Palpitations

[daisycake]

Still confused about all this. GP asked me to keep a diary of them which I did - and she concluded my symptoms were normal. I get skipped beats usually at rest in the evenings but sometimes laughing, or indigestion, or exercise, or moving position can trigger them. For example my friend and I were walking up to his last week, up a hill and I kept getting missed beats. I had also though just consumed 3 chocolate bars and a sugary drink - and was also carrying my laptop on my back plus uni books. Ended up quite dizzy and breathless which always happens when I go into places that make me anxious, or if I do any exercise - its like I constantly bring up wind and that relives the breathlessness but it all seems to induce palpitations. I'm so confused. My GP said if they were worrying I'd have angina, severe shortness of breath, fainting etc and that doesn't generally happen BUT all internet sources (other than CRY) suggest you need a 24hr monitor and an echo to be sure - especially if exercise triggers these things. I'm so worried, tired and confused about it all - I just generall don't know what to do anymore. My GP's an absolute star and I saw her once last week + spoke to her on the phone.. I've had 6 ecgs over my life, 1 at 7, 1 at 15 and 4 in the last few months. One during an episode of panic and one during an episode of chest pain - all normal. So maybe there's no need to worry but I just can't stop thinking that there might be something up. I've no idea of family history as I don't speak to my father nor his family - but my mum's side are all healthy as far as I know...

[E99]

Hiya, i have suffered from palpitations and missed beats for the last couple of years and have been to my docs on and off about it, i recently had an echo which was normal and am due to see a cardiologist this month but my GP tells me these ectopic beats/palpitations are normal... i have been worrying about them for a while thinking i am gonna have heart attack, stroke etc.. but now i am beginning to think that they are symptoms of anxiety.. i had a bit of a panic attack on wednesday and since then i have been feeling awful, really disconnected from myself as if i am not really here which sounds ridiculous as i know i am here!! Been thinking i am going mad!! I also worry about my heart as two of my grandparents had heart problems.. but to be onest i think anxiety has a lot to answer for!! If u are really worried then go back to GP and insist on further tests, but i think they will probs come back as normal, hope u feel better soon xx

[Ella_Jayne]

Daisycake I can soooooooooo relate to this. My palps come at the same times as yours, laughing especially. I went for a walk with my sis a while back, up a hill and my heart was skipping beats, I felt horribly dizzy as well. It's actually amazing as to how much I can relate to your post.

I was in the same position as you. At first I wanted an ECG then I kept reading that the palps needed to be caught on a 24hour ecg, then I heard about an echo... And after my doc finally gave in and I had all of these tests come back clear, after about a week, I still wasn't happy.

The fact that you're chest pain and panic episode were caught on an ECG is a very positive sign that what you're experiencing is benign palps, like me. It doesn't matter if you have 1 million tests, they're all gonna come back fine because your heart is fine. It's healthy. If anything was structurally abnormal it would show on an ECG. So you don't need an Echo.

I know palps are scary but I hope you find some comfort in knowing that I have felt the exact same. Even now I get palps. The past week has been a bit of an anxious one for me and I've had palp after palp, laughing, talking, basically for anything! But I'm still here. You'll be fine. The tests you've had are enough. Your heart is healthy.

[countrygirl]

I have everything you do and more!! I think it is very difficult for us to accept what the Drs consider "normal" I saw cardiologist a few weeks ago and he said they mean "normal variations" of heart rhythm which of course does not feel in any way normal to us - he also said maybe a better way of describing it is that we have nothing happening to us that is harmful- he told me that on my 24hr ecg I had multiple ectopics one after the other that would make me feel horrible and faint but they were not harmful to the heart. so maybe try and think of them not as normal in other words what are you complaining about but as horrible but nothing that is harmful to you.

[laurajoy88]

Hi everyone,

I have suffered really badly with my irregular heartbeats this weekend and its soo scary! Does anyone get it where if say you bend down to pick up something it beats fast then slow then jumpy, and then u get up and it does it again, almost as if its doing somersaults inside. ?

I've been getting it as soon as i wake up and it will flutter, and i find if i cough it kind of helps but still feels funny :( also get quite gassy and stuff. I dont drink any caffeine and have had all of the heart tests including ecgs, echo and chest x ray and its all fine so what is wrong with me :(

I tried to start fitness on saturday using our xbox kinect after about 5 years of no exercise.. i think it might of started because of that maybe? or perhaps cos im pretty run down with a chest infection atm, on antibiotics as well as taking my citalopram 20mg.

I've suffered with this racing heart before and the doctor said i had SVT (superventricular tachycardia) which is totally harmless but i thought it had gone away :( horrible horrible horrible!

Oops sorry this post is pretty long now.. x

[Pinkella]

Hiya iv'e experiences missed beats,heart flutters and palpitations on and off over the last 8yrs....less so the last 5 yrs....

I had a 24hr heart tape monitor....and all revealed a normal heart....Heart flutters,palpitations,missed beats are generally a reaction to anxiety as the consultant informed me...rarely are they serious...

My anxiety has improved over the yrs which has = to improvement in heart palpitations,missd beats,heart flutters

Pinks x

[Ella_Jayne]

How are you now Daisycake?

[daisycake]

Hiya all not soo bad, still a wee bit worried but managed to go to shops today so I suppose not too bad! Have to tackle going into the city, for a hospital appt, on Friday which is basically my worst nightmare at present but I'm going to push myself into it my period started this morning too so am wondering if its all related! Thank you all for your lovely words friends are trying to get me to go to Zumba (dance) classes next week - which will be good I hope as I need to lose weight/get out more! So worried I'll get palps while I'm there but I suppose worrying will only make it worse lol. I keep reading what they say on CRY, that an ECG will pick up the vast majority of defects, and my dr said its good they caught me during panic - my heartrate was up at 119 which came back as VT seemingly, but they said that was a false result and not to worry - the next 2, which were taken within minutes, were fine so..

[Ella_Jayne]

You're fine hun. And you're right, I notice around my period that my anx levels are much higher so that equals more symptoms. Don't know why though. Zumba classes look like loads of fun, definitely go.

I started doing spinning classes and let me tell you, they are hard work! Thought I'd collapse and at one point my heart felt like it was going to explode but it didn't. Had a few palps during it too but just kept going. You'll be fine. Go, have fun and let your heart do what it's supposed to do. You're heart is healthy, anything abnormal would have presented itself by now. Have fun!

[EvieC]

Hi all,
I've had these horrid things for nearly 4 yrs now - I can go a couple of months without having any and then - BOOM - it's like "here we are, we haven't left you" lol!
I notice them way more before my period and also if I bend down to pick something up, lie on my left side or sit a certain way , of course as we all know, sometimes they are completley random! I take 40 mg of Propanpolol a day and, whilst they don't get rid of 'em totally - I think they help the racing and panic as this has all but gone (fingers crossed!)
I've had all the tests and I'm still here - my Mum put it best when she said to me "Honey, you'd be dead by now" (if if was anything serious)
I really think alot of it is mind over matter, though that is hard to remember sometimes as they are so bloody awful.
Get yourself out there and live life - I find the busier I am - the less I have!
Take care
XXXX