Palpitations on waking every day

[Lou4]

I’m just looking desperately for reassurance.

I have had anxiety issues for many years including heart palpitations but for the past month I have had a new symptom of every fourth or so beat of my heart feeling “wrong” usually on waking. It’s quite mild so I don’t know if it’s happening the rest of the day and I just don’t feel it.

It is now happening when I wake up every morning like clockwork and I am so so worried and anxious, it’s now 5am on Christmas morning and I’m sat here feeling like crying. Usually when I wake up in the morning my heartbeat is so regular this is really throwing me. I even feel so calm but then I can feel it happening so clearly every few beats and suddenly I’m wide awake.

I’m also getting more frequent “big” pvcs throughout the day.

I went to the doctor and she really scared me and was really not reassuring. She has referred me for bloods and an ECG but they don’t have any appointments for weeks and she even said that if they don’t show anything that I need to get a 24hr ECG as it’s “only a snapshot in time”.

I am so scared and exhausted, I’m sat here in bed now and it’s going weird every few beats I just want to cry I feel so pathetic. Can anyone please offer any reassurance?

[Phuzella]

Have you ever tried mindfulness? It might be an idea to try it first thing in the morning before you get up.
It's very calming once you get into it
MyNameisTerry has some good mindfulness resources on his posts.

[Croydonbee]

Hope you’re feeling better. I’ve had whishiness and anxiety and a bit of depression since yesterday as I feel too poorly to join in with others and be normal. , and that makes me feel worse and a failure.

[Lou4]

Thank you for the replies. I was feeling very frightened and hopeless this morning. I feel a little better now but just dread going to bed because I know I’m going to feel my heart beating irregularly and it makes me so worried that something awful is going to happen to me.

I’m really struggling to cope waiting for these tests but I just keep trying to tell myself if it was something really serious they’d have me in straight away, it’s so difficult though.

I can’t really do the mindfulness stuff at the moment as I’m getting so many pvcs etc any sort of relaxation sets me off as I can feel them constantly.

[Daedalus]

Hey Lou

I have many, many skipped beats. Mine are always worse first thing in the morning. It's because our levels of cortisol (stress hormone) are higher when we wake (to get us ready for the day - it's supposed to be higher).

I've heard a consultant cardiologist explicitly state that if palpitations come on at particular times of the day, then that's very reassuring. The more sinister kind of palpitations don't care what time of day it is.

Also, more generally, pvcs that come on when you relax - almost always benign.

[Lou4]

Hey Lou

I have many, many skipped beats. Mine are always worse first thing in the morning. It's because our levels of cortisol (stress hormone) are higher when we wake (to get us ready for the day - it's supposed to be higher).

I've heard a consultant cardiologist explicitly state that if palpitations come on at particular times of the day, then that's very reassuring. The more sinister kind of palpitations don't care what time of day it is.

Also, more generally, pvcs that come on when you relax - almost always benign.

Thank you, that’s made me feel a lot better. I’ve had huge pvcs for years and never really pay them any mind but because these are “different” and new my anxiety about them has sky rocketed.

[Daedalus]

My morning pvcs are different too. Much less noticeable, but more frequent. I've always assumed they're less noticeable because the heart isn't working so hard (just lying around in bed, etc).

Mine go in phases (without any apparent cause). Heart can be fine for a few months, and then suddenly, they're back again (and then tend to hang around for a couple of months).

All very odd. But almost always benign (especially if you're just getting them at rest).

[Lou4]

My morning pvcs are different too. Much less noticeable, but more frequent. I've always assumed they're less noticeable because the heart isn't working so hard (just lying around in bed, etc).

Mine go in phases (without any apparent cause). Heart can be fine for a few months, and then suddenly, they're back again (and then tend to hang around for a couple of months).

All very odd. But almost always benign (especially if you're just getting them at rest).

Thank you, you really have made me feel much better