What should I do?

Hi Again,
I am still being plagued by these new sensations and feeling quite fed up with it all!I am getting an unusual palp sensation that feels like it grips me completely,it isn't a usual palp I can ignor,it comes on STRONG and forces me to listen.I had a bad palp yesterday that afterwards felt like someone was choking me and I had alot of pressure in my face.My face was hot and very flushed as too my arms and chest.It then passed.I am fearing I am having a very bad new arrhymia of some kind.I have tested normal on ecg,ekg,holter,bloodwork and stress test. Can I still be having a heart palp that is potientially fatal even after these good tests?Should I fear these new sensations?What should I do next?I went to the ER and had a 10 sec ekg that was good, but I also didn't feel anything unusual when it was on me.What do you infer about my situation?I am at the end of my rope and need some sort of explanation as to why I shouldn't fear dying from this.I am 23,female,normal weight & currently in councilling for my nervousness over this new sensation.I fear multiple pvcs and v-tach,since v-fib is a great rish at that point. HELP! Help me to understand my risks, what this may be(possibly,the chances that it is what I fear and why I should not fear dying from this. Thanks again for your time and I hope you can really give me some insight as to what to do next and what exactly is going on with my heart.I know you suggested anitarrhymics if pvcs effect my QOL. But if I can get past the stress, do I really need a drug like that?Wouldn't a beta-blocker be safer for me? Thanks again

[Cleveland Clinic]

KCDM,

To put it simply, get past the stress. You are young and have a very common problem that with your negative workup, serves as a annoyance, but nothing else. I can tell you are very stressed over this but truthfully, therapies dealing with coping mechanisms and anxiety would probably help you more that any medicine to decrease your PVCs. Look into the forum. You have a problem that many here have successfully dealt with.

good luck

[tickertock]

I'm sorry to hear of your fears and frustrations, if it can be of any comfort I know exactly the feeling you're speaking of , getting that strong double thump followed by a redness in the face neck, arms and upper chest, occasionally your heartrate will also increase with this feeling.Sometimes a warmth feeling comes over your body, sometime it can actually cause you to shake, at least this my experience with PVCs and tachycardia. I'll be 42 in just little over a month from now, had these things for the last 25-30 years. I been on beta blockers off and on mostly on for over 20 years , first inderal, now I've been on atenolol mostly since 99. I take up to 100mg daily in divided doses. I hardly have PVCs now and no tachycardia whatsoever anymore.Beta blockers are very safe medications though not everyone can tolerate them, I'm lucky not suffer any side effects. I was advised by electrophysiologist never to take anything stronger than beta blockers for PVCs, I was also told that besides being uncomfortable and alarming,they are rarely a cause for concern. Also I know the very same arrhythmia(PVCs) can feel different, yet be the same arrhythmia, I found this out during a exercise stress test in which every PVC felt different yet it was the exact same PVC coming from the same location. Good luck and try to relax. I know its easier said than done , it me took 20-25 years to realise that worry over these things is unnnecessary though sometimes you can't help it and if you let it , it can rob you of happiness and enjoyment in life.I know it's impossible to ignore the real strong ones, but don't let the fear of them cripple you, just keep on going and you'll soon realise that in itself will probably lessen the sensation for you.

[KCDM]

Thank-you, thank-you so much for your words.It really means alot to me.You have had them since you were a teenager then huh?It is a struggle, but I will try to take your advice.The fact that I get these different sensations is the hardest part, if it always felt the same I wouldn't question it.So, besides tachycardia,pvcs and such have you ever developed anything worse? I am 23 and I had mine since I was about 15yrs old. It seems that I am getting worse at coping over the years instead of better :( I am really starting to consider a beta blocker to help decrease the powerfullness of these palps.I am very in tune with my body and thats why I find it hard to ignor that little voice inside saying something is wrong with you, get help!Do you get that at times? Did you in the past? Thanks again for your post, it's much appreciated :)

[woodruff]

KC, if you have had several tests which show that your heart is healthy, you might want to check out info at this and similar sites:

http://www.anxietypanic.com/

"The symptoms of a panic attack:

raging heartbeat
difficulty breathing, feeling as though you 'can't get enough air
terror that is almost paralyzing
nervous,  shaking, stress
heart palpitation, feeling of dread
dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea
trembling, sweating, shaking
choking, chest pains, distress
fear, fright, afraid, anxious
hot flashes, or sudden chills
tingling in fingers or toes ('pins and needles')
fearful that you're going to go crazy or are about to die"

[tickertock]

I had them since I was a teenager, yes and I still find that a real big one will stop me in my tracks, but instead of feeling impending doom for the whole day after a BIG one, I just keep on going , instead of worrying about the next big thump. I've finally come to accept after all these years and nothing worse has happened to me, it is just uncomfortable and not life threatening.My echo , stress test and ECG , holter have all been normal, only thing I do have mild left ventricular hypertrophy probably caused by mild hypertension says the cardio and nothing to worry about, just keep the BP controlled. I do have a connective tissue disease, ankylosing spondylitis that is very painful at times, other than that I'm in reasonable good health.I have a very supportive wife, we've been married now 21 years and 2 sons. Having a supportive family is very helpful in dealing with these things. Best wishes and good luck. Keep the faith.

[bama jane]

iT IS VERY DIFFICULT DEALING WITH THESE ON A DAILY BASIS.  lAST NIGHT  MY HEART WOKE ME UP THREE TIMES WITH RUNS OF STRONG IRREGULAR BEATS. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE THEM AWAKEN THEM FROM SLEEP AND IF SO HOW DO YOU COPE?  THIS HAPPENS A LOT WHEN I AM DREAMING.  I ALSO HAVE THEM ALL DAY LONG TOO AND AM STILL HERE AFTER 7 YEARS STRAIGHT WITH TACHY EPISODES AND IRREGULAR BEATS. DOES ANYONE FIND THAT HAVING SOMETHING SWEEET LIKE A DESSERT  CAUSES INCREASE IN EXTRA BEATS. FOR THE PERSON POSTING A GOOD SUPPORTIVE DOCTOR IS ALWAYS HELPFUL IN HELPING TO EASE SOME OF THE ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THINGS.  GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

[Fran71]

If it's fine with your cardiologist I would STRONGLY recommend trying a beta blocker. All it might do to you is to make you a bit tired, but that usually disappears in a couple of weeks. Since I'm on a BB daily my QOL is back to normal. I'm not really scared of PVCs that much anymore, but what worries me is that they might affect my QOL.

[JennyBoo]

I'm sorry for butting in on your post.
     Just wondering if anyone has experienced a pac/pvc (not sure of the difference) which seemed to set off a rapid hb for a few seconds then a return to normal rhythm??  This is a new palp for me I've had pacs/pvcs and sinus tach in the past but the short run of rapid hb after skipped beat is new to me.  I'm 32 y/o female, 8 months pregnant.  Any info would be appreciated.  Thanks.  Jen

[dafan]

Jennyboo... yes... i have experienced the rapid heartbeat after a pvc... but since my Toprol XL has been ALMOST eliminating them.... that has not happened... im not a doctor... but for me the beta blocker has really helped a lot... having said that... yesterday i did have quite a few... probably 100 all day.... but unlike the past... i dont let it scare me to death anymore....

[CollegeGirl143]

just so u kno multiple pvc's are not fatal and wont make u go into v-fib.. sometimes if they are sustained,one right after another for a certain amount of time its called "NSVT" or non sustained ventricular tachycardia.. if you look this up in the forums you'll see the doctor advise very many people that this is not dangerous and with a normal workup (which it sounds like u had) will not convert into VT.  if you are still unsatisfied with your doctors diagnosis, ask for an event monitor.. but be prepared to except the fact that this might just be extreme anxiety.. trust me we all can relate.

[KCDM]

hi there, just wondering...if you have more than three pvcs in a row it's considered v-tach, if non-sustaining it's nsvt which is ok, but if it keeps up you can go into v-fib, or at least thats from my understanding.

[KCDM]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments and time to help me out. I am just taking it all in right now. I am fearful of a bblocker though, i guess that idea that something else is effecting my heart kinda scares me, plus my cardiologist says i don't need it and he reccomends i deal with the anxiety and forget the drugs since i dont' need them. so i feel torn about it now. i see others find it helpful while he says it makes no real difference just decreases sensation...i dunno, i may do it since it may make a big difference to how i feel and all.

i see that others wake at night with these things too and also dream about them? that is so crazy, i really thought i was the only one!

tickertock, thanks again for posting so quickly. you all have helped me alot, i will try to stay strong!

[Fran71]

I know exactly what you mean. When my cardio first mentioned it I was shocked, because I thought only people with serious conditions took beta blockers...like my Dad, he's on BBs after he had a heart attack. But then I realized it is no big deal, really. I'm still trying to take the lowest possible dose anyway. My cardio told me to take 40 mg daily but I usually only take 20.
Don't let the word scare you. It is not a med for your heart. You won't be depending on it...it just keeps it quiet.
In my case, the BB usually decreases the frequency of PVCs, not just the sensation. Maybe the BB's efficacy will also depend on the cause of our PVCs?

Good luck!

Fran

[KCDM]

i had another bad spurt?? what is this? I am so frustrated. I get tightness in the left shoulder and neck areas, chest pain, alot of funky heart flips and then that impending doom feelings.....................what do i do?just sit back and wait or am i ok and i need to just shake it off?

i felt as if i was going to die just now, got really hot, flushed, many breath taking palps...help...what to do

[mnjohn]

Settle down!   I know EXACTLY what your going through. Mine started at 15 yrs old also!  I still get feelings of "doom". It only makes them worse. I run three days a week, and am involved in ultimate fighting and mixed martial arts. I have a fear of being to far from a hospital in fear of having no immediate medical help for my so called "heart problem". I dont have a heart problem and neither do you. I get hot in the face, feel like everything is going dark, and im about to die. My heart races, i panick, and then panic more because i think since my heart is racing, im going to have a heart attack, or its going to stop beating. This happens every week, for the last 12 years, and guess what? Im still here! Im now starting to live with it, and move on, and you should try and do the same. By the way, i was scared of beta blockers also, until i tried them, and i think they are a saint!  They have almost illiminated my pvc/pacs all together. Im on Toprol XL.  Good luck, and hang in there. Your going to live and be OK

[mrbh]

My friend, you need to get a grip on this issue...for YOUR WELL being...no other reason.

Like so many others here, I have had palps, PVC's, sinus tachycardia, and a bout of afib, at various times since 1992. The PVC's have all been since 2002. I swear I have had nearly every sensation one can imagine when these things happen...the hot flush, the icy chills (anxiety based), the choking sensation, terrible gastric distress, sob, etc. Also, my PVC's have been across the spectrum...one, bigeminy, trigeminy (at least once that I recall), and several couplets that scared the stuffing out of me. Literally left me weak, terrified, and hanging on to a chair to remain upright.

I have been tested from here to next year with about 15 EKG's, an echocardiogram, lab work, and chest x-ray. Last week, a THIRD cardiologist reviewed my records, pronounced me healthy, and wondered why I was so upset because everything was "absolutely normal."

If your workup was normal, as it would seem based on your comments, then I would strongly encourage you to take a serious look at what anxiety and panic can do to your health. I have struggled with these conditions for many years. At their worst, I am almost disabled. When they retreat for a while, life is dramatically better. Having said that, these conditions WILL grab you, hold you down, and have negative impact on your life. It is far too easy to become O-C about this subject.

If your doctor isn't worried, you should not be either. If you are bordering on frantic, please ask your doc about low dose beta blockers. They are not a big deal, and may well bring you considerable relief, as well as priceless peace of mind.

Take care and feel better soon.

[woodruff]

Kiddo, you just had a panic attack.  They're nasty.  I know; I've been there.

There are several ways to deal with them.  One is to do nothing, which means suffering a lot.

Two:  You can try self-help books.  An excellent, though old, one is Claire Weeke's excellent "Hope and Help For Your Nerves."  I think there's even an audio version, and some people can talk themselves down from panic using her technique.

Three:  You can try beta blockers.  They may not change the frequency of your pvcs, but they may reduce your awareness of them.  

Three:  The simplest thing--and the hardest for many people--is to see a shrink.  People often hate this suggestion, because going this route means accepting that the problem may be between the ears, and many would rather die than admit that.  However, as I say, I've been there, and pooping around, hoping that a real heart problem will turn up, thereby dodging the idea of "mental illness," is pretty darn time-wasting.

[KCDM]

thanks again for your comments. sorry to be a bother with this issue. i am happy (well i do wish you all didn't suffer like me) that i have found some others who feel like me. i will be seeing a therapist on the 12th of oct, so i am waiting. i hope it will help me, i am 100% addmitting to panic disorder, but also a true pvc/pac/tachy sufferer as well, and those two mixed together equals nasty times and decreased qol for me. i also fear being too far away from a hospital incase something happens. strange, considering before the palps started i lived in a very rural town far from anywhere and often would go in the woods and fish as well as cabin hop...boy i miss that.

thanks everyone, i will certainly be on here more and let you know what happens. thanks everyone, i will keep comin back to read about your own experiences.

[anacyde]

I can relate to your anxiety over this.  My palpitations started at 16, when I was diagnosed with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.  It's pretty benign and stopped for the most part when I cut out caffeine.  I still had lone PACs and some occasional PVCs though.  All of it can be incredibly unnerving!!!

I finally found peace about the palpitations when I found this wonderful forum.  I too shared your fear of having some horrible potentially fatal rhythm.  Even recently when I had a bad recurrence (they come in phases for many of us) I FINALLY caught the really scary stuff on Holter and it was ALL atrial, mostly singles with a couplet once.  I get adrenaline-induced PSVT still, but usually fatigue, too much sugar, poor diet and lack of water play a role in that.

A couple of years back, I was so overwhelmed with a bad run of these things that it pretty much crippled me with fear.  I avoided things I would have otherwise done and was just scared all the time.  I was miserable.  I was existing but not living.  I guess I finally got to the point where I said to myself...what IS the point of existing if I am not LIVING?  And I forced myself to get out of the chair, and I forced myself to start living my life again, and I forced myself to ignore the palpitations after numerous assurances that I was fine.  I think you have to get tough on yourself too ;)  I know, it's easier said than done, and it's easier from my side than yours right now.  But believe me, you can beat the anxiety, and it's really worth it to have your life back.

A lot of us here have had these since our teens.  I've never heard of anyone dying after being diagnosed with benign palpitations.  Keep that in mind, hang in there, and when you're feeling doubt read the archives :)

[CollegeGirl143]

This was just on a ? in this forum maybe a month or two.. (i think its) 4 or more pvc's in a row is NSVT... NSVT lasts less than thirty seconds... VT requires a reentry loop like svt does.. ur usually either born with this or its brought on by scarring due to a heart attack..Im not sure if you can develope one out of no where.After everything else that you've had done, your only other option is really an event moniter. its similar to a holter, but you wear it for a month. Some people (in this forum too) get more than 32000 pvc's in a SINGLE DAY.. With these kind of heart problems it helps to look on the bright side and be greatful its not this bad. it helps you put into scope your own issues and deal with the anxiety..

[CollegeGirl143]

i thought maybe reading this might make u feel better... if u look further into the forum u can find a million other threads about problems just like yours to help put your mind at ease :)
http://209.51.172.19/forums/cardio/messages/35001.html

[Curmudgeon76]

To KMDC,
---------

I know how you feel about these damn things.  I would recommend to you a program called "attacking anxiety and depression", which is a program started by a woman named Lucinda Bassett.  I heard about this on the radio and checked it out.  It is an EXTERMELY valuable tool in helping people deal with anxiety.  She went through horrible anxiety and depression and got out of it and helps others do the same.

I've been suffering from anxiety and depression since I was a little kid, and have always been on meds.  Now I'm off and I'm finding that the palpitations (especially what it seems are runs) are making it difficult for me to life to the fullest (sounds like it's affecting you similarly).  I found the Attacking Anxiety program to be really helpful.  It's like a 12 disc set and I've been listening to one a week.  It's helping me alot, and you might wanna look into it.  Don't be afraid to see a therapist - they teach many of the same coping skills that can be learned in Lucinda's program, and it's great to be able to talk to someone face to face.  Also, as I've learned, it's best to make the effort to find a therapist who feels comfortable to you, and you will probably be able to determine that within a few sessions.

Good luck, and know that you are not alone in dealing with these symptoms.

[Curmudgeon76]

Collegegirl,

I asked about this on another post, but you seem quite knowledgable about the palps.  The other day (and this happened once before this bad, about a year ago) I was just sitting at my computer and out of knowhere I felt this adrenaline rush type feeling, which kind of knocked the wind out of me.  It felt like a total flip flopping roller coaster feeling in my chest, and I immediately took my pulse, noticing there was nothing there (absolutely terrifying).  Within a couple seconds, it was back, and my heart rate returned to normal.

Have you ever experienced this?  They caught it on the event monitor and my PCP told me it was a "few beats in a row".  Which is kinda vauge.  I'm going to see a cardiologist finally (I can't wait, need some reassurance) and will ask him more in detail, but from your own experience or knowledge, any ideas what that could be that I was experiencing?

[CollegeGirl143]

The first time i had an episode of svt, it was a very similar experience to what you describe..BUT thats also very textbook of anxiety.. its so difficult to tell the difference sometimes.. But i felt the HUGE rush of adrenaline.. i felt my pulse in my neck, it was irregular and beating so fast i couldnt keep up with the count.. I agree on the very vague thing.. A few beats in a row of what?? or did he just not say? lol.. Did you have any other symptoms? (dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath?) Its good your going to a cardiologist, he/she will lay it out for u. Dont be afraid to ask your doctor to elaborate either if you dont understand.. i see so many questions on this forum of people just asking the doctor to clarify what their own doctor told them.. Either way.. if its NSVT, or SVT.. they're very treatable.. I had my svt cured with an ablation in april :) i no longer have palps either.. it was the best thing ive done for myself!

[Curmudgeon76]

Hey again,

I took my pulse after the initial rush and didn't feel anything going on, definitely felt like a few seconds where my heart wasn't beating, then returned to normal.  As it happened, it took my breath away, and I felt like I couldn't breath (actually, I was so focused on what was happening to me, I don't think I tried,lol).  I  felt a bit lightheaded (I think from the adrenaline sensation and accompanying anxiety) but did not feel at all like I would faint.  I felt terrible the rest of the night  though, because my anxiety was constant non stop through the roof.

I remember when it happened thinking "this is just like the big one I had last year", which they have on the event monitor recordings.  I'm pretty confident that the type of palps were the same.  The tech listening to the recording when I called it in said it was abnormal, but not dangerous.  I was told that a cardiologist would read the event recordings and I would be notified.

My PCP called me in about a month after my study to look at the results and said everything looked OK, I had abnormal beats but not life threatening.  I was not asked to come in by the cardiologist.  I suppose this is probably a good sign, but since having another bad one, I need the reassurance that can come from speaking with a specialist.

[CollegeGirl143]

well my whole take on it is, just because it isnt going to kill you doesnt mean it wont effect you.. if it is just palps, its better just to come to terms with the sensations, move on, live a normal life and it sounds like uve got a pretty good grip, so kudo's on that lol i kno it can be hard. But if its something like svt, yes its not life threatning, but it IS life altering.. And can also be cured if you're willing to try.. Keep me posted when you see the cardiologist if you dont mind. im curious to see if you have the same thing i did