Can you interpret this reading from Apple iWatch ECG? Palpitations?

[panicface]

I started having palpitations when I was 14 or 15.
We went to the doctor and he said something about having a minor right chamber issue.

For the last 35 years I've lived in a virtual hell (of my own making), along with my anxiety issues (GAD), and agoraphobia. I've gone from sleeping dressed in bed (so I'd not be found naked when was discovered dead from palps the next morning), to avoiding exercise, or anything that raises my heart rate.

However, got my Apple Watch about 6 months ago and it says I don't have atrial fib. (less than 2%)..
It watches in the background and never notifies me.

Yesterday I was able to catch my 'palps' as they were coming in waves as I was laying down the 'wrong way' - and still the watch says it's not Atrial fib.

Can anyone look at this and tell me is it ectopic or atrial fib? They last about 15 seconds or so and go away. Normally have it once or twice a day, or if getting sick.
Although can go months without them, and a half of Xanax makes them disappear.

I would hate to think I just spent 35 years of my life in mortal fear of ectopics.

Attaching two files - one is 30 seconds of normal beats, the other is the irregular beats.

Thanks,

[ServerError]

What you don't say in your post is whether you've had any further medical opinion in the years since. Has a doctor told you that your condition is serious? Have they advised you to avoid exercise? It's just, personally, I'd rather follow medical advice and rely on proper medical tests than a watch, Apple or otherwise. It also sounds like you could do with some really good psychological therapy.

[panicface]

What you don't say in your post is whether you've had any further medical opinion in the years since. Has a doctor told you that your condition is serious? Have they advised you to avoid exercise? It's just, personally, I'd rather follow medical advice and rely on proper medical tests than a watch, Apple or otherwise. It also sounds like you could do with some really good psychological therapy.

I've had about 40 EKGs over the year - mostly when having panic attacks and forced to go to ER. Everyone says EKG is normal.

Once I had a lot of palps for weeks, and wore a holter monitor for a series of days. That did catch a lot of beats, but all the cardiologist said is that it's 'statistically insignificant' (whatever that means).

This is the first time I've caught it myself on my watch (tho having them now). Thought maybe someone on the board is more familiar with waveforms etc.

[ServerError]

Most people on the forums are fellow anxiety sufferers so any opinions on that kind of thing would only be a lay person's thoughts, unless a cardiologist stops by and happens to comment. If I were you, I'd place the most value on what doctors tell you. Statistically insignificant means that the test results show nothing of concern. Doctors don't mess about with hearts - if they thought there was something serious to act upon, they would do so. If I were you, I'd go to my GP, show them this thread, explain the impact that being told you had a "minor right chamber issue" has had on your life up to this point, ask them to clarify exactly what the situation is and then try and get the intensive mental health support that you need.

[Flapj]

Most people on the forums are fellow anxiety sufferers so any opinions on that kind of thing would only be a lay person's thoughts, unless a cardiologist stops by and happens to comment. If I were you, I'd place the most value on what doctors tell you. Statistically insignificant means that the test results show nothing of concern. Doctors don't mess about with hearts - if they thought there was something serious to act upon, they would do so. If I were you, I'd go to my GP, show them this thread, explain the impact that being told you had a "minor right chamber issue" has had on your life up to this point, ask them to clarify exactly what the situation is and then try and get the intensive mental health support that you need.

This is superb advice.

[ankietyjoe]

but all the cardiologist said is that it's 'statistically insignificant' (whatever that means).




What that means is that there's nothing wrong with your heart.

Any advice you get here about the extremely low resolution data you'd get from a wearable device is completely meaningless.

Have you worried about your heart for years for no reason? Probably. But so have hundreds of other people here too.

The question to ask yourself now is how much of the rest of your life do you want to waste with this incorrect thought pattern?

[Phill2]

My advice would be to throw the watch in the bin.
I won't buy one as it's just another thing to worry about.

[WorryRaptor]

That did catch a lot of beats, but all the cardiologist said is that it's 'statistically insignificant' (whatever that means).

It generally means they likely caught a few ectopics/irregular beats on monitor, but nothing that would put any strain on your heart whatsoever. :)

Most people have irregular beats from time to time, and some have them every day and don't feel a thing. The heart deals with them just fine. Cardiologists tend to have a threshold of how many is potentially harmful for your heart, and to be "statistically insignificant" is pretty much telling you that you weren't even remotely close to having anything that would cause concern. As they caught them in action too, they would have been able to get a good look at the nature of those irregular beats, and where they happened in the cardiac cycle. That is really good data for them to have, and infinitely better than a single lead watch ecg that gave you a few blips.

Like Server Error said, you could ask your GP for more information, explaining the strain this is having on your mental health.