Quivering Palpitations

[janibo]

I am a 65 year old woman who has been having palpitations for the past year.  I had them years ago on different occasion but they went away.  At times it feels like I'm on a roller coaster and my heart is up by my throat.  At times it is continuously quivering and sometimes wakes me up.  It makes me feel that I'm going to jump out of my skin.  I have been checked out by my primary doctor who after and EKG said nothing to worry about-- just an extra heartbeat.  I have been checked out by my cardiologist who also said not to worry and blamed it that my daughter was going to have a baby and it was a high risk pregnancy.  My doctors don't seem to be concerned but at times these palpitations are life altering amd I feel that I'm going to have a heart attack and die.  Sometimes they are so bad that I have a glass of wine to calm myself down-  sometimes this work and sometimes they come back.  I'm not talking about 2 or 3 episodes a day-- I'm talking about most of the day and night.  My husband and I walk every morning-- brisk walking for 2 miles and I also go to a gym 3 times a week to lose 30 lbs to see if this will help.  I take 1 tablet of 25mg Toprol-XL per day for high blood pressure which started about the same time as the palpitations.  I take 10mg of Lipitor for high cholesterol.  I take 2 tablets of magnesium per day that is supposed to control the palpitations-- but has not so I'm going to stop taking them when I finish the bottle.  I take ArthX which is a dietary supplement glucosamine 750mg and chondroitin 600mg per for arthritic knees.  I'm at my wit's end.
janibo

[taurus21]

I was glad to hear about the quivering,  I felt I was the only person who had those. When it happens it wakes me up and it is the strangest feeling. It seems like an all night episode. I feel wiped out the next day like I am hung over.  I did have a beer and ate a hot dog, can't believe that one beer would cause that feeling.  The Dr. is not able to tell me what it is.  I wonder if it is a reaction to the Toprol and the beer, or maybe the food I ate. Take care

[arthur]

I asked about the sensation, because some folks can actually feel the quivering associated with small islands of cardiac tissue that are pulsing ions inappropriately (foci).  With enough such pulsations, a signal finally reaches the normal circuitry and you get your "skip", either a PAC or PVC.  

These foci are typically partially hidden, ie, they can't send their signals through easily.  Also, a heightened level of anxiety normally brings up the sensation of quivering, along with an increase in "skips".  You might even get this effect when awakening from a vivid dream...feeling the quivering and the "skips" (which of course have their own, but different, quivering feel).

-Arthur

[janibo]

Arthur,

The quivering sensation is not constant all day long-- but when it does occur, it is along with the extra beats.

janibo

[arthur]

Were these quivering sensations occurring without the actual "skip" in the heart beat?  In other words, are the quivering sensations constant, while the "skips" show up now and then?

-Arthur

[janibo]

Thank you for your comment.  It helps to know that others have the same problem and how they deal with it.  Thanks again and have a Happy Easter.

[janibo]

Thank you for your comment.  I forgot to tell you one thing more that I had a 24 hour holter monitor and nothing significant showed.

[I'mallheart]

hey hang in there i too have these quvering palps all day..i amonly 28 male and it does drive me crazy..doctor have me on 25 mg atenolol to control it and to help because of a couple of time had some tachycardia..i know what your going thru some days are better today they are driving me crazy..stress also i notice brings them out more..i moved yesterday..sons first bday..wife pregnant again due sep 14..job problems..anxiety issues...all bundeld up.. i am really just trying to tell myself well it been like 20 months of these symtoms must be okay if they lasted that long..then that stinking thinking comes in and like maybe they missed something..i am dying..well some truth to that as everyday is a closer day to death..as it says in the bible life is a vaper..so i count my blessing that i woke up today..and take it day by day,, i do wanna have another event monitor to just calm my anxiety down..cause when i did it like 17 mos ago i was good for that month nothing really to record..funny how that works out..well maybe get some anxiety meds,,not the wine...take care and happy Easter

[Cleveland Clinic]

janibo,

thanks for the post.

Palpitations are common in the general population.  Yours did onset a little later in life so I would make sure there was nothing else going on.  An ECg is a start, but I would also want an echo and soem type of stress testing.  

Also, some people palpitations are brought on by slower heart rates, so the onset at the time you started Toprol may not be a coincidence.

Generally we get plenty of magnesium in our diets, so unless your serum magnesium is low, the supplements probably are not going to help that much

hope this is at least a start.

good luck