palpitations

[Caroline]

I suffer from severe heart palpitations (female - age 39).  Five to six times per day I feel funny things going on in my heart.  Sometimes I get three hard beats followed by a pause and then a thump. Other times I just get a thump and yet other times a fluttering feeling.  I have been through every test imaginable and the doctors cannot find anything wrong with me.  They once caught a short run of v-tach on a holter monitor but I have had two EP studies and they could not induce anything so they told me not to worry.  I WORRY!!!!!!  I have read terrible things about v-tach and it really scares me to think that my heart can go into this rythum.  They say that I am super sensitive and too tuned into my heart.  Who wouldn't be when they feel all of these weird things going on?  Do you think the doctors could have overlooked something with all of this testing I have had done - or am I just making a big deal about nothing.  These things have really taken over my whole life. Should I really be ignoring all of the bumping, thumping, fluttering etc?

I was prescribed atenolol years ago (which I go on and off) - I hate being on any drugs.  I have very low blood pressure (90/50).  I started on 25mg of atenolol but I get terrible headaches and my heart still skips like crazy.  I thought atenolol was supposed to help people with migrane headaches as well so I can't understand why I get the awful headaches when I am on it.  Would 50mg of atenolol not drop my blood pressure too much?  I have heard of people that are taking atenolol that say their palpitations have stopped completely? Why some people and not others. My EP doctor said I could try mexitil if I really wanted to but it was not necessary (I think she was trying to pacify my because I have become such a nuisance worrying about these things).  I am too scared to try mexitil as well though.  I would like to try to get to am American Heart Clinic (one such as the Cleveland one), but I don't know how a Canadian would go about getting to be seeing in one.  I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Thank you for any information you can give me.

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Dear Caroline,

You raise some good points in your question.  Palpitations can be very troublesome to some individuals.  We don't know why this affects some more than others.  We do know that the vast majority of these sort of palpitations are benign.  So I think in your case knowledge is the best weapon you have to fight this.  There are many postings on this site of individuals dealing with the same feelings you are having.  I would encourage you reading through these. You are not alone!  Some people dealing with the same thing have kindly posted their email addresses and you can contact them directly for additional support.

Medications such as beta-blockers and mexitil can often help with palpitations but many people do not want to take chronic drug therapy.  There are many recommendations for dealing with palpitations in a "natural" manner on this site as well. So I hope this helps reassure you.  Good luck.

[one more comment by caroline]

Do you think the atenolol would drop my blood pressure too low?  Isn't it dangerous to have blood pressure that is super low?

Thx.

[shannon]

Hi -- I have the same problem with atenolol -- it induces headaches even at a low dose.  I'm currently at 25 mg once a day, and I still get headaches about every other day.  My doc doesn't think there's a connection to the beta blocker, since these medications are used to combat migraine (which I've also suffered with).

I can't tolerate 50 mg. of atenolol because I start passing out from low blood pressure, and 25 mg. is helping somewhat.  Not as much as I'd like (like enough to make the palpitations go away completely!), but it's the beta blocker that I tolerate best.

On the palpitations -- I have much worse palpitations (PVCs and PACs) since I had open heart surgery.  Again, my doc believes that I'm simply more tuned in to my heart than before the surgery.  I don't think so.  3,800 a day seems to be a lot to me, and I know it wasn't nearly this extensive prior to mitral valve and ASD repair.  But, the bottom line is that they've done all the tests up to and including EP studies, and these are benign palpitations.  So I'm getting used to them and working on not letting them bother me, mostly through a mental dialog when they occur. It's taken some time -- six months or so -- to be able to not freak out when I have intense PVCs.

Just wanted you to know you're not alone.  I think the docs are often at a loss of what to do when it's clear the weird rhythms are benign, and yet so bothersome and frightening.  It's not that your doctor doesn't take you seriously, I don't think -- it's more that completely controlling the rhythms via medications may create other problems, like your blood pressure dropping too low, etc.  So, on the whole, learning to live with them, identifying what triggers them, etc., is a safer road to take from a medical standpoint.

Hope this helps.

Shannon

[Bill S]

Following a heart attack, my cardiologist perscribed 50MG of Atenolol.

I already had a relatively slow heart rate, and the Atenolol reduced it into the 30's in the morning.  I also felt like passing out, if I got up from a chair quickly.  I had a difficult time exercising, because it was difficult to even sustain a heart rate of 100 bpm, and it seemed counter-productive.

After a couple of months I reduced to 25 MG.  I found that it was much more tolerant, if I cut the pill in half and took 1/2 in the morning, with food, and one half in late afternoon.

After about 4 months, I quit taking the afternoon half and now only take about 15mg per day.  This dosage is still very effective in lowering my heart rate and I believe it has been quite beneficial in my recovery.  I suffered heart rythm problems for about 3 months, but they only come now when I am anxious and/or put substances in my body like caffiene, alcohol, or sugar.

I do believe that long term therapy with a small daily dosage of Atenolol is very helpful for people with heart muscle damage and/or rhythm problems.  I do think that 50MG is way too much for an active person.  

Bill

[Greg]

I started taking atenolol for pvc/psvt about 2 mths ago....i had terrible headaches. my gf (who is a pharmacist) said that although most docs wont tell you so, this is a common side effect and that it will diminish over time...it did in my case...headache free now.

[Christine]

Hi Caroline,

I suffer from PVCs, about 5000+ a day (as caught on a Holter).  I feel every one of them, very disturbing. I have had many tests, all normal.  I was on Inderal for a while, but the side effects outweigh the benefits.  My cardiologist says I don't even need to be on any drugs, that I am fine.  OK, I finally accepted this after 4 years of testing and panic over it.  Recently, I adopted an exercise regimen.  I take 4 martial arts classes a week.  In addition to this I take some taurine/magnese/magnesium supplements my doctor recommended. The drop in irregular heart beats has been amazing!  There are some days I only have a few!   Previously, I had quit smoking, caffeine, tried drugs, nothing worked.  But exercise did!  Just my 2 cents, it worked for me, maybe it could help you?

Peace,
Christine

[debbie]

If a Doctor reads this:
I know we are not supposed to post this way, but I really would like an answer to a question.  What is the normal QTc interval for a 13 year old female?  It .423  too high or too prolonged?
thank you if any one replies
This child has no symptoms of abnormalities, just an occasional skipped beat,  pvc's.

[Cheryl]

I have been on atenolol for over 10 years, and have taken varying dosages (my major side effect has been dizziness, not headaches, by the way)  Currently, I take 50 mg/day, but in divided doses - 25 in the a.m., and 25 in the p.m.  This seems to work great at controlling my palpitations, and since I also have naturally low blood pressure, this dose has been more tolerable than taking it all at one time.  Hope this helps.
Please know that there are lots of us out there who suffer with these darn things -- I mostly just ignore mine now when they occur, or take a deep breath and do something physical!!  Good luck.

[Pam]

Hi, Caroline,

I'm in the same boat.  I'm 49, tho, and mine started last year when my son and father were very ill at the same time.  They stopped for a month after my father died, but then started up again.

I have PAC's and the Holter monitor showed 2400 and the doc said they were benign with no evidence of heart disease.  He also said if they were under 8000 per day, it was OK.  They never showed up on EKG's until recently when I had a routine EKG before breast surgey (just another stressor to throw on the pile!).  This time they showed up and on the pre-surgery chest
X-ray, my heart was a bit enlarged altho it was still within normal limits.  A second cardiologist looked at all this and said it was no problem-have the surgery.  Well, I freaked!  

I just had a 3rd doctor look at everything over the past 2 years and he says he sees nothing to worry about.  I'm obese and need exercise but I've been scared I'd drop over dead!  Anyway, I am having an echocardiogram as I have never had one and he wants to view my heart.  I have all the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse but no murmur, but then I've heard if you are obese and/or "well-endowed", the murmur might be heard to detect, so if it's there, I guess the echo will show it.  

Anyway, I too decided to try some supplements.  I had been taking no vitamins at all and didn't eat right.  I got a book on the heart, The Miracle Heart, by Jean Carper.  She talks about what the various supplements do and some are good for the heart muscle specifically.  I've been taking magnesium, potassium, Co-Enzyme Q, Vitamins E and C, Calcium and fish oil capsules.  I've been taking them for 3 weeks and can feel a difference.  "They" aren't gone as I can feel my jugular vein and feel them periodically.  But, I don't "feel" them as much in my chest so they don't bother me as much.  Don't know if this is the reason, but it seems to be working.  

Like they said above, you are not alone.  I think we need a separate arrhythmia Board to support each other as it is scarier (even scarier to me than my possible breast cancer!).

Take care,    Pam

[Staznie1@aol]

Hi.. I am new to this web site..I have started having what I describe as my heart "flopping" in my chest in the last 4 months..I talked to my Dr. about it and he thought maybe it was caffeine..So, I eliminated all caffeine and alchohol..don't smoke..and I am still having the "flopping"..ALOT..I don't take any medication at all except I am on a hormone therapy patch..Vivelle.01..have been for about a year..Why would this start now???  Any suggestions..I will make another appointment with my Dr....

[Cathy]

hi Caroline,

My name is Cathy and I am 30 years old.  For the past 3 years i have gone through hell with the very same symptoms you are having.  I was amazed when i read your letter because it sounds so familiar. I gone through an EP study and now I am on a medication called Tambocor in which I need to come off of. Please contact me at my e-mail address.  We can talk about this more if you would like.  

I look forward to hearing from you.
Cathy

E-mail: ***@****.

[Cheryl]

Hi, I have these same feelings.  They are horribly scary.  Sometimes I have like 20 feelings in an hour.  All my tests have come back normal, too.  But now, all of a sudden, I found out that my thyroid is overactive, so my doctor is saying this is the reason.  I don't know, but I do know that I absolutely hate these flip flops, they scare the *#*! out of me!!!   Any suggestions?  I'm only 35!!

Thanks,

[Kathy]

I am so glad I found this forum.  Does anyone out there get a lot of feeling of skipped heart beats one after another?  I went to bed last night and I felt a flip flop, then another flip flop about two beat later.  I rolled over to the other side and it kept flip flopping for about 3 minutes (I think it was about every other third beat).  Needless to say I was horribly scared and got out of bed to go downstairs.  It stopped doing it then but it sure scared me a lot.  Does anyone else out there get these flipping flopping sensations a lot of times in a minute or two?  I have been to the doc and they say they think they are pvc's and not to worry.  It is really controlling me.  Please respond anyone that feels the same thing.

Thanks!!!!

[wade]

I am a male, age 57, and I have irregular heart beats from time-to-time.  It causes me to reach for my chest because of the sharp pain that results.  I have had an ekg and treadmill test with good results.  My doctor, who I respect, believes it is nothing to worry about.  But I do!  The pain does not last.  I have early stage peripheral vascular disease.  My legs swell at the ankles and I have regular leg pain.  The doctor says to stay off of my feet and elevate my feet.  I would have to retire to do that.  Any comments?  Thanks

[comment to cathy]

Does the tambacor help your skipped beats?  I was also prescribed it but was a little worried about going on it.  Why are you going off it?

[carole]

Glad to have found this site. I call the feeling I'm experiencing a "fluttering" and my doctor told me they are called PVC's. What does PVC stand for? (I forgot to ask and went to the Internet in search!) I've read the comments of others and am reassured that I am not alone. My PVC's were picked up on a Holter monitor, after nothing showed on EKG or treadmill stress test. Beta-blockers are an alternative, but my doctor is not pushing them. After reading comments by others, I think I'll wait. Questions: What does the abbreviation PVC stand for (vs. PAC) and are there any theories as to what causes them? (other then caffeine or alcohol?) Many thanks for any feedback.

[Sherrie]

I'm very glad I found this web site and enjoyed reading the previous comments. I have been searching for an answer to my heart problems for 11 years and I have been to 5 different doctors with 5 different results. I've had numerous EKG's, 5 echo's, 1 treadmill stress test, lots of blood work and more...I was originally told nothing was wrong and that I was too hyper - I gave up caffeine, alcohol, sugar, ginger and anything else that I could find that was a stimulant and have not touched them since!! I still have the fast heart rate, "Fluttering" feelings and skipped or missed beats (PVC's and PAC's). I take Atenolol 25mg and I have naturally low blood pressure (as low as 90/60 at one point). I have found that a little more that half a pill at night and half of a half in morning works best for me. I was told by my second doctor that I had MVP and some back-flow of blood to the upper chamber. One doctor hears a systolic click and one hears a murmur (1/6). One doctor says PVC's and one says PAC's. My latest doctore/internist did an EKG and has diagnosed me with atrial flutter and PVC's - this doctor, like all the others, has said that these conditions are benign and I sould not WORRY!  I was also told I had atrial flutters by the EMT's that came to my house one night when I was having a heart rate of 180 beats per minute with fluttering feelings. They saw a atrial flutter on the EKG screen while monitoring me. These problems also scare me to death. My medicine has help in the severity of the fluttering and missed beats but has not stopped them completely - like I had hoped! Good book for the definition on PVC's is the Yale University of Heart book.  You can access this by type "Heart" for a search word and the Yale book will be one the choices that will come up. You can view the whole book on screen. Boy, I feel better knowing I'm not alone with this problem.

[A friend]

pvc = premature ventricular contraction  pac = premature atrial contraction

[carole]

What happens "in the heart" to cause a PVC? And what is it that we should be looking for in terms of going back to the doctor? PVCs have been diagnosed; I'm not sure now when to call my doctor--hate to keep asking her my questions. Have had the stress test, worn the Holter monitor. Beta-blockers, as I've read, can have side effects/or no result. So, do we just live with these things? For those of you who have managed to do just that, what kind of mind/body work do you do? Also, any vitamin/mineral supplements that anyone has found to be useful? Many thanks to any info anyone can pass along. Boy! These things can be annoying! I guess reassurance is what I'm in search of.

[Marie comment to Kathy]

Kathy,

I too experience these PVC's in runs that can last for mintues at at time.  I had a terrible experience about a month ago where I had 6 different episodes all in within a few hours and each episode lasted a few minutes.  It felt like they lasted for hours though!!  They finally all settled down and by bedtime I was only having occasional missed beats.  It scared the heck out of you though!!  I absolutely hate these things.  The doctors all say that there is nothing they can do and that I just have to live with them.  On bad days, I sometimes feel like I can't live with them though.  I teach school and have two young children.  I am such an independent, outgoing person and when I'm having these episodes I become just the opposite!!  I just want to go home and crawl into bed until they stop bothering me.  I'm also a long distance runner and it scares me to death now to go on runs by myself.  I'm so afraid that I'll have an episode while I'm out on a long run by myself!  It is nice to have this forum available.  When I'm having a bad day it always helps to log on and listen to other people.  I wish you the best Kathy.  I just wanted you to know that there is someone else that experiences them in "runs" as my doctor calls it.  Take care!

Marie

[Betty]

I, too, suffer from heart flutters, which can be very disturbing. I tend to notice that they are much more common at night when I do to bed.  Would love to know why that is the case.  I can go all day and hardly notice them at all.   They seem like a sudden rush; and feeling seems to come up into my throat.  Sound familiar to anyone?

These flutterings have bothered me off and on for years not; they will disappear for months (sometimes even years), then for no apparent reason, they will reappear.  To this point, my doctors have not found there to be any problem with my heart.

Is it safe to be unmedicated for these conditions?

[lauri]

Last October I began having pvc lastings several minutes several times a day.  This lasted for a week and went away for a few months.  Then reappeared for a month and dissapeared again.  Needless to say each time it comes back it feels longer and more severe.  I go through the days now without hardly ever feeling my heart beat "normal".  I have had the 24 hoour monitor and they told me I had some occurances (I beg to differ) and that I was just very accune to my heartbeat.  I was told not to worry that it was just benign and they threw in some xanax to calm me when it really acts up.  Thanks for informing me of atenolol and beta blockers, I will look into that.  Thanks for helping me feel better.

[kelly]

I'm a 37-year-old female. My heart is doing flip-flops even as I'm typing this. Mine started several years ago. Then, it was just an occasional flutter every now and then. A couple years ago, I had a bad episode when I got home from work one day- it flopped around for a couple hours- I just laid on my bed and it really scared me! Since then, I've had 2 EKGs from two different doctors and they both assured me my heart is fine and palpitations are "normal". For the past year or so, I haven't been bothered by them at all, but now, 2 days ago, they started up again. This has been the third straight day and my heart's been flopping and fluttering almost continuously. In fact, my chest now even feels somewhat sore, like when you've overworked a muscle. Does anyone else feel this? This is more than an annoyance...it's very scary! I'm a single mom and I keep thinking what if I'm about to have a heart attack? I'm very overweight and am desperate to lose, but like another message-poster, I'm afraid if I start exercising, I might drop dead!

Does anyone know what exactly causes these?
Can they be associated with anxiety and/or depression?
If it's "normal", why doesn't everyone have them?

Thanks everyone for listening.

[Craig]

Someone mentioned their palpatations happened when they went to bed. I experience these usually early in the morning as I'm waking up or getting out of bed. Also, they seem to happen more frequently when I lay on my left side. My sister is a nurse and she mentioned that your blood pressure lowers when you lay on your left. I'm not quite sure how that relates though. Anyone experience these unique situations?

[murray]

I have had a history of flutterings, skipped beats and general heart flopping  for most of my adult life; I'm 53. Usually, I just lived with it as best I could as any single episode did not last long. I noticed that stress was a cause, also alcohol. I suffer from fairly regular migraines, and have always experienced palpitations during the severest period of the headache.

Recently, the heartbeat irregularities have increased and I have them periodically throughout the day, and most certainly at bedtime. Like most of you, I am somewhat frightened by them although my GP assures me that most of these problems do not increase mortality rates. I am awaiting results from a Holter monitor 24 hr. test.

I would like to know if anyone else has a migraine/palpitation condition, and if there is a drug therapy that deals with this condition specifically.

[david]

I have started to have scary palpitations recently after a sustained period of stress and extensive travel. I have had ECGs -ALL CLEAR - and seen several doctors - all say hyperventilation/panic attacks. Things seem to be improving since I started breathing exercises. However I am still experiencing up to thirty minute palpitation periods almost always when I wake up from sleep. Does anyone know why this happens at that time? It is of course
very disturbing and is playing havoc with my sleeping patterns as I am reluctant to go to bed.

THANKS,

[Sherry]

To Craig-When you lay on your left side your heart beat waves bounces off your ribbs - This is why you can feel the heart beat more and your blood pressure can have an effect on your heart rate and how it reacts. When the nurse performs an ECHO they have you lay on your left side. Also, if any one is dehydrated then you can have more heart flutter symptoms.
To David from April 11, 2000-Travel can effect heart flutters - at least it does with me. High altitude can really mess with my heart rate to the point I would sware I was dying! Drink lots of water and NO sugar or caffeine.  Stress will also drive your heart rate crazy - I have learned that everything has to be done in a calm manner. Pick your stressfull moments and then just let the otherones pass you by. I also have trouble with waking up to heart palpitations-sometimes I'm dreaming and have had a rush of adrenilin(sp) and sometimes I have no reason for the event. But it scares me to death. My heart flutters tend to be triggered by movement - bending my head to my feet, stretching in a certain position or getting up too fast from a sitting position. Although, they can happen on there own with no movement from me.
Does anybody else have the movement/heart flutter problem?

[Keith M to Sherry]

Your comments re: movement and fluttering. this is exactly the same as my own experience.My skipped beats/fluttering began around 3 years ago. I had no previous history or Med problems and one day they just started. They are nearly always associated with changes in posture or sudden movement. I have had every test possible and they have all come up negative, however, I take great reassurance from this. I have tried Atenolol, Propranolol etc to no avail. I now take high dosage (3g daily)of Gamma Linolenic Acid(Evening Primrose Oil) and this has helped enormously. Prior to taking this, My problem was evident all day, every day, but now I can go for days without an episode. My record is 7 days. I found that it took around 8 - 10 weeks before any improvment began. Hope this helps.
***@****

[Cathy]

The Tambocorhas gotten rid of 90% of the pvc's, and i have not had a run of v-tach since.  I do get the pvc's occasionally, but for the most part, they are not daily like they used to be.

I have been on the Tambocor for about 2 years now.  My doctor wanted me to go on the medication to get a "break" from the PVC's so I could gain more confidience in myself, since they were taking over my life.  But now, he says I need to come off because it is such a strong drug, and he cannot be certain of the long term side effects.  I am, however, terrified to come off because I am so used to not having the PVC's.  The minor side effects I have experienced have been:  numbness in my lips, tongue and throat, visual disturbances and, unfortunately, a little bit of hair loss.  I hope this helps you.  Good luck!
cathy

[Dennis]

So many people are made miserable by this condition; if I had the money, I'd endow an institute to come up with a better solution!  I've had these "flip-flops" (PVCs) for decades.  They've usually been associated with stomach pressure or esophageal spasms: gas, acid food, cold liquids, etc.  Medical opinion has been that this "reflux" triggers affect the vaso-vagal nerve which effectively sends a message telling the heart to slow down -- at the same moment the heart is trying to speed up so it sort of "trips over itself."  If you go to the GI forum here you'll see many similar complaints. The problem is that despite all the information and reassuring words provided by doctors, this phenomenon seems to send a message direct to the brain: "emergency! help! help!" -- a message that is very hard to ignore.  It definitely tends to spoil your day.  I've had weeks with none, and days with many. It's become so troublesome lately that Dr prescribed a beta-blocker (Atenolol) and the first 25 mg dose stopped the flip-flops cold.  The side-effect of extreme fatigue (climbing San Francisco hills suddenly felt like I was wearing a 100lb pack) slowly went away, and that dose, taken half in morning and half in evening has remained pretty effective.  A bad morning recently elicited the advice from Dr. to take some extra atenolol--it wouldn't hurt.  The remaining side effect is being extra sensitive to cold air (that causes the flopping regardless -- or because of -- the atenolol). But I hate the notion of being chained to any drug forever, though any side effect is better than these palpitations.  Courage to all!

[Concerned Atenolol user]

Has anyone heard of Atenolol causing your hair to thin or to fall out? I take 25mg of Atenolol - half in morning and half in evening. I agree with Dennis, on I hate the notion of being chained to any drug forever, though any side effect is better than these palpitations - But I don't want my hair to get thin or fall out.  I'm a 29 year old female! Does anyone have any info on this?

[Elizabeth Jane]

Read all your postings and did not find one of you having mvp or maybe I missed one or two!  I have a redundant mitral valve with effussion which was once dx as a innocent murmur! Now I have flutters and thumps maybe twice a month, once it was for 4 weeks and I was told not to worry! OK! I have been dx as having chronic fibroymialgia, sle (lupus), and cns visual phenomena with (ms) symptoms ie imbalance, vertigo, vision loss (left eye) periodically, pins and needles re: right arm, numbness or dullness on my back, dorsal area, trauma to my cervical area..so I do not know what is causing any of this..no answers..some dx's, but mostly, wait and see attitude...incontinence is a bummer!! I am 55 now, just a few more years to go...so? Get help from the appropriate doctors, be firm, state your symptoms and get results! Good luck! Elizabeth Jane

[kimmie]

hi my name is kimmie and i too suffer from pvc's. i am 24 years old and have had them since i was 16. i, like the rest of you are very frightened by them . i have been to 4 doctors and had every test done known to man, the results : i have a normal heathly heart. when the pvc's first started they were constant for about 3 years then subsided for about 3 years. last october they started up again having them everday for 6 months. i got sick last month ,with the flu, and i relaxed for 2 days and the pvc's disappeared. i went to my doctor and he said they go in remission but they do eventually return. its amazing how your life seems totally different without the pvc's. im a much happy person now , im no longer obssesed with my pulse. i was also diagnosed with anxiety disorder which is a major factor with my pvc's . its funny but i dont know what caused what did the pvc's cause the anxiety disorder or did the anxiety disorder cause the pvc's? its kinda like what came first the chicken or the egg?

[Sharon]

What a great find!  There are so many of us.  This is another me,too, letter.  I'm 53, about 30 lbs overweight.  Post menapausal.  have experienced premature beats off and on since my early twenties.  Same stuff.  Dr says its not harmful.  I do know that for me, anyway, there is a STRONG stress connection, and for women, especially, we are programmed to believe our lives are not stressful and sometimes its up to our body to send us the message that we need to change some things.  Slow, relaxed breathing can often break the cycle.  Mild excercise (going for a walk) often helps.  My husband had a heart attack about 8 weeks ago and we are now both committed to a vigorous regimen of excerise, lo fat diet, and making sure we are enjoying life.  I'm here to tell you it makes a world of difference!  Eliminating caffeine, smoking etc will help other things in addition to the heart hiccups. A glass of red wine with dinner is a wonderful thing, but too much can be a trigger.  They even have a name for it -- Holiday Heart. And I found vitamins -- calcium, magnesium, zinc,(taken together) vitamin E, potassium also make a difference.  I have an emergency prescription of Inderol for the times I need it.  It really helps.  I hate taking medications, too, but now give myself permission to take one when I need it.  It's all about breaking the cycle and getting my mind off the skips. I've lost about 10 pounds and feel stronger with regular excercise and eating good wholesome organic food.  I also give regular thanks for my heart.  I put my hand over it and imagine it strong and healthy and faithfully beating and say thank you.  It's goofy, but, heck, it works!   What a comfort to know that I'm not the only one and I hope this, in turn, brings some comfort to someone else.

[brian]

Three months ago I started having PVCs. I am 40 years old, male and was very atheletic. I had a particularly stressful work week and then went for a hard bike ride on the weekend. On monday morning my heart was doing major flip-flopping! My doc took an ECG and didnt see them but did catch them on a monitor and says they are not dangerous. These things are so distubing and uncomfortable that they are really ruining my life. I will have a treadmill test in 2 weeks to confirm nothing else is wrong. My PVCs feel like my heart stops and then beats REAL hard. Somtimes they are almost painful. Mine are definitely affected by my actiity level and seem to occur primarily in the morning and early afternoon. If I walk up stairs or move around alot they they happen, however if I lay down they almost always go away. One month ago I got tired of being held hostage to these things and decided to start execise again. Initially they bothered me quite a bit but I kept it up. If I exercise hard then I notice that the next day they seem to be worse and I need a day of rest to go again.
I plan to ask about the beta blockers. Does anyone have any other remedies that may work? Can I expect that these things will ever go away? These are really lowering the quality of life for me. Please explain more on the beta blockers and other treatments. P.S I tried magnesium, calcium, coenzyme-Q and they havent worked.

[jan]

My heart goes out to all of you!!!  My pvc's never were bad or very bothersome, coughing or changing my position would make them go away quickly.  I am on atenolol for IST and NCS ( I, also, have mild mvp, mild mr & tr). Now that I am on atenolol the pvc's are worse, not bad, but worse (one time I had them for 45 min.) Maybe it's just a coincidence, however I did read that it could cause rhythm problems as a side effect.  It makes you wonder,doesn't it?
Also, someone suggested even'g primrose oil, if you're female and not postmenopausal, I suggest you stay away from it. (It is estrogen and dr.s do recommend it for menopause). As far as potassium, too much is just as bad as too little, and can be serious. A dr. told me if you take potassium in herbal form it should be okay.

[Aris]

Hi.I'm a male 20 years old. I'm a very anxious person but also what they call "adrenalin junkie" . Been doing all kinds of sports . After a period of stress and sadness cause of a loss of person i have these symptoms: tachycardia,missing heartbeats or extra of them,feeling my pulse,sometimes i feel dizzy and i think my blood pressure is going up and also chest pain and also abnormal heart rate. I have had a 4 EGC and 1 ECHO and all turned ok. My doctor even signed up a document saying that i'm OK for playing football (this was wanted by the team). Funny is that when i am anxious these thinks happen (maybe i have an anxiety disorder or something), i also have them when i am concetrated on my pulse or when i am standing up from a sitting position (but almost always when i think of it !) and last i have them when i eat a lot . Conclusion : i believe that most of us have anxiety disorders that cause them . I'm really afraid when these happen and i also think what if i get a heart attack or stroke? But now that i am in peace of mind i think that these are cause by my brain. I have read recently that the nervous system affects a lot the heart beat,but it is impossible to force a heart attack to your self if your heart is OK!

I'm really happy to see that many people have these symptoms and none of them have an ill heart.

My e-mail is : ***@**** and i welcome anyone similar to me to mail me!

Aris

[Aris]

Hi.I'm a male 20 years old. I'm a very anxious person but also what they call "adrenalin junkie" . Been doing all kinds of sports . After a period of stress and sadness cause of a loss of person i have these symptoms: tachycardia,missing heartbeats or extra of them,feeling my pulse,sometimes i feel dizzy and i think my blood pressure is going up and also chest pain and also abnormal heart rate. I have had a 4 EGC and 1 ECHO and all turned ok. My doctor even signed up a document saying that i'm OK for playing football (this was wanted by the team). Funny is that when i am anxious these thinks happen (maybe i have an anxiety disorder or something), i also have them when i am concetrated on my pulse or when i am standing up from a sitting position (but almost always when i think of it !) and last i have them when i eat a lot . Conclusion : i believe that most of us have anxiety disorders that cause them . I'm really afraid when these happen and i also think what if i get a heart attack or stroke? But now that i am in peace of mind i think that these are cause by my brain. I have read recently that the nervous system affects a lot the heart beat,but it is impossible to force a heart attack to your self if your heart is OK!

I'm really happy to see that many people have these symptoms and none of them have an ill heart.

My e-mail is : ***@**** and i welcome anyone similar to me to mail me!

Aris

[Kathy]

This is for Shannon if she comes back to the forum.  I'd like
to know how bad your ASD was.  I have one as well and I'm
hoping I can get it repaired because I've had heart failure
and I don't see myself living to a ripe old age if I can't get it
corrected.   Did  you have a secundum atrial septal defect?
I would appreciate any input you have to offer.  Thanks

[Kathy]

This is for Shannon if she comes back to the forum.  I'd like
to know how bad your ASD was.  I have one as well and I'm
hoping I can get it repaired because I've had heart failure
and I don't see myself living to a ripe old age if I can't get it
corrected.   Did  you have a secundum atrial septal defect?
I would appreciate any input you have to offer.  Thanks

[Dave.]

I'm 35 and have been suffering from PAC's (flutters) since i was 18. Mine occur continuously for between 1 and 3 days every 6 months or so. My chest starts to ache after a few hours of each attack, but I find if i take things easy it is more comfortable.

I have noticed that they only happen when I am sick, such as flu, (or after a good night out) and so when I go out, I do not drink to much.

I did not go to the doctor until a couple of years back, after all the tests I was told to take Sotolol to reduce the attacks and Asprin to thin my blood. I did not take the Sotolol for very long as I did not like the side effects and it also made the attacks worse. The doctor gave me Flecanide to take instead when each attack occurs.

I have been told by the cardiac consultant that the PVC's are not dangerous, just uncomfortable and scary, but a side effect of PVC's is blood clots in Very RARE cases that are very dangerous, hence the Asprin.

I know how you all feel since I had to live with this for the last 18 years, 16 of which I did not have a clue what was happening and no drugs. The one thing I have learnt is to not worry about it, it is uncomfortable but it won't Kill you, don't let it rule your life. The only thing it has stopped me doing is getting too drunk at parties, which can only be a good thing.

Dave.

[Blythe]

Wow
I didn't realize there were so many people with this problem.  Caroline, it couldn've been me writing that question, it sounded so familiar.  I have had this problem for over 16 years (I am a 43 yr old woman).  I had all the tests and everything was "fine" so after a few years I just learned to live with it.  I can control it quite a bit with proper hydration and getting enough sleep.  Whenever I have more than one cup of coffee a day (my only source of caffeine) or I get stressed or I don't get enough sleep etc. the palpitations can get pretty bad - my worst event lasted two or three minutes and I was driving at the time. Had to pull over.  Just something we have to accept I guess.
Blythe

[Linda]

I've been having these flutters for a couple of years now...have noticed them more lately. They make me cough sometimes. Glad to hear they're not serious usually. I also have symptoms of extreme tiredness most of the time, quite sensitive to cold most of the time, and very good to low blood pressure. I suppose this goes along with the condition.

[Kathy]

I am a 46 year old woman who was worked up for heart palpatations in my early 20's.  I was told not to worry about the palpatations and to reduce my caffein.  For the past 5-6 years I was treated for depression with Paxil which is usually helpful for people with anxiety. During this time I was not bothered by palpatations.  In fact, I had almost forgotten about them until recently when I went off Paxil.  It has been about 6 weeks now and I feel fine in terms of my mood but now I am having very frequent palpatations for the first time in a long while.  I'm considering going back on the Paxil  to see if it takes care of them.  

Anyone else have this experience?

[Christy]

Hi, I'm a 17 year old female...I have WPWS (Wolfe-Parkison's white syndrome)  I know how you feel.  My heart rate has been in the 200's before.  I know that this is very scary.  My doctor's put me on 50 mg. of atenolol qd at, but it made my B/P really low.  It would get soo bad I couldn't walk up the steps.  No you should not ignore this. Maybe you should ask your doctor to take X-rays to see if you have an extra heart valve.  I wish you luck!
-Christy

[Di]

What a relief to know I'm not the only one. Years ago I used to get palpitations which were definitely stress related and often panic attacks. Then I had years free of them. They have now come back, are stronger and occasionally make me feel faint.
I have had chronic fybromyalgia for 12 years and often have costochondritis.I have noticed that the palpitations are far worse when I have pain in my spine.ECGs and stress test have shown them up but not the reason for them.My GP has told me that there is a nerve quite close to the heart which is why some people get only pain in their back when they have a heart attack. If the heart can affect that nerve, why not the other way round? I've just had 3 weeks free of palpitations and free of back pain.Now that the back pain has started again, so have the palpitations!