Palpitation Woes

[nifer968]

37 year-old female, 95 pounds.  No other real health issues.  I had been having stomache problems since August 2005.  My doctor started treating me for reflux, but it didn't help.  I ended up losing 13 pounds very fast because I couldn't eat.  After a lot of tests it ended up being my gall bladder.  I had my gall bladder removed about 7 weeks ago, and I am able to finally eat.  I have added about 3 pounds back on.  During all the testing for the problem I started getting heart palpitations.  They would last almost all day and affect almost every beat of my heart.  I had a two week period in which they improved and I thought that was that.  I have had EKGs, echo, nuclear stress test, and 24 hour holter.  The problem is that only one EKG caught the palpitations.  The other tests were considered normal.  My Cardio saw all but the failed EKG.  When I mentioned it, he said he didn't need to see it because the rest of the tests showed my heart to be okay.  He put me on 12.5 mg. of Toprol.  It has helped, I think.

My questions:  1.  Should I have a holter done to make sure the worst of my palpitations are recorded?  2.  Could losing weight so fast have injured my heart?  3.  If something is wrong with my heart, the Cardio would have seen it in my tests right?  Having the palpitations at the time of the tests woudn't make a difference?

[Cleveland Clinic]

nifer,

Thanks for the post.

1. Should I have a holter done to make sure the worst of my palpitations are recorded?

You have an ECG with your symptoms. This should be sufficient. Unless the symptoms are markedly different, a holter will not provide any additional information.

2. Could losing weight so fast have injured my heart?

You have test showing a normal cardiac evaluation. While you might have had some electrolyte problems when you were sick that may have increased the intensity of your palpitations, it is unlikely there is any cardiac sequlae.


3. If something is wrong with my heart, the Cardio would have seen it in my tests right? Having the palpitations at the time of the tests woudn't make a difference?

Right. Try to relax, youve been through a lot. Time to move on to a healthy life.

Good luck

[yellowrose]

man i can understand the paps thing , iam having a very hard time with mine now. its hard to belive you have a few here and there for years and than boom, ive been having them for weeks like every 15-20 mins. its so scarey, i have had a heart scan, a ecco and wore a 30 day event recorder, they keep telling me no worry just pvc/pac. but why after all these years does it get bad am 47 now ,started having them at 23 no where like now, i take timolol 5mg morning 5mg at night, have been on it for 15 years could it be less  since ive been on it so long? maybe i should change med , i go tomorrow for a nother ekg my dr wants me to have since am having so many anyone elsa been through this . thanks

[upbeat63]

Hope your next test comes out ok, sounds like all the previous ones did, so chances are your next one will too. Hope that gives you some comfort.

You ask if anyone has been through this and the answer is yes. If you read through some of the older threads, you'll see many on this site who suffer greatly from PVCs/PACs.

Like you, I've had them for more than 20 years, and recently I've had them for weeks and weeks, actually a couple of months in trigeminy--about 20 or more a *minute. 12.5 to 37.5mg of toperol a day seems to help lessen the sensation, very much, but not the frequency. Actually I find the side effect of fatigue to be quite helpful now that I'm taking 25mg at night--it helps me sleep better!!! Just one more note, I know some women experience more PVCs with perimenopause/menopause. If that is the case for any of us, it will be nice to be on the other side of it and experience less!

[nifer968]

Thank you for the replies.

I'm not sure what it is called, but when my palpitations were at their worst, it was every beat for about 5 minutes.  Then it goes away for about 5 minutes.  There were days when the break between them was longer, but it still affected every single beat when I had it.  Since I started taking Toprol, it seems to make it not last as long.

Can anyone explain trigeminy and bigeminy?  I'm not sure what words to use to explain my palpitations that occur every single beat.

This site has been a relief for me.  It is comforting to know that I am not alone.

[yellowrose]

thank you for answering , hate we are going through this but helps to have others . i had a total hist when i was 23 so ive gone through it i guess. but i know what you mean as far as having them for weeks this is the second time this year ive been through it and its about take me out, i know if it was going to really take me out i would be gone  after all the paps but each time its scarey i go two weeks thinking its ok they will go away after that it startes getting to me, so i call dr, iam sure the ekg will be fine and they will tell me what it is pvc/pac but its still scarey, and i might ask to change my drugs not sure if being on them for 15 years will make them work less maybe i need a new drug lift. thank -you  hope you have a pap free day

[yellowrose]

when you are on toprol can you take a extra pill if you need to, like take half if your heart startes to race ? i have to have med that i can take extra if need to

[PikaPika88]

Hi,

I think it is very important that the dr can view the failed EKG.  Try to get a copy and show him.  Or get another dr to view the failed one and see what he/she says.  If you unable to obtain the failed one then think about the holter.  Was the 24 hour holter caught one of your bad episole while you wore it?  

I told and complained for 9 years about the palpitations.  EKG at the cardio appointment time so it showed normal.  No other test required.  Until my palp did not go away for more than 24 hours then it caught right away at the clinic.  It showed out is "wpw".  Most of the time even now, Dr still think is my head problems because it paced at 70.  Even I felt like an "express train" or "train stopped all stations", balloon head, SOB and dizzyness.  They told me it is normal and go home "wait and see".  I hope you get sort out soon.

Pika.

[nifer968]

Unfortunately, I was not having palpitations when I wore the 24 hour holter.  That was the only time that I wanted to have them.

I will call the doctor's office and have them send my failed EKG to my Cardiologist.  I forget the wording used, but when I looked it up it said that it looked like my heart had a previous heart attack.  That EKG is the only test I have that actually showed anything because it was the only one where I was actually having the palpitations.  They got worse after all the tests had been performed.

Everytime I go a period without having them, I get my hopes up that they are going away.  But then "Bam" they come back and knock me down.

I am trying to get back to a normal life.  I just don't want to think about having these for the rest of my life.  I was hoping they would go away once I was healed after my gall bladder surgery.  I guess there is no reason for them.

[yellowrose]

i know how you feel when you say they come and go, been going through it  this year worse than ever have, but they keep telling me not to worry, they wont hurt my heart or kill me. have to take them at their word, nothing more i can do. paps are hard to catch , but one day you will get lucky like me and they will see them. hang in there. hope your pap free tonight .

[PikaPika88]

I'm afraid by that time they caught it, the heart had already tear!  One dr followed the other.  "What's the other dr said?" Nothing wrong...  The rest of the Dr gets back up and all will follow to said "Nothing wrong".  They told me it is all in the head.  Live with it, nothing wrong.  Everyday I have to live with all these: train, blowing bubbles, elephant and cat purring in my chest!  Can you believe that?  Can you tell any different caught or not caught?  Sorry....

Pika.

[Heart3]

Hi:  Just posting a comment.  

I have for years at least 9 been having pvc's.  On and off.  Could be months without feeling a things, then boom just like that they are every day all day.  Scare you to death.  Then as quick as they come on the disappear.  I have tried to track them etc.  Have had holter years ago, EKG'S ECHO AND SEEN THE EP AND THEY SAY IT IS ALL NORMAL,  I THINK THAT WAS WHEN I WAS JUST HAVING PVC'S I am doing another holter event monitor as I type.  They are now telling me that I have Pac's, and short runs of Atrium (sp) tachardia.  DOES ANYONE KNOW IF PVC'S LEAD TO THE OTHER TYPES OF ARRYTHMIAS, OR ARE THESE THINGS ALL SEPERATE. I live scared, and it is a horrible way to live.  

Of couse since I have had this event monitor on, I haven't experienced the longer flutter that really scares me to death, I am hoping to catch it before I return this thing next week.

I have read through most of the posts, and we are all in the same boat here.  It is releaving to talk or type to people who actually understand and not just say they do....:)  

Is there a message board that anyone hear goes to for support?

[windowgirl]

Pacs are a different type of arrythmia than pvcs. Pvcs originate in  the ventricles and pacs in the atrium. Pacs are considered even more benign than pvcs because the worst arrythmia that pacs can deteriorate into is atrial fibrillation(Not life threatning), whereas pvcs, if not benign, run the risk of deteriorating in to life threatning arrythimas such as Vfib.
I sympathize in how you feel. I have had pvcs/pacs for years, and live scared and with anxiety. I still have hope that they will away  all together one day, be I doubt it. I have hard that it is VERY rare that once you have them they will go away for ever.
Good luck. Let us know how your holer turns out.

[12acorns]

50 y/o white male, 5'10", 185 lbs. I work out regularly 3-4 times per week. 1-1.5 hours cardio same for weights. Late last year routine physical discovered a-fib during ECG. A-fib is completely asypmtomatic. Follow up w/ cardiologist found some evidence of WPW with no underlying disease or defect. Cardiologist advised quit exercising and see an EP. Subsequent follow up with EP who determined WPW indication so slight as to be almost imperceptible. EP said continue with current lifestyle, IE cardio, weights, snow shoveling, etc. EP also advised me if a-fib ever began to annoy me to consider RF ablation. Currently my normal heartrate working out is a regular 120-145 BPM. Occasionally when a-fib cycles in during workout BPM will go as high as 215 irregular but remain completely asypmtomatic. I generally just finish my workout and go home. Heartrate returns to normal 65-70 BPM within the hour. I do not want to take medication because of side effects. I am trying to avoid RF ablation because no one who seems to have had one has ever commented they were CURED. Anyone out there  who can contradict this observation? Anyone out there see any similarities?

[12acorns]

50 y/o white male, 5'10", 185 lbs. I work out regularly 3-4 times per week. 1-1.5 hours cardio same for weights. Late last year routine physical discovered a-fib during ECG. A-fib is completely asypmtomatic. Follow up w/ cardiologist found some evidence of WPW with no underlying disease or defect. Cardiologist advised quit exercising and see an EP. Subsequent follow up with EP who determined WPW indication so slight as to be almost imperceptible. EP said continue with current lifestyle, IE cardio, weights, snow shoveling, etc. EP also advised me if a-fib ever began to annoy me to consider RF ablation. Currently my normal heartrate working out is a regular 120-145 BPM. Occasionally when a-fib cycles in during workout BPM will go as high as 215 irregular but remain completely asypmtomatic. I generally just finish my workout and go home. Heartrate returns to normal 65-70 BPM within the hour. I do not want to take medication because of side effects. I am trying to avoid RF ablation because no one who seems to have had one has ever commented they were CURED. Anyone out there  who can contradict this observation? Anyone out there see any similarities?

[tickertock]

Very interesting, i'm no doctor but always been interested in WPW as i suspect I might have the concealed type.

My understanding of WPW is if asymptomatic it just needs to be monitored, if you're rates are below 225 bpm with a-fib, then Rf is a judgement call on the EP treating you, though as precaution RF is almost always the first line treatment nowadays. Believe me they are success stories you just dont hear about the successful ones as often, though I personally advocate it as a last resort.

My suspicion is that you have intermittent preexcitation and is completely asymptomatic while even in a-fib. Trust your Ep and follow his/her recommendations. These are only my opinions on a condition that has always intrigued me. After age 35, chances of SCD as I understand it from WPW is probably on par with the normal adult population without such a condition.

[George8211]

Several years ago at a Halloween party my palpulations got so bad I left, the following day I had a Fluttering feeling from my heart.  Felt like if was filling up like a balloon... and bouncing around a bit.  This was happening every several minutes.  I went to my family doctor... It happened while he was listening to my heart.  He said I was having Micro Heart Beats... Approx 3 very rapid heart beats, followed by a pause (The pause was the time that it would have taken the normal 3 heart beats)

He said this was Very Common.  His advice, Cut all Caffine from my diet.  Eliminate all: Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Alchol ect... I did and they stopped.  He told me the rapid beats wouldn't hurt me... they would just feel uneasing.  He said to experiment and find my tolerance to those foods.

Personally, I have found that the following cause me to have palputations: Coffee, Chocolate, Cookies with Chocolate, Alcohol, & BBQ sauses.

You probably guessed... the Halloween Party experiance was from an overdose of Chocolate. LOL

[12acorns]

Hello Tickertock. Some reassuring news you provide. I was wondering where you got the info regarding the 225 BPM heartrate. I feel likewise that invasive procedures like catheter RFA, Maze, etc. should definitely be last resort.

[CollegeGirl143]

Hi everyone.. ive never posted anything on here before but i was trying to find anyone whos had a cathater ablation done..Im a 20 year old female, 105 lbs b/p 115/60 Ive had SVT for about 6 months (they think its AVNRT)and its been pretty ongoing and severe since the start.. yesterday i saw an electrophysiologist and he wants me to have an ablation done.  im having the procedure done on april 3rd, and im terrified. Over the course of this whole thing ive become totally paranoid and anxious. Is there anyone who has had a successful ablation?

[tickertock]

Hello. This is a site about WPW you might find interesting.

http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic2417.htm

The best reassurance you get should be from your EP doc. This article is not rate specific , but in atrial fibrillation , the atria quivers at rates of 300-600, with WPW , the danger as I understand it is 1:1 transmission from atria to ventricles via the bypass tract. rates of 220 bpm and under usually suggest there is no 1:1 transmission going on. Follow your EP's advice and go from there, chances are you might never need to do anything invasive about it.Good luck.

[Heart3]

Hi collegegirl:

I know nothing about ablation, but I have read a lot here.  The Dr. that answer the questions above suggest that you make sure the Dr. that is doing to ablation does a lot of them or does them on a regular basis because it takes time to learn to do them correctly.  You should try to post a question and see or call the cleaveland center and ask some quesitons...  Good luck...

[Medi-detective]

Been through this...the reason doctors tell you it is nothing is because they know little or nothing about palpitations, PVC's, MVP, etc.  It is much easier to brush it off then deal with it.  They can perform miracle heart surgeries but if it isnt a surgical issue, they have no clue. Went through the same thing with no insurance and spent thousands of dollars because whenever a test was finally scheduled such as an Echo, Holter monitor, EKG, my heart wouldnt be doing its thing.  So this is what I did in Fed-Up mode:

I bought a $6 stethoscope at Wal-Mart.  Waited till my heart was really bouncing all over the place...you could actually see my shirt moving....When the medical professionals would have had to be comotose not to see that my heart was out of rhythm, I went to the local hospital Quick-Care center in the city I lived in (if your doctor has an EKG then you could go there).  I went in fully expecting them to do something and not try to get out of it this time.  I had the steth in my hand and let them know I wasnt going to put up with any more foolishness. They took the EKG, found out about the PVC's, then found something else and sent me for an ECHO right then while I was having the problem, and I found out I also had MVP (my valve flap wasn't snapping tightly, but floating around like a jellyfish on top of my valve).  

Got this problem from having a bad chest cold and a doctor who refused to put my on antibiotics when my cold had gone into my lungs.  I ended up with pneumonia, bronchitis, a pleural effusion, and pericarditis. I was fainting in the stores and scared to drive anymore. His negligence left me with a life sentence of messed up heart beats and no sleep.  With this history the doctors had still been in denial of my arrythmia.

What did I do?  I took control. The doctor put me on Inderol which made it worse.  I researched a bit and I chose Lopressor instead...a beta blocker that is mild and has few side affects.  I adamantly told the doctor what I wanted and he submitted, since he had no ideas of his own.  Took about 2 weeks for things to calm down completely with my heart and get the right dosage going, but after a year of no sleep, breathlessness, exhaustion, fainting, and screwy heartbeats, it was such a RELIEF!

Before I got going on the Lopressor I was scheduled to see a cardiologist with the Nevada Heart Institute...the doctor there said he needed to cut out the part of my right lower ventricle that was causing the PVC's.  He made it sound like no big deal. Said when my mitral valve quit working totally he could replace it with a pig valve or an artificial one.  I said thanks a lot and left...never went back.

Fifteen years later I still take my Lopressor, rarely have a problem.  Suggestion:  stay away from caffeine, too much sugar, get plenty of rest and WALK 20 minutes daily.  I notice the only time I have problems is when I havent taken care of myself.  This is a pain-in-the-butt annoyance you will have the rest of your life but it can be managed nicely if YOU take control...your doctor will stay in denial forever, try to blame panic attacks (which Ive never had), nerves, any goofy thing they can come up with.  I have such fun (not)when I move to a new area and have to get assertive with a new cardiologist so I can keep getting my beta blocker.  By the way I take 50mg 2 times a day and the generic is $36 for 300.

I cant tell you how many people I know who have severe permanent problems or have died because doctors dont take their patients seriously and brush things off.  Negligence and covering up for each other is rampant with the medical profession.

[Heart3]

Good for you getting to the bottom of your heart issue.  It is true that you have to do your own research and be more demanding about testing etc.  But not all of us have MVP, which is what would cause palpatations.  I wish I had mvp so that I could blame them on something instead of being told that my heart is normal....with PVC's, PAC's and short runs of Artrial Tach now...

But I am glad to hear that you did find a cause.  I hope I can sometime tooo..

[Mickey3]

hey..
I have had 1 RF ablation and 1 cryo ablation for SVT..same as you have.
The RF didn't work...the cryo did, HOWEVER... 4 months later, I still have PVC's and short runs of palps...
My advice...have the ablation.  The pros from the ablation far out weigh the cons. The ablation might work for you.  It has worked for thousands.
The ablation is very scary...at first...to anyone that has never had one.
BUT in reality, it is not scary at all.  Just make sure they give you your sedative.  It is a god-send.  
You will be fine.
As long as you are confident in your doctor...you will be fine.
I travel 150 miles to see an EP to do my ablations...just because I think he is a gift from God and has hands of angels.
Even though he had to do this ablation thing 2 times on me...I still trust him completely.
Mickey

[dande4]

Just wanted to comment that if it still disturbs you greatly, ask for an event monitor.  There is a type with two leads that you place on your chest and it is attached to a beeper sized recorder. Hit the button when you feel it. It captures the ekg a minute before and for 2 minutes after it happened. Call the # for the technician, send it over and they can see what happened. It can help to alleviate your fears that nothing serious is going on. It helped me. I wore one off and on for a year just to catch the pesky rhythms.  You take it off when you shower etc.  There is even a monitor to put to your chest and hit the button when you experience symptoms. With that one it is usually good for longer rhythm disturbanes/tachycardia.

I'm back to experiencing some funky rhythms again and of course you worry but you have to try to get past it. I do agree that sometimes we have to push to be taken seriously but I also think that if one keeps looking something will be found, and not necessarily what we were looking for.

:)    Feel better.

[Rick455]

I have MVP also, and am always bothered by palpitations. Can palpitations cause other symptoms such as dizziness or nausea to occur. I have had several tests done by my cardiologist,such as an stess echo, but they are still very hard to deal with. I have been on several medications, but they seem to only work for a couple of months. Does anyone else have this problem?