Is fluttering in chest followed by rapid pulse dangerous?

[Bowlinc]

Hi there,

I've posted here before, but I've recently experienced something new and would like advice. I know that typical advice will be to see a cardiologist and, if I can afford it, I will. However, I'd like to know if anyone has experienced this before and what it was.

Tonight I was just lying in my bed playing a game on my phone when I suddenly felt this fluttering feeling in my chest followed by a rapid pulse. I didn't measure the pulse rate, but I estimated it to be anywhere between 150 & 200 bpm. The experience didn't produce any pain or any other symptoms really other than me feeling very shaky afterwards, probably due to being scared out of my wits. The jumpy/fluttering feeling in my chest came on suddenly and then my heart rate started climbing very fast: not immediately, like in one beat, but fairly quickly. I did some deep breathing and, after about 50 seconds, was able to bring my HR back down to normal. This happened one other time almost exactly a week ago and it was the exact same experience.

I have been dealing with anxiety for about nine months now, I have GERD, and I actually went to the ER about a month ago for a similar experience as I've had tonight (although not quite as severe). While at the hospital they did an EKG (found nothing), blood tests (nothing), and an x-ray of my heart (still nothing). Almost two weeks ago I went to my gp for a prescription of anti-anxiety meds (he prescribed me paroxetine) and had to quit taking them almost as soon as I started as they were not agreeing with my work schedule.

Do these weird chest flutters sound dangerous? Could they be induced by stress/anxiety? Or could it be the medicine I was taking briefly? I just don't want to have some sort of serious cardiac arrhythmia. I'm only 24 years old and I have no prior history of this. My mom and grandma both had heart attacks due to blockages and both survived. I don't have a family history of lethal arrhythmia.

Any advice/personal experience would be greatly appreciated!

[MichelleP_3811]

You would need to get what you are feeling captured on a monitor to know for sure it isn't those things bu if your heart is healthy the odds of sudden death happening are very slim so force yourself to push those fear thoughts out of your mind.  Talk yourself out of them when they creep in.  How long does the flutter last.  if it is only for a brief moment then it is likely just an extra beat.  If it lasts longer than try to feel your pulse and identify if it feels super fast or irregular.  Other than that try to not worry.  many people have daily little blips with their heart and go on to live very long lives.  Take care.

[Bowlinc]

Last night when it happened the flutter lasted 2-3 seconds followed by a dramatic increase in heart rate that lasted about 45 seconds before coming back down to normal.

[Bowlinc]

Also, thank you. I realize that I need to calm down and not worry so much. For the most part I'm okay. It's just that when I do feel a weird beat or the strange fluttering/racing feeling like last night, the physical sensation overwhelms my mental capacity for a short while. I feel a lot better about it today. I realize that if there were really something wrong with my heart, chances are there would be more symptoms than just the occasional flip-flop. Anyway, thanks again for your advice!

[MichelleP_3811]

No one can diagnose you online.  You must see a doctor for that but it sounds like you may have run of the mill ectopic beats, pacs in the atria or pvcs in the ventricles.  That flutter feeling is very possibly an ectopic beat and feeling it may be sending you emotionally into a panic that is causing the sinus tachycardia in the high 100s.  If it was a reentry svt it would likely start and stop in what feels like one beat so since it was a gradual rise and slow down then it very well is related to panic disorder and an adrenaline surge.  Try to not stress when you feel the flutter and see if that keeps your pulse steady. They are not considered a danger in an otherwise healthy heart.  Things like caffeine and stomach issues will trigger ectopic beats as well as stress and anxiety so work on those things to try and get them to stop but if you can't, most of us struggle to, then just try to learn to walk through them and they won't take over your life.  Ideally it would be good to get your heart evaluated to know you have a baseline structurally normal heart but if that is not possible at this time then just read up on ectopic beats and see if you can address possible triggers to alleviate some of your symptoms.  Take care and hope you are able to resolve things.

[MichelleP_3811]

Like Tom mentioned the only way to know for sure is to get a monitor to catch it though honestly if it was a gradual return to normal rate it isn't likely a reentry svt but it is important to rule it out.  I would still say it is also doubtful it is vtach because again that type of rhythm would start and stop abruptly as well.  It it is a rhythm issue I would suspect something more along the lines of sinus tachycardia related to dysautonomia or pots but you need to get it evaluated first to know for sure so try to get a monitor and drink lots of water and manage stomach issues.  

[tom_h]

Supraventricuar Tachycardia is also a "a very rapid regular pulse"; so regular that it can go on for hours without danger.  The only way to get a handle on what you have is to see a physician and get a wearable, long term monitor, that you can use for up to a month or even longer.  Generally, I'd forget about a 24 hour Holter unless these events are very regular.  To me, those thing only serve to further cloud the issue.  You wear one for 24 hours,  nothing shows up, so the physician often assumes that you're having anxiety issues.

I sometimes experienced an interesting phenomenon when I began an SVT event.  I would feel an initial flutter and if I palpated my pule in my wrist or neck, I could feel an underlying normal beating at the same time the rapid beating was occurring.  This gave a fluttery feeling in my chest until the SVT took command.

If you're healthy, chances are that it is more likely SVT.  But why guess?  See your physician and let him make the call.  But use common sense if he tries to diagnose you as simply having anxiety issues.

[Bowlinc]

Hi there, I just wanted to share another experience I had tonight that scared me a lot. I was lying down, ready to go bed when I noticed a ringing in my right ear. Then I started to feel light headed and like I was about to pass out. I didn't notice any heart flutters but I did notice my heartrate shot WAY up, around 180-190. The pattern was regular, not irregular. I can't say whether or not the high bpm was caused by adrenaline or not. I immediately got up from bed and walked to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face because I thought it was just a panic attack. I also did one of those grunt maneuvers because I've heard that if you're having a bout of arrhythmia it can help restore the rhythm back to normal. I didn't notice an immediate difference, but, with the deep breathing, my pulse returned to normal over the course of about 20 seconds. I've read that vtach is a very rapid regular pulse. I'm scared that's what I have, even though I have a structurally normal heart.

[Bowlinc]

Hi there, I just wanted to share another experience I had tonight that scared me a lot. I was lying down, ready to go bed when I noticed a ringing in my right ear. Then I started to feel light headed and like I was about to pass out. I didn't notice any heart flutters but I did notice my heartrate shot WAY up, around 180-190. The pattern was regular, not irregular. I can't say whether or not the high bpm was caused by adrenaline or not. I immediately got up from bed and walked to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face because I thought it was just a panic attack. I also did one of those grunt maneuvers because I've heard that if you're having a bout of arrhythmia it can help restore the rhythm back to normal. I didn't notice an immediate difference, but, with the deep breathing, my pulse returned to normal over the course of about 20 seconds. I've read that vtach is a very rapid regular pulse. I'm scared that's what I have, even though I have a structurally normal heart.

[MichelleP_3811]

If you sensed that it went on for 2-3 seconds that could mean that you have a few of them very close together but again, in a healthy heart that isn't a danger to you also.  it sounds like your fear is causing the rise in heart rate but just keep tabs on it and try to not worry.  Work on possible triggers and see if that helps. Take care.

[Bowlinc]

I definitely will. Thank you for your kind words. I think the reassurance will help some as well. Have a great weekend!

[Bowlinc]

Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your reply! I did go to the ER last month with similar symptoms and they told me I have strong, healthy heart. That did seem to help the anxiety somewhat and, subsequently, the palpitations or ectopic beats seemed to decrease in frequency. My gp doesn't seem concerned at all about it.

I guess my biggest fear is that I have something serious like afib or vtach and that I'm simply going to drop dead one of these days. I know that sounds (and probably truly is) ridiculous, but I can't help thinking that way.