Is this a heart murmer

[kykkos]

Would appreciate help.  I have what I think is a heart murmer which I have experienced on and off for the last few years.  To try & describe it - It feels like my heart skips a beat and slightly takes my breath away.  It has been very frequent for the last 8 days - daily, varying from every 2 to 3 mins to every couple of hours.  

1. is this a heart murmer?  
2. what is this a symptom of?  
3. can this indicate a thyroid condition?
4. i am going on hols to asia in 4 days - diving & then mountain climbing at 14,000 ft.  i have never mentioned this condition to my doctor & am v busy with work before i go.  do i need to have any concern or can i see my dr when i get back?

fyi, i'm a 31 year old female.

any help much appreciated, as it is rather disconcerting, especially in meetings!

thanks,

kb

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear kb,
A heart murmur is a sound that the heart makes and usually indicates a 'leaky valve'.  What you are describing sounds more like PVCs and PACs.  You can find many other postings concerning these on this site.  Frequent extra beats can be an indicator of thyroid conditions.  In general PVCs and PACs are benign and do not interfer with activities.  If you have concerns about this before your holiday you should at least discuss them with your doctor on the phone.

[nervous nelly]

I HAVE HAD A FLUTTERING FEELING IN MY CHEST AND ALSO HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF TESTS DONE.THE TESTS ALL INDICATE NO PROBLEMS,BUT SOMETIMES I GET THE FEELING FOR DAYS AT A TIME,EVERY COULPLE OF MINUTES OR COUPLE OF HOURS.I FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE THAT THIS IS OKAY FOR MY HEART AND IT'S SCARY-THE DOCTORS SAY NO CAFFEINE AND CALM DOWN.THAT'S HARD TO DO WHEN YOUR HEART IS JUMPING OUT OF YOUR CHEST!!!!DOES ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THIS?

[Daedalus]

Dear kb,

I am also not a doctor, but for what it's worth . . .

It sounds exactly like a PVC you're describing.  Skipped beat, breath taken away, then for me a much harder (sometimes painfulish) beat afterwards.  Sometimes I get a few in a row.  Sometimes a handful of really noticable ones per day.  Sometimes none in an entire month!  Definitely check with your doctor (when you get back from Asia if you haven't already), but there's probably not much that can immediately be done about it, and regardless of how they feel sometimes, they won't kill you (or so everybody says).  There are some possible things you can do to reduce the likelihood of experiencing them--some of these may work, some may have no effect whatsoever:

1.  Reduce your stress levels.
2.  Reduce or eliminate your caffeine intake.
3.  Stop using decongestants.
4.  Moderate exercise (and definitely see your doctor before taking my word for it!!!).  My cardiologist told me (and this is just me!) that a lack of exercise can help precipitate more frequent PVCs, and that a mild amount of cardiovascular exercise can help strengthen the heart muscle, its electric infrastructure, and reduce the episodes.  Take it slowly at first, and stop if you have ANY problems.  Exercise also relieves stress levels, which can help (see above).

I've also noticed that my PVCs really increase around September/October.  I have a sneaky suspicion that this may relate to certain allergens in the air around this time (I get more phlegm and stuffed up, and PVCs increase, it seems).

[Daedalus]

Dear Nervous Nelly,

I am not a doctor, so keep that in mind!!

It sounds like you might be having tachycardia (rapid heart beat).  I've had a couple instances of this, where my heart beats very, very fast and hard.  The first time for me, it lasted for about 5 minutes, the second time about 30 minutes.  This was more than just a flutter.  But since you describe it as your heart "jumping out of your chest", it may be tachycardia.

Tachycardia can be very dangerous, but sometimes is not.  If it is tachycardia (and I emphasize, IF it is--take your doctor's word on it, not mine), get yourself to a hospital or emergency clinic when it happens.  If you can get someone to drive you (family member, coworker, whoever) and you're still having the wierd heartbeat when you get there, then they can give you an EKG and tell exactly what it is.

Ventricular tachycardia (the form I have, but there are a few other different forms) can be treated surgically.  If this is happening to you multiple times a week, it's probably best to get it treated.  If it has only happened to you a couple times in two years (like me), then surgery might not be worth it, especially if your heart is otherwise healthy (like mine).  As always, see a doctor, and try to catch your heart in the act at a hospital or doctor's office.

[Reeta112]

Hi my name is Reeta, and I had Heart Murmer when I was 5 and it has recently come back and I am not 17. I also am anemic which makes it worse. I understand what anemic means but what exactly is a heart murmer and how does it affect me?

[mr mojo]

I too had diagnosed pvc's.  It turned out that ASTILIN (sp?) nasal spray was causing them ~6-8 hours after use.  I quit using the ASTLIN and haven't had pvc's since! Neither the ER doctor nor my family pract. made the association when told what drugs I was currently taking, but said " Yeah that could cause it I guess..." when I mentioned it to them later.

God Bless

M