The Rise Of The Ectopic Nightmare

[Jinkus]

I Guys N Gals,

Well after quitting smoking, stopping drinking and eating better i have noticed a graduly decline in my hellish symptoms of ectopics and flutters/skipped beats & genuninly felt so much better, i was still getting occasional skipped beats but nothing compared to what i had been going to.

However over the last month i have started to slip back into old habbits, i.e drink alcohol (Only a couple of pints a week), eating takeaways and drinking alot of cola, i have found this has caused lots of ectopics and lots of anxeity about them again. I have managed not to start smoking again which i suppose is something. I havnt had a ciggarette now in 2 months and recemend anyone who suffers with ectopics and smokes to stop, it really does help.

Tonight however has been my worse in a long time, i was driving and all of a sudden i had a bout of about 3 -5 skipped beats in rapid succession, i was of course mortified and very anxtious about this, i felt very unwell very quickly, I even drove myself to the hospital which (out of coincidence) was only round the corner. I sat outside trying to regain myself, i drove home without going in to A&E in a vain attempt to tell myself that the ectopics wasnt going to win this battle.

I wanted to post a thread on here as i would like some reassurance to settle a very fragile and conncerend mind that all is ok and that these ectopics are not going to kill me or cause me to have a heart attack or stall my heart. I have been very very close to depression before and can remember times that these ectopics and palpitations & skipped beats cause such a strain on my life, i really dont want to go back to being like that.

Someone Please Reassure Me!!!!!!

Sean
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[jodie]

hi

well i do know how you are feeling i have had ectopics for years now somtimes lots a day and other days just 1or2
today i am getting them very bad you know those hard ones that make you jump and panic.so your not on your own with this hun.
just think i have been going to the docs for years about them and they never look that botherd they have done tests but only cos a went on at the doc about it so much so i think we will be ok i know they are very scarey i am sat tonight in a mess with them but i guess the less we panic about it the sooner they will settle down
pm me anytime hun i know what you feel like i hate them to
jodie xx

[sy79]

i sufferd we these little blighters for two months non stop i allso smoke
they scared me to death i dont really get them anymore, and when
i do i ignore them, because the more i thought about them the more
i got, weird huh my councellor told me to ignore them, cos as soon as you
get one you wait for the next ive been told they are harmless but i still get
scared my biggest fear stems from my hart, im sure youl be fine buddy

[edwardthebear]

Hello Jinkus, I know from experience that as bad as single isolated ectopics are the multiple skipped beats you describe are horribly disconcerting, they can set off a chain reaction of panic symptoms stemming from the false expectation that you are about to collapse.
First and foremost, have you had your symptoms properly checked out by your Doctor? If not then you should seek to have this done as soon as possible, as being sound in the knowledge that your heart is in fact healthy and the condition is purely anxiety related is the best form of reassurance there is, Although I am not suggesting that it is any more pleasant to experience.
I think the lifestyle changes you have attempted are to be encouraged, cutting back on cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine will probably reduce the number of incidents but if you are pre-disposed to having ectopics along with being highly strung by nature the chances are you may still get them from time to time.
I first remember experiencing ectopics when I was about thirteen and I am in my early forties now so I know that if they were in any way dangerous that I would have been seriously physically ill long before now but they are unpleasant and I can really sympathise with you and all other sufferers.
Best wishes and try and remain positive.

[cazza]

Hi Jinkus
I have had ectopics now for 9 months every day!! Nothing i do seems to ease them doctors just say they are not sinister and do not worry about them!! The episode you just had is when you have a few missed beats back to back these are so so scary i once got taken to er by ambulance from the gym with these and they still were not concerned please try not to focus on them i know its hard i too am really struggling at the moment
your not alone carol

[Jinkus]

Hi Guys N Gals,

Thanks for all the replys is nice to see there are people out there who are there to lend a shoulder (so to speak).

Edwadthebear thanks for your reply, I have had lots and lots of medical diagnosis ranging from 100's of blood tests, echos, ecgs, holter monitor (24hr and 7 days) CT scan, barium meal, x-rays and much more. The general conclusion is my heart is fine although i was diagnosed with pericardial effusion - small ammount of liquid around the heart sac, they obviously cant have been that concerned about that as they havnt done anything about it.

I find it so frustrating when i get these skipped beats as it worrys moe than anything, I think to myself i have gone 20 odd years without experiencing anything like this so for me to suddenly start having these skipped beats every day, something must have changed in my body or somthing is not working properly.

I think understanding them is the key as well.

Thanks again guys, your words mean alot.

Sean
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