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Palpitation problems
Hi and happy holidays.
I am 33, female, about 30lbs overweight and don't drink or smoke. No meds. I had a baby early this year. I have a goiter which is Euthyroid, and recent blood, EKG and bp all ok. I am scheduled to have an echo and a 7 day holter very soon.
I have suffered chest pains every day since the birth of my daughter, but my doctor thinks this is a combination of musculo-skeletal and anxiety. I also have PVC's, though not every day, and I have had bouts of tachycardia, with one particular episode in September lasting several hours.
My questions are:
I have palpitations 24/7 and by this I don't mean PVC's, but I hear my heartbeat all the time and my chest moves also. When I lay down especially, my heart is pounding so hard that my whole body seems to move and this stops me from sleeping. Is this dangerous, and can I do anything to calm it down? My doctor prescribed beta blockers but I was too scared to take them when I read that they can cause heart attacks if you stop taking them. I am very sensitive to medication.
Also, will the echo and 7-day monitor be enough to rule out any problems? In other words, if they come back ok, together with the EKG and blood, is it safe for me to relax? What if the monitor doesn't catch any tachy - how will I know if I have a problem?
I also get short of breath, not drastically, just like a big sigh and don't know whether this is from carrying baby around all the time or from being unfit or something more sinister.
Lastly, can anxiety REALLY cause all these distressing symptoms?
Sorry for all the questions, but this has occupied me constantly and caused me no end of worry.
Zoe
I am 33, female, about 30lbs overweight and don't drink or smoke. No meds. I had a baby early this year. I have a goiter which is Euthyroid, and recent blood, EKG and bp all ok. I am scheduled to have an echo and a 7 day holter very soon.
I have suffered chest pains every day since the birth of my daughter, but my doctor thinks this is a combination of musculo-skeletal and anxiety. I also have PVC's, though not every day, and I have had bouts of tachycardia, with one particular episode in September lasting several hours.
My questions are:
I have palpitations 24/7 and by this I don't mean PVC's, but I hear my heartbeat all the time and my chest moves also. When I lay down especially, my heart is pounding so hard that my whole body seems to move and this stops me from sleeping. Is this dangerous, and can I do anything to calm it down? My doctor prescribed beta blockers but I was too scared to take them when I read that they can cause heart attacks if you stop taking them. I am very sensitive to medication.
Also, will the echo and 7-day monitor be enough to rule out any problems? In other words, if they come back ok, together with the EKG and blood, is it safe for me to relax? What if the monitor doesn't catch any tachy - how will I know if I have a problem?
I also get short of breath, not drastically, just like a big sigh and don't know whether this is from carrying baby around all the time or from being unfit or something more sinister.
Lastly, can anxiety REALLY cause all these distressing symptoms?
Sorry for all the questions, but this has occupied me constantly and caused me no end of worry.
Zoe
Hi Connie, guess what, I often read the posts and you sound so much like me, right down to the Mom to 3!
I too find stress is a huge factor with the palps. I did see my doc, about 100 times about the palps and it is the same old "It won't kill you" and he doesn't think I should take a beta blocker because I normally have a decent heartbeat, can be anywhere from 65 to 84 beats per minute and have low blood pressure which is usually around 90/60 to 110/70.
I do smoke, I know, shame on me, but I find it really hard to quit. Otherwise, I don't do anything else, no drinking, caffeine, etc.
I was taking a new drug Moltilium or the generic name Domperidone. The doc had me on 2 twice a day and it seemed that the palps were really bad while I was taking them. I also had a similar reaction, but much worse, to an antibiotic with Clavulanic acid in it. I stopped taking the Domperidone and the second day after being off it things seemed to have gotten better. I looked the med up on the internet and one of the rare side effects is "Palpitations"!!! So, I won't be taking that anymore. I also took, years back, Prepulsid, and my heart was doing very odd things. I stopped taking it and the doc told me I was just worried about taking a new drug and then a year later it was taken off the market for giving people heart attacks. I must be really sensitive to drugs. Anyway......
Thanks you for replying back. It's nice to know there are people with a first hand knowledge of palps who can truly understand and be so caring.
Take care and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Connie
I too find stress is a huge factor with the palps. I did see my doc, about 100 times about the palps and it is the same old "It won't kill you" and he doesn't think I should take a beta blocker because I normally have a decent heartbeat, can be anywhere from 65 to 84 beats per minute and have low blood pressure which is usually around 90/60 to 110/70.
I do smoke, I know, shame on me, but I find it really hard to quit. Otherwise, I don't do anything else, no drinking, caffeine, etc.
I was taking a new drug Moltilium or the generic name Domperidone. The doc had me on 2 twice a day and it seemed that the palps were really bad while I was taking them. I also had a similar reaction, but much worse, to an antibiotic with Clavulanic acid in it. I stopped taking the Domperidone and the second day after being off it things seemed to have gotten better. I looked the med up on the internet and one of the rare side effects is "Palpitations"!!! So, I won't be taking that anymore. I also took, years back, Prepulsid, and my heart was doing very odd things. I stopped taking it and the doc told me I was just worried about taking a new drug and then a year later it was taken off the market for giving people heart attacks. I must be really sensitive to drugs. Anyway......
Thanks you for replying back. It's nice to know there are people with a first hand knowledge of palps who can truly understand and be so caring.
Take care and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Connie
Connie,
I WAS a big time palp sufferer so I can totally relate to what you are feeling. I do not have a bicuspid aortic valve, but do have MVP and MR 2+ - 3+, so we also have a leaky valve in common. Has your doctor mentioned treating you symptomatically? I took a beta blocker (Inderal mostly) for many years and it helped quite a bit. Really took the edge off of the pvcs and definitely helped reduce the frequency. Like you, I could be doing absolutely nothing and they would kick into high gear. Other than possibly caffeine, I didn't have any definite triggers. OH wait....STRESS was a major trigger for me. The holidays were awful. You might want to talk to your doctor about getting some relief from the symptoms of your "benign" palps.
Good news on your echo...WOOHOO! Yes, it is entirely possible that all you are feeling is regular old benign palps. However, I think you should be able to discuss your physical symptoms and stress over the palps with your physician. If he/she won't listen, you may want to look for a 2nd opinion. He's right, the palps shouldn't kill you, but that's not the point. Most things we are treated for won't kill us. I can SO relate to your frustration! It wasn't until 2 ablations in 2003 that I became nearly pvc-free after over 20 years.
Hang in there! There are some wonderful doctors out there who will listen and help you.
Connie (another one...hahaha)
I WAS a big time palp sufferer so I can totally relate to what you are feeling. I do not have a bicuspid aortic valve, but do have MVP and MR 2+ - 3+, so we also have a leaky valve in common. Has your doctor mentioned treating you symptomatically? I took a beta blocker (Inderal mostly) for many years and it helped quite a bit. Really took the edge off of the pvcs and definitely helped reduce the frequency. Like you, I could be doing absolutely nothing and they would kick into high gear. Other than possibly caffeine, I didn't have any definite triggers. OH wait....STRESS was a major trigger for me. The holidays were awful. You might want to talk to your doctor about getting some relief from the symptoms of your "benign" palps.
Good news on your echo...WOOHOO! Yes, it is entirely possible that all you are feeling is regular old benign palps. However, I think you should be able to discuss your physical symptoms and stress over the palps with your physician. If he/she won't listen, you may want to look for a 2nd opinion. He's right, the palps shouldn't kill you, but that's not the point. Most things we are treated for won't kill us. I can SO relate to your frustration! It wasn't until 2 ablations in 2003 that I became nearly pvc-free after over 20 years.
Hang in there! There are some wonderful doctors out there who will listen and help you.
Connie (another one...hahaha)
Sorry for the question...just having trouble sleeping..really feeling my heart race tonite..its not too fast..actually within the normal range..just feel it thump thump ..skip..then fel like i am gonna lose it..eyes get red..and feel my heart beat in my neck,stomach..head..i just want some advice..i did take my atenolol a few minutes ago, and seem to be calming it down..i just too want to enjoy the holidays and not worry about this stuff..i am 28 r old.. hope all has a grat holiday and happy new year..GODS BLESSING TO ALL..
Dave
Dave
hope my post get through , having internet problems. First you have a biscupid aortic with stage one regurgitation, something that bears keeping an eye on , although apparently it hasn't changed in years, some never surgery while others eventually do. Good sign. Quite a few person with biscupid aortic valves complain of palps(PVCs and PACs), so do persons that have nothing wrong with their hearts so there is no clear connection, even with a biscupid valve and mild regurgitation,it is my understanding that PVCs does not portend an adverse prognosis once there is no change in the valve.
It is my perosnal opinion that you are experiencing probably just a very few hard extrasystolic beats that PVCs sometime produce due to increase filling of the heart from the PVCs and pause.
If you are alarmed or experiencing different symptoms with a documented biscupid aortic then check with your doctors, in the maintime it is probably your every run of mil day PVCs and palps.
Despite your discomfort have a Happy Holiday Season and Great New Year.
P.S. If in doubt , check with your doctor, they can best reassure you.
As you can see I spelled bicuspid aortic valve wrong, tells you how much I know about heart issues :-). Take care.
I hope no one minds my asking a question here. I just can never seem to get a question posted.
I am a big time palp sufferer. I have bicuspid aortic valve with stage 1 regurgitation, get PAC's and PVC's. I had a holter that showed stuff, not sure what, the doc just said, "You're fine". I had a stress test 2 years ago that showed PAC's as my heartrate increased and was told "Other than being out of shape, you're fine"
Some days I don't feel any palps (very rare) and other days it's as if I must be dying. The last couple of days have been driving me crazy. This morning I had heartburn (I have GERD and take Nexium) a long flutter and small palps (thuds) through the day and tonight!!!!! I had a pause then thud kind of palp, but when it was happening, it was very intense, felt like a pressure kind of squeeze, maybe even a punch like feeling. It's really hard to explain how it felt. I have had this feeling before, but not as instense as tonight. I had two within a few seconds of each other. I am so scared I could just scream. I even said to my husband, "If it doesn't kill me, I might!" I don't mean it, but I am so desparate, I don't know what to do. I feel like I am going to loose my mind. It's Christmas time and I am supposed to be happy, but I am so depressed by all of this, I can't stop crying.
I had an echo this year and that showed no change. Is it possible tht all I am feeling is regular old benign palps, or should I keep bugging my doctor. He keeps telling me the palps are benign and won't kill me. They don't feel like nothing and they come out of no where, even when I am watching funny movies and relaxing.
Some advice or similar experience stories would be very much appreciated.
Connie
I am a big time palp sufferer. I have bicuspid aortic valve with stage 1 regurgitation, get PAC's and PVC's. I had a holter that showed stuff, not sure what, the doc just said, "You're fine". I had a stress test 2 years ago that showed PAC's as my heartrate increased and was told "Other than being out of shape, you're fine"
Some days I don't feel any palps (very rare) and other days it's as if I must be dying. The last couple of days have been driving me crazy. This morning I had heartburn (I have GERD and take Nexium) a long flutter and small palps (thuds) through the day and tonight!!!!! I had a pause then thud kind of palp, but when it was happening, it was very intense, felt like a pressure kind of squeeze, maybe even a punch like feeling. It's really hard to explain how it felt. I have had this feeling before, but not as instense as tonight. I had two within a few seconds of each other. I am so scared I could just scream. I even said to my husband, "If it doesn't kill me, I might!" I don't mean it, but I am so desparate, I don't know what to do. I feel like I am going to loose my mind. It's Christmas time and I am supposed to be happy, but I am so depressed by all of this, I can't stop crying.
I had an echo this year and that showed no change. Is it possible tht all I am feeling is regular old benign palps, or should I keep bugging my doctor. He keeps telling me the palps are benign and won't kill me. They don't feel like nothing and they come out of no where, even when I am watching funny movies and relaxing.
Some advice or similar experience stories would be very much appreciated.
Connie
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