Palpitations / Ectopic Beats / Trigeminy

[*clare*]

I'm 28 and have suffered ectopic beats for over 3 years now. Started noticing a feeling at the base of my throat which would make me cough, then after feeling my pulse, realised it was my heart. Scared the life out of me and i was already suffering from anxiety. I've had numerous tests done which have all been clear. Being so intune with my body i guess they are just more noticable. They have also changed in the time i've been having them. They started as the extra odd beat, then i would notice skipped beats and more recently i have this flip flopping sensation which can last around 10 seconds. Some days i barely get any, and other days i'm plagued with them. I'm still not sure what makes them worse but i'm just trying to live with them as hard as it is and as uncomfortable as it feels at times. They really do suck!!!

Good Luck, clare

[christopherbvn@gmail]

Hi there, I'm Chris and I am 19 year old male. Only very slightly over wieght. I also have slightly high blood pressure, but not high enough for medicationetc. My treatment is esercise and lifestyle. I ate shit for about 2 years. The other week I was exercising and noticed Trigeminal ventricular contractions (ectopic beats one after another). This happend about 4 times, got my breath back and they went away. I told my doctor about this and she said..........................dont wory. That was the first time I noticed them. Ever sinse then, I have noticed some now and agian (mainly when feeling tired, pissed off etc). I thought that was the first time it ever happend. Wrong - when my doc found out about the high blood opressure, she sent me for a 24 hour ecg. I thought the ecg was clean throughout. It turns out there were 8 ectopic (palpitations) on there, that i never noticed. They also happen to perfectly healthy people. Not sure why, but there is no known link between missed beats (whatever you want to callthem) and cardiac death. My point been that, they happen to all of us sometimes (or all the time), but we only seem to think we are experiencing more after the first time we notice them. This is because we have become more aware of them and spend more time thinking about them. They havnt become more frequent, but we have just become more aware - thats all really. The reason we tend to feel them more during exercise a lot is because our heart beats harderm giving us a more pronounced 'thud'. So we feel them in exercise because they stand out more due to the heart pushing blood harder. Dont worry. You may be wondering if these can trigger a heart attack (more speciffically, ventricular fibrilation). They can, BUT only in people with bad heart conditions (Angina, heart disease - by which you will only be diagnosed with if you have had a heart attack). So if you have ever had a heart attack, or have a bad heart condition (high blood pressure does not count as a heart condition), then do not be concerned. Some of you mention having them for 20 years or so - concider this an advantage (stupid to think, i know), as your body has become adapted to your hearts rythm. I must say, if there is any change in WHATS YOUR USUAL HEART RYTHAM, then do see a doctor - this is not necisarily cause for concern, but just to check and out your mind at ease.