New to here. Ectopic beats..

[Loulia]

HiI've been searching the internet and it has made me worse until I stumbled upon this site.
I have been getting these short heart flutters everyday for five months now and have had ECG, blood tests and 24hr monitor all come back fine but was told its ectopics!? My doc said to cut out caffeine but that had not worked at all, I asked if it could be linked to anxiety and worry but she said no not usually and as I am a very anxious person anyway it had made me feel worse I keep thinking I'm going to die of sudden death syndrome and when I try to ignore them I get one out of the blue which makes me wonder what is wrong with me grrrr
I'm generally always worrying about my health anyway but this is one symptom I just want to stop. Has anyone had this and overcome it? I find I get it most when I'm at home, when I'm out I don't notice it as bad.


Help

[suki300]

It is common, but they don't treat it and I just looked at a study and I think it said that caffine didn't always make a difference, but it can do - especially if you have more than 9 cups of coffee a day.

Health anxiety makes us focus on usually one specific thing, but you can be sure that if the doctor's' thought it needed further investigating, they would do it. They don't mess about with heart problems.

Unfortunately anxiety can give you all sorts of feelings, flutters, etc, that can be extremely unpleasant - you shouldn't underestimate what that can do to your head. Like the rest of us on here, it does tend to give you a sense of impending doom, which fortunately does not equal death, but it doesn't make you feel very nice when you're going through it. A coping strategy (and human instinct) is to try and attribute a cause as to why you feel terrible, after all how can you simply just feel terrible. We try to reason and cling to anything that might be evidence to prove we are right.

I guess, it is similar to how people in the middle ages thought bad things happened, because they were God's will. It was just the closest they could come to an explanation.

Have you asked to have some CBT, that would really help - probably and awful lot more than running lots of tests.

[Loulia]

Thanks so much for the advice, I'm not sure what CBT is? When I spoke to doc and she said it is not due to worry it made me panic that there is something wrong that they haven't picked up or have got wrong because I know it's not the caffeine, in a way I'm glad you said people can get it from anxiety. The doctor asked has anyone in my family had sudden death syndrome or heart disease and it's made me worry. I keep thinking I need more tests. I look at other people and wonder why am I getting this, even when I'm relaxed and not thinking of it? I also keep thinking my heart will just stop and ill die infront of my two young children. Sorry to go on

[suki300]

I'd say you have full blown anxiety, and your feelings are very common. It's so common to think that there is something serious and that you are going to die. I think everyone of this forum can identify with how awful that is.

CBT stands for congative behavioural therapy - I'm surprised the dr didn't suggest it.

Anyhow, all those things you are struggling with, the therapy helps retrain your brain, so your anxiety becomes reduced and you can deal with things. It can be very effective.

I would make an appointment with your dr and see what they can do for you.

[Loulia]

Thankyou, I'll go back and ask about that, I think the doctors must be sick of me now! Haha everyone has been so helpful thanks x

[Rennie1989]

I don't know why the doctor said that, palpatations are a symptom of anxiety.

Giving them attention makes them happen more often. Just accept them (they are harmless, after all), let them do their thing and they'll go.

[JustJules]

Hi Loulia, I suffered from these for years and was convinced I was going to die from them but I'm still here - being an anxious person, I've got different things going on now but the fluttery beats don't bother me nowadays. Had all the tests you've had but never believed that it could be normal to have ectopic beats but it is and it is all part of anxiety and the worry makes them a lot worse. I know it's hard but if you can learn to accept them when they happen and know that they're horrible but harmless, they'll bother you less. I read somewhere once that one day they just stop and yes, they did. If you ever get a spell of them, when it's happening, hold your nose as if you are on a plane and trying to unblock your ears for a few seconds and this usually stops them, as does an ice cold drink.

You are fine, honestly. Your doctor was only asking about your family history to rule anything out so don't be worried. They will go with acceptance.

Juliex

[Loulia]

Thanks it's nice to hear other people have had them and got over it and it's not serious, I keep thinking I've got an illness.

[hanshan]

Hi Loulia,

The heart is an amazing organ that will keep beating no matter what. Ancient peoples used to commit sacrifices with hearts that kept beating even after being cut from a living body.

Even when the heart rhythm goes awry, it will still keep pumping blood. I'm a lucky beneficiary of this, as I suffer from episodes of atrial fibrillation, where the top half of the heart effectively stops beating.

Nevertheless, the bottom half beats randomly, just enough to supply blood to the body, so I am still here. So don't worry, you won't drop dead in front of your family.

[Loulia]

Thanks for your reassuring replys, I'm still getting them am trying to ignore them but it is hard they mainly happen when I'm resting and not even thinking of them it's really frustrating the doc tells me to go home and stop being aware of them but it's easy enough to say.

[Havefaithx]

We all have them Hun some people are more sensitive to them then others, anxiety definitely makes them worse! I have had the monitors etc and was diagonoses with ectopic heartbeats they aren't dangerous although they can b scary. I was described it by my dr as a drum you have someone playing a steady regular beat and another person playing another steady beat however this person gets a little excited and throws in an extra beat here and there but you always have the other drummer with his steady beat, hope that makes sense lol.

[Loulia]

Yes it is scary, part of the problem is thinking it's just going to stop altogether then I get a thud like it's restarting! It is reassuring knowing I'm not the only one. It's finding a solution to get rid of it, I'm worried I've got to live with it and I haven't a clue how it started in the first place