Heart skipping beats [Archive]

angie3077

21-01-04, 16:36

sadie

21-01-04, 19:31

Hi Angie,

I get this too and I find it quite scary also. I keep getting advised too that they are nothing to worry about so i am trying hard to do just that. Your doctor couldnt lie to you!!

I also feel mine seem to occur when Im doing nothing to stressful and I always tend to feel that I want to burp..similar to you with the coughing thing!!!

They are just caused with anxiety and its when your heart just seems to react to any small stimulus much quicker....I have had every sensation possible I think with my anxiety and this seems to be the next thing that worries me at the mo!!

You are definetly not alone with this one. Everytime you get one try and just say..'here come these silly heart beats again..ah well they wont hurt me' or words to that affect!! I know it may sound stupid but apparently the less you worry about them and the more you show them you are not scared they disappear!!

Also exercise is supposed to abolish them too!!

Well I hope this makes you feel a bit better.

Take care

sadie

Tilly

21-01-04, 21:37

Hi Angie

I have this problem too. I've had lots of tests and my heart is fine. Which is reassuring but its still scary when it happens. I always try and take a deep breath or cough aswell. Thought that was just me!
Do you find yourself taking your pulse often? Its become a bit of a habit with me. Im very concsious of my heart beating and sometimes Im convinced its stopped because I cant feel it beating in my chest so I take my pulse to make sure. Now Ive typed that I realise how utterly ridiculous that is. If my heart had stopped I'd be a heap on the floor wouldnt I?
My doctor assured me I would not drop down dead and neither will you! Try and remember that. I'm starting to get annoyed with it rather than scared and thats helped a bit.

Havent really got much advice to offer, but wanted you to know that you're not alone :D

Tilly x

Meg

21-01-04, 22:29

These are some of the most common symptoms of all.

They are extra beats of the atrium chambers of the heart, top ones that are storage chambers rather than the ones that are being pumped out of.

There are dysrhythmias where your heatbeat is not entirely stable , most over 70 year olds unknowingly walk around with one of these every day.

Having a few or indeed lots of extra beats does not affect the pumping efficacy of your heart , if you like , the pumping part is on a different fuse circuit to the origin of these missed/extra beats so not dangerous at all to the overall doings..

Ty to downgrade their severity in your mind to that of a run of sneezes or run of hiccups.

Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

sadie

21-01-04, 22:32

Hi tilly,

I used to take my pulse all the time. In fact I actually hurt my neck due to proding at it all the time whilst taking my pulse. I now do my best to not do this as it only makes your heart beat faster...i do still get the urge to do this throughout the day but I just dont anymore.

It is reassuring though to know that there is others experiencing the same sensations and thoughts as you. Its easy to worry that there really IS something wrong with your heart when you think you are the only one feeling these sensations.

Well I hope that your heart gets the message soon that your'e no longer scared of its eratic beating and it stops!!! (that is the eratic beating not your heart!lol)

Take care

sadie

bananarbabe

23-01-04, 05:35

Hi Tilly,

Skipped beats are a symptom that still bugs me. I definately get them when I'm really stressed out. If you're really concerned, you might want to consider doing a 24 hour holter test. It might help put your mind at ease.

It sounds like you're on your way to getting better. You seem to have made some good lifestyle changes!

Chris

angie3077

23-01-04, 14:42

Hi Tilly,

I too am always checking my pulse, people must think I am really weird sometimes as I walk around with my fingers stuck to my neck checking my pulse...awaiting the next 'skipped beat'. It is very frustrating and tiring too.
Its very annoying, as you said.....I have a week where I won't get any and I feel really happy and then out of the blue they start happening all the time again then I get really anxious , so bringing them on more.
I can reason with my self a little as I can say that I know that the anxiety and me being a pretty tense person brings them on more but also because I worry so much about every little health issue...be it a cold, cough, rash I worry so much about this heart thing more than anything! as I too keep thinking things like my heart will stop or go into a funny rythm and something terrible will happen....and so on and so on it just never goes away.
For instance today I have had a headache and the thoughts that have been crossing my mind are meningitis, brain tumour/heammorrage, I know this is ridiculous but I can't stop the thoughts it gets me down a lot.
This place is helping though, its great... I look forward to reading more of the posts every day when I get home from work its very nice having others that know a little about how you feel, thier opinions really matter.
Anyway hope you are ok and keep posting :)
Speak soon
Andie
x

uryjm

23-01-04, 19:59

Angie
I've had heart palpitations on and off for years and haven't dropped dead yet. It is hard to describe as you say, and it feels as if my heart is stumbling or gurgling before returning to a steady beat. Caffeine definately brings it on and makes it worse. Even before these started though, I often felt my pulse on a regular basis and found it reassuring. I still do, and can now quite accurately guess within seconds what my beats per minute will be! I look on it as a bit of a personal talisman - some reach for the cigs, some for the bottle, some for chocolate and me for my pulse.

Jim

sadie

25-01-04, 19:16

Hi everyone,

I am suffering these missed/irregular beats all the time at the moment and I am trying so hard not to worry too much about them!! Anyway, last night and today i have had them constantly and this is scaring me. Should I be going to my doctor as Im having them all day or not??
I have mentioned it to my doc before and he said its just down to anxiety etc but should I get one of these 24 hour tests just to be sure???

Also I have had a lot of excess 'air' gurgling around my body last night and today and I have had pains around the breast bones too..can this excess be causing the fluttering or not? I remember Bryan mentioning to me before that this could cause this, does anyone know for sure?

Also, where is this excess air coming from, is it due to 'shallow breathing' or something??

Any thoughts/help would be appreciated!!![:0]

sadie

sarah

25-01-04, 20:38

Hiya Sadie

Just to try and put your mind at ease a bit....I get these irregular/missed beats too. I can go for months without them and then whoops it comes back for a few days and scares the life out of me!!!!

love Sarah
xx

bananarbabe

26-01-04, 00:29

Hi Sadie,

I have had all of the symptoms you have mentioned. I don't think the excess air causes the palipitations as I've had both symptoms separately. I remember the first time I had excess air and I thought it was my stomach growling so I just ate and thought nothing more of it. Like your, doctor I'm sure your symptoms are just anxiety since from previous posts we've had very similar symptoms. I would go ahead and get the 24 hour holter test as it will probably put your mind more at ease. If you haven't had one before it's pretty simple and doesn't affect your everyday function.

You have given me some wonderful advice in the past and I'm sure everything is fine with you. Try to ignore it or get some light exercise!

Best

Chris

sadie

26-01-04, 03:03

Hi Chris,

As you can see Im finding it difficult tonight to get to sleep. Anyway,thanks for the help and support, I know you are probably right and that the symptoms are just anxiety. I will mention them to my GP when I go, and see what he says.

Im glad that I have helped you too and I hope that you are feeling ok.

Take care

sadie

angie3077

26-01-04, 16:03

Hi Sadie,

I have been getting these extra/missed beats for some time now and yes, at one point I was having them all day every day and it was soooo scary but guess what once I left the job that I was truly miserable in at the time....they almost dissappeared, I think thats is a statement in itself, don't you?
I have had many ecg's and one 24 hour holter monitor. The results came back and confirmed that I was experiencing ectopic heartbeats and they alone are nothing to worry about and are probably a result of me being a very anxious person all the time and tough times make them worse too, ie - the horrible job!
I do not want to worry you Sadie but if you are experiencing any other symptons along with the missed beats such as breathlessness(that is definately not you hyperventilating, as I know its hard to tell sometimes!),chest pains, dizziness or fainting or vomiting when you have the missed beats?......if you are then I would definately say go to your GP straight away as there could be an underlying problem, which I am sure in your case there isnt anyway.
The reason I say all that to you is that when I was told all the above and I realised that I wasnt having anything other than the missed beats it put my mind to rest a little, the last thing I wanted to do is scare you more, I am truly sorry if I have [?]
So if you do not have any other symptons other than the missed beats then I would say that it is anxiety related and the more you get worked up about them, waiting for the next one to happen......the more they will happen! I know only too well !!!

Listen to me.....I am sitting here trying to give you advise and I am in the same situation really, and I am also useless at taking advice myself!
That is why I will say this............... I know you are probably still worrying yourself sick about whats going on even if half of you is saying 'I know these people are probably right'.... I think you should still go to your GP and request to have a 24 hour holter monitor, just for your own sanity if nothing else !
I hope all is ok at the moment, let me know how your going?

Angie
x

sadie

26-01-04, 19:47

Hi Angie,

Thaks for the support...the symptoms I have are fluttering feelings in my chest which tickles or catches my throat and lots of excess gas gurgling around my body. It feels like a hungry tummy but in the chest area. My breast bones also feel a bit sore too. I always feel like I want to burp all the time!! (sorry i know this isnt very lady like)

I didnt have any symptoms until about 10 mins ago and I just seemed to have one ofter the other..which scared me a bit because I thought that was it!!

I am going to my GP 2morrow, but the one Im seeing isnt very nice..I have had him before and he is quite cheeky so I dont know whether to mention this to him not but I am so scared.[:0]

Well I just want these too go away, hopefully they will pass soon!

sadie

uryjm

26-01-04, 21:17

I've had palpitations that last all day, but the more I worry and think on them, the more they go on. This makes me tense, and can lead to an acid stomach or tightness around the chest. Distraction works, preferably exercise of some sort, brisk walking or cycling. I've yet to have anxiousness that a good bike ride can't cure (and one of my mates used to love going out on his bike at 3am. I'm not sure if he was doing this because of anxiety though, he just maintained he loved cycling at that time of night/morning.)

Jim

PinkLady

27-01-04, 20:31

H Sadie,
I really hope your feeling better! You have made me feel better more than a few times by either your respondng or reading your posts. I had these really bad before xmas and at work
i would worry so bad that they would come every few minutes. I signed on and received the wonderful support from our members and they went away for the evening and do re-occur but not like i once had them going. If we had a quarter for everytime we say been there with that sympton we'd all be rich. Hope you ease your mind soon, I really feel for you.

Trina

Trina

sadie

27-01-04, 21:42

Hi trina,

Thanks for the support. I feel a lot better today, thank god as I havent had any flutters today. I spoke to meg earlier and she advised me to smile and say'thats one less I will have' which should help down grade them. Maybe you should give it a go too if you ever get another one and we could let each other know how we are getting on.

Take care

sadie

Meg

27-01-04, 22:10

Once you've had something several times and survived - then it's helpful to 'downgrade' your reaction to them.
ie instead of going ..Oh No , it's those awful flutters again. I wonder if they'll be continuous today, I'm getting scared.

Do try to change your thought reaction which in turn will change your physical reaction Something like - Oh it's those flutters again. They're uncomfortable but I know they do pass, so thankfully no need to worry about them, I guess they're similar to a sneeze in terms of annoyance.

It may be too hard to put them out of your mind but do just observe them, keep tabs on them but don't allow your thoughts to escalate leading to physical panic.

I had my worst long run of these whilst with a GP friend of mine driving home from a big Costco shop.
I did a bit of coughing and breathholding to try to shift it but never thought to tell him. I figured they would either pass or he'd find out soon enough if they didn't and I collapsed- this was before I knew much about their non dangerous properties.

They passed without incident as they have done every other time too and now they are non existant or I just don't notice them.

Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

Dale123

30-10-06, 12:04

Hi

First had this feeling after a party and drank loads following day felt these missed beats. I went into panic a week later went to hospital and they gave me an ECG said my heart was fine.

The missed beats carried on, sometimes none at all, sometimes several one after the other. Constantly feel pulse, finally had full blown panic attack. Doctor gave me prozac which took the edge off. I was on prozac for 4 years. 18 months ago felt better and came off. Still having missed beats though. This year about 3 months ago started to get anxiety again. Been back to doc gave me Citalopram haven't taken it yet just want to feel normal and happy. Feel like this thing has ruined the last 6 years of my life.

Reading that i'm not the only one helps though.

Thanks

Dale

looking4answers

02-11-06, 03:33

Had these too since I was a small boy ..At the time I never asked anyone about it...but have in the last 20 years found they are normal.Its usually when you are anxious about something or you have plenty of stomach acid that makes you feel like your heart pushes up or I have even had gas in my stomach make me feel that way ..Its scarry but i find it realy happens when im really nervous or anxious .. Like Im pretty sure it will happen to me tomorrow on the way to the doctor..It scares me to death...the doctor not the weird beat.I have lived with this since I was a small child and im still around with the same issue..So I suspect it wont have any negative outcome for you ... Michael

donnaharvey

08-08-08, 21:27

Does anyone else get this[?]
My heart skips beats all the time every day.
The only way I can describe it is like a thud that I can feel in my throat and my chest, if I am taking my pulse when I have one then my heart does skip a beat, or an extra beat I don't know?
It is awful and very scary, my GP says there are nothing to worry about and that they are just ectopic heartbeats.....but hey this is my heart I am talking about and I am very worried, what if it skips a beat and does not get back into a regular rythm? I have all these thoughts and questions going through my mind (mostly bad ones)...but thats what I do best I guess! lol
There is no particular time they occur though, I could be sitting doing nothing or excercising and when they happen my heart rate speeds up then goes back to normal, but I don't know if thats because when I get them I suddenley panic or get the over whelming urge to cough or take a deep breath ! weird I know but thats what happens
I do not take any caffiene before anybody asks, I stopped that along with a lot of other things when this started happening(a long time ago), I do not smoke and occasionally drink alchohol.

Angie

HI THERE,
I am new to this site and i too have missed heart beats which are causing me so much distress, l seem to get more of them when walking about and they seem to come in runs one after the other, l cannot seem to take my mind of them. I have recently had an ecg which was normal according to the doctor however she put me on a 24 hour monitor which l have still to get the results off. I do not mind telling you i am terrified and driving my family crazy i feel i am about to drop dead can anyone help.
Donna x

Mikke

10-08-08, 02:49

Hi Donna!

If your resting ECG was normal, and your blood samples are good, it is extremely unlikely that something is wrong with your heart or thyroid function (which is why you should take a blood sample).
The resting ECG have already ruled out the most dangerous conditions linked to skipped beats (an enlarged heart, heart attack, heart block, and many of the flutter disorders). An abnormal thyroid function is not a dangerous condition in the short term, but require a blood sample if possible.

Most likely you are experiencing PACs or PVCs. These are as good as always completely benign. PVCs are only of concern to people with a structurally abnormal heart (which you most most most likely do not have as your resting ECG was ok). PACs are never a threat to anyone, not even to those who have a damaged heart structure.

PACs and PVCs are normally not treated (that's right, they are that bening), and are normal cardiac phenomena in healthy hearts. Very often they are caused by stress, as your kidneys release a lot of chemicals into your bloodstream during stressfull periods that interact with parts of your heart, making the heart throw in an extra beat occassionally.

I have been exactly where you are now, the fear of heart trouble got so intense I wasn't able to function at all. I såent weeks taking my pulse, and was afraid to do strenous things.
But you MUST know, that the more your fear the skipped beats, the more often they will appear.
Hopefully, with some time and reasurrance from your doctor, you will realize that your heart is healthy, and the palpitations will gradually go away as your fear diminishes along with the recognition of having a healthy heart.

Mine went away as soon as I had talked to four different doctors. I had skipped beats multiple times an hour, but not one of the doctors I visited would even consider giving me the holter (24 hour monitor). One of the docs even had skipped beats himself, and said "you would have to present me with some more scary symptoms than just skipped beats before I set you up with the holter monitor - everyone have skipped beats during stressfull times, it's just that someone feels them more distinct than other, some people don't even notice them. If you fainted, I would listen and MAYBE set you up with the holter..."

It's superb that you have been given the holter. Most likely the results will tell you have ectopic beats like PVCs or PACs, and that they are propably stressrelated. And then you will have to pinpoint what is stressfull in your life right now, so you can remove the stressor. If you are able to do that, and alongside with it be assured that your heart is healthy, the palpitations will go away or become a lot less frequent.

If you on the other hand should recieve results that tells otherwise (that you have some sort of arrytmia), you must remember that even these in most cases are not life threatening...

Organik

26-10-11, 02:17

Hey everyone, I to have skipped beats that make my life miserable. Does anyone get the skipped beats when taking a deep breath or if your sitting for awhile get up quick and than take a deep breath? They scare me so much. I hope someone can help :(

saab

29-10-11, 13:15

Organik - hi and welcome to the forum. Yes, skipped beats (pvc's) are very common when changing position, lying down, or lying in your left side. Many people on here get them. If you have had an ekg and been told they are benign then there should be nothing to worry about. The anxiety is the hardest thing to deal with - most doctors will not treat pvc's with medication as they are not harmful. If they are really bad (like thousands a day) or if they are causing unbearable anxiety problems they may suggest beta blockers.

kestral

01-11-11, 20:14

i have missed beats and my gp says my heart is enlarged due to high blood pressure, for which i am being treated. he says neither are a problem. i have had both ecg and 24 hour holter tapes done.

Dibbler

02-11-11, 16:14

When I first started getting these ectopic type beats they really really worried the hell out of me. After the blood tests done by my GP and the ECG and other tests done by a cardiologist I have sort of figured it means that my heart isn't about to explode just yet.
When I saw my last cardiologist ( a different one privately who is quite high up in his field of medicine) was monitoring me on the ECG and I felt as though I was having loads and that he was going to condemn my heart for sure as totally failing.
I waited for his conclusions and they were "that's fine you are normal and I do not need to see you again". I told him that I thought my heart was exploding or spluttering away and he told me that they were just ectopic beats he noted and they are perfectly normal and not to worry.

Ha, I thought not to worry eh, well obviously he doesn't live in my body..!!!

They still sort of freak me out and the more they freak me the more often they can get.

ivandiryana

02-11-11, 18:55

Hi, yesterday I went to emergency room because this skip beat or extra beat. Something unconfortable beat from my left chest. I got ECG test and turns out everything is normal, my heart beat a little faster but that was because i was panic.

They gave me one pill for my anxiety. I thought everything will be normal after i took the pill but it wasn't. I still feel the miss beat even now, i can't sleep and it is 2 in the morning. Is it possible that the miss beat i'm feel is because of stomach ulcer or somekind of GERD?

saab

03-11-11, 11:59

Many people find they get their palpitations after a meal or when lying down. I have read that lying down, and especially lying on your left side, makes the heart move forward a little and touch the chest wall which can trigger palpitations. Lots of people feel their palpitations are related to indigestion so it may be that yours are too.

Another thing to remember is that they are very often made worse by anxiety - it's a cycle of palpitaion-anxiety-more palpitations. I find lack of sleep, a heavy meal, coffee, even a very cold day, can trigger them.

alq

15-11-11, 11:58

Hey, I have the same problem - heart skips beats, makes me panic, have went to the emergency a few times and doctors told me my heart is fine.

But these skipping heart beats still caused me a lot of distress, but I think I FINALLY have the answer (at least in my case). It's Magnesium Citrate!

I read somewhere, about 3-4 months ago that taking Magnesium might help with skipping heart beats. I bought some back then, because I was having heart skips all the time. I took them for a while, before I forgot the pills at a friend's place. However, what I failed to notice at the time was that the skipping stopped!

Slowly but surely it came back, and for the past 2 weeks it's been happening all the time - when I do work, when I bike, when I try to sleep... I've been barely able to sleep - at night, just when I was about to pass out and was completely relaxed all of a sudden my heart would skip a few beats, making me jump up in bed and scared for half an hour. It was so bad, I would keep getting up, and stay awake until total exhaustion - usually pass out after 4 am. That was REALLY ruining my life. :weep:

But finally I decided to test the theory, remembering the Magnesium. I went over to my friend's house and asked for the pills which I left there a few months ago. Turned out he drank them all. There was one left! I took it immediately and I was stunned that my heart didn't skip until much later, when that night it only skipped 3-4 times! That's nothing compared to what it was the night before! So the next day, I ran to the chemist and bought Magnesium Citrate (1900mg) which is the most-absorbable form of Magnesium and also the most expensive one but here on the packet it reads "Optimum Support for Muscular Cramps, PMS, Cardiovascular Health & Strong Bones". It also says that "it plays a key role in supporting cardiovascular health, and maintaining healthy muscle contraction."

Muscle contraction = heart beat. I took two tablets, on an empty stomach, as prescribed that day, and that night I only got one (big) heart skip, but that was all! This morning I took one tablet and my heart is just so happy! There were a few instances when I was just waiting for my heart to skip, because I held my breath or something that usually would cause it to do so, and yet, nothing! I'm so happy, I had to share it with others, because it so sucks to have your heart do that, even if it's harmless!

So just get Magnesium Citrate (the one I got is MagCitra)! Hopefully it will help!!!

cress

16-05-12, 13:08

Does anyone else get this[?]
My heart skips beats all the time every day.
The only way I can describe it is like a thud that I can feel in my throat and my chest, if I am taking my pulse when I have one then my heart does skip a beat, or an extra beat I don't know?
It is awful and very scary, my GP says there are nothing to worry about and that they are just ectopic heartbeats.....but hey this is my heart I am talking about and I am very worried, what if it skips a beat and does not get back into a regular rythm? I have all these thoughts and questions going through my mind (mostly bad ones)...but thats what I do best I guess! lol
There is no particular time they occur though, I could be sitting doing nothing or excercising and when they happen my heart rate speeds up then goes back to normal, but I don't know if thats because when I get them I suddenley panic or get the over whelming urge to cough or take a deep breath ! weird I know but thats what happens
I do not take any caffiene before anybody asks, I stopped that along with a lot of other things when this started happening(a long time ago), I do not smoke and occasionally drink alchohol.

Angie

HI. I've been experiencing this the last few days and I know its stress related. I just took some liquid oxygen - 20 drops in water and its gone. could be a coincidence but its worked for now... :D

Maleki

24-08-12, 05:33

This is awesome. My doctors at the VA tell me all the time that i am not alone. But i do not believe them. I check my pulse all the time lately. Four years ago i had a cardio cath. to check my heart for blockages and the doctor told me my heart was very healthy. After that they went away, but four months ago out of the blue they are back. Ad stronger than ever. I think that i am goin g to die and have a massive heart attack, go to the Er just for them to tell me not to think about it and i may live with these the rest of my life. I am so relieved that others feel the same thing i feel and get anxious as well. might help me sleep tonight.

katielou80

24-08-12, 11:27

ive had them for 2 years this september. everyday, most hours!! my drs hasnt even done tests not worried. mine is like beat...beat...beat ..beat pause....beat pause etc! im fed up with worrying about them, i have them now..............wish theyd do one!! xx

eliz101

05-11-12, 19:09

My symptoms: My heart skips a beat. It's almost like it is about to beat, then holds it and then beats again. I can feel it in my pulse when this is happening.
I am new here and it is such a relief to see I am not the only one with this problem and not the only one constantly checking my pulse. This started a few years back and I did see the doctor, got an EKG done and was told everything was fine. What prompted me to go to the doctor about it was, prior to that a previous doctor thought I had a heart murmur, so I was scared. After the EKG came back and said I was fine, the "skipping a beat" stopped. Recently it has started back up again. Seeing the other posts on this site have put me at ease, although it happening as I type.
I noticed when I was working out regularily, this did not happen. My workouts have drained down a bit, and I think I need to get back in on the action.
I will say that I am a smoker, but this will start even when not having a cigarette. However, I do think I will be quitting soon.
Besides the skipped beat, I do not feel ill.

saab

06-11-12, 17:34

Here is an answer from a cardiologist on the All Experts Cardiology forum:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Heart-Cardiology-964/2012/11/heart-93.htm

"Hello Dr Richardson,

I'm a sufferer of ectopic heartbeats which I have had for years - learnt to live with them over the years, I've had all the test going which include echos, ecgs, bloods, barium meal, holters, - the other day I had a really bad episode where I had lots of ectopics and shortness of breath - I literally had 50 - 60 ectopics in the space of minutes. I could feel the skipped beat in my pulse and I ended up rushing to A&E for tests. At the hospital my blood pressure was fine as was my pulse, ECG show normal sinus rhythm and my cardiac bloods were fine. This episode has brought all the anxiety regarding those back to the surface and I'm now actively worrying about my heart again. My blood pressure as of tonight is 127/84 is this within normal limits???? Do I need to be worried about my heart.

Hello Sean,

Premature ventricular beats are normal heart activity, easy to understand as normal from knowledge of the heart's electrical system and occurring in about half of us. They don't mean you have heart disease or will in the future develop heart disease or any catastrophe. With your normal echoes, you need not worry about your heart."

Apparently, ectopics/pvc's are easily identifiable on an ecg and everything I have read suggests that they are harmless if your heart function is normal, which tests would show.

Sam33

18-11-12, 20:02

Hi guys, this happens tome all the time along with uncountable other things that all come from anxiety and panic. Even though i do not feel anxious and am one of the calmest people around. However anxiety doesnt always seem apparent even though it is there. I have had everything from attacks to chest pains hot flushes tightness around rib feeling like im going to fall over when walking. I try and occupy myself with something play on my phone listen to music read something . Doing exercise helps sometimes. I find my self hunched up and tight wen stressed so i try and take a big breath and drop my shoulders.
The skipping beats are not a dysfunction they are almost like wen food goes the wrong way they are a beat that has gone the wrong way. However frequent they seem to have no real affect on heart. Thinking about brings it on more i know its hard distraction are the way forward . Hope this helps ive had it for three years so asked as many questions as pos and will try help

Sam

Rays

16-12-12, 21:18

Hi everyone,, i have had these symptoms now for 5 months and have seen my doctor just over a week ago about them. He actually heard my heart miss beats when i was there and he said that although there is nothing to worry about, he would book me in for an ecg and blood test which is in a few days time. Now ill try and keep this short to explain , but 8 or 9 months ago i went to a chiropractor for neck and back pain and on your first visit they tell you how the body works etc , now altho i didnt take everything in , i do remember them saying about the electrical impulses in the body and how in controls heart rythem, and if you have nerve and muscle dis-enlignment then this can create a number of problems like heartburn etc. To get to the point i got a family member to give me a full on massage and i also manipulated my neck in the bath. This was 4 days ago and i havent had one missed beat since. Now this wont be for everyone , but what im saying is that if anyone as symptoms related to myself then maybe its worth a try. I am no expert and this may be purely a coincidence , but for 5 months my heart as been doing all sorts of weird beats and for it to stop after what iv explained makes you wonder. All the best.

smine

28-12-12, 09:45

wow... i am also among those so relieved and pleased to discover this site and all these similar stories :)

i have had occasional ectopics for years, now and again, but always ignored them as it was usually just one on its own. but a few days ago i seemed to have many more than i can remember having before and it scared me - all day long, with no apparent cause. they also woke me a few times this week at about 3-4am, which i am told is fairly common due to cortisol peaking at that time of night. and i have a day with none, then they are back again. i will be going to my GP for a checkup when they reopen in the new year... i don't really think it's serious enough to warrant a visit to the emergency doctor as i feel quite well otherwise and they do not stop me doing any of my usual activities.

i am relatively inactive & slightly overweight but otherwise healthy (never smoked, never drunk alcohol, don't like coffee), and i have noticed that when i am walking or moving about they stop, and return when i am seated for long periods or laying down. but it was concerning me why they had suddenly appeared and i too wondered if my heart was going to lose its rhythm somehow and just stop - all these reader stories certainly are reassuring that the issue is so common and usually completely harmless.

thank you to all those who have taken the time to write here and help others!

Z. Yousaf

10-03-13, 19:39

"Miracle Cure".

I have had two heart attacks when I was 48, and now I am 58.

I have been having palpitations, nausea, head spinning, gastric troubles, chest discomforts, heart beat skippings and so many other damn problems for the last ten years that its hard to tell.

And for the last five months or so I would have non-stop burping bouts, almost every day, lasting at times for couple of hours.

I would think of ending my life but then didn't.

Anyhow, only five days ago, I was about to sleep at night and unknowingly I had put my left forearm on my bloated belly, about an inch or two under the rib cage. The forearm reaching from the left of my belly upto an inch or two short of belly button. I felt instant relief. All heaviness in the chest, nauseatic feelings, burping and the skipping of heart beats just stopped. I stayed that way a few minutes and kept feeling the serenity after years. I lifted my forearm and the bad feelings started coming back, along with a couple of burps. I instantly put my forearm back and felt instant relief again.

Anyway, I couldn't sleep with the forearm in that position for the whole night, so I thought of tying something heavy enough around my belly. So I got up and folded a polo shirt about eight inches in length, four inches in width and two and a half inches in thickness, and put it on my belly at the position of the forearm and then tied it with a belt hard enough to feel the same kind of pressure on my belly as my forearm had put on it.

I slept the whole night like a baby after years. It was some Miracle for me.

I kept the polo shirt and the belt tied over my belly almost twenty four hours, except when taking a bath, during the last five days. And am feeling great, never so in the last many years.

Hope it helps other people also. If it helps you, please spread the 'Miracle Cure'.

mrsnobody

11-03-13, 20:05

rosekay

20-03-13, 17:23

http://palps.chemicalforums.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
this site will help you! Don't know if its been mentioned, haven'tgot time at moment to go through all replies, but I use it a lot, have lots of skipped beats and hate them! You are not alone!

Bekzie

20-03-13, 17:32

I get this too and have always thought it was something really serious! I am so glad its not just me :)

Lilharry

20-03-13, 22:38

I get this too! Have had it since I was a teenager. I have also gone for months at time without it, but it has just returned recently. It makes me want to cough and gasp for air and I feel dizzy. It still freaks me out even though I know it's harmless, but I've learnt to live with it. I had a doctor once tell me if it happens to just sit quietly and sip some water. That seems to help.

roseycheeks

28-01-14, 04:56

Hi Tilly
I too am very similiar to you I always think of the worse things about my health I found out after a heart monitor that I have sinus tachycardia and also ectopic heartbeats I am 55 years old and I would never have known any of this until I went for a heart checkup because of my family history.. I don't smoke.. rarely have a drink and no caffeine I constantly check my pulse now which I never did so I blame my GP for putting this into my head I know how you feel there are days I could just sit and cry because I hate how I have become with this obsessing I have been seeing a psychologist of late which is good because it gets a load of your mind he suggested trying pilates or some massages to help relax Tilly we are all in this together so lets all support each other..my cardiologist told me to love my heart..I am glad I found this site because like everyone else I thought I was the only one..take care Tilly..

Janiemay

01-02-14, 10:06

Hi.I had a heart attack four years ago ,but,I have been quite well since then ,but, I have suddenly started to have missed heart beats,they are quite scary but I sometimes wonder if I am scaring my self. They are not too bad and I only notice them when I take my pulse,does anyone else experience this ?

saab

02-02-14, 20:32

Mostly I can feel them as a flip in my chest, but other times (like today) they are there only when I take my pulse - having 2 or 3 a minute for most of today. I find this depressing as I like to think that I have spells when I don't have them at all, when in reality I probably have a few hundred a day even when I don't feel them. Hard to get it through my head that it doesn't matter how many I have, or whether I feel them or not, benign pvcs are benign pvcs, not dangerous and do not turn into any catastrophe.

Janiemay - what does your doc say? If the palpitations are a new symptom, you should mention it to him/her.

As I understand it, there is no significance to whether you feel them or not. Lots of people have them and don't realise, whereas others, like me, are very tuned in to their heart and feel every funny sensation. Trouble is, once you are tuned in, it's hard to turn off and every little feeling brings anxiety.

FlyingScot

13-02-14, 21:19

Hi

I'm new to the forum, sorry if this has been covered before.
I was told I had GAD about 5 years ago. I've never taken any medication for it and just worked out how to deal with it.
Anyway, the reason for posting on here is that I also go through spells of getting this heart flutter.
I'm actually going through it this week. I feel my heart misses a beat and then theres a flipping / wobble in your chest (hard to describe).
I've never had my heart checked out but as I suffer(ed) from anxiety I know that the docs will pin it on that etc m
Anyway, I also start to look out for it which doesn't help matters. I usually find that if I ignore it it calms down after a few days.
(I'm male / 40 years old / reasonably fit).

I must say though, it's very easy to start worrying about it and think that something sinister is going to happen etc.
Any advice or feedback would be great.

Thanks.
FS.

---------- Post added at 21:19 ---------- Previous post was at 21:17 ----------

Mean to add, when I'm going through a spell of this, my heart skips a beat about 5-10 times a day.
I know I'm stressed a fair bit with work so I'm pretty sure it's that that's the trigger so to speak.

Ps fingers crossed its not something else.
Pps it's very easy to start finding other things wrong when your going through this kind of phase

saab

13-02-14, 21:29

5 to 10 a day is a tiny amount. I would mention it to your gp next time, but even large numbers of palpitations a day are not considered harmful if your heart is structurally sound. I doubt they would even send you for an ecg if they are so infrequent.

FlyingScot

15-02-14, 08:34

Hi SAAB

Thanks for the reply.
Yeah, I know it's nothing serious, however I will raise next time I'm there.
Thanks.

FS

soccer512

12-04-14, 05:10

Hey guys, I started having skipped beats or palpitations or SOMETHING about a week ago...completely out of the blue and its extremely frustrating. Went to the doc and he said "everything's fine" lay off alcohol caffeine etc which I use all but only in moderation. Seems to only happen when I am on my feet walking around, exercising, working..not when I sleep or am completely relaxed.my diet has not changed, I'm not stressed or depressed or have anxiety. I can't figure out what it is or how to treat it and its driving me INSANE! This is a call for help. Thank you. I also must add that I'm a 23 old healthy male.

eve22

12-04-14, 20:28

I get these to just out of no where. Sometimes when they happen i get this tingling feeling on my body and i get short of breath! I get up walk around with a cold rag and a cold bottle of water! It scares me to!

JaySDee

13-04-14, 00:27

I get them too, had ECG all fine, 24 hr holster revealed ectopic beats, feels like it stops then fills up then thuds it out like a mega hard beat, scary

selphie

22-04-14, 10:54

I suffer with these dreaded things, and i am having them as we speak. I have had tests, a 24 hour monitor, but nothing, and the consultant told me they were nothing to worry about, and the amount i was having were so small compared to other people that come in, My question would be " how could anybody have more than i am getting"..... I am now having them all day, Its so frightening.

It leaves me breathless, and i am so god dam worried.

Everybody thinks its stress, I have had them a lot more lately, and i have been a bit more stressed, but its still scary, and i am too worried that my heart is just going to stop, Its really getting me down.

I feel your pain, and i want you to know, I am too going through the same thing. xx:hugs:

---------- Post added at 10:54 ---------- Previous post was at 10:50 ----------

Hi Angie,

I get this too and I find it quite scary also. I keep getting advised too that they are nothing to worry about so i am trying hard to do just that. Your doctor couldnt lie to you!!

I also feel mine seem to occur when Im doing nothing to stressful and I always tend to feel that I want to burp..similar to you with the coughing thing!!!

They are just caused with anxiety and its when your heart just seems to react to any small stimulus much quicker....I have had every sensation possible I think with my anxiety and this seems to be the next thing that worries me at the mo!!

You are definetly not alone with this one. Everytime you get one try and just say..'here come these silly heart beats again..ah well they wont hurt me' or words to that affect!! I know it may sound stupid but apparently the less you worry about them and the more you show them you are not scared they disappear!!

Also exercise is supposed to abolish them too!!

Well I hope this makes you feel a bit better.

Take care

sadie

I agree with this, when i had them before constantly and saw a doctor, had the tests, when he gave me the results they seem to fade out then disappear, but there back again, and i wish i could just be able to think to myself they're not harmless so they go again, I have tried, but it seems to be not working again, I guess my mind has other ideas Xx

Anxiouslad

23-04-14, 08:59

I've been having ectopic beats on and off for almost 9 months now. I tried everything from Magnesium, Vitamin B-100, CoQ10, and digestive enzymes. It worked for a while, but, as soon as I have an anxious/stressful day, it goes back again for 3 weeks and off again after that. It only takes a few minutes to trigger it and will last for weeks. I have undergone several tests from ECG to stress test 2D echo to complete blood test to thyroid test but they found nothing. I've been to several doctors and they told me I'm fine. My heart is in very good shape. But, these annoying ectopic beats are still here, but not as frequent as before. I now only have about 5-20 ectopic beats a day as compared to one ectopic beat every 3-5 minutes for 4-5 hours, 9 months ago.

However, I've been noticing lately for 5 days that every time I drank coconut water it seems to stop and vanish completely. Sometimes the effect is immediate, sometimes it takes an hour before it kicks in. Every time I stopped drinking the coconut water, the ectopic beats goes back again within the day and every time I drank it, the ectopic beat stopped all of a sudden. I began to notice this pattern and suspect that whatever was in the coconut water, it stopped the ectopic beats on its track.

I now have about a liter of coconut water in my fridge for 2 days supply. I theorized that coconut water is a natural electrolyte and it will straighten up the electrical signals in our body and balance everything, thus stopping the ectopic beats.

I hope this works for you guys as it did for me!

popo

31-07-14, 03:44

Hello all,

I am 28 years old male. I am thinking and concerning about my heart for two months. However, during last two days, I am experiencing skipping heart beats or fast/pounding every 1-3 minutes on average all day every hour. I went to ER the EKG was fine, blood test was fine, chest x-ray was fine. my primary care doctor and ER doctor told me there nothing to worry about. It also happen when I walk. I have been made an appointment with a Cardiologist in 2 weeks. It is so scary and I am afraid of dropping death day time or while I am sleep. Would you please help me? I am begging you guys. :(

Also sometimes 3 skip per minute

Diane222

15-04-15, 19:57

I am on here pretty late as i see its been a long time since someone has written on this subject. I just wanted to add both my daughters and my self get these "skipping beats". I started noticing them when i gave birth to my son 23 yrs. ago. I went on holter monitor and eveything fine. A little sinus tachycardia but nothing serious. They are far more aggressive today. The sad part is they are just as agrressive in my 14 yr old daughter. I notice they get stronger toward menses for both of us. So hormone imbalance might have something to do with it. I feel they are getting worse because i an premenopausal but i am guessing. I take vitamins, coQ10, vit. D3 and iron on occasion. All the supplements seem to help a little. I am going to try the magnesium citrate. Thank you to the person that mentioned that. I am also a chiropractor and although thoracic adjustments help with being able to breathe easily, they are not a cure. Me and my daughter go for long walks and this helps but really there is nothing i have seen that can help. I have had patients tell me they are on beta blockers for them but they do not say it helps. I hope this helps someone. I wanted to share because reading other stories sure helped me:)

Estar

20-04-15, 17:32

I get missed beats all day.. sometimes once or twice a minute.. sometimes (when I get really stressed up about them) 20 or more times an hour. When I miss a beat its just a pause.. I don't get the next beat being more forceful or like a jolt.. never. My Doc said I should feel a jolt or similar, I don't. Does anyone else get "jolt-less" ectopic beats ?

dav

24-08-15, 19:36

I am getting on average 3 to 5 per minute, and it has been like this for a week. I made a doctors appointment today but previous experience suggests they will do nothing, I get a lot of other symptoms - serious fatigue, lightheaded feeling, cold and loss of appetite, the doctors do a blood test and tell me I'm fine, really p's me off.

Margie

07-09-15, 03:45

Hello, I am so happy to read others are having the same sx I am. I have always attributed the lump in my throat, skipping heart beats, sometimes rapid pulse, & palpitations to anxiety. This has been going on for about 28 years. I seem to be having more trouble with it right now. Exercise does not make it better. In fact it affects my fitness level. If I overdo it the sx are worse. Has anyone noticed their pulse skip more if they stress their heart more?

Margie

---------- Post added at 02:45 ---------- Previous post was at 02:37 ----------

Hi Diane222, I have always felt these cardiac sx started when I started going through the change at age 39. The Magnesium interested me too. Will try it again. I do get 200 mg with my calcium. I wonder how much more I should take?
Margie

Leah1971

07-09-15, 20:39

Hi, I get these awful things too. The more anxious I am the more of them I have. When I'm bad, they can feel to be pretty much constant. And often I get them when just relaxing watching tv. I've seen the doc and had tests and all is ok. I do my best to ignore them. They're very unnerving though aren't they. Stupid things.

Margie

11-09-15, 00:09

trus75

13-09-15, 19:19

Hi, Last night about 4:30 am I woke up nauseated. I sat up & noticed my pulse was racing. This scared me, because it is different now with the skipping beats going on too. I made myself cough frequently & it stopped racing after 15 minutes. Has anyone else done this? I was just at the Dr yesterday. My EKG is normal.

Margie

Same here. I have some experience with panic attacks. a few years ago I would feel my heart racing at a very fast pace and nothing else. But now I have panic attacks and frequent skipped beats at same time. Sometimes I will have bigeminy (every other beat a skipped one) or quadrigeminy (every 4th beat). Sometimes I would feel 10-12 in a minute during a panic attack (whit very fast heart rate). I've had many tests. Since last year blood tests, lots of EKGs, Echo, stress test, Holter. My cardiologist said I have nothing wrong, it's all anxiety and panic. I guess these PVCs just get worse with age. I used to get them when resting, now I only get if I enter panic mode, but it's a big amount of them.

---------- Post added at 19:19 ---------- Previous post was at 18:08 ----------

By the way, yesterday I was reading a text about an experience that scientists made with dogs a long time ago (I think in the 70's)..

They injected some increasing amounts of Epinephrine (adrenaline) on the dogs to try to induce arrhythmias. In 80% of them, at some point, their heart entered a bigeminy pattern.. (normal beat followed by an ectopic). They related this behaviour to the adrenaline and found a relation with the blood pressure. I think there's a threshold for blood pressure / heart rate / adrenaline, when your heart will start acting up. As soon as the blood pressure / HR dropped, the rhythm came back to normal. Even if this experience was made with dogs, it proves the effect of too much adrenaline on your heart. Ans basically that's pretty much what happens to me when I have a panic attack...

Margie

18-09-15, 00:32

So the big question is: What starts a panic attack out of a deep sleep? Or--- You can be just going along doing your normal routine & boom! You don't feel good for several hours after it.

trus75

18-09-15, 16:07

So the big question is: What starts a panic attack out of a deep sleep? Or--- You can be just going along doing your normal routine & boom! You don't feel good for several hours after it.

I really can't answer that question. My panic attacks are always related to health issues. For example, if I feel some pain or if I feel my heart beating fast, I can enter an uncontrollable state of panic that will make my heart beat like crazy. Even if I try to think about something else, I can't. Usually I don't have panic attacks when I'm sleeping, but I've had one or two. They happen when I go to sleep thinking about my health / heart. I will eventually wake up nervous and then BOOM, heart racing.. It's amazing the small amount of time that your heart takes to accelerate, so when you feel it beating at, let's say 150bpm, it's very possible that it was beating at 80bpm just ten seconds before ;)

Xenon62

22-08-17, 18:29

I am glad to have found this forum and this thread. It started last night, my heart would skip a beat, a few times a minute, sometimes close together, sometimes not. The only thing I can think of is that I helped my mom move some furniture yesterday and may have overexerted myself. Anyway, the more anxious I got about it, the worse it got, so I didn't get much sleep last night. Otherwise, no pain or discomfort, no dizziness, nothing like that, and my pulse was in the low 70's.

This morning, searching the Web, I found this thread. Finding out that other people have been experiencing the same thing was a huge relief... and with the anxiety going away, the skipped beats are subsiding. :)

Ethansmom

22-08-17, 19:31

Seems like we are all suffering from the same thing! ANXIETY

Aleman200

22-08-17, 20:15

I hope this is what mine is. It's been feeling like i'm skipping beats all day, which is feeding my anxiety even more.

Aleman200

23-08-17, 17:28

What is the difference between an ectopic and a palpitation? I don't really wanna google it :P

Ethansmom

24-08-17, 00:25

I sometimes find that my skipped beats are worse when i'm bloated or have over eaten. Usually I end up burping and they go away! I get them all the time, and have been told over and over again that there is nothing to worry about! Some people don't even feel them.

Ethansmom

29-08-17, 21:19

I'm getting skipped beats again. I'm super bloated after eating a heavy meal :( I really hate that feeling. I've been burping all day long!

WiredIncorrectly

07-09-17, 23:18

Ty to downgrade their severity in your mind to that of a run of sneezes or run of hiccups.

That's actually some solid advice right there.

I just wish they felt as insignificant as a hiccup, or as nice as a sneeze (because sneezes feel like mini orgasms ha ha)

Skippyhearty

26-09-17, 20:01

I had my very first ectopic heartbeat when I was (28 years old), since then, I've been on beta-blockers (2.5mg) ever since which have helped somewhat but on a few occasions, I had to sleep on my knees just to reduce the amount of skips I was getting in order to get some sleep. I found keeping fit, (going for fast walks/bike riding etc) has helped greatly to reduce the ectopics I get but being at home, raising a baby tends to keep a parent very busy. I've started getting back into 'bike riding', now that my son is in school, I was doing great too until one day, I felt my heart suddenly stop while sitting at my computer, I was unable to feel a pulse for around (15 seconds) although my heart was squeezing blood around my body which apparently prevented me from passing out, my heart wasn't actually beating at the same time, as you can imagine, it freaked me out. Doctors told me this wasn't life threatening but if I felt unwell with this type of 'heartbeat disturbance', then I should go to A&E, otherwise, don't worry about them. This was a one off episode so far and thankfully, I've had no more of those since. Not sure what caused this 'massive disturbance' but I do believe, if I have another one, the best thing to do is to stay calm, take a seat and wait for it to pass. My advice: Try coughing or straining if this happens to you too, this could help get the heart pumping sooner, if it persists (more than one lengthy disturbance back to back, including the feeling that your heart is constantly firing off like a machine gun) then seek medical advice but doctors don't seem to be concerned about those, so you should do the same unless you feel unwell with them.

Just recently, I was given a new brand of drug, it was still a beta-blocker, just made by another company, anyway, (4 days later/4th tablet), I started getting really bad ectopics when walking down the street or even walking to the toilet, they were so bad, I didn't even want to stand up anymore as the skipping was terrible and there also seemed to be a pattern to them which was new to me and really 'freaked me out', it was like having a totally new heartbeat until it calmed down when sitting. I decided to stop taking the new drug since it was the only thing that had recently changed in my life and went to the hospital for tests, all my bloods came back clear/normal and the skipping was a mystery to doctors treating me. After I was patted on the back and sent home, being told it wasn't a 'life threatening condition', I was told to seek further help from my own doctor, of course I wasn't happy about this as I had to walk like a snail to and from the hospital, only to be told to go home after a few hours. I stopped taking in (caffeine, sugar and alcohol) days before I went to the hospital and the day after my hospital visit, the skipping suddenly stopped and my life has returned back to normal, with my 'one or two minor skips' a day. My advice: I was told something interesting by my local pharmacist that "beta-blockers have different ingredients in them, some people could be allergic to certain ingredients that make up a tablet which can flare up a person's condition" so if you're reading this and you've been given new drugs and are now going through a terrible nightmare since taking them, please see someone, I did and since going back on my previous drugs, my heart has calmed back down to normal. I've been through so much and have come out the other side of it, no longer living in fear. Don't let heart disturbances stop you from living, doctors don't seem to be concerned about skipping hearts in general, you should do the same unless your heart won't settle down or you feel unwell during your disturbances.

Good luck to you.

Skippyhearty.