Fluttering, sinking feeling, dizzy, heart racing

[dmbe70]

I am a 36 year old female with no known health issues other than this.  I will be standing talking with someone, or watching TV and I will just get this very weird sensation, I literally lose my breath and my heart just flutters.  It feels as though it is literally fluttering.  In the seconds it happens, I get dizzy, very weak and shaky and can't catch my breath.  When it stops, I am very weak and shaky for minutes after also.  It stops within seconds (maybe 30 at most), but has lasted more than 2 minutes on 3 occasions in the past 2 years.  I have had the stress echo, u/s, blood work and worn an event monitor for 30 days and was told it is SVT, as they did catch that on the monitor, (with all the pac, pvc activity that really doesn't bother me.)  But this particular feeling has NEVER happened on her monitors that she gives me.  Does it sound like the same thing (SVT), just maybe worse on some occasions than others?  On the EKG, what can they rule out?  Can they see if there has been some arrhythmia?  I just feel as though this more serious episode is something else.  It happens this badly, infrequently.  Maybe 5 times a year, but when it does it is quite intense and very scary.
Any thoughts, or ideas would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!
...Danielle

[dmbe70]

I should add, also, that when the fluttering happens, my heart rate is almost nonexistent.  Then it shoots up and races.  very odd, I know, though I am sure someone understands what I am saying!

[ravinesh]

i no iam the same. I used to have these very bad heart racing beats at times 5 years ago. at times my heart would just start beating very fast and i would get reali hot and feel like cant breath at all. The doctors reckon it was panice attack but i just didnt know wat it was. it was very scary. lasted for 2 years but then went away for 4 years and now its come back again . and even worse. now i feel dizzy all the time and very  
weak and feel like cant breath . i dont know wat 2 do. i have missed work so mch cuz of this. my throat feels very dry. can n e one help?  

[bannanas]

I have the exact same thing occuring with me, and I have had it for years... I have no idea what the condition is, except its scary as heck!! I sometimes feel numb, I sometimes feel shaky, at this very moment actually. My doctor tries to tell me that its passing gas in my rib cage, but I think that is non sense! I know what gas feels like and this is not a pain but a discomfort completely! Its scary and makes me feel warm and worried.. When my heart feels like it stops I freak out, then it races instantly and I have to keep feeling it to make sure I am okay, and I have rushed myself to the ER so many times over this and for some reason they always send me away! I feel for you because this freaks me out to no end, and I worry that it is something severe. I try to ignore it but it actually at times makes me sink into panic attacks.. Which is NOT the same thing at all as this condition, but the attacks do not help it either! I attempt to fix it on my own by watching out for Caffine or foods or sometimes even lack of sleep, but this does not fully help me. This is just too strong of a feeling to be ignored mostly!! I wish I could help, or that you could help me ..

-Whitney

[bobbiel]

I had  the same feelings as you and everytime they came the feeling was something else and I'd say this is different and I was doomed to die. SCARY is not the word. I now believe that all those horrific episodes were panic attacks and today i could get them but i don't let them in with a strong mind and knowing i'm not going to die. Best thing i did was to get on the phone and talk to someone or do something to get my mind off of the feeling. I'd get so bad that my heart would race to the point of passing out. The fear was so intense that i was uncontrolable. I caused a lot of the episodes with a bad life that dragged me down to the pits of hell and after that I still kept getting the attacks until I believed that I was causing them.  Maybe this is not your situation but your mind can play a big part of the problem. Now, I don't know what your situation is but you can beat this problem. I know because i did. I now suffer from palpatation and I'm going to schedule another dr. visit.   limiting your intake of aggrevators is good but you can beat this problem. You need really to have a complete check-up from a cardiac specialist....just in case you haven't to help your mind heal itself. Don't let those feeling get out of control because it will get you in a bad state. move quickly and get on the phone and call a friend or someone who understands.,,, your mom, dad sister. I don't know if this helps but even just talking about it  helps.  
bobbiel  

[bobbiel]

Danielle,
Those feeling sound like panic attacks to me. They can be far in between or frequent. I had them and I believe they were cause by the stress in my life but even after the stress left I still had them and I believe that I caused them by thinking about them which was hard not to do due to the fact that they were so god fearing scary. I always thought I was going to die and each and everyone of them was different so I thought this is it.I'm doomed.  My husband at the time always told me that I was causing them but I didn't believe him because I lothed him. The doctors kept me on tranquilizers and I thought they were trying to kill me.  Those attacks are so bad that they make you think the worse. You may not believe me and that's ok but, think about it and try your very best to fight back and get your mind to believe that you are not going to die and that's it's a condition you can control.  They never hurt me and I fought  them with the belief that I'm to blame and stop doing that!!!!  Of course get your doctors check.  when they start peeking their head get on the phone and call your mom or dad or sister someone who loves you and understands you and tell them what your experiencing no matter what time it is. Or if you're strong enough to fight it on your own believe you can do it and believe it's not going to harm you and you'll be able to weather it through. Too bad we can talk to each other I know having someone who understands will help.  
Stay strong,  bobbiel

[WantToManage]

Just to throw my 2 cents in, I agree with bobbiel, what you're describing sounds very much like panic attacks to me because I've been in through them too.

They can be tricky because they can (in fact they often do) occur when you're not conscious of feeling stressed at all.  The first time I had one I was sitting in a restaurant with an old friend having a very nice time.  They're always scary, but once you know what they are you can train yourself to get through them by reminding yourself that you know what's happening and that you'll be OK in a few minutes.  

I went to the doctor after my panic attack and was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).  I now take the SSRI Lexapro and it has helped me a lot.  But medication isn't the only way to deal with anxiety; there are exercises and therapy helps many people too.

It's worth looking into the symptoms of anxiety and seeing whether they ring a bell with you.  Good luck!

[1fastroush]

Does anyone smoke cigarettes that has these panic attacks? I used to smoke at 32 and had all of the same issues as everyone else on this board. I went to the ER several times and got to where I felt like I couldn't breathe at night when I layed down. I changed my diet, controled what I drank, ( no sodas) because they also told me it was gas. The one thing I finally did was quit smoking and I haven't had a problem since. Still eat what I want, still drink sodas, still have gas. Just don't have those attacks no more and I am now turning 37. Just wanted to put this out there if someone smokes. Hope everyone gets better that is a terrible feeling...

[scmom3]

I have been there for years, to the point of passing out.  Everyone will always assume it is a panick attack and maybe it is.  Hospitals, ER are not much help, they assume you know what is happening to you and this is just another hospital visit.  You need to go to a dr and get a full exam, EKG and echo.  I have mitrovalve prolapse 3 of my valve dont always work.  It took me years to find out, because I was young when it all started, stress can always make it worse.  To make matters worse, years later after my twins were born, I find out that I have thyroid disorder.  I had trouble getting pregnant, so my thyroid had been checked numberous times over the years nothing came of it.  When the twins were almost 2 years old I find out I have Thyroid, which can cause a heart errythmia (spelled wrong sorry), along with some other serious conditions.

Please get your ekg and echo, get your thyroid checked, it is not always hereditary.  Rule everything out first.  And anxiety also has to be minimized it does make everything worse.  Good luck.

[michaelcgregory]

Where do you all live? If it is not a panic attack (and it doesn't sound like it in most cases), it might be dehydration. Drink more water.

[KBedmedpa]

hi danielle i am a medical student and future pa from what you have described it sounds a lot like Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) which is episodic, with an abrupt onset and termination. Manifestations of SVT are quite variable; patients may be asymptomatic or they may present with minor palpitations or more severe symptoms, it sounds like you get the severe and scary symptoms which are that which may feel like a heart attack but are not and the best thing for you to do is get in touch with your family doctor and get a recomendation to see a cardiologist and an electrophysiologist who can give you an at home halter moniter to wear which will show all of your hearts activies for 24 hours or longer depending on what they want, its a great idea to have a cardiologist for SVT, Studies also show that SVT can be cause by caffeine or phenelealynine which is common in diet sodas and PKU can be a cause for SVT but again its not majorly backed so dont quote me on that one, but your best bet is if you do actually pass out become diaphorretic or really sweaty or get pain that radiates either from your chest to either your arm your back your neck your jaw along with shortness of breath it would be wise to go to the er SVT can be a scary thing so get in contact with your family physician and get a cardiologist