really cant go on

[ireland]

I am 38 years old, male and been tortured by etopic heart beats for three years. These were caused by an overactive thyroid. Anyhow I have good blood numbers now and palps had reduced to maybe ten a day. Two days ago I went to acupuncture to try and kill them off. Bad idea. Since then I can't move for etopics and have had thousands. Can't go on like this I just can't.

[Catherine S]

Hi ireland. There are lots of us here suffering with these awful ectopics believe me. Paradoxically, I get them because I have an under-active thyroid rather than an over-active one, and although all the blood tests show that i'm taking the right dosage of thyroxine, I still get them. More recently I've been taking the beta blocker Propranolol which helps so much with these ectopics and flutters and makes them really managable...only a few every day/evening, compared to every other beat for weeks on end before! I started off taking 80mgs (they can perscribe up to 380mgs by the way!) and because i was doing so well the doctor reduced it down to 40, and this seems to suit me fine. If I have a day where I feel the ectopics a bit more I increase the dose on that day and it takes them away like magic. The best thing about beta blockers is they only work on the physical symptoms, they are not a mind altering drug like so many are and in that way are not so addictive...you can take them as and when you need them.

I wonder what it was with the acupuncture then? Perhaps this stimulated your system a bit too much! I hope they settle down with a bit of time. I know its hard not to be scared of them but they are harmless...just try to relax if you can. And if you feel you need more help, ask your doctor about beta blockers...alot of us here take them for this problem. Welcome to the forum by the way :D

ISB X

[ireland]

Thank you for your kind reply. I am on 12.5 mg of carvedilol which I start tomorrow. I was on 75mg of atenelol to this point. Hopefully the change will settle them. As for the acupuncture I googled healing crisis which gave me hope but my acupuncturist told me he doesn't agree. In fact his attitude today when I contacted him was poor. His advice. Go to my doctor. Could have strangled him only the old heart probably would have let me down lol

[Catherine S]

Aw, that wasn't very positive of acupuncturist was it really...he should have made more of an effort to reassure you. Hopefully this different beta blocker will help...although i'm not familiar with it and the dose of 12.5mg seems low compared to the 75mg of antenelol? Did the doctor explain the difference to you?

ISB x

[ireland]

Nope to be honest. I usually bother the life out of him over any change to meds but today I was so low I just grabbed the script and walked. Dosage is as you know on different scales. He once put me on bisoprolol which was a seemingly smaller dose but apparently was the same. Didn't work much tho.

[Catherine S]

Well, propranolol is the oldest of the beta blockers and the docs always seem to want to get us off them and onto something a bit more modern...my doc has stopped asking me to change lol! I'm happy with propranolol...they work for me brilliantly, and they work for alot of other members with ectopics too.

ISB x

[ireland]

Ended up in hospital for the last two days wired to heart machine in cardio ward. Thousands of skipped beats. They just smile say they are harmless and send me home. I need to accept this and live my life. If a bad heart kills me so be it but I can't let fear kill me.

[ireland]

So been put on 7.5 mg of bystolic. Anyone any feedback on this drug. How long till it really kicks in for eg.

[ireland]

So how do we define betablocker success ? On 10mg a day now and still feeling the buggers. They have reduced to about 30 a day, do I just accept this and stop expecting a complete cure?

[poshpants]

I was on propranolol many years ago after a car accident I found they helped me I have not been on any meds since then but I do have an ectopic heart beat when stressed I get a lot of fluttering feelings an missed heart beats so I know how you feel with that. I am pretty good on things with the heart my Dad has very serious heart problems so have been checked out myself due to family history. I have a strange thing the past few weeks when dropping off to sleep I am not sure if I am dreaming or not quite asleep but I suddenly think my heart has stopped I wake up with a jump thinking I am going to faint or worse die an in that spilt second my heart pounds really fast an I get so hot then very odd I have put it down to stress has had a lot of stress an upset past month.

[ireland]

Get that myself. Dropping off then bang bang goes the heart. Probably anxiety not that knowing that helps any lol. Docs love telling me how anxiety makes palps worse. Cheers doc real helpful today mate lol

[ireland]

Update. Palps are as vicious as ever. Hundreds everyday. Doc has me on inderal but to be honest I might as well eat a smartie. Betablockers don't seem to help me at all. No idea what to do.