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palpitations

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.

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A related discussion, Heart flutter was started.
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A related discussion, INFO was started.
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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!
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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
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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?
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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Avatar universal
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
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Avatar universal
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
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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.
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Avatar universal
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.
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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.
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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?
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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
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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?
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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!
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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
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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.
***@****
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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?
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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,
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