Terrified by palpitations and missed/added heartbeats

[Runnergirl]

Hey everyone!

I'm new to the forum and it's really nice to be part of something where other people seem to be feeling how I'm feeling..

For the past few months I've been getting palpitations and more recently it feels as though my heart is either skipping a beat or adding an extra one. This is happening a lot and it's affecting my life as it's making me afraid to run (which is one of the things I love most) and sometimes it gets so bad that I'm afraid to be on my own as I'm worried that as a result of these irregularities, something horrible is going to happen like I'm going to pass out or have a heart attack :-(

A few months back I was in a situation where I was spending too much time alone and I started having panic attacks. Since then I can't stop taking my pulse and in turn more often than not I notice that my heart doesn't seem to be beating normally.

A year ago I had an ECG and 24 hr heart monitor as I was getting slight palpitations (although nothing as bad as I am now) and I was told that everyone was normal.

I ran my first marathon last October and I guess I'm worried that the stress from that on my body could have given me something wrong with my heart!?!

If anyone is in a similar situation or give me some reassurance then please do..as I'm writing this my heart is pounding and it's horrible and scary :-(

I'm an anxious person who suffers from mild OCD. I'm over the moon happy with what is going on in my life right now. Things are certainly stressful for me at the moment too but could this stress and anxiety really be causing all these weird feelings??

[JT69]

Hi Runnergirl,

I know its easy to say but you will be ok and there is nothing wrong with your heart. I suffer with both palpitations and missed heart beats...its horrible...mine just come on out of the blue occasionally.....with no real apparant cause!!! I have also had an ecg and that was fine it did show the missed beats but they told me it was stress and anxiety.

If you read through these threads you will find alot of others that suffer the same.

I do hope that re-assures you some what and know how worrying it can be as even though I have been told its o.k you still worry!!!

TC
Jo.xx

[Karenm]

Hi there,

I'm sorry you have been suffering with missed beats etc,. I think the fact you have run the marathon is amazing!! That means you have a very strong and healthy heart Anxiety can do all sort of things to our bodies so I am sure that is what is causing your problem. The more we worry the worse we feel them. All easy to say but I haven't had any for ages now purely because I have managed to relax my thoughts and then my body follows. Have a chat with your doctor, he will reassure you and then you must pick yourself up and start again. I have also read before that ectopics/palpitations are very common with athletes.

Take care

[emmawalton]

hi i get palpitations too and find more so after i have had a night out drinking.

[Runnergirl]

Thanks so much guys, really. It's reassuring to hear that you have/are going through a similar thing as it's hard explaining it all to people who don't get these palpitations/missed beats, etc. Everyone says 'try to relax' but it's not that easy as you know.

I've been trying some deep breathing which helps a little and on the days I do go out running and I start to get weird feelings I stop and sit down and just breathe for a while. It's scary when I'm on my own but I'm trying to deal with it and see it as something weird my body does when I'm stressed but which isn't going to hurt me. Sometimes I can believe it but other times it's really difficult not to listen to the doubt..

I've been reading that alcohol, sugar and caffeine can make anxiety worse and in turn the missed beats, etc so I'm trying to stay away from these as much as I can for the time being. For the last few days I've been sick and taking so much of my inhalers as I'm asthmatic and this in itself increases my heart rate.

I've felt really anxious the last few days but reading others feelings on this forum has helped me relax a little I think. I'm having to stop myself from feeling my pulse every time something feels just a wee bit not right to me..

I signed up for a half marathon at the end of next month. Right now I'm still a bit scared about whether I should run it or not but I really, really, really want to and I hope I can!! I can't let my anxiety beat me and stop me doing what I love!

[JAYQ]

I am trying to get myself to fully understand the feeling of having an ectopic heartbeat. This maybe just happened to me a few mins ago and i have had these feeling im about to describe before like a few weeks ago. In the last 2 years ive gotten this feeling about 10 times i guess.

For me it when it happens it is very very sudden and i feel like this pressure drop in my chest like my heart has completly stopped with no pain really just like ive lost breathe or somthing and im about to have a heart attack i make myself cough to get rid of it and this is when it starts to make me have a panic attack because i get very anxious im about to die or something and pass out from not being able to breath cuz i feel my heart has stopped.

It is just so very scary symptom and i hate it so much. Is this really an ectopic beat or what? I just feel like it isnt and really is me about to have a heart attack or something but like i said it comes with no pain.

[ciccone-hassell]

hi yeah i no feeling i had ecg/holster dun in dec 2011 they found slight raised beats and skip beats to but saying it fine , hasnt helped me much tho as the twinges in chest i keep thinkin i gunna die " docs asured me twinges are muscle pains as i'm weaker on left side of chest / arm , i do admit tho i noitce symtoms more when doing nothing or alone , hope all members well

[Typer]

I was reading that rather than deep breath, it would be better to breath normally, rather than quickly, in though the nose and out through the mouth every time you remember.

[chris4]

Hi Everyone..just want to thank you all for sharing your journeys with anxiety..has given me calmness and knowledge that l am not alone...have suffered anxiety for 30plus years..am at the moment going through another episode..with skipped heart beats convinced there was something sinister waiting to happen to me until l started reading some of the posts..bless you all..our journey will ebb and flow...

[Typer]

Hi Chris, have you joined our little group on face book. See my link, but also see the group has moved - we all help each other and it really does help as does this wonderful place