1. Community
  2. Heart Health
  3. Cardiac Arrhythmias

HELP

Posted , 12 users are following.

rich_03470
rich_03470

So, I've been dealing with 'palpitations' for the better part of 18 years, I am 42 at this point and they started when I was roughly 24.  I have been taking Atenelol since that time frame as well.  I used to get the 'extra beats' or the 'skip beats', 'flutter' or whatever you want to call it, from time to time.  I would say, 1 quick flutter for roughly 2 seconds....that would happen once a day, every month or two.  They were so far apart I rarely took notice of them.  NOW, fast forward to today.  Ever since last Saturday (7/21) I've been having them ALL DAY.  Flutters, hard beat....like 5-10 an hour all day.  I've made a call to my cardiologist and he scheduled me for a stress test and an ECHO (one is Wednesday and the other is in 2 weeks).  It's extremely alarming since it's happening so often, so much more than I have experienced before.  I have cut out caffeine, I don't drink or smoke.  I don't have any other side effects like being dizzy.  I can still complete my everyday tasks at this point, I just get concerned that these beats are happening more often and they are now associated with a headache.

I know I've read these beats can sometimes cause a stroke, I fear the pain I'm having in my head after these flutters are a symptom of that.  Even though the Dr doesn't seem to be worried, I think I would find comfort knowing someone else has had them with the same frequency, I don't even know if this is a lot in the grand scheme of things.  

I've lot about ER, I know they would do a complete workup on my blood, EKG, etc....but I don't know if that's because I'm more panicked than anything.  I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown with these extra beats.  Like the title says, HELP!!

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

Next
  • jennifer44574
    jennifer44574 rich_03470

    Posted

    Hey Rich, don't panic! Some people have more than others, I personally get about 5-6 palpitations a minute at the moment! Others get more than this and others have much less. Good news is your getting looked into. Palpitations feel weird but unless you're getting a constant run of them i.e. heart is almost stuck in a rhythm for minutes/hours/days, then you're going to be ok, and even then, you're most likely still going to be ok smile 

    • rich_03470
      rich_03470 jennifer44574

      Posted

      Hi Jennifer, thanks for the response!  What do your 'palpitations' feel like, I know I read that everyone has a different sort of experience.  For example, mine are just the flutter like feeling that the heart has done an extra beat.  Like I mentioned above, I think the thing that makes me nervous is that I've been dealing with 1-2 a day, then have them gone for a week or two to now dealing with them everyday, all day.  

      What are you doing for your palps??

    • jennifer44574
      jennifer44574 rich_03470

      Posted

      sorry for the late reply, I've only spotted your reply!

      So the palpitations I get now basically feel like a beat, then a pause, then the next beat is a heavy thud in my chest which makes me a bit dizzy and I have to catch my breath. I tend to describe them feeling as though I've just realised I've forgotten to do something, like a little adrenaline rush. according to my last monitor I get about 1500 of them a day at the moment, so that's a lot of little adrenaline rushes!! but learning to live with them. I'm not taking any meds, I had an ablation for a heart condition a few months ago which fixed my exercise-induced V-Tach but hasn't fixed my PVCs/palpitations. When I get a particularly bad day of them, I basically try to distract myself, get away from my desk, take big breaths, try and relax. doesn't always work, I get them no matter what activity i do (currently laying in bed and getting a palp every 10 beats or so) so i just am trying to ignore them!!

      how are you getting on??

  • marcy39929
    marcy39929 rich_03470

    Posted

    Hi Rich - I know very well how palpitations can make you feel anxious. I had them for four months straight constantly everyday. Had a complete work up and reassured that they were benign and not doing any heart damage. What was explained as a hiccup in the electrical rhythm. Some people have them and don't feel them. Mine would happen every third or fourth beat and would feel either like a flutter, a thump or like a sinking feeling. Thank God I only feel one rarely and am so thankful. They do cause anxiety and that only makes it worse. I'm sure you'll be OK.

     

    • rich_03470
      rich_03470 marcy39929

      Posted

      Hi Marcy, thanks for chiming in.  You got one thing right, they are certainly enough to drive me crazy with anxiety.  I hope you are correct though, I do have the stress test on Wednesday so I know that will offer me a little more comfort if all goes well.  However, if my heart is ok and nothing to be worried about, I hope he can find a way for the flutters to go away because of the anxiety they bring!!
  • jx41870
    jx41870 rich_03470

    Posted

    I'm another who has had 5-10 per *minute* and worse, and I can't get the doctors interested and, well, I guess I am still walking around.

    But it won't hurt if you take a baby aspirin every day, maybe some fish oil, throw in a CoQ10, taurine, and magnesium for good luck.  If you're not already doing all this - start!

    How much atenolol are you taking?  I've used it as-needed to fight the arrhythmias but at tiny doses, anything like a "normal" dose turns me into a zombie.  It does seem to help.

    • rich_03470
      rich_03470 jx41870

      Posted

      Right now I'm taking the 50mg, cardiologist recently upped it from 25mg but it doesn't seem to have helped.  I'm still experiencing the flutters daily, every hour.  Again, I think they reason for concern on my part is that they were happening so few and far in between that all of a sudden they are happening daily.....just making me anxious. 

  • Q-ball67
    Q-ball67 rich_03470

    Posted

    Hi Rich my name is Kevin I’ve been having these hard heart beats and pvc and pac , and heart palpitations  now for 35 years I’ve been having them the last two months every day a  a bunch of pauses over and over all day long I just wore a 48 hour heart monitor and they told me not to worry about them they can’t hurt you that’s what they say but it does worry me still I had a cardiac ablation for SVT and now I have a lot of extra heartbeats and PVCs ,pvcs are the bottom of your heart beats before the top and causes a Pause I feel Every one of them in my throat area I have a choky feeling every time I have one all day long so don’t worry right now nerves can really make them worse stay stress free if possible  I am 51 now I started having these heart problems at age 16 good luck 
  • moon53540
    moon53540 rich_03470

    Posted

    Have you had a D-dimer? Or a chest CT scan with contrast? I had palpitations and I went on beta blockers, but still had problems with my heart beat. I got diagnosed with multiple pulmonary emboli earlier this year but had problems for years before where I was misdiagnosed with anxiety.  It is very often missed particularly if you are on beta blockers. If you have the D-dimer don’t take aspirin before hand. 
    • margaret83583
      margaret83583 moon53540

      Posted

      What is a D diner?   Same as a ct scan?  So many tests hard to keep them all straight?  Thank yiu
  • jenny61596
    jenny61596 rich_03470

    Posted

    I suddenly started having ectopic beats, always had a few after I had heart surgery, but not often and was on no medication . I think they started with me because of stress and I had knee surgery and was taking Endone etc for 2 months. I was put on beta blocker ,bisoproponal , 2.5 mg anyway took half and my blood pressure went to low, so took a quarter , this seems to stop them and also stops my anxiety. Im hoping when i see cardiologist i can stop. Unfortunately they can have bad side effects , my low dose seems okay but any more and I feel really odd, when they did a holter monitor for 24 hours I had 9000, seems anything over 5000 and they treat it. Try not to worry , but if your head ache is really bad go to emergency better safe, don't worry if its a false alarm. good luck, maybe see about something for your anxiety, also look up York cardiology , and see loads of really helpful videos they have made on all types of arrhythmia , i found it helped me and calmed me down when i got more knowledge, Dr Gupta is the guy he's great and very interesting, let me know if it helped listening to him

  • margaret83583
    margaret83583 rich_03470

    Posted

    Rich, how are you doing now?   I had an abliation and cardioverted in March.  I am wearing a two week monitor now. It is so easy to get crazy over these crazy beats.  Frightening. I found the whole thing made me depressed.  
    • rich_03470
      rich_03470 margaret83583

      Posted

      Agreed, I don't feel like my normal self because I'm starting to become so consumed by these flutters.  I don't feel bad, not at all....I can still do the same things I always do but when those flutters come, it zaps the energy from me.  Big time. I actually hate it. 

  • leon21657
    leon21657 rich_03470

    Posted

    Well i have just gone into hospital today in limassol cyprus the doctor said i have heart falure.

    I have had injection in the stomach

    And have taken about 5 tablets.

    Just seen heart beat at 49 bit low.

    But will know more tomorow.

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.