my heart gets so bad that I hate the thought of going to the doctor or ER because I don't want them to find something wrong. Crazy huh...the one place I should find some peace because I know they can care for me, makes me a nervous wreck. My very low blood pressure shoots through the roof at my doctor appointments. I had one friend that also worked in the ER. She actually cured her fear of heart skips/racing/pauses etc. by having a doctor hook her up everytime she felt something. After a few months of him telling her that nothing looked life threatening she dealt much better with her anxiety.
I know how you feel though. Our minds really can take control of this particular problem. This leads to so much anxiety that we are tired all the time and just not as happy as we once were. My doctor did perscribe Xanax at my last visit. I have yet to take any but it is in my medicine cabinet. He gave me 5 refills so I keep refilling it and just storing it. LOL that just made me laugh. We are one crazy bunch aren't we.
Stick with us here and maybe just maybe we can all help "cure" each other one step (or laugh, or drug)at a time.
Have a great weekend
Jodie

[cyurus]

hey guys,

thanks for the warm welcome. I hope i can be of some help to you guys as well. JK-you said your doctor gave you xanax. I have xanax. It is ok stuff. If you need it take it. It cuts the anxiety factor way down. You can try taking 1/2 of a 0.25 dose if you want to start with and see how that works for you. I take it. I still get the palps and the chest pain, but I just don't care as much when I take the xanax...LOL.. So instead of looking like this : I look like this: .

Have a good weekend. Off to work tonight....Colleen

[jkfrench]

Yea, everyone tells me they love Xanax (that is why I'm just refilling and storing). My doctor also told me to break it in half. I'm just so wierd about taking medicine. I'm always afraid that I'll be that 1% that has the bad reactions. I do take 1/4 of a 25mg of atenolol and that keeps my heart from racing.
Have a great night at work.
Jodie

[fluttery]

welcome Colleen! I'm new here too....glad to have someone in the medical profession here to bounce ideas off of.

[cyurus]

hey,

how are you? welcome to u as well. I will be more than happy to help where I can. happy rainy sunday from NY! colleen

[Jeff]

Hey Colleen - check your private messages.

[Susie]

Hi Colleen and fluttery~welcome.
My name is Susie, and I am seriously thinking about going to a community college to become an MA. I have a strong desire to help others and it gives me the greatest satisfaction when I have answered a post and they write back saying how it has helped them.
High Anxiety is my middle name, LOL. I have always been sort of high strung, and now that I am older, it has gone into anxiety, ugh. I am in hopes that if I start school and studying, my mind will be occupied enough so I don't worry about myself. Time will tell.
Hugs and welcome
Susie