I Know It's Probably Common Sense But...

[ode_to_fantasy]

So tonight I got angry....like furiously angry, and my heartrate shot up to about 220.

I'm almost certain that that's the highest it's ever been.

It's calmed down a bit now, it's upper 100's, but it kinda scared me.

Is this normal? I haven't really had any tachy problems in a while....

[goldicedance]

I would say that's pretty normal response.

Lois

[Mrs. Burschman]

I once triggered a migraine in myself by getting too PO'd. So I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

Amy

[Tammy]

Yes, I think that's normal for us. I'm pretty laid back, but just a few weeks ago, my husband and I had an all out fight, the one where you say many things you don't mean, etc. and almost instantly, like a minute or two into our disagreement, I felt horribly sick, weak, and my heart rate went crazy... I was so mad at my husband I didn't want to tell him that I was feeling horrible, so I just went into our room and thought I was going to die! Scared the poo out of me but I knew it was just my symptoms flaring, so kept telling myself I'd be okay, I just had to calm down.

Yes, it seems our illness can control our emotions at times.

Tammy

[runningshoe]

As I understand it (with my potsy brain half working) our ANS (sympathetic and parasympathetic) helps our bodies adjust in both fight or flight as well as calming down. So if the ANS is not working properly (ie pots) then we can't regulate our respones. Did that make any sense? I am still trying to understand it all! I have told my kids, husband and friends that there is no room in my life right now for anger or unnecessary stress. My husband brought up a tricky issue at bedtime one night and I looked at him and said I can't discuss this with you and then expect my body to wind down and fall asleep. I left the room and slept with one of the kids just to avoid the tension. The next day I explained it further to him and he totally got it. One of my friends lashed out at me on the phone and it wrecked my for a day. I told her the same thing. I can talk about differences of opinion, I can admit when I am wrong etc. but I will not engage in angry or stressful behavior. It makes me even sicker! Hang in there!

[flop]

In perfectly healthy people it is normal for their herat rate to increase with any strong emotion - anger, pain, excitement, fear (ever feel your heart pounding when told scary stories as a child?). I think that in us dysautonomics that the normal response is unregulated and becomes an uncontrolled excessive tachycardia. 220 sounds really scary, were your really symptomatic at the time? I have had heart rates that high but only whilst doing a exercise stress test - at 224 I asked the cardiologist if he was trying to kill me, he stopped the test pretty quickly then even though I felt ok in myself.

I think avoiding overly stressful or emotional situations helps but you can't control every aspect of your life or the reactions of those you come into contact with.

I hope you're feeling better and less tachy now,

Flop

[Lukkychrm42]

I would say so, too. I don't get super-upset that often, but when I do, I tend to go into major adrenaline rush.