STILL MISSING BEATS.....PLEASE REASSURE ME

[Stuart]

I started having these ectopic beats/extra beats in November of last year. I have since been to my local doctor on three occasions, which in the end resulted in me being prescribed with beta blockers and being sent for an ECG which came back clear. I felt that the beta blockers were working but after four weeks the extra beats came back with a vengeance.

Still feeling very upset and not at all happy with what I was being told ,I decided to take advantage of my private health care through my work. I have had all the tests including the 24 hour monitor, another ECG and on the tread mill. The 24 hour monitor did show the extra beat. However, I also have been told that these extra beats are not going to cause me any problems and we all have them. I am still finding it hard to except as I continue to have these even when being totally engrossed in my work!!! It does seem to be constantly on your mind and this alone seems to result in extra beats!

I have been told that exercise might help reduce the effect.....so I have joined the local health club - here's hoping this will help.

Stuart

[Meg]

Hi Stuart,

Yes exercise can help as you're using up all the excess adrenalin with that and all your cardio vascular efforts are strengthening your heart which helps build confidence.

Slowly you will become less aware and certainly less startled by the ectopic beats.


Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk
You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[fraser]

It's reassuring to hear there are other 'ectopically-bothered' people out there.

I have suffered with them on-and-off for many years - and when they first occured I escalated to full-blown panic attacks as a result.

Today, I'm beginning to realise that they're the result of a combination of factors - a period of heightened low level stress (a major time-sensitive project I'm involved in for example) which stretches the nerves a bit and sensitized me to my physical reactions. I also believe they are more prevalent or noticeable when the gut is in motion or working hard after food.

I type pretty well all day and often end up huddled over the keyboard, thus squashing my abdominen. Often I'll be stopped in my tracks by a series of ectopics - five/six/ seven at a time (all this at relatively low heart rate - my resting is often around 60-64, but rises to 70 when digesting food). On standing up, the 'runs' stop when I belch - so I suspect that trapped wind expands the colon or other bit of tube and pushes onto the heart.

Doesn't make them any more distracting or uncomfortable, but after a recent resting ECG failed to pick any up and satisfied my Doctor there was no reason to suspect underlying heart problems I'm trying to accept them.

My experience suggests that when the stress-source ends or diminishes (eg I finish the project or take a holiday), and/or I get distracted - interesting conversation, new hobby etc - then they disappear - or rather, my awareness of them disappears.

And personally, I don't care if they're there - I just don't want to be aware of them!

Anyone have any views?

[lisarose]

Hello linjane and everyone else who suffers from these missed/ectopic heartbeats. I've been through the same thing, it started nearly 5 years ago after the panic attacks/PND started and the first time I had them they scared the living daylights out of me and still do only not as much. I have learned to live with them now but they are still scary especially when you haven't had any for a while. I have had all the tests, ECG's about 5 of them and last year I was referred to a cardiologist at University Hospital of North Staffs where I live and I had one of those 24 hour things only i had mine on for about 3 days and I had to press a button when I got the missed beats then right down on a chart what time they started, how long they lasted, what I was doing at the time etc. When I went back to see the cardiologist for the results he said they were just ectopic beats/extra beats and that they were not in any way harmful and that most people get them and they don't notice ( I wish I was one of those people!).This reassured me alot but I still tend to worry!
What worries me the most is that exercise seems to bring them on in my case and this has put me off doing anything too strenuous as I am afraid my heart may stop. The cardiologist said that maybe it is because I am unfit and that exercise might help as my fitness levels increase, but it is still scary for me. I have lost 2 stone in 6 months which I thought might help but I am still getting them only not as much as I used to. I probably get them at least once or twice a day now but I have noticed that since being on medication(Effexor) they aren't as bad as before. Like Fraser, (Hi Fraser!) I find that after eating or when hungry I get them and I am convinced it is trapped wind, try peppermint tea as it can soothe the digestion or peppermint cordial. Does anybody else get them when exercising? or am I the only one as I don't know if this is normal or not.

Take care all

Love Lisaxxx

[Cookie]

Hi Lisarose,
I avoid exercise too, as I am frightened of my heart rate increasing, and I seem to get a LOT more ectopic beats after I've done any strenuous activity.
Logically, I know it is unhealthy for my heart if I don't exercise, but I'm so afraid of something drastic happening to my heart if I do! Catch 22.
I'm getting really, really unfit now though, so I know I need to get over this. Its hard though isn't it? I sympathize with you completely!
Shell.x

[Miriam]

Wow, it's a huge reassurance to read all of this! I've had panic attacks and anxiety since I was 16 (I'm now 20) but until a few days ago I'd never experienced palpitations very much.
For the past five days I've been stressing myself terribly about them but I've been experiencing exactly the same things as a lot of you have mentioned. My heart rate isn't really any faster (around the 76 mark) but it feals a lot harder, really pounding in my neck. Not a nice feeling, makes it hard to relax. I've also been getting the occasional 'missed beat' type feeling, which is scary if they happen when you're completely calm. I also think I somehow forget how to breathe when all this happens! Not hyperventilating as such but it's certainly not as it should be.

Anyway, I'll keep all this in mind and *hopefully* I'll be able to keep a bit calmer about it...

[linjane]

Hi everyone,
We should start our own website about ECTOPIC STUPID HEARTBEATS!!!
I haven't looked on this part for ages and was shocked when I saw how many replies have been added. If we are all getting the same thing then surely it must be obvious it is what people tell us. It is so hard to ignore them, but I am gradually learning to accept that after I have had them for 3years and nothing else(touch wood) has happened there can't be really much wrong. All well and good to say when I'm having a good day, lets wait till another bad day comes and see how I feel then!!! Now, there talk about negative thoughts!!
Lets all try to be positive and ignore them.
take care,

Linda.

[annelouise]

Hello,
I am new to this forum.
I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis diagnosed 1998 ; Celiac disease (just diagnosed and if it had been diagnosed years ago, I mightn't have developed Hashimoto's) and.... over the last year or so I have developed ectopic beats. All the usual symptoms. Recently went to a Cardiologist who did an ecg, ultrasound & echo - heart structurally ok but after being on a 24 hour holter monitor, the ectopic beats showed up regularly. He says its like being injected with tiny doses of adrenalin every now and then which cause the heart to manifest premature beats. I am also informed that I have a heart murmur.

I expected the results of the holter to be negative so I was shocked to find out this news. It has rocked me a bit, especially as Dr. Heart says there is a direct relationship between my connective tissue disorders (Hashimoto's & Unspecified connective tissue). I feel like I am degenerating and it is starting to get me down.

Major changes in my life over the past few years have been - no smoking - recently, no caffeine - no stimulants - if I drink alcohol it is rarely and then only preservative free or organic - NO gluten and not a lot of carbs. (Trying to lose weight - the Hashimoto's stacked it on) I have gone from 100kg 2-3 years ago to 77kg now and it comes off very slowly, I can tell you.

I am reasonably active, try to maintain regular exercised despite dealing with fatigue, poor sleep due to chronic low grade muscle and joint pain and quite dramatic energy shifts.

Anyhow, that's my sordid story - despite all I am optimistic but the heart thingo gets to me.

By the way - I do a lot of meditation but my life history up until 18months ago included massive doses of sometimes self induced stressful situations.

Any suggestions???

Anne Louise

[kaynbrian]

hi.i Have Been Battling Missed Beats Since I Had A Dnc Done. I Was Given All Kinds Of Meds Ambulance Picked Me Up Constantly. Some Days Were Worse Than Others. After 8 Years Of It I Got On Diability And All. I Was On Beta Blokers Which Dropped My Blood Pressure To Low And Then I Had More Missed Beats. Let Me Please Tell You What I Found Natural That Works. I Am Proud To Say I Work Now And Only During My Periods Do I Have Miss Beats But Not As Bad..co Q 10 With L Carentine By Bioinivations And Omega 369 By Nordic Natruals. I Am Telling You One Month Will Change You. I Do Not Eat Sugar Because It Causes Missed Beats, No Cokes, No Peanut Butter. No White Bread. It Was Hard To Get Off Of The Sweets And Coke But Look It Really Scared Me So Bad I Got Off It When I Realized What Brought The Missed Beats On. They Told Me To Go To A Psychyatrist But I Was Determine Not I Was Only 26 At The Time. It Got To Where I Could Not Breathe When It Happend. Really Dizzy Feeling Like I Was Not There And It Sometimetimes Miss Like Hard In My Chest. They Tried To Say It Was Anxiety At First But I Knew Something Was Wrong. I Know A Lady That Died Because Of This Who They Said It Was Anxiety Gave Her Xanax And Sent Her Home. She Died Because It Was Not Treated Proper. Continue To Go To The Dr But Please Try These Natraul Vitamins And Watch The Difference.....kaynbrian

[elvira]

Hi, just take magnesium. It's normal to have these but they do increase with anxiety and magnesium is known as the 'great relaxer'.