(Very) Irregular heart beat

[merlin05]

Hi there,

History:
I'm a 31 yo male, with a history of generalized and health anxiety. Back in 2011 I became very aware of my heart rate, which was generally high due to stress. Due to the high heart rate, and some chest pain the doctor's decided to do tests for a period of a few months. These included numerous blood tests, EKGs, Holter meter and and echo sound. Everything came back normal and when I had the discharge meeting from the hospital cardiologist she told me that I've got nothing to worry about, just to relax and let my heart do it's thing (or words to that effect).

Now:
I've started to get symptoms which I think are effectively ectopic beats... basically I can feel my heart beats (sometimes) and at times they feel very irregular, almost like fluttering in my chest. I have no other symptoms: no pain, and I don't feel tired. In fact I think the beats become regular if I exercise. They are worse when I'm sitting, especially if I'm slouched over a computer. I have the feeling that by doing so-called 7-11 breathing I can make my heart beat regular again.

Up until very recently I was receiving CBT for health anxiety, which has been very helpful (except that I wasn't getting the ecoptic beats until a few weeks in to the CBT). I mentioned this to my counsellor and she said it's a normal thing, I'm just more aware of it than most people and that I need to practice external focus etc. Also the fact that I've had my heart checked (quite thoroughly, albeit around 5 yrs ago now) should tell me I've fine.

I had a 2 week long break from the ectopic beats when I was on holiday recently, but they started again when I got back to London. In the morning I also have a mild burning sensation in my mouth, which I think it GERD (reflux) which I guess could be related to it. The flutters actually feel like they originate from low in my chest, maybe near the stomach.

I'm still worried though, the counsellor wants me to resist going to the GP to get it checked but how does she know it's fine?

[hanshan]

Hi Merlin05,

Welcome to NMP.

One thing you can do is buy a device that shows your heart rate (often also combined with a blood pressure monitor). It should ignore ectopics, but if you have a heart arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation (AF) which causes persistent irregularity that needs to be treated by a doctor, the monitor will be unable to show a heart rate and instead give an error reading.

[merlin05]

Hi thanks for the reply.
Actually I wear a fitbit charge hr all the time, which measures my heart rate using a flashing green light on the back. When I'm sleeping my hr is around 60 bpm, resting is close to 70 and when I'm going about my day it's probably around 90. Does the fitbit count?

Also I have a blood pressure monitor, and it's typically around 120/70 which I think is ok.

[hanshan]

Hi Merlin05,

Your heart rate and blood pressure stats sound fine to me. I (fortunately only very occasionally when I'm stressed/dehydrated/miss a meal) sometimes get atrial fibrillation, and my blood pressure monitor refuses to give a reading when that happens. It just blinks a bit, then shows an E for error. It's a condition requiring medical treatment (I have meds that have always worked), but is not immediately life-threatening.

I don't know about the fitbit, but again, instead of a number reading it might show E if there was a serious irregularity - you could check with the documentation or website. I think these devices don't might a bit of irregularity, as everyone has occasional ectopics.

If you're young and healthy, your heart might be like a race-horse - prone to bolt at times.

[misslove]

I have an irregular heart beat. I see a cardiologist once a year to be on the safe side. I understand how scary it is, and I still get freaked out when it's acting wonky. But I have learned to accept it and ride it out. If it keeps giving you stress I suggest you see a dr. A clean bill of health will help you deal. Also, if you eat a lot of highly processed food and sugars it will spike your heart rate. Be sure to drink water and have a healthy diet. Hope I helped.

[JulieJay92]

sorry its late but when i was at dr last week he said a good pulse is 70-90 and BP 120/80