Heart/nearly fainting

[countrygirl]

I am off to Drs for emergency appt at 5pm. I have had ectopics heartbeats for over 20 yrs well investigated and told harmless plus if anxious I get very fast heartbeat up to 140bpm. I had 24hr ecg a few months ago that showed ectopics and told all fine.
Occasionally when I get hard ectopic I fet pounding heart afterwards and can feel a bit lightheaded.

Past couple of months I have hardly noticed ectopics but today I was lunching with friends - I had had a large lunch and felt as if I had eaten too much and I am a chatterbox and was leaning over table chattering away when I suddenly got a pounding heartbeat in my head and ears and I went very faint to the point of losing my vision. I said I am going to faint and someone pushed me to the floor and I didn't actually faint but got very bad adrenalin panic feeling afterwards - racing heart/sweats/had to rush to loo with very loose bowels and trembling all over.

I had terrible burps and a bit of sharp pain in top of chest but this past after I had burped the gas up.

I can remember this sort of thing happening once before about 3 yrs ago when I rushed up stairs and sat down and was talking nineteen to the duzone at my husband when I suddenly got same pounding heartbeat and went very faint - my husband said it was because I was talking so much i wasn't breathing properly!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going on hols in two days and panicking that dr will put me in hospital.

will let you know what she says

[blueangel]

Eeek, that all sounds very scary.... I have had similar incidents happen myself, and in the end I've put it down to hormone surges, as it's only really happened to me since I went perimenopausal.

[dodo]

Do let us know how you get on but perhaps it was acid causing the ectopics? And I have had before where I've been talking too much and felt faint and dizzy. Be interesting to know what they say but I'm sure it'll be all and nothing. Good luck!

[countrygirl]

Thanks both for replying so quickly - I am perimenopausal as well, joy of joys. Interesting to know someone else who has gone faint when they are talking alot - maybe we literally don't breathe enough because we are talking so much

The worst problem I find is after something like this is that I worry worry that it will happen again and this makes my ectopics and or fast heartbeat worse and the anxiety makes me feel lightheaded and iffy and I don't know what is causing what. About 6 years ago I was at a coffee morning when I suddenly went faint and breathless out of the blue and had to rush outside- I was literally next door to my Drs surgery at time and went staright in and got seen and she said it was not my heart but it knowck my confidence totally for ages afterwards about being out and about.

[dodo]

I know what you mean about the confidence thing. When this happens to me a few times I tend to withdraw to the comfort of my home and get fearful of going out with others in case something happens.

[countrygirl]

Saw the Dr - not my usual one but she is older and been there yonks and she said she listened to my heart and took my bp - surprised she said me bp was fine- my heart was fast but sounded fine. She said she thinks the full stomach and bending forward slightly probably caused me to feel faint and often the first physical feelings of a faint are pounding heartbeat and funny feeling in chest. She said the adrenalin rush after it could take 24 hrs to subside.

She did say obviously if it happens again and I do faint then go back as it would need investigating but she thinks the fast heartbeat and ectopics started after rather than caused the symptoms.

I'm not 100% happy as the pounding heartbeat in my head and chest did make me think it was from my heart but she did not seem very concerned.

Ihave told my husband if it happens again to call an ambulance in case it is my heart going haywire - I hate the worry that it will happen again and what if it is my heart and it doens't right itself.

[paula lynne]

Hi Im having bloods next week as my gp thinks my ectopics are hormone related...yes...pre-menopausal!! and tingling in hand now...blooming hormones eh! hope you feel better soon x

[Going home]

Countrygirl, there is also evidence of this happening when your stomach is full if it irritates the vagus nerve. This is the longest nerve in the body and meanders from the base of our brain to the groin and its affected by the stomach and the heart. If stomach or heart is irritated its because of this nerve as it connects the two. Ive suffered with ectopics for many years too, and if I eat a biggish meal and then cannot burp afterwards I get ectopics.

Also if you're an anxious person anyway then your breathing probably isn't the best and taking in too much air can upset the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance and this can make you feel faint. I remember the peri-menopause very well and was an awful time for me for about 7 years before my periods stopped...hormones have alot to answer for

Hope you're feeling a bit calmer now.

Anna xx

[countrygirl]

Thanks everyone - can't say that I am any calmer as the ectopics have kicked off big time which I assume goes to show how much anxiety and adrenalin affect them. I am getting the feeling that your heart is fluttering in your chest then the thump and then the loud beats in my head for a few seconds and the slight lightheaded feeling.

I have a bad case of the what ifs like it is my heart and it might go haywire any moment and that will be that - I have even found out you can buy a home defib and now want one just in case. If I didn't need to tell husband so he could use it if he had to then I would just order one now.

I have got a very busy week ahead - travelling up and down country for three days from thursday and my husband is out all day sunday and am on my own and am terrified of being left on own but don't want to ruin husbands like as well!

[ladybird64]

I'm sorry to hear you had such a fright but try and take reassurance from the fact that nothing drastic actually happened, you have been checked out by a doctor and you are ok.

I had a look on the internet about home defibrillators (was shocked to hear they are just selling them for home use!) and noted that the experts really don't recommend them unless they are known heart problems including a previous cardiac arrest and also if they live in an area which is inaccessible for an ambulance.

You have had ectopics for a long time and have had tests which say that your heart is functioning normally..try and take some comfort from that.

By the way..I think I may need to join the ranks of the perimenopausal women here..we should start our own club!