Mitral Valve Prolapse & Paps

I have noticed a change in my flutters/paps... it used to happen once in a while but now its everyday, several times a day.  The intensity ranges, I can ignore some but then I have one that takes my breath away, feels like my heart has paused or is trying to jump start itself.  My other concern is that at times I feel my heart racing for no reason and then my anxiety kicks in when this happens.  I have my anxiety and panic attacks under control the majority of the time until disturbing heart paps/flutters begin.   This can be a truly frightening experience however I have to keep telling myself this is 'normal' as my cardiologist puts it.  I had to switch cardiologists earlier this  year because my original cardio had several different diagnosis for me??  I am seeing a top cardiologist in Texas, she diagnosied me within minutes of my first to her because her daughter has MVP and have similar symptoms.  I am not taking any meds for MVP but I am on xanax and lexapro for depression.  I am a smoker as well, I quit for two months this year and started again, I exercise several times a day as well.   I am 34 and about 20 pounds overweight as well, and I am thinking its my recent weight gain this year that has caused my paps to increase daily, this has been going on since December of last year.  I feel at times like I am just waiting to die that my heart is going to stop, have a heart attack, stroke, etc.  I contacted my doctor and I am waiting for the nurse to call me back today, she may want me to wear a heart monitor for 72 hours, GOOD, because I want this to show up and I want her to see what I go through every day!
I truly hope that all of you that suffer with PVC's or any type of irregular heart beats will see a doctor - better safe than sorry!  Please share your stories with me, before I found this website I thought something was mentally wrong with me and it was all in my head, this website has restored my sanity.  God Bless.... Kathy

[Jerry_NJ]

Finding the right doctor will help.  I believe that all (or at least nearly) board certified doctors are qualified in their field(s)... but some seem to get to the solution sooner than others.

I don't know about the extra weight and smoking relative to your heart rhythm anomalies, but both deserve your focused attention to gain control of them when you have the extra strength.  I am a past smoker, quit about 1984 (ya, I'm an old guy, so I had to quit cold turkey... there wasn't much in the way of modern medication aids, so I don't know how much they help, just really wanting to live longer was my motivation and I got over it, no desire to smoke for many years now, I dislike even a distant whiff of smoke).