Occasional STRONG heart beat

Question

Hi All

I have a very strange problem with my heart rythim that I have been experiencing lately and am just wondering whether anybody has been through this.

At times, i will go through these episodes in the day where for sometimes a few minutes and sometimes a few hours, my heart rythim will occasionaly give a very strong beat. What i mean by this is that as my heart beats in normal rhythim usually every third beat for example will be a very strong beat. I feel this beat in my chest, somtimes my lower back, sometimes the back of my head, my throat, and my stomach.

It's not an PVC or PAC because my heart dosent skip a beat then give me a hard kick to compensate for the skipped beat, and it's definatley not a double beat at higher strenght, its part of my normal rhythim.

I have worn a 24Hour holter montior when i have experienced this and nothing has showed up as abnormal on the whole test.

I am confused, sometimes the beats are so strong it will scare the hell out of me, especially when they hit in my throat, i feel like it will just cut off my arteries and give me a stroke it's that strong.

My blood pressure is usually good too around 120/70 mark with varied pulse pressures from 65-90

Anyone ever experienced this before?

babulabu · Answer

Hi, I'm just posting here because I have the same problem. 

It seems to me that this has something to do with anxiety and stress. When I had a really strong heartbeat for the first time I was so scared and thought I was going to die, then for several hours I experienced such heartbeats in every five minutes. Then I consulted a doctor and he told me it's normal. I only had one abnormal heartbeat in the following hour. Guess if you are nervous about the abnormally strong heartbeat, it will happen more often, and thus it goes in cycles.

Lack of sleep or drinking coffee or tea could also be the possible cause. 

If you have the same problem, go to the doctor but don't worry about it too much. If the doctor thinks you're ok then you are fine. Just stop worrying/thinking about it, it will make you feel better.

lgnzls · Answer

Thank God I’m not alone! I’ve been experiencing these forceful beats for 6 months now. Usually once or twice a month and they’re very random. You have no idea when it will hit you. But I noticed that it happens every time I’m lying down, bending down, when I’m stressed, haven’t had enough sleep or when i’m spending too much time on my phone or pc. (I saw one article about heart that phones and pcs emit this thingamajig that triggers PVCs). I informed my cardiologist about my condition and she isn’t worried AT ALL. She was like “oh it’s okay it’s nothing” but I can’t help but worry still.

OffBeatMercury · Answer

Hi, I’m fourteen and have struggled with irregular heartbeat for almost a decade. I know exactly how you feel. The anxiety that comes with constant heart palpitations can be extreme. But what I have done is I have accepted that it’s all just medical. My body is responding to things in my life a certain way. It’s trying to tell me something. When I get palpitations—and I do, a lot—I first ask myself, what’s going on in my life right now? How am I feeling? I drink water (hydrate), and I use positive self-talk to work through the stress. I am also on atenolol a beta blocker. The most important thing is to know there’s nothing severely wrong with you, but Im no cardiologist. Hope this helps.My heart normally does this in times of stress or even happiness. You’re not dying.

Mohamed996 · Answer

Iam from egypt i feel the same .. my doctor make echo he said to me your heart very good iam verry surprised about that . And iam worried

Marimar12 · Answer

I have the same thing! It started two three weeks ago. The strong beat happens at the third beat also it's weird. It's a harder stronger beat. I don't feel sick it's just uncomfortable. Will go to doc next week. Will let you know what they said.

htperry · Answer

May not be your heart. Maybe esophageal spasm from GERD or rib muscle ticks.

cheezhead24 · Answer

I get these STRONG forceful beats when I am nervous...one time I could count them EVERY 5 seconds for 20minutes. 
I even had one while I was being stress-test....I SAW it on the strip...I pointed to it "SEE! there it is..I just had one!" and it looked like a strong beat..straight UP and then straight DOWN....the cardiologist came in and he just looked at it and then left...I ended up passing the stress test AND I had an ultrasound of the heart structure and a holter...all came back fine (I have a heart murmur but ultrasound showed not a big deal).
So there you have it....a cardiologist not worried about a strong beat.

Iva_87 · Answer

Hi guys, I have the same thing! Happening only here and there. I have SVT but the days I wore Holter monitor, I got few beats so STRONG they just made me sick. I was running that day, too, and after I got few strong beats in a row, I was sure my SVT was kicking on, but nothing. 
My doctor didnt find anything abnormal, I was desperate. 

Now I´m on bisoprolol and it slowed down incredibly. I have rarely these beats now. Actually while on stress test and while hooked up on ECG, I experienced few and they were extrasystols. I dont know if this is PAC? It felt the same way, doc saw them and when I said I felt them, he looked surprised. Apparently we are more aware of our hearts then we should be. 

Still, they scare the hell out of me, cause I´m scared my tachy is coming. But you can be calm.. Im sure its extrasystols. 

Good luck to us all :) iva

MikeJ84 · Answer

I was just looking at this right now cause I have the exact same issue. I was running yesterday and right at the end (I was not fatigued or anything) and all of a sudden I got a huge beat of my heart go off so hard it scared me and made me stop. My BP is also around 120/70. I drink a decent amount of caffeine and I though that it might have something to do with it. If you find out more, let me know.

sleepsleep · Answer

have to add that 46 is not really "uncommon" in some cases cause the heart will fall bellow the rest heart when sleeping- (does not happen to all but to some)- So if thats during sleep it should be fine.

MichelleP_3811 · Answer

Were you very active the day you had the monitor on?  142 indicates physical activity.  46 is kind of low.  Resting heart rate is typically 60-100.  But in general they perceive you have an average heart rate of 80 which is good.  So it could be that when your heart is at 142 or 46 is when you feel the strong beats because your heart of too fast or slow for your activity level.  I might question your cardiologist about the slow beats.  In general though it sounds like to treat it your option would be to go on heart medicine to regulate your beat.  Medicine can have side effects so if you are otherwise healthy they won't necessarily recommend it to you.  But if these beats are that bothersome to you, you might want to ask if you can try the medicine just to see if you feel better.  It's not like you have to stay on it if it doesn't work. And then obviously your other option is to go for a second opinion.  Good luck.

Jen1901 · Answer

I'm so glad someone else is going through this, I am very heathy and dont smoke, drink or have any stress. So far I have seen 3 doctors and even ended up in a&e last week as the odd very strong heartbeat was so strong they were making me feel faint. I too have been told nothing is wrong after 2 blood tests and ecgs. They are now feeling worse again the last few days and I guess just have to put up with them, so scary and uncomfortable though. Best of luck and please post if you come across any other answers.

Martec · Answer

I actually got the hard copy of the holter results back today, this is basically what it showed:

Sinus Rythim throughout recording.

The mean HR was 80

The Max HR was 142
The Min HR was 46

No Atrial or Ventricular Arrhytmias detected

Total Beats 107419 in 24 Hours with 0% ventricular, supraventricular and paced beats detected.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm totally bamboozled as to how none of these extra strong beats i feel at random places in my body could not show up even once?

Am i to assume that when these beats occur, my heart's electrical system is not doing anything abnormal? So wouldnt that lead me to assume that those beats arent a heart rythim problem, but more so a pulse problem? Arterial issue probably?

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

cindy707 · Answer

If the doc is not worried he/she may feel that you are going thru some benign episodes of flutter or palps but if the doc is not worried and you have had the gambit of tests run and a heart doc isn't concerned i would take that as a green light.......good luck

Martec · Answer

I thought they were palpitations, but I also thought that palpitations are diagnosable with an EKG or 24 Hr holter monitor, which i have had many times and experienced these types of palpitations and not once has anything abnormal showed up in the results.

According to my cardiologist, my heart rhythim is not doing anything abnormal when i experience this, yet in my body it feels like a massive thump in different parts of the body.

Very strange and annoying I must say.

bayleaf · Answer

What you're describing are palpitations.  If you google "palpitations", and look at the definition, you'll see a part that most people forget about, or maybe never realize.  Palpitations are the SENSATION of irregular OR FORCEFUL beating of the heart.  Notice the word "or".  Palpitations by definition are not necessarily caused by irregular, extra beats.  Everyone associates them with PVCs, but that's not always the case.  Normal, sinus rhythm beats can produce palpitations.  Read up on palpitations.  You'll find all kinds of triggers out there like stress and anxiety... probably one of the most common I see.