Scared about Atrial Fibrillation (May scare ppl)

[KeeKee]

I have Googled Af which is the most stupid thing I could have possibly done as I have 1 of the symptoms and now feel like I may have it.
The symptom I have is a pulse that is occasionally stronger for a single beat and I have read it should all be the same strength. Other than that it is even and 72bpm which I am happy about. The stronger beat occurs about every 10 beats.
I have been to the docs a lot lately and he feels my pulse each time for reassurance so I am sure he would have picked it up but I'm thinking maybe I wasn't getting these stronger beats then?
Health Anxiety is literally ruining my life and I am not at the docs until Monday now so have to worry for another 4 days! I hate it.

---------- Post added at 16:11 ---------- Previous post was at 15:37 ----------

Anyone? I feel like my mind is going in overdrive! My partner is about to go to work too so I'll be alone with my daughter. Dreading the next few hours :-(
My Dr did say some people have a heightened awareness of their own hearts and this could be causing me to believe I am having palpitations when I may actually not be. I feel like I need reassurance all the time though and when it is not available I freak out.

---------- Post added at 16:17 ---------- Previous post was at 16:11 ----------

Just looked on the NHS site and it says most cases of AF include a heart rate of over 140! So hopefully mine is just benign palpitations or maybe just my normal rhythm.

[CharlieM]

Keekee,

How are you finding out about this extra hard beat. Can you feel it in your chest, or is it by taking your pulse?

I am a constant pulse checker due to my heart anxiety. I take it on the right side of my neck because it is strongest there. But the strength varies for a whole number of reasons, so not sure I could say for certain if one beat was stronger than the others. 72 seems like a decent low rate. Does it slow down and speed up?

Try not to google - difficult I know, but there could be a number of reasons far less drastic than AF.

[KeeKee]

Hi Charlie, thanks for replying. I can feel it in my neck, my wrist doesn't seem to have it (which should reassure me really - but it doesn't). My heart always lingers at around 68 to 76 even when nervous as I take Propranolol.
I have previously banned myself from google and until this morning didn't even know what AF was so have really disappointed myself. I was only at the docs a fortnight ago and already I need reassurance, its getting ridiculous.
Curiously I get a lot of muscle twitches in a variety of places including my eyes and neck so I wonder (or hope?) if it could be twitches. I also get them in my bum, legs and stomach! I am very stressed lately and suffer with depression and believe I have anger issues so things seem to be n top of me lately but this just makes it worse!

[spacebunnyx]

keekee, when focus on my heart I get a single palpatation.. I have nothing wrong with my heart but the anxiety makes it a vicious circle.

xxx

[KeeKee]

Hi Spacebunny, I agree focussing on it makes you more aware. Before I was diagnosed with Anxiety (back in March) I never ever worried about my health. Now I wont dye my hair, eat blue cheese (penicillin allergy - google again!), paint my nails (in case I have a heart condition that causes my nails to change), the list goes on. Feeling so down right now :-(

[nomoreworries25]

I went into AF once and believe me you will know about it it wasn't like ectopic beats my heart rate was so fast and so erratic no beats were in time at all.

[ItWillPass]

I went into A-fib 2 times and it did feel much stronger than just regular missed beats. After the first bout of A-fib I was in a state of VERY high anxiety... and my heart would race and pound. I was convinced I was just stuck in A-fib, but its really easy to find out... I would just go to the ER and get an EKG. They can tell right away if it is A-fib. What you are describing does not sound like A-fib to me, but if you are worried Id just go and get it checked out.