I definitely have an life-threatening arrhythmia

[JMorton]

This morning I had really bad palpitations - pronounced beating in my lower right chest, and a feeling of suction in my upper right chest, which I've read can be indicative of PVCs. I know isolated PVCs are usually benign, but this happened over about half an hour. I also felt the suction last night. This would not happen in a heart with a normal rhythm. Funnily enough, this happened about half an hour after taking propranolol, which is supposed to HELP with palpitations. So much for that. I'm thinking of going to A&E tomorrow to catch it on an ECG after taking propranolol, which will hopefully (in this case) trigger it again, but I honestly don't know how to deal with this. I look around and see so many people just happily going about their lives, with no threat to their life, WHY THE ***** HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ME?

So, bye everyone. I doubt my life can be saved now.

[Fishmanpa]

WHY THE ***** HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ME?

So, bye everyone. I doubt my life can be saved now.

A little dramatic don't you think? I understand this has upset you but you wouldn't be typing on an anxiety forum if your life were truly in the balance.

Positive thoughts

[Lifelonganxiety!]

What were you prescribed propranolol for? Presumably you were examined by a cardiologist to get that, and therefore are aware of what condition you have?

And quite simply, if taking that caused such a reaction - don't take it and consult with your physician again. Any drug is not guaranteed to do what it is supposed to, and everyone has different side effects.

[Beckybecks]

I see you posted almost two years ago that you had bad anxiety then and a fear of heart problems.. Also that you've had tests and they're all clear.
If there had been a problem that long ago and it had gone undetected, you would have ended up in hospital eventually. I would say that it's more a case of anxiety and that you've read up all the symptoms so your mind is helping you to experience them now.
You are young and since you've been found to be fit I suggest you address your anxiety issues so you can get on with enjoying your life.

[JMorton]

What were you prescribed propranolol for? Presumably you were examined by a cardiologist to get that, and therefore are aware of what condition you have?

And quite simply, if taking that caused such a reaction - don't take it and consult with your physician again. Any drug is not guaranteed to do what it is supposed to, and everyone has different side effects.
My doctor prescribed it to help with palpitations. I've had ECGs which have been normal and I'm waiting on the results of a holter monitor, but none of them caught palps this bad.

[Lifelonganxiety!]

Sounds like you had a bad reaction the drug, that's all. Don't take it and consult with your doctor again about what happened.

By all accounts, nobody has been able to find a life threatening arrhythmia with you. I get palpitations a lot myself. Usually down to dehydration or caffeine. They can be totally benign.

[countrygirl]

I have had bad pvc's for over 30 years at their worst every 3rd beat for days on end was an ectopic. They are not harmful even at this level but def horrible.

Beta blockers can actually make ectopics worse as they slow your heartbeat down and you tend to get ectopics when your heart is slower. One way of getting rid of ectopics if they are botherin you is to do vigourous exercise as speeding the heart up stops them.

If it was me I would not take may more beta blockers, they have their own problems, do some exercise, remember what cardio's say " ectopics are horrible but harmless"and keep of the stimulatns like coffee and alcohol and don't have a full or empty stomach as these can be triggers.

[james1067]

Did you get lightheaded? Did you feel like you were going to pass out? Do you get regular PVC's and PAC's? Does your heart rhythm change when breathing? Have you had heart tests done and consulted with a cardiologist? If so, what were their findings? I'm suffering this as well. No amount of reassurance is helping me. My symptoms are exactly like yours but recently I've started getting lightheaded. I have had pretty much every test done on my heart unfortunately except for an angiogram, nuclear stress test, heart MRI, electrophysiology study and loop recorder. I feel like I am going to die because of this. My heart rhythm is not right. Please reply if your symptoms are similar.

[netminder1976]

How's it going JMorton? Did you end up going to the doctor? Have your palps stopped yet? Just checking in to see how you're doing.

[james1067]

Also, one of my cardiologists recently suggested that I try propranolol for my palpitations and tachycardia. This doesn't seem very reassuring if it's making your's worse.

[countrygirl]

Ectopic hearbeats can make you feel lightheaded. I have two harmless heart beat disorders. LIfetime of pvc's and past 4 years super ventricular tachycardia. SVt is very different from ectopics. With ectopics I feel a thud in my chest and if I feel my pulse I can feel a pause between beats as the heart resets itself, I can also feel a split second lightheaded ness. With the SVT i feel a fast butterfly wings sensation in my chest and I go very very faint not just lightheaded but don't actually faint. If I hold my nose and blow ( valsalva manouvre)this stops it. Both conditions are harmless to your heart.

so its perfectly possible to have abnormal heartbeats that feel dreadful but in actual fact will not ever harm you.