Worried About Symptoms

[NurseKagome]

Hi There!I have recently felt a change in my symptoms regarding the PVCs and PACs I get.I had testing done almost 2 yrs ago now, that was a stress test, echo, eck, bloodwork and x-ray. All of which came back normal.I am used to having palps but lately they have been making my life miserable, making me feel ill.Tues night I had a spurt of strange flipping and pausing sensations in my heart and I became weak and dizzy.It passed after about 15mins.Wed evening I was doing homework and boom my heart rate went upto 170(conservative)and every single beat felt like a palp of some sort.It happened about 35+ times in a row.I felt a hard face flush afterwards,little dizzy but it subsided.Any idea as to what this could be?I went to ER and on a eck I wasn't symptomatic so couldnt see what it was.Any activity(jumping,dancing,walking,running,scare)makes me get a whole bunch of palps...y is that now all of a sudden? The palps I have been getting feel really prominate and sicken me,I can be walking and feel a bunch and its not just a flip in my chest, its a breath taking, hard pressure with the flips.I know I have anxiety cause of this but wouldnt anyone in my situation? The symptoms are real and I feel sick.I have seen aCardiologist once before.I am overall just gettin frustrated with these sick feeling and feeling like I have something wrong with me.I have started just running lately to face those palps,but I feel sick and they win everytime.I have only had these gross ones this past 2 mths or so.Your advice is greatly appreciated!I hope you can enlighten me regarding my situation Thanks!

[Cleveland Clinic]

nursekagome,

thanks for the post.

At your age, these symptoms would not be caused by significant atherosclerosis in the vessels. I still would imagine that you have palpitations that are fluctuating in severity.  To get to the root of the issue a holter or event monitor would give the cardiologist an exact picture of what your rhythm is when you are having your symptoms.

good luck

[NurseKagome]

Also, which is just strange to me if it is caused ONLY by anxiety, I had really hard chest pain yesterday that made it hard for me to take a breath in, it was distinctly up the left side of my neck and left shoulder. It lasted about 7-8mins. After a few moments of the pain I started to sweat. This is so cardiac sounding to me...I am only 23 and my cholesterol is up a little at 5.5 (HDL 1.8 LDL 3.75)I mean I can't have a blockage already can I? I get pain after exerction sometime too, but not always. I just think if it was my anxiety then it's SO WEIRD cause it was very real. If it wasn't anxiety related then what the heck caused it? Anyway, hope you read this too!

[808dude]

Hello.  I also had a question related to these symptoms and wanted to get feedback.  I also have PVC's and was wondering if others feel discomfort in the chest on days when they are really bad?  Not like a pain, but more if a fatigue, discomfort feeling.  Can benign PVC's cause this sensation?  Nursekogame mentioned pain in her neck.  Anyone else have discomfort or pain with PVC's (given all tests come back normal)?

[CollegeGirl143]

i cant really think to touch on anything that the doctor hasnt said in response to this post or the previous posts about palps, but ide just like to remind everyone of the 2 post rule. there are sooo many people in need of advice on this forum and i see the same people asking similiar questions over and over.. We should all just try and remember to respect others who are trying to post as well :)

[NurseKagome]

Hi there,

Thanks for your response. Though my problem is being able to feel "ok" taking into the fact that I can't seem to catch these spurts on a monitor. I have tried recently to get a 30 day holter with no luck from the docs I have seen. I even went to ER and no luck there. I can't seem to get one. I dunno, I just would like some peace of mind about it all. :)

[miche35]

Hello, hey I talked to awhile back about your ablation.  I was curious, because you said you had it done, and it cured you.  I know you definetely are for the procedure.  Are you still have regular tachycardia or anything since then?  If my svt becomes bad like yours was I am going to opt for it, but right now it's being controlled.  However; I don't want to be on meds for the rest of my life when I'm only 36, but at the same time since I don't have insurance I would like to get it and get past the preexisting condition first, and at this point I don't think the electrophysiologist would do it right now anyways when it's not that severe.  But wondered what problems you've had since the ablation, what it doesn't take away?  Thanks! Michelle

[CollegeGirl143]

I have had some tachycardia, but thats because i also suffer from IST. I choose not to use a beta blocker, and instead go to the gym regularly, so my heart rate is completely normal, and i feel amazing now that i dont have to worry about svt. My EP also gave me the option of trying control the IST with ablation, but i opted not to since the the consequence of that can be stuck with a pacemaker, and since im fairly young and finishing up school and entering a high stress profession, i didnt want the added liability of a pace maker. The only thing i ever urge people to keep in mind for the future is that svt can get worse ( or better) with age. Beta Blockers dont always work,and patients can still experience "break through" episodes. If your heart becomes compromised with things like CAD, svt can become a serious health risk. This is why i advocate ablation to people who are otherwise young and healthy, because in most cases (with the execption of maybe afib),the success rate for SVT type ablations is very high with a relativly low risk.. If your only problem is SVT, a successful ablation will take away all your symptoms. If you have another type of tachycardia, or anxiety, the ablation might not help these, but personally mine did wonders for the anxiety.

[miche35]

Thanks for sharing your story with me.  I do suffer from anxiety, very bad.  I am just starting to go see a psycholgist, today will be my second meeting.  That was why it was hard to diagnose the svt with me, because the majority of the time I have them is when I am having a anxiety attack, or under bad stress.  (Had a really stressful year)  I would tell the Dr.'s that I would get stressed, and my heart would race and skip, and also do it when I was really hot or exercising hard. They would run ekgs and 2 previous holters and find nothing wrong except pac's and pvc's.  It got to the point this year that I was anxious from morning til night, very panicky, over anything.  I would wake up with my heart racing, about 130. Very inappropriate reaction to things. Then I started having the anxiety attacks 3 times a week.  Finally my Dr. did another holter and caught just two brief episodes, only 6 beats of svt, and I can't remember if it was hr of 154 or 178.  The holter suggested it was exercised induced because I was actually running when they both happened, and other than that the holter said normal holter study, with 56 pac's.  That is the only documentation I have.  Some of my Dr.'s say 6 beats is no big deal, and not even worry about it, but I know I would have them up to 25 minutes long before with that fast hr and skips, and it was hard to get out of that rhythm. Because I have sinus tachycardia and really bad pac's and pvc's they put me on Inderal, because that beta blocker shuts off the adrenaline response and with my anxiety they thought it would.  I've been on it two and half weeks, have not have one svt attack, sometimes I still get sinus tach and now I'm on Xanax for the anxiety, because I still have severe anxiety.  And now seeing a psychologist.  I feel like ****.  I just want to be normal.  My Dr. tried to refer me to a Cardio, who said given my history and the holter report, that they wouldn't think of an EP study or ablation or that I really need to get seen by a cardio at this point.  They told her to do what she is doing.  I called the only electrophysiologist on my own, and they said he would review my records if I like and then set up an appointment if he felt it was necessary.  I am frustrated that my Dr. has only checked my thyroid by a TSH test, and electrolytes.  That is the only test.  I am going to ask her for a few other tests, like a full thyroid, adrenal testing and microelements.  I was thinking about an echo and chest x-ray too.  I would just like to be sure that something isn't causing this.  Also, being told it's svt means nothing to me, isn't there types of svt?  I thought an expert almost has to look at the strips to tell what it really is.
Thanks for listening to my story.  I'm sorry it was long, just needed to vent I guess.  Your right about the ablation not during the anxiety or sinus tach, and so that is why I'm working on the anxiety, because even if they did fix the svt, I'd still be left with my st and anxiety.
Let me know if you have any suggestions. Michelle

[CollegeGirl143]

you sound alot like me, the one thing i constantly said through my whole ordeal was "i want to be normal, i just want to be normal" i would have given up everything i had to be rid of the racing heart and the anxiety. Anxiety takes a LONG time to get over, but you're absolutely on the right track, keep seeing a therapist. You're right there are many different kinds of svt, i had no idea what mine was until i saw an EP, and even then he couldnt tell me 100% without a doubt until my EP Study/Ablation. Im glad the beta blockers are working for you, i tried toprol to tide me over until the ablation and it gave me HORRID nightmares. The only other things i can suggest are quit smoking if you do and cut out caffeine (these made huge differences for me) its hard to give up soda and coffee, but its worth it! also if you dont ,go to the gym on a regular basis! it helps alot. good luck!

[NurseKagome]

What did your svt actually feel like, could you discribe the sensations and symptoms/signs? that is what I think I may be having! Thankies :)

[miche35]

I like listening to everyones stories, it helps me.  I actually just called and talked again to the electrophysiolgists nurse, a different one.  She was super sweet, they all are.  I gave her my heart history, including my anxiety history, but asked her if getting treated by an internal Dr. is ok, and she said absolutely.  They can treat svt just like an electro, but she told me if and when I'm ready for my second opinin or consult that the Electro will always look at my records.  She said I just need to make sure to get all my recods, and get all the blood work done, x-rays, recent echo, and send them to him.  She said he may look at them and say that ablation is definetely not warranted, but he will look over the records first and then call.  So I have more testing to do first.  She also did tell me, that they belive stress can indeed cause SVT, which was interesting, because I have been told by other Dr.'s that they don't believe stress can cause it.  She said stress can do so many things to your body.  But she also said that living with svt is about 50-50.  Only half can get it under control, and the other half ablate.  I told her if I have it forever I want it ablated, I don't care if I get only one attack a month, without having to go to the ER.  It stinks.  But I agree with her, the first thing is to make sure there is not some underline condition AND do major therapy.  Fun road ahead of me.  I know I'm on a long long road.  I don't get horrid nightmares from the Inderal, but little ones I guess.  Also the sluggish feeling sucks, I'm hoping that will eventually wear off.  Now I need to find out why I keep getting hot and racing heart, that is what throws me off.  Do you think subconsciously you can get real hot and get tachy?  I keep thinking thyroid, but she did a TSH and it was ok, although I'm going to ask for the T3 and T4.  Did you have to have all those things ruled out before the electro said it was just the heart?  I am not working out, because I'm scared to death of it causing an svt, do you think it will actually help my heart by working out?  Michelle

[CollegeGirl143]

i think doctors differ on stress and svt because stress doesnt give you the extra pathway u need to induce svt, but stress can cause the svt to start, so its like a yes and no for the stress issue. My svt was induced by a higher normal sinus rhythm, so stress exersizing and eating always sent me into bad svt. You definatly need to get all the testing out of the way first, i was tested for every possible thing. i saw my doctor and a cardiologist regularly for about a year of different kinds of testing before i went to see the EP. Its great u have a grip on things, you're looking at it very rationally and thats something alot of people cant do, so kudo's to you, you arent letting it take over your life and thats amazing :)at the end of the day, even if you only have on svt episode a year, its your decision to have the ablation or not. Even if you dont PHYSICALLY need it, that doesnt nessecarily mean you dont need it to make you feel better and give u some peace of mind

[CollegeGirl143]

ps... working out does wonders! it gets the heart in better shape, and it makes your normal rhythm steadier and slower. It also does WONDERS for anxiety. 20 minutes of just walking on a treadmill three times a week will make you feel like a brand new person.

[NurseKagome]

Like a heart beating in your neck? Wow, I get that pressure in my throat sometimes, but mostly the sensation was in my chest, very rapid heart rate, each beat (every beat) feeling like a flippy or skipping one. It scared me to death. Tonight I had a spurt of something...it was like about every 4th beat or so I was getting a big pause and flip that made my eyes feel like they bulged out and took my breath away, had me scared the rest of the night, and unfortunately now...arg. I dunno, I mean I had all regular testing two yrs ago, can I be in danger of some rhythum that could be fatal to me? I have anxiety about all of this, I want to exercise on a eliptical again, and sweat. I feel I am unable to do that now. I think my heart will get messed up like now while I exercise and it will kill me. Thanks for answering both of my questions, appreciate it :)

[CollegeGirl143]

Honestly,  if you've had a normal workup, i personally would try my best to accept this and stop second guessin my physicians. When i first started having my svt all the time, i was so convinced i was going to die. No doctors opinion or anything i learned about the hearts electrical system and ahrrythmia was going to disuade me from the fact i just KNEW i was going to die. Guess what? im still alive. Guess what else? Everyone was right, and i was wrong. I think you have pvc's.. you might have svt, you might not.. either way, neither one is going to kill you. It honestly sounds like you're suffering some pretty bad health related anxiety. The best advice i can offer you is try talking to a counselor to see if you have an anxiety disorder or not, if you do, seek treatment, it will change your life, and dont be scared to go to the gym. i do every day, even if i have to go at 2 am and it makes a HUGE difference

[NurseKagome]

Hey there, I thought you could post 2 question every 3 months? Am I wrong? I didn't know there was another rule? My last question was Aug so I figured I could. Sorry about that! It's too bad too that on some days no one at all gets a question in...I wonder why that happens?

[NurseKagome]

Hey all, I am just wondering if anyone who has experienced something like myself would like to comment on it and tell their personal experience. I love reading your posts! Thanks :0

[CollegeGirl143]

2 questions every 6 months :) thanks for asking. Some people just dont care. Did your doc catch svt on a holter? for me the only way i can tell the difference between svt and regular tachycardia is when i have the svt, i can feel my pulse in my neck

[CollegeGirl143]

im sorry.. that sounded confusing even to me, because everyone can feel their pulse in their neck.. what i meant was, it felt like my heart was IN my neck, and i could feel it pounding on the left side of my neck just sitting there. its a crazy, very distinct feeling. like someone doing a drumsolo around your throat.

[fearfactor]

Just wanted to let everyone who is having anxiety over heart issues know that I went thru an intensive health anxiety therapy at one of the best anxiety clinics in the country and it helped me tremendously!  My therapy involved exposure to stuff like EKG tracings (which used to scare me!), eating foods that I know cause heart skips and/or racing in me, and gradually starting to exercise, which I was scared to do because it made my heart speed up (obviously!).  I used to sit and research online for 12 hours a day and thought about my heart 24/7 - I almost failed out of law school and got a divorce over it!  My life is so different now.  Anyone who is having these problems, find a GOOD therapist and/or clinic that specializes in health anxiety and get treatment.  You will thank yourself later!

[NurseKagome]

hey! i am currently seeing a councillor :) it is helping me. i think that if i can exercise (like i want to) three times a week and get through it, that i will be ok. that is my biggest fear right now. i appreciate your advice, i'm happy your doing good now too. if i just have pvc or even svt at the worst, thats good for me! ijust fear vt and stuff when i get those rapid heart rates...thats my biggest fear. i know too that no matter what a person may do, life and fate takes its course without your control, so enjoy time while you are here and are living. i will try to stop this worring and do more living!

[CollegeGirl143]

i used to worry about vt too.. its human nature to anticipate and assume the absolute worst.. Theres nothing anyone can tell you though to make you stop being scared, its just a fact you have to come to terms with yourself. it takes time but it will happen :) good luck and go back to livin life :)

[MichP]

I have been reading your comments and find them quite interesting. Most of you seem to have SVT which I have not been diagnosed with. I am 37 and am having frequent PVC's with intermittent runs of VT. I had pvcs when I was in my early 30s that where diagnosed as benign and went away quickly. Now they began suddenly but cause me SOB and sometimes dizziness. I have had a stress echo, cardiac MRI, enzymes, ECGs and worn the holter 3 times to monitor the effect of the Beta blocker toprol XL that I am on. I was supposed to increase my dose 4 weeks ago up to 200mg daily. I have since changed my mind and will stay at 150mg until I see the cardiologist next week. He has mentioned other meds and possibly ablation. I am so frustrated the symptoms come and go. I have good days, bad days... good weeks bad weeks. They are always worse with increase in activity. Well its nice to talk with someone who can relate to my situation so thanks for your response if anyone decides to respond. Michelle

[hollyloxx]

u guys are an inspiration to me right now.
its the middle of the nite i cant sleep.

i has svt when i was 17 and was trying to get diagnosed for 2 years before they could catch it!!this made me think it was panic attacks they told me it was anxiety....
and only then i had a bad attack at the mall..... they cld 911 and the ambulance guys told me what it was.
then i cont on atenolol for a yr then it only got worse.
i had an ablation done.
that was 5 years ago. i am 24 now and feel like i am having problems again.
yes i have anxiety but its been brought on by the svt, now i have been having what feel like skipped beats extra beats and short bouts of svt. they feel like they only last 5 seconds maybe then my heart will go back to 70 beats a minute.
i went to the cardiologist had the echo and holter for 24 hrs. i felt it skip beats.
he said that it came back good no pvc's or pac's!! i could feel them happen w my hand.
i sm trying to see the dr that did the ablation to see if what i am feeling is normal. i dont exercise i am too scared.
i am seeing a counse,or but it doesnt help when they dont know what the heart things are she says wow that is scary!!
that is not comforting.
help!! has anyone else had skipped beats so long after an ablation?
i also get chest pains, icy cold feelings in my chest. left shoulder pains....
should i get a stress test done never had one?
he did say that he saw tachycardia beats up to 145. so i am bck on the atenolol.
i feel like nothing is changed tho.
i am losing my mind.
i am so scared that he said no skipped beats but i feel them.
i am so scared there is some thing wron g/w my heart and he said that the echo looked good!
i have been off of work for 3 months now due to this, i feel like a prisoner in my own mind.
i feel scared i guess cause they told me before that it was nothing then i lived w/ it for 2 years till i had a bad episode and was diagnosed finally.
i dont want that to happen again w something worse.

[mta]

I had wpw and had ablation 5.5 years ago. Had skipped beats and misc. other relatively minor symptoms. Things have become a bit more uncomforting these days...i have alot of stress and I feel similar symptoms as you (sometimes heart rate around 94-105) and am also scared. Please let me know what you have found?

[dietz38]

Hi There, I am a 44 y/o woman and have had palpitations and a flip-flopping heart for nearly 20 years.  Up until 2 years ago, I attributed all of them to stress, anxiety, bad diet, caffeine, sugar, chocolate, divorce, kids, work, etc.  Now I've reached the "perimenopause" stage of life, and this wonderful new naturally occuring event brings on even more fun symptoms, such as PALPITATIONS!  last weekend I ended up in the ER because my heart rate shot up out of nowhere for what seemed like hours, but the ekg, blood tests, holter monitor (which caught really good episodes) showed everything to be appropriately normal for what my body is going through, and the extra worry and stress over a few palpitations exaggerated them even more.  My advice is this: try to find a way to have them live with you, and not YOU trying to find a way to live with THEM!  This is your life and even though it doesn't feel like it, you have control over how you handle your stress. If you already have your doctor's assurance that you are "normal", then medications can help you until you figure out how to reduce the stress this is causing you.  My cardiologist put me on 50mg of Toprox xl only because he knows I am a very anxious patient and not because he thinks I need it medically.  He knows I will totally stress over this and he wants to put my mind and body at ease, I was lucky to find a doctor so sympathetic to my needs!  I don't have the patience or tolerance to wrack my brain wondering why I'm having palpitations, I just am.  I have accepted this condition just as I would have accepted "psoriasis" or "halitosis" as "non life-threating" conditions (with your doctor's assurance) The medication slows my heart rate and keeps the palpitations under control so that they rarely escalate to a full-blown tachy event!  If medication is not an option, try magnesium (500mg day).  Most important, remember this, you are OK.  They are uncomfortable, but will not kill you!  That's important to know.  Let them run but don't recoil in fear, that only feeds them.  relax, breathe and get on with your life, MILLIONS of people just like you and me live with palpitations every day.  Good luck!