Lots of skipped beats - oh yuck!

Hi all,

I've been suffering from HA for years, but the last three years or so have been very good. Yesterday, I woke up, started to go about my day when I suddenly (after a second cup of coffee) started experiencing my heart skipping beats. I had had this once before after a night of heavy drinking (I read this is actually known as "holiday heart"), but it went away after a few hours. Other than that, I have the usual occasional skipped beat like everyone else - nothing like the last 24h hours.

The palps are somewhat noticeable in my chest and very noticeable while taking my pulse. They range in frequency from occasional when lying down to several per minute when moving around. The heart seems to be beating normally, then skips a beat followed by a strong beat. My wife listened to my chest and did hear the skips but says my heart sounds strong and regular other than that. I feel fine other than that.

I figured I had a pretty intense weekend - not great nutrition, very little sleep, lots of physical activity, and some alcohol (though not to the point of being full-on drunk/hungover). I thought it would probably go away over night, and this morning I was okay for about 30 minutes. Then I started taking my pulse, feeling anxious, and boom! The skips were right back.

I know from reading here and in other sources that I'm not having a heart attack or anything, but the intensity and length of the symptoms are freaking me out a bit. I plan to go about my day as usual - some moderate exercise, work (from home), maybe a nap. Is there anything else I can or should do? My main objective is not to spiral into weeks of checking and worrying.

“Then I started taking my pulse, feeling nervous, and boom!”

You answered it yourself. Don’t google anything about it, turn pulse display off on your Harmon or Fitbit, and STOP TAKING YOUR PULSE!!


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Taking your pulse is about the worst thing you can do because you reinforce the anxiety and panic. It's taken me years to stop doing this, and sometimes I still have that habit but Josht is correct. You need to stop doing that.

The culprit here is coffee. Decaffeinated or not coffee will kick my back side and cause increased anxiety and ectopic heart beats. It's a complete no go for me. Same with alcohol. Hangovers will cause anxiety and ectopics. I say this often on here, but I've had months where I've had ectopics constantly all day. I've took myself to A&E even against the advice of many on here just to be sent away again. I can tell you from experience that I know how you are feeling and how worrying they are.

But here I am today rarely suffering with ectopics. Whatever I did worked. My advice to all is the same advice that was given to me when I was suffering ... ignore them.

You have to completely pay 0 attention to them. It's a hiccup in your chest that's all. Honestly, a top cardiologist told me the same thing ... they're just hiccups in the chest. It's so hard to believe what I'm saying because right now you're suffering with health anxiety and increased panic but I can promise you that what I am saying will help you.

I want to do a podcast on this topic. I shall do that for my next one!

I've had about 20 skipped beats today. I had a crap sleep and some beers last night (only 3).

It's annoying more than a worry. It's the first time in years that I've had as many in one day.

Hopefully it clears up by tomorrow

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin44

I've had about 20 skipped beats today. I had a crap sleep and some beers last night (only 3).

It's annoying more than a worry. It's the first time in years that I've had as many in one day.

Hopefully it clears up by tomorrow

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Only 20? I thought we was talking thousands here dude. I've had thousands in 1 day. I've had more than 20 today, but I don't count them. I don't notice them.

Josht and WiredIncorrectly, thanks for sharing your insights - much appreciated! I am doing my best to stop measuring or paying attention to my pulse, and it's working pretty well. I went to the doc on Monday morning just to be sure. She caught a few skips, did an EKG and said it's PVCs and nothing to worry about. She offered a 24h monitor and some blood tests, but we decided they weren't necessary right now.

Since then, I've been feeling okay. I still get a noticeable number of skips every day, and I "feel" my chest a lot (just being hyperalert, I guess, not much I can do about it). The frequency of the skips seems to vary with time of the day and activities, but overall I'd say it's gotten a bit better. I've been going to the gym and been doing things normally. The only change I've made is cutting out coffee (I still drink a bit of tea) and watching my diet. I've been having a lot of acid reflux along with the palps (I have GERD, which comes and goes in episodes), and since there seems to be a strong connection between the two, maybe I can eliminate the palps by eliminating the reflux.

The only thing I really wonder about is why I'm experiencing these palps now and with such force. As I said in my initial post, I've only had one other episode of heart skipping, which only lasted a few hours. Other than that, I never really had anything like that, despite having suffered from HA and GERD for years.

Why would you get these beats out of the blue? Day 2 and I'm still getting a few beat skips. Or double beat.

Feel like I need a reset.