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skipped heartbeats, please can I have some help :(

Posted , 33 users are following.

JGoodman
JGoodman

Hi I'm an 18 year old male, yesterday I suffered what felt like a series of skipped heartbeats followed by a rapid pulse. I ended up calling an ambulance, the paramedic took me to A&E and they caught quite a few 'ectopic beats'. they tested my blood and gave me a chest xray and they said that everything was alright. I went home, and I continued to have them on and off. I eneded up going back to hospital and they did same thing, ecg and bloods then sent me home. they just told me that i'm seeing a cardiologist soon and having an ultrasound of my heart. How am I meant to live like this?? they feel horrible, my whole body jolts when I have them and they give me a horrible feeling that makes me cough. I can't do anything, can't relax or do any basic daily things. I'm so worried these are going to ruin my life or even worse; kill me. I have had 3 whilst typing this up. After every ectopic I feel I'm convinced that my heart is going to stop. 

I'm going crazy, what caused them? I hardly ever drink, don't consume any caffeine, don't smoke and I have a healthy diet accompanied by plenty of exercise. 

I have lost 3 stone intentionally, I don't know if this is related?

Additional info: I'm on 1.25mg of bisoprolol because i used to get a rapid pulse, but I never used to get irregular hearybeats. 

Someone please talk to me, I can't even think straight, I'm just worried about the next ectopic beat sad 

p.s. are there any dietry triggers? apart from caffeine? i.e. chocolate or sugary things? 

3 likes, 66 replies

66 Replies

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  • karen1105
    karen1105 JGoodman

    Posted

    Don't worry or it will make them worse.

    I suffered from them also and wore monitors for a period if time do they could see how many I had and I had over 45,000 extra beats ( ectopic ) beats in one 24hr period. 

    They will probably leave you and monitor you, everyone has extra beats in heart rhythms but keep calm as stress is not good 

    • JGoodman
      JGoodman karen1105

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply Karen, it's a fairly new thing for me so i find it impossible to relax. They start as soon as I eat for some reason 
    • gail87421
      gail87421 JGoodman

      Posted

      Hi I have been reading the conversation and thus is all so familiar . I have been having ectopics and irregular heartbeat for over 40 years and I still find them distressing . I wish I wasn't aware of them ( many people aren't ) but I feel every ectopic beat . I also take verapamil and have tried so many different beta blockers in the past but nothing really works . I can go months with just daily isolated e topics and then I have runs if continuous extra beats like now . I am on my fourth week of continual ectopics . The answer is to try and ignore them . I still haven't managed that even after 40 years ! .......they are horrible 

    • samanatha_93868
      samanatha_93868 gail87421

      Posted

      Hi Gail see you only recently wrote on this wall so thought I'd write back as other comments over few years ago.

      I also suffer from eptopic have had such a roller coaster time over this last 4 years before 2013 never had any heart issues! Very worry and hard to keep being told "I'm fine just ignore them" I do my best tho but some weeks I have bad weeks and don't want to do anything but sit and think about them and GOOGLE!!! Obviously that makes them so so much worst! Got to the point of now just wanting to clean because it takes my mind off of them. Do you know how many roughly you can have a day?

      Thanks Sam

    • rose37204
      rose37204 gail87421

      Posted

      Your post could have been written by myself!  Exactly how I feel, getting them now.  I take Flecainide, which has helped a lot for a few years, but now it all seems to be building up again.  Only people who suffer with them can really understand how horrible it is.  And it does feel like the heart is faltering and may stop...  reallyunpleasant.  

       

  • ann35714
    ann35714 JGoodman

    Posted

    I know exactly how you feel. As sarah has said they come and go. I can have them for days and then none for a while but it is still scary, I take magnesium tablets and this has helped me. Avoid all sugary drinks and especially fizzy ones. Completely avoid caffeine and also liquorice,if you eat that, it has an ingredient in it which causes irregular heartbeats. I have suffered for years. I am on 5mg of bisopralol. Keep talking and try and keep calm, not easy i know.

    Ann

    • JGoodman
      JGoodman ann35714

      Posted

      Mine haven't left me yet, they're still here. They usually start as soon as I eat breakfast, I don't drink any fizzy drinks or caffeine so that isn't a problem for me. So does the magnesium help? I might consider trying them
  • Merryl
    Merryl JGoodman

    Posted

    Hi, I know exactly how you feel because I get the feeling that my heart is going to stop too.. I have been getting these symptoms for over 30 years and only a few weeks ago after phoning an ambulance for the 4th time in 5 months that I was diagnosed with AFIB. I was told at first I had ectopic beats but I think they come with the AFIB but not sure. I get the ectopic beats on and off all day and some of the beats are worse than others such as, the beats are quite strong and I feel slightly breathless and they are frightening.

    I did'nt have any for 3 years and in June this year they came back with a vengeance and still having them. Like I said, I have had them a long time but with breaks in between. My Dr referred me to a physiologist which I did'nt know about until I received a letter for an appointment which is in 2 weeks time. I don't know if I will be offered an ablation but If I am I will have it done. 

    Hope you get some answers soon.  

    • JGoodman
      JGoodman Merryl

      Posted

      Sorry to hear you are experiencing the same thing. Do you have any tips on how to deal with them? I find it so hard dealing with them when they come because they feel so frightening. 

      Let me know how it goes. 

      I've had a few ectopics whilst writing this, I feel awful. 

    • Merryl
      Merryl JGoodman

      Posted

      When I get the palpitations and the beat takes too long to come back I have a drink of water and then for some reason I burp and this clears it until the next time. And as you said food starts the palps as well, this happens to me too. If my heart is beating too fast I sit down and take deep breaths and wait for it to pass.

      I had a bad day yesterday and still got palps today. I find this gets better towards the evening. I also get chest pain but been told my heart is sound. So can't wait to see the physiologist.

    • JGoodman
      JGoodman Merryl

      Posted

      Do you know if there's any specific reason for getting them after eating? I just ate a salad and had about 5-6 of them, out of curiosity I also tested my blood sugar levels (my mum is diabetic so she has a blood glucose testing device.) and it was quite low, I wonder if low blood sugar relates to an increase in ectopics in any way? 

      I try and do the same, but always struggle as I get all anxious and stuff 

    • Merryl
      Merryl JGoodman

      Posted

      The only thing I can think of is, the heart is next to the stomach, so it could be that eating could put pressure on the heart. I had a letter this morning  from my local GP to have a blood test for diabetes and cholestrol but the bloods came back normal when I was in hospital for a night so hope I have'nt got any of them as well. What was your diabetic levels when you took it? 

         

  • Catarenna
    Catarenna JGoodman

    Posted

    Hi, I've suffered from Etopic Beats for years and yes they are very fightening and annoying. But they do go, sometimes for years and then come back again. I've found that taking Magnesium Suppliments helps a lot. Magnesium definecy is one of the largest causes of heart arrhythmias. Also no chocolate no caffeine at all and lots of water. Also make sure you are not low in Iron as this can also cause them. Keep the weight down, eat Organic as chemicals and food intolerances can also cause them, and exercise and get enough sleep. Mine seem to be brought on by stress, lack of sleep, sickness and any sort of major upset. I hope that helps. Mine are back again but not every day and I have been under a lot of stress lately so might be that. Who knows 😉 it's comforting to find others out there who have the same thing, it makes it more easy to deal with.
  • k3rivers
    k3rivers JGoodman

    Posted

    Hi J,

    Relax, it is going to be OK. These symptoms started for me a little later in life and I could not agree with you more.  I HATE THEM. I thought my life was over also but guess what?  These ectopics will not kill us. I too am a very healthy, active, eat healthy type of gal. Not too much alcohol or caffeine either. When they 1st started, I thought I was going to die.  I rushed to my cardiologist and tried an ablation, but it did not correct them. I am on a quest with you and the others on this wonderful forum to find the cure. I use to be up all night with them, they would be with me most days. I have read alot on helping them. Some breathing methods, eating methods, etc.  I do believe there is a huge GI connection....hernias, overeating, etc. Mine have gotten better but I still have them every day and night.  I try to ignore them now that I know they won't kill us. Stress makes them worse. I am here for you as getting on this sight has helped me the most as I did not know there were so many of us ectopic sufferers. Let me and others know what helps you.

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