Felt a skipped heart beat while taking my pulse

[xvolatileheart]

I've been having a lot of palpitations today so I was taking my pulse after having a couple while eating.

Everything I've read said that the feeling of a skipped beat is just a slightly longer pause because the previous beat came a bit too early, but I felt a legitimate skipped beat while taking my pulse. It was going steady then just skipped an entire beat.

Now I'm really freaked out because this doesn't fit with what other people have described. It was just a one off and I'm fine, so obviously I'm not going to drop dead, but should I be worried?

[amyg82]

No, you shouldn't be worried, thats the same as what i feel, they are harmless in a structually normal heart, i have had all the heart tests done and my Electrophysiologist is great (he actually gets them too) he said all he can do is give lots of reassurance. xxx

[xvolatileheart]

Thanks. Have had a few more today, even though I don't feel particularly anxious at all, so I wonder why they're back with a vengeance yesterday and today. Hmm.

That's really great that you have a reassuring electrophysiologist! I wish I had one of those to comfort me about my crazy heartbeats.

[xvolatileheart]

Today was the worst day yet, I've had probably 50 skipped beats. Felt another one while taking my pulse. What is going on?!

[selphie]

i have days like this where there really really bad i can get them all day and when i get them the first thing i do is check my pulse.

have you been checked over and had tests from the doctor??xx

[xvolatileheart]

I've had an ECHO and a 24-hr ECG which apparently were normal. I'm going to my GP on Wednesday morning to discuss the results. Of course, I still don't believe them.

[Typer]

I have days where I get thousands - not nice

[selphie]

me to i have had a few tests all come back normal... like you i dont believe them either and why would be while were getting these horrible things its hard to believe were fine when are hearts are skipping and missing beatsxxx

[saab]

Same here, hundreds a day. My last holter monitor picked up 300 in 24 hours - this was on a day when I didn't actually feel any. On a day when I do feel them all, I probably get thousands. My gp was not at all concerned about 300 a day.

If you have had ecgs and an echo, I doubt there is anything to worry about. I hope you can come to terms with the ectopics - I have spent 8 years waiting for a disaster that has never happened because I struggled to believe what gp's and hospital doctors told me.

[anaconda]

The electrophysiologist was 'very impressed' with my range of missed beats/ectopics. Perhaps I should have asked for a badge and a lollypop!

If this is new to you then I understand its a real worry. As mentioned if your ecg and in particular the echo are normal then there s a certainty that these are benign. They probably derive from the hearts electrical system firing off...a common occurence for many.