Can anxiety cause a sudden increase in heart rate?

Question

Hi doctor,

The day before yesterday, my heart rate rose to 220 beats per minute, and it remained elevated for about three hours while my blood pressure was quite low. I did not engage in any physical activity that day. This same problem occurred eight years ago and lasted for half an hour. Suddenly, it happened to me again the day before yesterday, and my entire shoulder was also in a lot of pain. What should I do? Everything is fine now, but I am feeling a bit weak. Currently, I am taking homeopathic medicines.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern, and your symptoms could be due to anxiety or cardiac arrhythmia. I recommend consulting your doctor and having these tests done: a resting ECG (electrocardiogram), a cardiac ultrasound, and ambulatory ECG monitoring for 24 to 48 hours to exclude cardiac arrhythmia. Additionally, tests for thyroid hormone levels to check for thyroid dysfunction, blood electrolytes to assess for any possible imbalances, and a complete blood count to check for anemia would be advisable.

Thanks and regards.