Palpitations? Anyone else...

Hello. I recently have been getting a dramatic increase in my heart palpitations.  I am not sure why, but I am beginning to believe it is anxiety that is affecting me.

I have had an Heart MRI, EchoCardioGram, Stress Test, EKG and bubble test about 4 years ago that showed everything was normal except my left ventricle was slightly enlarged but I was told that being over 6ft tall and 200 lbs it was not that abnormal.  

Recently, I have had another stress test, nuclear stress test, Calcium score (came back zero) and a holter monitor.  All were negative but the holter monitor did capture quite a few PACs.

Has anyone else had a similar issue... normal tests but still get palpitations.  Are there any natural remedies?  My doctor put me on Metroprol Succinate ER 25mg but told me to stop after a week since my extremities were quite cold.  

Thank you!

[snyderm]

I am not a doctor, but I am someone that has palpatations, and I too get periods when my palpatations get worse periodically.

First of all, it would be helpful to define what a "dramatic increase" means in terms of frequency.  I first started getting palpatations a few a day, and when I got them every hour, I considered that a dramatic increase.  I have been known to get one a minute, or one every ten minutes for a period of 4 or 5 days.  Or sometimes I get worried when I have several in a span of 30 seconds.

It sounds like you have had a lot of tests to find the problem.  Sometimes, no cause can be found.  If you are in that group, then all you can really deal with is your own anxieties.

When it comes to palpatations, everyone's thought process is the same.  Your doctor tells you your anxiety makes your palpatations worse, and you claim you wouldn't have anxiety if it wasn't for your palpatations.  The key is to only stress out about the physical problems your palpatations cause, and not worry about the fact that you are having palpatations.

In my case, anxiety is a fact of my life.  What I do is try to accept the fact that I am an anxious person.  When you accept your condition, your anxiety lessens and your palpations might decrease.  Accept they are real and generaly harmless.  When you have achieved this, then all that is left is managing the actual stress in your life, which is what a normal person should spend his time on anyway.

[StillLooking]

Thank you very much for your post.  I used to get them once or twice a month and then over the past month I had several a day for a full week.  

For me it is tough since I do get more anxious about the palpitations. I think that it is far worse and need to rationalize what my docs are telling me.  I am looking into relaxation and anxiety reducing exercises.  

Thank you again.

[mare505]

For years, I used to just get palpitations maybe a couple a day and then in December i was getting them a couple or more an hour for about two weeks duration then they mostly went away.  Four months went by and then in the past two weeks i started getting them all through the day for about two weeks and then they resolved again.  The doctor says sometimes this happens but i'm wondering why.  Does anyone have an answer?  I am an anxious person but don't believe when these palps start that I'm stressing over anything.  I hate this!  

[StillLooking]

I just saw a specialist today.  An electrophysiologist (sub-specialty of a cardiology).  He stated that I did have some palpitations but they were limited.  He stated that a majority of people get palpitations but some feel them and some do not.  He stated that the frequency is the big issue and depending on the how it affects the patient is how they treat it.  He decided to put me on cardizan versus the beta blocker I was on for a week since I was getting cold extremities.  

I am still nervous about all of this, but I realize that anxiety plays a role. The doctor reassured me that with all of my tests it is not caused by anything structural in the heart.  

I am still interested to hear what others have to say.