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Heart palpitations while sitting/lying down

I am a 28 yr. old healthy female, 5'3 120lbs. exercise everyday. I've been getting heart palpitations for years. Recently they've been coming more frequently but mostly only when I sit or lay down. I do have an underactive thyroid and yes my levels were way off which can cause them, but why only when I sit or lay down they affect me. Any insight to this...
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Avatar universal
To someone who might be reading this. I read an article when researching this exact phenomenon. The article  suggested that it could be that the Vegus nerve felt pressure and when it does it sends a signal to the heart to produce more beats. I am a 15 year old girl and have experienced the same thing.  When I try and fall asleep sometimes it's so apparent that I can feel it shaking my chest. The Vegus nerve does this when laying on your back or your left side. I'm not a doctor so don't take my word for it.  But this did seem to be an answer to my problem. Laying on my right side slowed and or stopped it.
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone.  I've had heart palpatations with all the symptoms of everyone else.  I went to a doctor a little over a year ago and was told it was anxiety, which I thought was strange, because mentally I did not feel anxious.

Over past year the palpations continued, and despite being an active person, my resting heart rate increased.  My cheeks started to become ruddy, and I felt generally worse.  I went to another doctor and had an EKG, pulmonary function test, and a chest x-ray.  

The first two tests came back fine, but the chest x-ray showed emphysema.  My lungs had been affecting my heart.  Other symptoms were also because of the lung problem.  I never had the typical symptoms of emphysema,  such as shortness of breath,  coughing, etc.  It was my heart that was stressing the most.  Since then I feel better by diet changes and focus on breathing.

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Avatar universal
I feel for so many of you...I have had this for 12 years now. I would drive myself crazy thinking I was going to die in my sleep. It was hard on me and my wife....she was also terrified that I would die. It just started one day lol I actually remember the date because I haven't been the same since. Like most I feel like I can't get a good breath and sometimes I get dizzy. Lately it's been getting bad again laying down and sitting....I can only hope one day it will go away and I can feel normal again. Reading all these comments makes me feel like I'm not alone with this.
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I'm only 15 and the same thing is happening to me I have them constantly through the day alway monitoring my heart.    It will be okay until it happens.  One hard VERY noticeable beat.   Then it just keeps happening throughout the day I can't feel normal I'm constantly worrying and afraid to sleep
I read and have been taking Taurine 3000mg and L-arginine 5000mg daily along with magnesium to keep the PVCs at bay. I exercise 5 to 6 days per week pretty vigorously. I read exercising high intensity for more than 4 days per week can increase them. My resting heart rate is 58-60. I dont have PVCs when I work out, only at rest. May GOD bless you all.
Avatar universal
Wow, am I glad I looked into this. I though I was imagining it that while on my left side the palps are more vigorous. When on my right they stop. Problem is I sleep on the left side. I wondered if a new drug i started was the cause of this but it sounds like my age is more the problem. 1in 4 will have this at my age. I cant stop worrying about this and in fact I'm crying as I write this. I'm so stressed out. I'm afraid to go to sleep.  But this does help knowing some of these symptons are not my imagination. I'm going to contact my dr in the morning. My mother died at 64 of heart disease and I'm 62 and scared to death!
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I have heart palpitations also, I've been to all types of Dr's worn a monitor for 30 days they say they are not dangerous but I'm 37 and I don't know what to do. Maybe it menopause, I pray constantly I'm so afraid to be home alone. Now they are for weeks only slow but never go away like before. Please help. I take atenolol, magnesium and foltx. Plus Xanax .05 for anxiety from the palpation.
Avatar universal
get off a beta blocker and try a calcium channel blocker.  Worked like a charm for me!
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Avatar universal
AGAIN, SO thankful to hear from everyone.  I have had these since my 30's, and I just turned 56.  My first year into  menopause, and they are worse then ever.  Again, had them checked out, and I hear, "Oh these are benign, so many people have this, and don't even know it."  REALLY?  How can they NOT feel that pause??   I also read that when this time of life hits, if you are prone to them, they can get worse! Wonderful!!  I have tried amino acids, and magnesium. Got rid of all caffeine, exercise, not over weight, and try to eat right, most of the time. They are the worst, at rest, watching tv, reading, riding in the car.  But if I am active, keep moving, they are not bad as bad, still there, but rare.  So frustrating!  Just praying for peacefulness. :)
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Avatar universal
Thanks everyone for sharing their experience with PVC's, getting it out there helps everyone else out there who has the same symptoms. I started having palpitations approx. 1 month ago, I had a MI approx. year and half ago at 53  so first thing that came to my mind was OH NO I am having trouble with my heart, PVC’s started at less frequency and I felt it during exercise Skip or extra beat, then it progressed and on a weekend I had it continuously all night which freaked my out so went to ER. Doctor put me on Atenolol but this beta blocker did not agree with me so I was put on Calcium blocker. It has reduced the PVC’s tremendously but once a while I am getting after eating and while sitting, if I stand up they go away, weird! I also did a lot of research on internet and found a few sites that people were talking about taking Magnesium Taurate so I started to take these couple of days ago, they seem to help but may take some time to accumulate in the body
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Avatar universal
Thank you everyone for opening up. I know it's not easy. As like everyone else, I am afflicted with palpitations, flutters, whatever you want to call them. I have experienced them off and on for many years. When I first told my doctor, he tested me for asthma. It wasn't asthma. The palpitations didn't bother me too much, so I just learned to live with them. They were infrequent for probably three decades. However, this morning at 0400 they hit and woke me up. I was unnerved and unable to get back to sleep.

I almost always sleep on either of my sides, so I tried sleeping on my back. That seemed to help a little. Later they became stronger and more frequent. I became more uneasy and asked my husband to drive me to urgent care. There I had an EKG done but was told that everything looked good. Although my Heart rate was 63, my BP was slightly elevated (143/88).

I am 58, overweight by about 25 pounds, have high BP and hypothyroidism (both normal with meds). My husband and I retired and moved a year ago and we are having a new house built. We both joined a gym as we both have gained weight since retirement. I'm guessing that, even though I did not think I was stressed or anxious, my body felt otherwise.

Reading EVERYONES' posts has eased my mind, but I still plan on getting further tests done to rule out anything more serious. Thank you for bearing your souls and helping others. I pray each and every one of you finds your peace in dealing with this irritating condition. God bless you! (For those who don't believe in Him, I will just wish you peace.)
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Avatar universal
I am 52 now and overweight by 100lbs.  I too started suffering when I got out of college and went to work as a straight commission salesperson when I was 25.  At my age, I invented panic attacks and heart palps!  For 2 years I thought I was dying and with no late night help, I would usually go running out of my apartment in my underwear when they would start.  Did the beta blockers and the evil Xanax, which I finally got off both.  Then depression set in, which I finally got to the right medicine for me, Effexor/Venalfaxine, an evil drug that once you start is freaking impossible to get off of, but it is evident that all of us have a chemical imbalance in our brain that causes these symptoms, so get help.  Here is the bottom-line for survival.  You will always have palps, but as you age, you stop reacting to them because they become normal and you know that is part of your physiology.  You could get ablation and eliminate the excess pathways, but I chose not to.  Personally, my relationship with the Lord is extremely important to me as well, priceless, because I know that when it is my time to die, I will die, but if not, nothing on this earth will remove me.  Lastly, stay away from the worst irritants there are caffeine (any stimulants) and sugar.  

My hope is that you find relief in this message.  Your body was designed by our creator and trust me, it is extremely complex, but very, very resilient.  Always check with your doctor and make sure it isn't something more serious, because occasionally it is, but the majority of the time, it is something minute or your body adjusting itself to something that you either put in it or stress being put on you physically or mentally.    
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Avatar universal
I'm 40 yrs old 6'4', 260 lbs, and have had three-day episodes of palps about twice a year for the last four years.  It always came on with stress and went away in about three days.

This year, I had a prolonged (6 month) period of different stressors and the palps hit me bad.  I do believe it was the prolonged stress that caused problems.

I had always drank a few beers on the weekends and one or two cups of coffee every day.  I'm in fairly good shape, but do have an elevated blood pressure and take medication for that.

When I saw my doctor for the palps, about seven months ago, nothing showed up on EKG, a stress test, and a 24 hour EKG.  I had ten straight days of palps, which then turned into about 40-50 PAC's per day.  My doctor's advice was to stop all alcohol and caffeine.  I did that.

Having stopped all alcohol and caffeine, I continued to stress myself out over that idea that what I was experiencing was something more than what it is.  My doctor prescribed Atenolol (beta blocker) and the symptoms almost disappeared for three-four days, then would return.  He'd prescribe a larger dose, they'd disappear for a few days, then return.  Repeat.

I read somewhere that someone's doctor recommended Benadryl.  The next episode of PAC's I gave it a try.  Bingo.  It worked!  I told my doctor.  He told me that was not an efficient way of dealing with anxiety.  I think that was my breakthrough.  From that point on I realized my doctor truly believed there was nothing wrong with my heart.  He signed me up for an anxiety class where I learned my palps were actually a secondary condition to the anxiety.  My mind had convinced my body to engage in fight or flee mode.  Once I understood the symptoms, I am 95% better.

I still get an occasional palp sleeping on my side at night and if I've had one too many beers on the weekend without hydrating.  

I think the best way to deal with our situations is to control our minds.  I believe the main culprit is fear.  It should never have taken me 6+ months to beat this thing.  For others it seem like it's taking longer.  The best advice I can give is to look back on your worst episi\ode of palps and realize that you lived through it.  I suppose it took me six months to come to terms that my palps were just an annoying glitch.  Hopefully you can realize that a lot sooner than me.
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1 Comments
Benadryl? Maybe I shoukd try that, this is driving me crazy and it been over a week already. Im scared
13160217 tn?1428790491
Wow!  Like many of you, I feel relieved to hear that I also am not the only one with these palpitations that won't go away.  However, it sounds that I should nonetheless go to a hospital to check out and rule anything out in what it may be or what is causing my palpitations.  

I'm 37 and soon to be 38, 5'5 and 200lbs or more.  I initially had these palpitations while I was studying for my MA in TESOL in 2013 and they would last all day for weeks on end and then when I finished my MA, they eventually went away.   I was looking for a new job and once my previous contract was going to end soon and I didn't have a job yet, and having to think whether I needed to move to another city or not or did I have to move to another country for a job....palpitations came back non-stop again.  

The palpitations are bad when I wear things that are a little tight or when I'm sitting or when I lie down, however I'm able to sleep.  

When I read it may be possible these are 'anxiety or panic attacks' suddenly....my palpitations stopped!  I just never considered it may have been an attack from anxiety or even from panic.  I even notice when I pray to Christ Jesus or when I talk to people, the palpitations calm down or goes away completely.  I never considered anxiety or panic attacks because I don't feel I have a lot of stress, but....now I wonder maybe my mind doesn't think so but my body perhaps does.  Does that make any sense?

Thank you so much for everyone posting on here, I do feel great relief so many others in the same position as I am, even when they are already so healthy or much healthier than I am!  Crazy!  

At first I thought perhaps I just wasn't active enough, as I dislike sweating and exercise.  But even when I did a lot of stairs and walking, I still had palpitations, but then it might have been the heavy food I ate over a meal that day, too.  

I'll for sure cut caffeine and heavy foods and change my health and perhaps even foster a small dog to help me go outside for lots of exercise.  

But there seems to be a lot of tests I could get...any suggestions on which I should get done?  
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Avatar universal
Hi!
I looked up the symptoms of POTS but none of them apply to most of us.  These palpitations just happen, there is no dizziness, headaches, nausea or abdominal discomfort, no sweating or lightheadedness.
I went for a second opinion, and like my regular doctor, this one said they are in complete agreement with the original diagnonis.  Nothing to worry about..its just one of those things and is probably my anxiety.
I dont like it though. I want a proper answer.  Seems I should go for a 3rd opinion and just keep going until someone does something about it.
Thanks for the link though :)
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Avatar universal
I've been suffering from the same symptoms for years. Been getting a little worse as time passes. Not sure what causes them either. Yes, sitting watching a movie will trigger them too. I didnt know why. I have a difficult time getting to sleep also. 3 am sounds about right. Sometimes I can get to sleep right away. ( I thank God for that ) , but that's a rarity. Once in a while I might go for a couple of days without symptoms too, yipee !
I think having something to eat after 5 pm will stimulate the palps. I usually go to bed about 10 pm. Eating a lot will initiate the symptoms also, no matter what hr.
I'm a 66 yr old male.
I wish everyone of us good luck in dealing with ******* symptom.

Superflii,
Irvine, ca
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Avatar universal
look up POTS and get a tilt table test
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postural_orthostatic_tachycardia_syndrome
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Avatar universal
Sounds to me like anxiety.  Panic attacks from anxiety often cause symptoms similar to this...it almost feels like youre having a heart attack.  You've got a lot on your plate with a young child, its a stressful time.
It was the shortness of breath and tight chest that used to do my head in.  Ive found that since Ive started talking to a counsellor, my anxiety has lessened and so have my palpitations.  I still get them but certainly not to the extent I was.
Try to relax a little, maybe go and see your doctor for a Mental Health Assessment.  It doesnt take very long and will confirm whether you have anxiety or not and could also lead to a solution.  Try not to panic when the palpitations happen - all that does is bring on other symptoms.  I hope you can find a solution, good luck :)
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Avatar universal
Sounds to me like anxiety.  Panic attacks from anxiety often cause symptoms similar to this...it almost feels like youre having a heart attack.  You've got a lot on your plate with a young child, its a stressful time.
It was the shortness of breath and tight chest that used to do my head in.  Ive found that since Ive started talking to a counsellor, my anxiety has lessened and so have my palpitations.  I still get them but certainly not to the extent I was.
Try to relax a little, maybe go and see your doctor for a Mental Health Assessment.  It doesnt take very long and will confirm whether you have anxiety or not and could also lead to a solution.  Try not to panic when the palpitations happen - all that does is bring on other symptoms.  I hope you can find a solution, good luck :)
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11334226 tn?1417325351
I have these problems too and there is an solution eat less sugar, drink more water, find natural medicine for stress, eat right, exercise regularly, drink less caffeine, don't drink alcohol, eat and drink weed don't smoke it.
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Avatar universal
Hi sorry to hear your pvc's, I had them for years and made a couple of changes to my every day life. Firstly I started taking fish oil, actually krill oil tablets, one per day, equivalent to five fish oil, krill is stronger. I also only have one coffee per day and one cup of tea, only have one square of dark chocolate each night. I take one echinacea,garlic,zinc and vitamin tablet per day in the morning. I don't eat much in the way of steak or red meat. I am not certain but I was taking prostaide forte for awhile and it has sellenium which I suspect may have cuased pvc's. I also have given up chilli so bottom line is they have stopped completely for over four years now. I hope this information may help you, I am 60 years of age, kind regards Lindsay.
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Avatar universal
Hi. I am 23 and I have had an echo stress test and ekg and all is well.they tell me its caffine so I slowed almost to a stop. I say what im haveing is palps but honestly I dont know. I have like half hr episodes. Its like I have my main beat boom boom and then I  have a back griund one every couple of seconds that says boom boom boom real fast over top of my main beat. When I go to the doc it never happens for them to hear. Scares me it all started around my daughter turned 9 months she just turned two. Some times my arm tinglesso I pop an asprin and step outside for fresh air. I get so scared I get short if breath. Help please im to young for this ha.....
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Avatar universal
Think I will try the meditation and also the walks.  Definitely need to increase the water consumption.  Good luck with everything :)
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Avatar universal
Oh this is amazing!  I too, have read the posts back from 2007 and have noticed the common thread of anxiety.
Ive had palpitations for years but in the last year, they've become more frequent.  For the first time last year, I had a panic attack which scared the hell out of me.  Went to hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack and had all the tests but it came back fine.  Since then, Ive noticed the steady increase in palpitations.   I had a holter monitor in February but they didnt pick anything up.  When I went back to my GP for the results, he performed a mental health check and I was diagnosed with severe anxiety.  He says this is more than likely why Im having increased palpitations.
Ive just noticed that, after two weeks of holidays, Ive returned to work this week and the palpitations have increased after a relatively quiet month or so.
Like others, its when Im lying or sitting.  I can work out at the gym quite hard and not have one episode while pushing the limit but as soon as I stop...BAM!
Im heading to the doctor again in two days and was going to ask for another Holter monitor but Im sure he will insist that I go to see a Counsellor to learn to control my anxiety!  Thats what he suggested last time!
I actually feel better knowing Im not the only one out there.  Good luck to everyone, lets hope we can all learn to relax and maybe slow these damn things down!
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Avatar universal
Glad this string is still going I also live like all of the rest of you  47 in very good shape clean bill of health and I thought the doc's were all missing it but I'm not alone Thanks for helping me see it's not just me Thanks to all and be well!
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Avatar universal
Forgot to mention I am 37 year old female 5'3. Slightly over weight by 15lbs. Palpitation starts when I sit or lay down.
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Avatar universal
I read all the posts since 2007 on here and it is amazing. I have anxiety and depression but it was caused from PTSD. I have the cough with my palpitations like everyone here. Also, like everyone I use to have it once or twice a year now its every night. I did just start a business from ground up that had me working from 10am to 3am. So, my stress level was real high especially since I had to go back many times to fix things that I had already done (so annoying). Anyway, I am very happy I found this page because I am now realizing that starting yoga, meditation and nature walks is the right thing to do (started yesterday). I read you guys talking about increasing water. I am doing that now. Unfortunately, I also back way off of my precious work that I love to lower the stress levels. I will post back to let you guys know if all this made a difference. Lots of love and healing for all of you.
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