10 missed beats in a row

Hi,

I've not posted on here for quite a while. Still get the missed beats usuually every day (some days good, some days bad) but today had the one's where you get about 10 missed beats all in a row, straight after each other, and was starting to get light headed & starting to pass out. So coughed hard to try to stop it and eventually it did, so I didn't actually pass out. Then my heart was beating a bit mad/all over the place for about 5 mins. after, then went back to the "normal" missed beats. This happened at 8.00 am and again at 11.00am. These always scare me the most as you think that your heart isn't going to go back into normal rhythm. I've not had many of these episodes in the past and then get 2 (so far) today!

Does anyone else get episodes like this?

Have you had a 24 holtor monitor? I will say that if you had 10 missed beats in a row, you would not be here right now. I hope that helps some.

There are variations to they types of missed beats, Atrial PACS-and ventrical. PVCS ( Atrial and ventricular contractions )

Everyone gets these, they are usually not harmful or pose any immediate threat unless they are very close together, even people who have these every 2 to 3 beats all day long, have no health risk ( so its said ) but if you have a 24 hour monitor that will tell you how many and how close they are together.


I have these all the time, the most recorded was 5700 in a 24 hour period, 400 occurred on the test results in ONE HOUR during sleep. ( what? )

I have little faith in doctors, I am in the medical field, or I was anyway and it seems that they never can get a full picture of anything on anyone, until AFTER they are dead, as long as your still breathing, it doesn't matter what symptoms or diagnosis they give you, unless your dead, your told to relax............and not worry....someone else has it worse and you should be happy!

They always give a clear picture on the autopsy though, go figure!

That's not exactly correct as I had 13 and then 18 in a row caught on holter. felt like someone flipping a book though.

You may have a bit of svt - I get that too which was also caught on tape. However when you say it went all over the place - if that happens again you may want to get another monitor, maybe for 3 months or something just in case you get a little af.

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

Yes, I had a holter monitor about 4 years. The missed beats have calmed down a bit since and I'm hoping it is to do with changing my eating routine (re: my other post). If I do get anymore though of these kind I will go and see my GP and ask him about another monitor.

Towers

If it helps, I was at the a and e with bigeminy a few weeks ago - that is, normal beat, then pvc, normal beat, pvc - it lasted a few hours. Even then the cardiologist said it was harmless and said I did not need to go to a and e if it happened again. I don't think the actual number of pvcs is important unless you have 20,000 plus a day or are very symptomatic. The nature of the rhythm is what matters and pvcs are easy to identify on a monitor. The one I was on actually flashed up 'frequent pvcs' at the bottom of the screen.


On the All Experts cardiology forum, cardiologist Dr David Richardson has often said that the number of pvcs doesn't matter as long as your heart is structurally normal, which tests would show.

Hope this helps. The trouble is that when you have a bad bout of palps, all logic and common sense goes out the window and no amount of reassurance, from doctors or otherwise, can put your mind at rest.

Hi Saab,

Thanks for your reply.

I don't mind as much the single misses - even if they go on all day - or even if they are bigeminy. It's just when they are in run's of 2 or 3 or 4 or 10 - these are what I really don't like and just can't get used to them at all

I am just the same. I can cope with the single ones, of which I get hundreds a day, but I find the spells when say every 7th beat is a pvc for a couple of hours, very distressing. The bigeminy was pretty terrifying but the doctor was not at all concerned at A and E.

Having quite a few today which is making me anxious, but I didn't get to sleep til 4am so that will be adding to both the palps and the anxiety.

When you are having loads of pvcs it is just impossible to believe that what you have is a variant of normal. I often think that if the docs could feel them as badly they would be more empathetic.

Just something to keep in mind - your heart actually is pumping blood during a PVC. It's not a perfect contraction (i.e. it's not pumping blood to maximum efficiency) but there's still blood being forced through, so you should be fine, even if you get a few in a row. Sounds like the anxiety of the situation was more so what caused you to feel lightheaded and the racing heart after.

Agreed, XV. I sometimes think it is unhelpful to refer to pvc/pac's as 'missed beats' as at no time does your heart 'miss' a beat. It's just that a fractionally early beat sneaks in from another part of your heart. Your normal pacemaking cells keep going, and at no point does your heart pause or stop, even if it feels like it does.