Ectopics with Pains & 'odd' twinge, Do I need an Echocardiogram?

[crazyhayz]

Hi guys, right well i know im not having a heart attack but i was literally sat down earlier talking when all of a sudden i had a 'double heartbeat' is what i call it, coz thats what my ectopic beats feel like, like my heartbeat has a double beat really quickly. well this one was a triple ectopic heartbeat, it was really scary, felt horrible. Basically, earlier on today (before the ectopics started) i was sat at my computer & started having central chest pains that were like 'waves' of pain.. they were like building up and really hurting then fading for a few seconds then coming back again.. it was horrible. I didnt feel anxious atall at the time, neither did i earlier when i was sat down& got the triple ectopic beat. I dont smoke (gave up 5months ago) and i dont drink. Is this anxiety?

I usually only feel oddness with my heart/chest when im particularly anxious or worried or stressed, but i felt fine today, brilliant infact! this has really put me in a bad mood, coz i must admit, i do worry about the ectopics...and i used to take alot of illegal drugs a couple of years back.. im kinda worried i may have sum damage but my doctor doesnt think so...

In the past 5 months (since my panic attacks and anxiety started) ive had 8 ECG's in total. All of which were 100% normal. One time i had a couple of ectopics whilst the ECG machine was running but it didnt show anything atall. I feel i might need an echocardiogram.. simply because the chest pains are right over my heart in the middle and slightly off to the left and they get worse whenever i get an ectopic.. and i get chest pains ALOT.
I dont neccessarily think I have something seriously wrong with me, but id just like to be reassured that my heart has been checked thoroughly as i never used to suffer with these ectopics..they r horrible!! no1 seems concerned though.

Im on 20mg Citalopram, could this cause the ectopics?? How do i go about getting an echocardiogram? someone told me i wont get one because i havent had an 'abnormal' ECG.....is this true??

Ive had a chest x-ray and that was fine. I also worry alot about a weird feeling i constantly have in my chest. Its rly strange but the best way i can describe it is like a 'bulging' feeling under my left breast.. you know as if something is pressing out of my chest from the inside.. im always lifting my breast up as it feels like my breast is putting pressure on something inside my chest..i am constantly moving my bra out of the way from my left breast all the time becuase it feels like my bra is putting pressure on that area, its not though as i get it even when i dont have a bra on ...so i dont get it rly...what could this be??
Its like something is pressing out of my skin under my left breast and slightly central near my sternum... its really weird and its constantly there...it never goes... the area under my left breast and slightly towards sternum feels like its being squeezed constantly. thats a good way of puttin it. like its being pinched. but doesnt hurt, just feels reallllllly uncomfortable. it defo dont feel normal anyway...

the thing is whenever i say anything about my chest or nefing to anyone (family, mates, doctors) they all say 'well uve had 8 ECG's all normal so u shouldnt worry' but ECG's arent that reliable,. especially not as reliable as an echocardiogram!! So, i dont know what to do really...im not in pain now and i havent had an ectopic for about 20 minutes, but the whole area feels very odd... like i cant let anything touch it, it doesnt hurt to touch though, just feels weird. sorry to confuse anyone. xx

Hope u can help!! :)

Hayley x

[crazyhayz]

sorry its so long :( hope someone can give me some advice.. x

Hayley :) x

[rckclmbr]

Well, my doctor sent me for an echo once because she thought I had mitral valve prolapse ... and then recently sent me for another to ease my mind (and again because she was trying to see if she could "catch" the mitral valve prolapse). All of my EKGs were normal.

I think if you talk to your doctor and let him/her know what you're experiencing and ask what a good next step would be, they will help you out.

My EKGs were normal, and so were my echocardiograms .... then I had a Holter monitor last week which showed my ectopic beats and some tachycardia which was "abnormal" (the lady didn't realize that I was suffering extreme anxiety at the time) .... so I'm not sure whether an echo or a Holter would yield more as far as being able to give you some peace.

But definitely talk to your doctor. If he/she is understanding of your health anxiety, they should be more than willing to help you get a test that will ease your mind -- especially since you are experiencing symptoms.

[benjamin222]

I'm here because I as well just had one of those. A very uncomfortable heart flutter that made my whole body jump, that also seemed to come out of nowhere. I wasn't in the middle of a panic attack or anything when it happened. It is a VERY common symptom of anxiety, I've never seen a website about anxiety that didn't mention strange palpitations. Every time I get an EKG, it as well always comes out healthy. Considering that I'd have to say you have nothing to worry about!

[rckclmbr]

Yeah, I meant to say that -- I bet it's anxiety, for sure, but I know that for myself hearing "it's probably anxiety" doesn't always help erase the fear from my mind in the same way that a test does.

You probably don't *need* an echo - just if you NEED one to put your mind at ease.