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What Causes Cough And Rapid Heart Rate While Traveling By Flight?

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Posted on Thu, 30 Mar 2017
Question: I am a 63 year old female in good health. Two things have been happening lately, 1) when I lay down to go to sleep on my left side, my heart start to beat funny and catches me in my throat and makes me cough...when I role to the right side it stops. 2) the same exact feeling and cough and heart beat is happening when I fly and I am at flying altitude.....my heart beats weird and makes me cough.

How long does an answer usually take?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
This is an anxiety attack. Get some help...

Detailed Answer:
Hi ans thanks so much for contacting us.


I have reviewed your information fully and this is highly suggestive of a possible anxiety attacks. It has a clear provoking factor and circumstances. My advise would be to help with medications whenever you do have one. My preferred drug is clonazepam. Unfortunately, you need a script from your doctor before you can be served this drug.

In all, anxiety attack. Consider using Clonazepam. Talk to your treating doctor for a script.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Feel free to follow up with me if need be.

Kind regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ivo Ditah (48 minutes later)
Thank you, however I do not have any issues with anxiety, nor have I in the past. I fly constantly for work and love it, so I am not anxious about flying. This has been going on for 2 months now....only when I fly and I am at flying altitude, and when I go to bed and lay on my left side.....anxiety attacks are not consistently situational in nature. Can you focus on what could be wrong with my heart?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (11 hours later)
Brief Answer:
I strongly believe nothing is wrong with the heart but we can investigate!

Detailed Answer:
HI,

Though i strongly believe your heart is okay, I will like to do a baseline EKG. To me, this is more about reassuring that there is nothing wrong than identifying a specific problem. If it were a heart rhythm problem, this would be rather unpredictable and not associated with specific circumstances.

For this, I recommend that you get an EKG. It should also be done with you lying on the left side just to mimic the usual circumstances that you have issues with.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Keep me updated about your progress.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Ivo Ditah

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 3984 Questions

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What Causes Cough And Rapid Heart Rate While Traveling By Flight?

Brief Answer: This is an anxiety attack. Get some help... Detailed Answer: Hi ans thanks so much for contacting us. I have reviewed your information fully and this is highly suggestive of a possible anxiety attacks. It has a clear provoking factor and circumstances. My advise would be to help with medications whenever you do have one. My preferred drug is clonazepam. Unfortunately, you need a script from your doctor before you can be served this drug. In all, anxiety attack. Consider using Clonazepam. Talk to your treating doctor for a script. I hope this helps. I wish you well. Feel free to follow up with me if need be. Kind regards!