Can intense periode of stress/lack of activity cause heart skipping/extra heartbeat?

[sweetlover88]

For the last month, i've been nervous/stressed alot, working on computer 12-14 hours per day. I feel 2-3 times per day my heart skipping (like it stop then come back again.)

My first episode of having ocassional 'irregular' heartbeats was back in July. I was very stressed back then with my work and was drinking quite alot of cofee, alcohol and didn't sleep good at night. I was under shower (went straight to shower from computer after being sit there for 13 hours) and i was singing some songs and then it started to beat fast and irregularly). Ever since then, when i take shower, i experience some extra beats (i'm actually always a bit worried before i take shower because i visualize that day and it scares me.)

When i cry or if i become emotional and my heart start to beat fast, it's actually a feeling of extra heartbeat (like 3 beats instead of 2)

I've had all my heart tests done 2 months ago (beside a holter, which was last done in 2009).

I'm 27, little bit overweight (6'0, 184 lbs) and physically inactive. No heart disease history in family.

Can these ocassional extra/missed heartbeats be the results of intense stress/anxiety?

I've stopped cofee since then and try to eat better. I must admit though that i still drink 2 times a week and not in good shape physically.

Thanks all

[Dan Wales]

It may be due to anxiety or because of your weight. When you climb stairs or have to walk long distances does it happen then?

[sweetlover88]

I've had a stress test at high workload for 8 minutes and everything was fine. When i do exercise, i feel fine (i don't feel like dizzy or out of breath, even when i have those episodes.)

I don't have it when i walk. The only time i've noticed them when i walk was when i was thinking right and during the walk: 'i hope i won't have palpitations. If i have what i'm gonna do' then sometimes they came, sometimes no.

[ninnie]

Sometimes stress and worry will cause your body to produce extra adrenaline, which can make your heart race. It's because your body is preparing for the old 'fight or flight'. When this happens to me I try doing either slow, deep breaths. Counting to 5 breathing in and 7 breathing out, so the out breath is slightly longer. Or, sometimes I just do a long slow breath out and then wait a bit before breathing in. Seems to help. If you have been told you don't have a heart problem, I'm sure it's just anxiety.

[sweetlover88]

My heart don't necessarly race everytime i'm anxious or have panic attack.

When it race, it give me the feeling of having extra heartbeats.
When it doesn't race (if i'm in bed for example), it give me the feeling of skipping heartbeats.

i dont know how to explain it but it's scary :\