Question..

[belle]

I seem to get missed/skipped/thumping/abnormal heart beats without feeling anxious and they happen at any time of day or night.

I don't get them when i am having a panic attack, i get a racing heart, but that is 'normal'.

I did have alot of tests at the beginning of the year and they found i had atrial ectopics.

My question is this...is it NORMAL to get these when feeling perfectly fine and not panicky?

[jodie]

hiya

yes this is normal i have had ectopics for years now and get them more when i am relaxed than when i am having a panic,if you have had all the tests then try believe that your fine and they wont hurt you

jodie xx

[pinkpiglet]

Hiya, have you read the main menu to the left of this screen? Under the headline Health worries there is a section on palpatations which my fella recently found very useful. Check it our for yourelf!

[Mikke]

Yes, they are as normal as can be.

Atrial ectopics are NEVER of any concern. They are always completely benign. They are normal cardiac events, like a sneeze is normal for your nose or a hickup for your chest.

Here's a couple of nice lines from http://www.norcard.com/palpitations.shtml

"PACs are extra electrical impulses arising in the atria. PACs are always completely benign (non-life threatening) and usually do not require therapy unless the palpitations they produce are extremely symptomatic. In most cases, reassuring patients that the palpitations are completely benign, and that there is virtually no chance they will progress to anything more serious, will significantly reduce the degree of symptoms they are experiencing..."

[LeeBee]

I get my ectopics when I'm doing the most normal and unstressful things, like sitting around reading the paper, or chatting on the phone to my mum. Freaky, isn't it? But normal.

[Cathy V]

Yep same here. When i was over in uk recently on hols i went walking every day, got into stuations that sometimes produced mini-panics...and sometimes major ones too such as going to the top of snowdon on a steam train (still cant believe i did that but it was worth the panic on the way up!). Did all sorts of things during the days without any probs with my heart, no ectopics at all. But every night sitting reading or watching telly there theyd be, fluttering away! I get them at night in bed too, as soon as i lie down they seem to start, and lie on my left side? forget it!

Cathy xxx