Palpitations and shallow feeling in chest

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28 year old male, 181cm/70kg. I've had palpitations for two years now. Been to 5 different doctors, and nobody seems concerned. They've done blood tests, ECG and Echocardiogram and all results are normal. They told me a holter would be useless for these symptoms. I however am still worried.

Symptoms:

- Palpitations 1-2 times a month. It feels as if someone is twisting my heart in my chest up to 30 seconds. I could also describe it as if my heart stops beating or drops from my chest. No pain, and then goes away. I always get jump scared by it and my pulse goes up a bit as a result. It might repeat the same day later for another 30 seconds. Usually returns next month. I can sometimes tell that it's going to happen, my chest feels "shallow" or empty for a couple of hours prior. When the actual palpitations take place, bending my back forwards seems to lessen the sensation while it's going on.

- Eating heavily seems to have something to do with it, at least, those days when I've had the palpitations I've eaten more than usual. Sometimes breathing in heavily can start the palpitations, but only if I've already figured it's going to happen that day.

- This is the weirdest symptom. Sometimes taking a nap at daytime makes my chest feel strange for 3-6 hours after waking up. This is very strange and it's so hard to describe how this feels. It kinda feels like my chest is empty and my heart is more idle than usual, even though my wrist watch says my pulse is at around 70. It's hard to describe. It's like I can feel my chest feels weird the moment I wake up. If I would need to describe it somehow, I feel like my chest is missing oxygen. Why this happens after a nap, I have no clue. This doesn't happen in the morning.

- Some days I need to take many deep breaths and I seem to be aware of my own breathing.

- Symptoms usually occur when I sit or lie down.

What I have tried:

- Magnesium & D-vitamin for months

- Cut chocolate, caffeine and sodas out completely

- Good sleep rhythm

I have no anxiety or stress. That's for sure.

I have 2 allergy medicins for asthma, and they both do list palpitations as side effects, but I've used them for 10 years without problems prior.

I do burp a lot during the day, and I feel like a lot of gas builds up in my stomach. It's hard to believe that acid reflux could cause these symptoms though?

One thing I have to admit, I don't move a lot, if at all during most days. My job is in front of my PC, and its so hard sometimes to find time for walking for example. I have developed a bigger stomach these last years, but it's not at the state where I would call myself overweight.

Any help is appreciated.

 

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  • Posted

    On  one of my visits to hospital with AF they decided I had a GERD problem and gave me Lansoprazole 30mg once a day.   Their insistence.   The prescription had been 2 per day but I had taken only one and so prescription reduced to 1 per day.    Then when unwell earlier this year I found taking a 2nd one helped and asked to put the prescription back up ...whereupon the doctors got very funny but didn't explain why.      Reading the report on an endoscopy I then realised it was because small cysts found and there is a known link with them lansoprazole and cysts in stomach SO try my advise would be to try diet changes to resolve as first port of call because once you start on them there is generally no going back!   I tried.      Just read the Fodmap diet advise on what foods not to eat and am trying that out.      But totally understand the flu like feelings and bending and burping mentioned.   I can burp drinking water.     I think the diet advise (diet plan as opposed to diet) is probably very useful from what I have read so far. 

  • Posted

    I have dropped coffee and switched it to decaf, and the symptoms seem to be gone, at least for 2 months now. My guess is that the allergy medicine reacts with coffee.
  • Posted

    i know this is 7 years ago but you described most of how i feel. i couldnt find things on reddit/google, that related to my feelings but this does. did you end up figuring out whats wrong and what you did to fix/help it. I also do have anxiety.

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