An ECG would have picked it up ?

So I've been dealing with Skipped heart beats and Flutters in my chest. My doctor does not seem at all concerned, but did an ECG just to be sure. It came back fine.. and he said just to avoid caffeine, which I do.

I've read on the Internet MVP (Mitral Valve Prolapse) could be a possibility ? but will not get picked up during an ECG, if your not having an episode of a flutter or skipped beat when your hooked up.

I requested a holter monitor in which he refused..

They come and go, sometimes I won't have one for a month then some weeks I'll have them everyday. Noticeably, they happen more when I'm out of the house and in nervous situations.

Can anyone shed some light on this, should I demand to see a cardiologist, or should I just listen to my doctor and try to live with them..

Btw I am 22, and coughing usually stops the Flutter.. I've never not coughed so I don't know if it could even go on for hours. But it usually just goes for 3-5 seconds. I get out of breathe from it and dizziness.

it certainly sounds as if your symptoms are anxiety related, but i think when it comes to your heart, it's best to get properly checked out before completely assuming it's only anxiety..

can you see a different doctor? if not, maybe phone up your local hospital cardio dept or patient liaison dept, and ask for advice..?

even though you're not aware of the symptoms that often, they might still be detectable on a 24hr monitor, if it is your heart doing it.

difficult one really, anxiety could produce the same symptoms.... but i think i'd go with the better safe than sorry theory here.

Thanks for the reply..

I certainly do think it's only anxiety creating these symptoms and it's nothing sinister. Just my HA playing up.

I've heard a cardiologist isn't who I should seek but a specialist who specialises in the electric currents in our hearts ? does anyone know what I'm talking about.

But if I were to see a cardiologist, and he does all the standard tests and they all come back fine which I'm certain it will is it safe to say it is only anxiety, and better off working on my anxiety and stress.

The reason I'm confident it's nothing sinister is because no one in my family history have had heart problems or diseases..

and the flutters and skipped beats only started when my anxiety started. so there is a major connection there.


Also.. I gurantee if I got a 24 monitor I wouldn't have a problem in those days I'm wearing it LOL knowing my luck -.-

Either you aren't that bad or your doctor is useless.

When I first had my heart palpitations, my doctor heard them and sent me to the hospital right away, I had tones of tests and they made me stay over night.

I then had a fast heart rate, with a lot of funny beats. My doctor did an ECG in his office, gave me some pills, I went back a few days later for another ECG which wasn't much better.
I had a crazy fast heart rate for days straight and it was preventing me for even sleeping.
The doctor again sent me to hospital for even more tests...

They all came back "normal" but I continue to have the palpitations, my heart beat is always irregular it's never even beats.

I figure they would have picked something up?
I might ask my doctor next time if it's ok that heart beat is always funny, and my heart beat isn't regular.

Tests I have had.

Bloods, stress test, ECGs, urine tests, heart echo, chest x ray, 24 hour holitor monitor.
I had all the tests done twice with a gap of 4 yearsish in between.

I actually am kind of panicking now, in which is making my heart flip flop all over the place! lol..

I was hoping this was a normal anxiety related symptom.. I guess not.

Well more sitting in Doctor's offices and probing them -.- I was hoping it was over.

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Well my Dr didn't seem too concerned because I see his wife for my Anxiety, and he knows I suffer from anxiety. and he did an ECG in the office, and found nothing wrong.
he said 9 out of 10 times it is due to stress/anxiety, so he said I had nothing to worry about. But now it seems I'm going back to insist for a holter monitor FML.

Hiya,

I've also had countless tests on my heart over the past 5 years.. serisouly, I can't remember how many I've had! I've had the following kinds: ECG, ultrasound, Holter, CT scan, MRI scans. All were normal.

The symptoms I had were like yours, along with many other, including chest pains, dizziness, numbness etc etc. All terrifying.... I used to obsess about them, and as a result I had them often... I don't think about them so much now, and hardly ever have palpitations now, unless I am very anxious or stress / tired.

Our health anxiety plays havoc with our bodies. By all means get a 2nd opinion from another doctor if it reassures you. I've also had some pretty unsympathetic docs in the past, but I've also been lucky to have some great ones, who explain everything to you, and tell you how they rule out serious problems when diagnosing anxiety. :-)

Thanks Dazza, your post is very reassuring.

I have not fainted yet and I'm still alive lol, so I'm just going to deal with my stress and anxiety.

Not even going to bother with a second opinion, Just gonna start exercising a bit more, and cut out some junk food and add some potassium to my diet.

Someone once told me, who seemed to be having the same problem. They just deal with it like you would deal with 'Hiccups'.. You recognize it, you know it's annoying, but you know it won't kill you, and it passes.
This has worked for me :)

Yes, that's how my anxiety has panned out, but I still have setbacks... in the past I self diagnosed every heart condition you could imagine.... but, I find, like you say, by taking more control of my life, like healthy eating, exercising, trying to relax more... it helps... I now get up early and walk every morning and then meditate. It's helping me to keep calmer for longer... I can rationalise things more. :)

I once said to my counsellor, that it's ''the fear of fear that is almost more powerful than the fear of the 'thing' that we fear''.. if that makes sense.

I've recently been reading some Buddhist teachings about death, it's also been reassuring. :)

I have suffered from flutters, palpatations, heart racing that sometimes seems to come from nowhere, I could be sat watching telly and it will suddenly start. I have had ECG's and nothing shows up. The doctor says it is Anxiety, and I do feel settled by that, (as I say in other posts my anxiety is directly linked to Cancers more than anything else)

Anyway when it happens I was told to cough hard, the reason for that is it tenses the muscles around the heart which in turn helps to "reset" it. So it can help in slowing the heart when it is racing and also with palpatations and flutters.

When you feel anything going on with your heart/chest area it is very scary, and it is definately something that should always be followed up with a doctor, but once the doctor has checked you, and they are certain that it is anxiety, try to think back to how you were feeling at the time. That way you may recognise that you were actually anxious and be able to see that the two interconnect with one and other.

It is so easy for me to say not to worry, but so hard not to with HA, however the more we worry the worse the symptoms become and so the circle goes round again.

I hope you feel better soon, and that you can try to cough/breath through your flutters.

Well done also for getting it checked to be on the safe side.

I ruined about 8 years of my life thinking I was about to drop dead from the palpitations I get. I still get them, and some episodes make me feel I'm about to pass out, but my attitude towards them has shifted.

I went from being afraid they were going to kill me to thinking that they still may kill me, so I need to make the very most of life right now.

Say you drop dead in 2 years - would you rather spend those 2 years obsessing over your heart in and out of hospital, or living life to the absolute full?