How to treat heart palpitations?
Patient: hello, I was cleaning and working up a real sweat. I bent down to pick up something and when I stood up, my heart felt like it was flopping around. I got freaked out and my anxiety started to really act up. I went to sit down and had a drink of water, trying to cool down, and it started up again for a few seconds. That freaked me out and I had a full out anxiety attack, and started shaking and hyperventilation. Now im freaked out and keep pacing around, im not sure if its going to happen again. With my last pregnancy, i was on metoprolal(spelling) cuz i had heart palpitations frequently and I didnt want it to be anything serious. I had a ultrasound done on my heart in sept 2009, and my cardiologist said my heart structure was nice and strong. I am going through a lot of stress between work and home, and i am currently on .25mg of alprozalom 2 times daily to help with anxiety. But today really freaked me out! Doctor: Hello,  I passed carefully through your question and would explain that your symptoms seem yo be related to anxiety.   Nevertheless, I recommend checking some blood lab tests:  - complete blood count- thyroid hormone levels- blood electrolytes.   An ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring would help examine your heart rhythm trends for a prolonged time and exclude possible cardiac arrhythmia.   In the meantime, I would recommend practising Yoga and meditation. It is not recommendable taking alprazolam for a long period of time, because it can lead to addiction and tolerance.   Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.  Regards, Dr. Ilir Sharka, Cardiologist