Started Feeling a Lot of Heart Palpitations Tonight

[Elfking]

I don't know what to do and I'm freaking out no matter how much I work to calm down.

This evening (around 9pm) I felt a particularly big heart palpitation. No big deal, they happen and I know the vast majority mean nothing. Then a few minutes later it happened again. I immediately start to worry.

It's now coming up to 2:30am and I'm still getting them. It isn't happening every few minutes but seemingly randomly. Feeling an extra hard beat, getting that fluttery feeling and just noticing every little thing. I've never experienced palpitations that go on like this, each "episode" lasts just a second or so but it just keeps happening.

I Googled things and can see that it is unlikely to be serious but that's not helping me right now.

A few months ago I had two 24-hour ECGs as a result of seemingly random dizziness that seems to have almost certainly been caused by anxiety. The ECGs showed only one abnormal event where my heartbeat briefly raised and then went back to normal but the cardiologist they asked was unconcerned by it.

Even as I wrote this I've felt another palpitation. I don't know what to do

[NoraB]

I don't know what to do and I'm freaking out no matter how much I work to calm down.

Hi Elfking, I had to do a double-take on your username as I read it initially as 'Effing'. I think it's therapy time for me again.

This evening (around 9pm) I felt a particularly big heart palpitation. No big deal, they happen and I know the vast majority mean nothing. Then a few minutes later it happened again. I immediately start to worry.

I have some whoppers. A quick cough and that sorts things out. But sometimes I get what feels like clusters of the buggers. I've had all the heart tests (they were for palps) and I'm fine. I've worn heart monitors 24/7 for a week as part of being tested. Not one ectopic in the entire week! This is how my brain plays with me..

Sounds to me like you had an Ectopic beat and then you scared yourself into fight or flight response. My heart dicks skipping and stuff about when I'm in fight or flight so I know to get my breathing under control pronto because it's a horrible sensation, right?

I Googled things and can see that it is unlikely to be serious but that's not helping me right now.

Ah.... Dr Google!

A few months ago I had two 24-hour ECGs as a result of seemingly random dizziness that seems to have almost certainly been caused by anxiety. The ECGs showed only one abnormal event where my heartbeat briefly raised and then went back to normal but the cardiologist they asked was unconcerned by it.

I had a panic attack during my heart echo and one during my last ECG. My heart almost flipped the pads off my chest is was banging so hard! My doc wasn't bothered even when it came back as 'abnormal' because of the heart rate. Dude knows I start panicking at the sight of a white overcoat these days..

Thing is, they know what they're looking for with heart issues and they know what anxiety looks like. Have faith in those who have put the time in at med school..

Even as I wrote this I've felt another palpitation. I don't know what to do

Cough, drink some cold water (slowly) distract yourself from your scary thoughts..

[Elfking]

I should mention that I have spoken to a doctor about this and have an ECG booked for Tuesday. The problem there is I just KNOW that my heart will be nice during the ECG and be normal and then go crazy again afterwards!

I actually have spoken to someone who suffered what I am ten years ago. His problems increased into needing open heart surgery. Normally that would terrify me but a few things he said made me feel better. Firstly he emphasised how he was the "lucky" 1% of 1% whose palpitations were a symptom of a heart problem AND none of the usual fixes worked requiring the surgery solution. Secondly he said from the first time he felt symptoms to needing surgery was ten years which makes me feel a lot better in terms of even if this is a bad problem there's time to get it sorted.

[NoraB]

The problem there is I just KNOW that my heart will be nice during the ECG and be normal and then go crazy again afterwards!

Mine wasn't 'nice'. I had a panic attack.

I actually have spoken to someone who suffered what I am ten years ago.

And you're 'speaking' to me and I have had (and still have) the symptoms you describe (and I don't have a problem with my heart)

Take a look at the volume of posts on this forum re heart symptoms. Heart symptoms are the most common anxiety symptom, I'd say. And it's understandable given that it's part of the fight or flight response for the heart to race. We don't need to be facing actual danger for this to happen; we just have to think that we are..

Ask your GP about wearing a heart monitor for a week. I see where you're coming from with an ECG as it's only usually tested over a minute. I had to go and pick up a monitor and wear it for a week. All it picked up was my heart racing - which is to be expected with anxiety. It was fine otherwise. If there is an issue with the electrics of your heart then something will show up in a week of testing, but you need to understand that ectopic beats are very common and generally harmless..

[Elfking]

I didn't mean to imply what you had was nice. I just meant that I expect that my heart will decide to be normal for the ECG, the one time it acting up would be helpful.

As a general update... I've had a couply of extended paitations now. Where the fluttering has gone on for several seconds and when I feel for a pulse in my neck during them there simply isn't one until it goes back to normal. Still no other worrying symptoms though which is good I suppose.

At this point I firmly don't believe it is anxiety. It's been going for a week now and whilst it seems worse when I'm anxious I think the anxiety is exacerbating something that is already there. The ECG is in a day and a half. I don't expect it will be too useful but afterwards I could ask for a longer term monitoring thing. Probably a 24-hour ECG if history is anything to go by.

[NoraB]

I just meant that I expect that my heart will decide to be normal for the ECG, the one time it acting up would be helpful.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I was also monitored for sleep apnoea and none of the waking up choking (that I'd been doing) happened during the test over several days. It's like my brain was saying, 'Nah mate, think you can get some help with this? LMAO' (got there in the end though and it wasn't sleep apnoea)

Where the fluttering has gone on for several seconds and when I feel for a pulse in my neck during them there simply isn't one until it goes back to normal. Still no other worrying symptoms though which is good I suppose.

Seriously, stop checking your pulse. Unless you know what you're doing and everything how the heart works, you will make your HA worse..

At this point I firmly don't believe it is anxiety.

If I had a pound for every time I've thought (or said this) I could comfortably foot the massive bill for the Queen's jubilee...

The ECG is in a day and a half. I don't expect it will be too useful but afterwards I could ask for a longer term monitoring thing. Probably a 24-hour ECG if history is anything to go by.

It's the longer-time monitoring that will be most useful (for you) because the HA mind will struggle to accept a one minute reading..

All I can tell you is that I FULLY expected my week-long heart monitoring to show a problem with my heart and it did not happen and I had the same symptoms as you..

You're doing the right thing in getting these symptoms checked out, by the way, but when the tests reveal no issues, you will have to accept that this is down to anxiety..

[Elfking]

Just a quick update.

I had the ECG and, predictably had no palpitations during and, also predictably, was told everything with my heart was normal. Not sure quite what to do yet but have had a couple more palpitations at home afterwards so I'll probably get in contact again tomorrow or in the coming days to try and get a longer ECG. I know they do 24-hour ones, I woulder prefer one longer than that but I'm not sure they do them at my local place.

[NoraB]

Just a quick update.

I had the ECG and, predictably had no palpitations during and, also predictably, was told everything with my heart was normal. Not sure quite what to do yet but have had a couple more palpitations at home afterwards so I'll probably get in contact again tomorrow or in the coming days to try and get a longer ECG. I know they do 24-hour ones, I woulder prefer one longer than that but I'm not sure they do them at my local place.

I had a panic attack WHILE having an ECG in my doctor's surgery. My heart raced up to 124 bpm and was flagged as 'abnormal' on the computer but my GP told me to ignore this as my heart was otherwise working perfectly and he knows I have anxiety issues and white coat syndrome (And my heart has raced a lot faster than that) These days I think of this as giving my heart a good workout.

The longer heart monitoring usually comes via hospital. You have to pick the monitor up at a certain time and have it back by a certain time (was before 9am for me) so bear that in mind if you don't drive.

24 hour monitoring will give you a very good idea of how your heart is functioning. The week long one will give you the full picture and at that point you will have to accept that this is anxiety...