Skipper/Erratic Hertbeat - How much should I worry

[chappy1]

I am new to this website but the fact that I've joined means I must be worried but should I be? I am 58 and have always experienced skipped heartbeats since I was mid-thirties. Recently they have become more frequent (many per hour) and am also experiencing erratic beats. I have arranged a 24 hour monitor, treadmill tests and an echocardiogram throughout various dates in January. I then have a consultation with a cardiologist but not until July. In the first instance I am looking for some others having experienced this or currently experiencing this. Should I be worried or wait patiently for the tests? Just to add a little more detail I sometimes feel that my my pulse is very weak/non-existant followed by a skipped beat of around 5 seconds. During these periods my body feels weird.

[woody1998]

Hi and welcome.
I have been a cardio patient for over ten years, I suffer with ventricular-tachycardia and congestive heart failure, anxiety and panic play a lot of mind tricks when it comes to your heart because some of the symptoms are very similar, palpations, racing heart beat, low and high blood pressure. It is good to see you are going for the initial tests, I have had those tests done many times, all painless and if there is anything wrong, they will be picked up, especially with the echo and the consultant will see you on the spot. I have an erratic heart rhythm and that is controlled by medication, but anxiety does aggravate my symptoms. Hard I know but try to stay calm and if concerned go see your GP, most surgery's do ECG recordings now. If required your GP can prescribe beater blockers.

[chappy1]

Good morning, having a treadmill test on Monday and so far have already had a couple of ECG's showing nothing abnormal. My main concern is that once I have had the treadmill, echocardiogram and 24 hour mionitor I have to wait until July to see the cardiologist. Guess that I'm just keen to rule out and major underlying issue and learn to cope with the symptoms. The 5 second skipped beat is the most scariest.

[woody1998]

I understand exactly where you are coming from, the treadmill test is usually five sets of 2/3 minutes on the treadmill, a nurse is with you and whilst you are on the treadmill, the nurse is watching heart activity on the monitor. 24 hour monitor records activity in the heart and if you feel this erratic beat you press the button, then your echo is just like having a baby scan, you will be able to see it on the screen and if the nurse see anything abnormal, they will get the cardiologist (this has happened to me twice). All the data from these tests will be studied by your consultant, in my experience the day after they have received it and if anything 'worrying' shows up, believe me, you will not have to wait until July.
I have had open heart surgery and I still have a skipped beat, but sometimes to me it feels like the beat as missed, but on the recordings it is there, just not as strong as the beats before. Then I have an erratic beat, which feels like every fourth beat is so powerful, it feels like a thump in the chest.
Cardiologists are really busy, but even though they are not seeing you does not mean they will not be studying your heart. I have had tests in January and waited until the November for results, then again I have had tests and within days had a recall to go back to see someone.
At the moment they will be gathering 'initial evidence', they will examine it and when you see them in July, they will tell you the findings and the next course of action, but in the mean time they will let you know if they find anything dangerous, they will certainly let your GP know and if you need medication they will ask your GP to prescribe it. I have these tests done every six months plus CT scans. All my results go straight to my GP within days of having tests done and he tells me the outcome before I go see my Consultant.
Go speak to your GP and explain your issues, he will help you, may be prescribe and when he receives info from your consultant he will let you know.
Anxiety, stress, panic all aggravate the symptoms, all so foods etc., caffeine, Coca-Cola.
Try to stay calm and remember its all in the right hands, you have to put your trust in them, I did and they saved my life.

[Catherine S]

Hi there, the fact that you are having to wait until July to see the cardiologist is good..it means the docs are not worried. You'll find alot of people on the site have this problem, myself included for many years and had every test known. The results were always that they could see the missed beats/flutters on the readings but they weren't organic, only benign. So even though they are scary and uncomfortable Ive kind of learned to live with them. Different things set them off but as ive got older and my stomach is more senitive to what i'm eating or drinking, I find they can come on more often (this is down to the Vagus nerve being irritated) and being cold and shivering can trigger them too, as can orgasms believe it or not! Its all about how we breathe and anxious people don't breathe well! My doctor gets them and he takes betablockers for it, as do I, which really help take the edge off them if they're really uncomfortable.

Kind regards...oh, and welcome :)

[chappy1]

Had the treadmill test yesterday and no problems showed up but they did at least see a few skipped beats during the recovery period. Next week I have the echocardiogram.

[chappy1]

Had the echocardiogram last Tuesday but no results given out. Tomorrow I will be fitted for a 24 monitor. Then I have to wait until July to see the cardiologist.

[chappy1]

Well apparently there is "some global hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction", "slightly dilated left atrial" and a "good ejection fraction of 71%". Does anyone speak Cardiology here?