Heart Palpitations?

I have been having heart palpitations for about 10 months now.  Within the last couple of months it has went from heart skipping or flip flopping to heart racing, getting real hot in the face and neck.  I was then told I was having panic attacks.  Dr put me on Sertraline 50 mg (which  the side affects have been awful but getting better).  It seems as though the panic attacks have went done to very small ones but I still have the heart skipping.  I have had blood work, EKG, 24 hr haltor and Xray which came out normal.  The DR wants me to go to a Cardiologist but I have to get insurance first.   I feel like the Doctors thank Im just crazy.  Between the heart palpitations and the panic attacks I thought I was going to die.   I am glad I found this site and was able to see that there are others out there.  This is putting me and my family through so much.  Would the test I have taken be able to see anything serious?

[scaredjo]

hiya, i have anxiety surrounding my heart and palpatations. the test you have had are good and the echo would have shown if the heart was damaged obviously it wasnt or the doc would have told you. the only thing i wonder is why the doc wants you to see a cardiololgist if he has diagnosed panic attacks is it for your piece of mind? if your worrying there is something wrong with your heart it can cause all sorts of symptoms and you must remember that palpatations are rarely dangerous they would have picked up if they was on the 24hr monitor.
hope this helps

[bella3293]

I haven't had any ultrasound of the heart or and visuals.  They have all just been monitors.  I can't get anything else until I pick up some insurance.  That is why he wants me to go to a cardiologist.  He say I could have a leaky valve.  Which I hope anything left would not be serious.  They would have caught anything serious by now I hope.  The meds he put me on have helped with racing and such but I do still have the skipping of the heart.  They mainly come late afternoon or evening.  This is very scary stuff.  

[Markmole]

It sounds like you are suffering from PVC's like I do.
I have thousands of these every day and have had all the tests all of which have come back normal.
I still get anxious about them and still find it hard to believe sometimes that these are benign, but both my doctor and the cardiologists i have spoken to have assured me i have a healthy heart so these won't do any harm.
I also get the racing heart etc and have suffered from anxiety for a while now.
You will have been referred to a cardiologist so that they can make a definitive diagnosis for you do maybe a stress test and then once these all come back clear they will be hoping it will put your mind at rest and you can start to combat the anxiety knowing your heart is ok.
I have had these for 9 years no somedays worse than others but I am still here.
Once you accept that they won't harm you they should start to reduce and you will find your personal triggers and things to avoid.
Hope you feel better soon.

[bella3293]

The skipping of my heart is getting more frequent and harder.  Before they just felt like flutters and now I can really feel the thump of it in the lower part of my heart and they  come as many as  2 to 4 in a row.  It almost feels as though its jerking right after it skips.  I can really feel it when I lay down.  I am also starting to have them all day verses usually evenings to night.  Is this normal for palpitations?   This might sound weird but can the heart get wore out and not be able to handle this?  

[timmytimmy]

I have a question, Do you feel the pressures that follow the thump or flutters?
mine get intense sometimes but it never last's more than a couple of seconds
and then POW...Then guess what, Panic is in da house...
Anyway just curious???
Timm

[bella3293]

Yes sometimes I get pressure but since they are starting to hit a little hard and more frequent I get a achy, itchy feeling in my chest.  Believe me I know about panicing.  I didn't even know at first I was panicing I really thought I was having a a serious problem and no doc would listen.  But the doc put me on a lose dose of meds for the panic and I don't have panic attacks over anymore just the heart palps.  I don't like taking med like that but I think the panic is worse then the palps for sure!!

[LBL13]

I have PVCs that have increased as I get older, 60 now. In the past 5 yrs, I have had echocardiograms, stress test, blood tests, etc and all paint a clear picture. PVCs continue and worse is the anxiety. Thru this site I read about what triggers PVCs and what helps plus trying to relieve the mental stress. Some things have helped me, particularly the triggers. Stay informed and read as much as you can. Doctors seem to ignore PVCs but the anxiety they create is worse than the skipped beat. I was doing fine for several months until last night when I had a rapid fire of strange beats and then sat for 2 hrs with a heating pad trying to calm myself down. That's why I'm back to this site today to get reassurance.