Can being in a panic cause extra beats/ ventricular tachycardia?

[Strawberry_3]

Earlier today, I was very worked up and nervous about something at work, so my heart rate went sky high (around 130). Accompanying this was the feeling of skipped/ectopic beats which I have had many times in the past, but instead of just the one, it was pretty much every other beat!

It lasted for about 10 seconds

It was like my heart way playing different parts of a drum.

Was this atrial fibrilation/ventircular tachycardia?

Can severe stress cause these symptoms?

x

[Aaahhfreakout]

It's impossible to say what it was. What we can say is stress causing the areas of your heart which fire off ectopic beats to fire off a lot more often seems the most likely explanation. It certainly happens to me. :)

[shifty75]

Hi, this happens to me too. I have had these skipped beats for years on & off. I am now 40. A week ago, when I wasn't feeling too anxious, I had them on & off for a few days..much more then the once in awhile I am used to. Since then I have laid off caffeine & energy drinks & things seems to have improved a lot. Just the small odd one & certainly not multiple ones in a row.

I would advise laying off the caffeine if you don't already.

Also, I definitely get them when I am feeling nervous, tired or anxious including multiple ones throughout a day.

I made up my mind years ago not to worry about these palpitations any more since I'd had an ecg & was told there was no structural heart abnormalities. I think I had a scan of the heart too but it was back in my 20s & can't exactly remember if this was the case.

However this time, I was concerned enough to call my Gp the other day as I do not get them frequently like a did a week ago. I have thyroid problems & am on medication so this could be the cause among the other stuff like caffeine etc.

I am having a 24 hour monitor & bloods done on Thurs.

I think this is a precautionary measure as I do have the thyroid problem & the thyroid can affect the heart in many ways as can the meds I am on.

I am on a learning curve & trying to establish the cause or what makes them worse. Sometimes we can just get them for no other serious reason.

It has been a huge eye-opener to see how many people actually do get them.

It is great that we can can post here to help ourselves & help others if we can. I find it very reassuring :)

[trus75]

It happens to me too. During all my life my ectopics were random and not related to panic. I used to have panic attacks with crazy fast hear rates and no ectopics, now I have frequent ectopics as soon as I have a panic feeling. They can be every 5th beat, every 2nd, or just random but lots of them (probably 15+ in a minute).

I think these ectopics just change their pattern and become more frequent when you get older, nothing else.