Re: The differing QUALITY of palpitation sensations

Posted By SherryB on June 18, 1999 at 16:44:43
I've posted questions in the past and thank you for your helpful answers. To recap: I've had palpitations that have TERRIFIED me sometimes, and simply annoyed me on others.  I have had numerous stress tests, echos, and holters.. the last one for a month in l995...the only thing ever discovered was that i do have pacs and pvcs, including some "runs" of pvcs but my doctor insists that there is nothign life threatening going on and nothing to worry about.

My question:  Why do palpitations VARY so much in terms of sensation.. at least for me?

I have the hard "thumps" sometimes ( rareLy) , other times a fluttery feeling, other times it feels like my heart is beating normally but irregularly and,yes, when i take my pulse that's what is, briefly happening. sometimes it feels as though my heart just stops for a moment, or sort of "drops" and I have what I guess you could call an "all out" feeling.. momentary, very momentary, weakness.. just a second or two. it sares me so much, no matter what i've been told.. in those few seconds, i feel like I am, for sure, going to pass out and die.

Today, I've had an awful headache and also some brief "quivery" kind of palpitations.. just for a few  seconds my heart seems to "quiver".. and i feel momentarily weak and terrified.

Do the different sensations correlate with  dangerous arhymias at all?

Thanks.
SherryB

[mario__0]

Posted By mario on June 18, 1999 at 17:26:54
hi sherry i have had pvc and pac for numerous years. the first thing we must all do in this case is have them checked out and confirmed they are not life threatening. after my palps were judged just bothersome that is were the real work begins. remember i was told by a leading canadian surgeon that most centers do not evan treat pvc or pacs. i had the same range as yourself from light ones to real boomers that sometimes triggered headaches. find out what trigger these palps in most cases caffiene coffee alcohol stress and big meals should be avoided. look back and remember all those times we thought we were going to die, well we are still here. sherry im not saying they are not real but i had 2 choices because my dr said he was not willing to treat them past lanoxin and quinate. 1 choice was live with them and worry to death or 2 live with them and make life style changes to minimize them . avoid the triggers and stay calm. on a closing note if the heathy medical community would be able to walk a couple of days in our shoes with the palps maybe they would be more willing to treat them more seriously. no offense to anyone intended.....mario

[SheryB]

Posted By SherryB on June 18, 1999 at 18:41:54
Thanks for your comments, Mario... I have, naturally, had my heart checked and rechecked... I went to two world class cardiologists... one has published very widely on the subject, too.. the other is chief of a very well known cardiology department. ANd both were kind, smart, empathetic physicians who LISTENED to me and didn't "blow me off" ( as compared to my internist, g.p., etc.). They both said there are REAMS of data on my heart and no one's ever caught anything life threatening. of course, whenever i have a particularly weird FEELING palp, I think, "OH, no, that's something they never caught, how do they KNOW FOR SURE it's not life threatening."

So i've found it helps to visit this board when I'm REALLY freaking, like now, and read again and again how if you don't have heart disease, echo normal, etc.  pvcs and pacs are benign. Still, when you are in your car, or relaxing and WHAMMo, you feel that "quiver", or nano-second weakness, it is hard to believe.

I have tried to search for triggers.. I know being sleep deprived does it for me, and getting dehydrated seems to be a trigger ( especially worse the day after).... and, although i think it  has been pooh-poohed here some, there seems to be a hormonal connection.... I've had migraine equivalents AND and increase in palps  when i ovulate and then, 3 days before my period... so weird.

thanks again... I am trying so hard to function. it's one of those days when i feel totally controlled by the fear and worry of the next palp, and dropping dead or blacking out... and i have a little boy to take care of.

sorry to whine,
Sherryb

[KB__0]

Posted By KB on June 18, 1999 at 19:14:25
Sherry, I truly believe (even though some don't) that there is a female
hormone connection to PVC. I always get them before may period and before
I ovulate, I have for years. Lately the palps have become much more
frequent. At this same time I am getting hot flushes, insomnia and
irregular periods. Thats because I have started perimenopause. Some
doctors discount this because not every woman gets them. But not every
woman is  alike. Some women go through menopause with NO hot
flashes, some are tortured by them. Some have palps others don't.
Try going to some woman health sites on the web and you will be
surprised just how many woman suffer from this. Both men and women
suffer from the PVC condition, but DIFFERENT things can trigger them
in different people.

[SheryB]

Posted By SherryB on June 18, 1999 at 20:03:33
I know KB... I also read a good book on the subject "Screaming To Be Heard: Hormonal Connections Women Suspect and Doctors Ignore" by Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.d. YET, I really respect the doctors who answer the questions here  and I'm sure they know their stuff and I have seen the hormone connection dismissed.
one thing that puzzles me.. I have , admittedly an old, Merck Manual and under menopause it lists, under symptoms, palpitations.... I wonder if this is no longer considered a menopausal or hormonal flux symptom?
also, I always see " vasomotor" symptoms related to menopause and, sometimes, pms.... I know that most often refers to hot "flashes" but couldn't it also account for palps and dizziness?  it makes sense to me, but i'm not a doctor and i don't want to espouse pseudo-science here and confuse already confused people -- like ME!!!
SherryB

[A-litle-wiser-NOW]

Posted By A little wiser NOW on June 19, 1999 at 13:17:34
Hey to everyone
I know what you are all going trough. I'v been there and I agree that if the Docs could wear our bodies that much help would amerge. I have some things I would like to share. Many years ago when I started having these terrible things I saught help with only minimal response. I also did alot of reseach and I whole heatedly beleive that it is an inbalance in the nervous system. You are NOT giving yourselves panic attacks! your body is. Xanax is the only medication that helps me along with a beta blocker and the mind over matter type of meditation. As much as your body says RUN, DONT!. I have found that when they hit hard chewing a xanax, (for faster absortion)lying flat on the floor and meditating helps significantly.some times I would even call someone on the phone, a good friend and say " Im having an attack tell me about something happy. Ask this person to keep talking calmly and realy listen to them. If someone is home with you, other than your children, go to them put your arms around thier necks, calmly tell them how you feel and ask them to massage your neck and shoulders, put your mind on how good it feels. I may get some flack about suggesting xanax, but I tried every other seritonen med. oon the market(it was supposidly a mental thing!)  and they dont help at all. As a matter of fact, they made them worse. Alot of people in the medical world now look down on xanax because too many people abuse them. When you need them, you need them. Ask your Docs. for them to see if it helps . I take small preventitve dose daily and more when they hit. Yes, I have more trouble before my periods too. And 2 small children. Every one who has this problem should not ever stop having checks with a cardiologist at lease once a year and a thallium stress test every couple years. I wont go into my case as it stands now because I dont want to cause anyone to have more to worry about. And remember, we are all still alive. It may not be life threating, but it is life altering so treat the symptoms, have a possitive attitude, and only trust ONE blindly; GOD! Also, prayer works miricals. Love to all and God bless!    

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on June 21, 1999 at 08:22:11
Dear Little wiser,
I am glad you have found some relief with Xanax, beta-blockers and meditation.  I am however a firm believer in a more natural apporoach to PVC's and would put more emphasis on the meditation and less on the medication.  You are right Xanax is an addictive drug and is similar to using alcohol to deal with problems.  
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.  Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.  The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.

[SheryB]

Posted By SherryB on June 21, 1999 at 08:52:45

To:CCF CARDIO MD - CRC
Thanks, as always, for answering all these questions. BUT your response was to  someone who responded to my original post. Would you mind referring to my question in the original post -- about the different SENSATIONS -- from "quivery' to "dropping sensation' to flutters to single "thumps" etc. and whether that has any significance in terms of morbidity, seriousness , diagnoses, whatever.. of palps? Thanks in advance.










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