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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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

[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