Heart flutters

[prjose56]

Hi everyone.  Just when I thought I was getting my life back on track something new comes along and knocks me back down.  Earlier today I was walking and all of a sudden felt my heart quiver for about 3 seconds.  My heart rate dropped to the 50s then slowly sped up to around 120-130.  It stayed around there for about 15 minutes.  Now I'm really worried this is going to happen again out of the blue.  Has anyone else had this feeling?  Was it atrial fibrillation?  I know the only way to diagnose would be to capture the arrhythmia, but from what I've read that's what it felt like.  Please help >_<.  

Jose  

[sueinns]

Hi Jose:

Your symptoms are very similar to mine.  Approx 6 months ago, I started having palpitations.  My pulse quickly went from a low of 54 (I'm athletic) to 120 and stayed there for about 20 minutes.  This was accompanied by skipped beats, extra beats and dizziness.  Very bizarre and scary.  The symptoms lasted about 5 days and then stopped.  Then about 3 weeks later, they started up again so I saw my doctor who referred me to a cardiologist.  Three months after the initial episode, the palpitations and dizziness became a frequent daily occurrence.  Anything exertional would bring them on.

I was given a loop monitor and diagnosed with PAT's (paroxysmal atrial tachycardia).  Due to the frequency of palpitations and dizziness, I was put on Metoprolol (beta blocker) 25 mg  daily (1/2 tablet twice a day).  The palpitations are definitely better.  The dizziness still occurs but not nearly as much.  The problem I'm having with the beta blocker is fatigue and not being able to exercise intensely (but I couldn't do that with the palpitations either - they are exhausting).  I am hoping that this will eventually improve.  If not, I will definitely consider ablation because I am told that it is quite successful in treating PAT's.

[Soopster]

I'd like to start out by thanking everyone on this forum.  I've been reading for months now and your words have gotten me through some pretty rough days. I've suffered with pvc's for the last 16 years.  Oddly enough they began after the birth of my second child. I've never had more than a hundred or so a day until 4 years ago when out of nowhere I started getting 20,000+ per day.  My cardiologist did a full work-up and told me to relax and they'll go away.  After 2 weeks they went away.  Two weeks later they were back again.  I was in full panic mode at this point and started taking Zoloft and Xanax which I found very helpful and no, the Zoloft did not increase my pvc's. Again, 2 weeks later they went away and I was back to my normal one hundred or so per day.  Two years later I stopped the zoloft but kept the Xanax in the medicine cabinet just in case.  All was well until last August.  I was on vacation in Cape Cod relaxing and having a great time when BAM, out of nowhere they came back.  Only this time I average about 1,000 to 2,000 per day.  They are on and off with no set pattern.  Sometimes they get worse two weeks prior to my menses.  Point being this... I just can't stand them anymore.  My gp thinks I should try a beta blocker.  My cardiologist tells me that the beta blocker will do more harm than good and not to worry about them.  But as you all already know that is easier said than done.  A friend of mine has pvc's and her cardiologist told her to take Toprol as needed when she was getting large numbers of pvc's.  Has anyone else ever heard of this?  I wonder if I should just try the beta blocker and see if it gives me any relief.  I'd appreciate any advice.  

[Soopster]

I don't know how I posted under heart flutters.  My apologies, I was hoping to start a new thread.