Palpitations

These irregular heatbeats are making me crazy!  I have had numerous holters, echo, stress test and even and EP study (10 years ago) and they keep on telling me there is nothing wrong with my heart.  How in the world can there be nothing wrong when I feel flutters, skips, irregular beating etc?  I can sometimes go a day without feeling anything but those are few and far between.  I usually get some sort of sensations at least 10 - 15 times a day where I feel it is not beating right where it stops and then goes thud or does it numerous times in a row or does a kind of drop sensation similar to when you are on a plane and the plane drops in an air pocket and sometimes a general fluttery sensation.  I also have read that if you feel them in the left hand side of your neck (which I do) that they may be a little more sinister?  Would you say that is true?

My cardio seems to think that I am just too focused on this and to just forget about it.  If I had a true arrythmia would it have shown up on one of the holters I had in the past?  I have recorded it when I feel the skips etc and they have caught couplet PVC's and triplet PAC's but nobody seems to be overly concerned about this?  I also take Prozac 40mg because my doctor feels that this has taken over my life (which is has) with me obsesssing about my heart.  I think the Prozac may be helping me a little bit with the panic attacks from my heart but I still wonder if I should be pursuing this or just dropping it?  What would you do with a person with this type of complaint?  Do you think I am worrying about this for nothing?  I feel like I am being sluffed off by these doctors but they keep on telling me NOTHING is wrong and I have a strong healthy heart and everyone has what I have but some people feel them and some people don't.  It just seems to randomly do these flips and skips throughout the day at no time in particular.  I am a 47 year old healthy normal weight female.  Thank you for any insight you can give me Doctor.  

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

I also have read that if you feel them in the left hand side of your neck (which I do) that they may be a little more sinister?  Would you say that is true?

Never heard that before.

If I had a true arrythmia would it have shown up on one of the holters I had in the past?  

sometimes not, it depends on how frequent the episodes are.

I still wonder if I should be pursuing this or just dropping it?

get another opinion to review the studies.  if they agree that this is harmless, it is time to move on.

What would you do with a person with this type of complaint?  Do you think I am worrying about this for nothing?

I have yet to meet someone that has a work up like you describe have some dangerous hidden problem.  It is usually anxiety.  It is worth a second opinion to help ease your concerns, but don't do it unless you are going to believe it they agree that there is no problem.

I hope this helps.  Good luck.

[srm6598]

I have PVCs too..... When I wore the 24 hour monitor I had more than 9,000.... and just recently I had an episode of SVT...let me tell ya...you know the difference when it happens!

As far as the PVC go, I do ignore them and they hardly ever become a bother.  I too believe that if you focus on them they get worse. In fact, I told my cardio that I could actually make one happen if I focus on my heart beat and voila .... please give meditation a try.  Put on some nice music, turn down the lights, light a candle and concentrate on the flame. You will feel better in just a few minutes. Good luck

[marlinspike]

I have suffered with ectopic beats for 3 years now, sometimes very 2 or 3 beats. At times I have been convinced I was about to drop dead. The anxiety about them can indeed take over your life.

I have found books on cognitive therapy helpful. I decided that even if I couldn't do anything about the missed beats, I could work on the anxiety. I would recommend - The Worry Cure (R. Leahy), Feeling Good: New Mood Therapy (D. Burns) and Self-Help for Your Nerves (Claire Weekes - this book went everywhere with me for months!). It really helped me to work through the exercises in these books. I hope this helps someone.

[marilee176]

Hi, I know exactly what you are going through.  I have the very same problem.  It is driving me crazy but they did say it could be atrial Fib, has anyone said that to you?

[stw]

I had premature atrial contactions (PAC) for several months, and two episodes of atrial fibrillation (afib) during that period.  (The cardiologist said having PACs makes episodes of afib much more likely.)  You can tell for sure whether or not you're in afib by getting an EKG.  I could tell something was different in afib vs. the PAC because I felt my pulse going 120-130 beats per minute, rather than the usual 60-70 beats per minute plus occasional extra early beats (PACs).

Have you had your blood magnesium level measured?  You may have read in other forums here about people improving with magnesium supplements.  I was taking a magnesium and calcium supplement for the several months I had PACs to try to help, plus eating lots of green leafy vegetables and especially lots of nuts and seeds, which contain magnesium.  Then I switched the supplement to magnesium only *without* calcium.  After two or three days, my symptoms went away, and I haven't felt any palpitations in the three months since then - amazing!  Just wanted to share my experience in case it can help someone else...

[pvc lady in ec]

Thanks for sharing your input on magnesium supplements. Just did a bit of research on-line after reading your post, and found it is a membrane stabilizer - guess that's whay it might be effective in controlling PVC's. Aside from taking the supplement, do you also take a Beta Blocker to assist in contolling your PVC's? Does anyone know if doctors do suggest supplements as magnesium and/or CO-Q10 to assist with these darn things?

Any comments/imput will be appreciated!

[stw]

No, I don't take any beta blockers.  The only medicine my cardiologist prescribed was a calcium channel blocker, and only to take in the event that my PACs trigger another episode of afib and I need to lower my heart rate.

From what I've read, some doctors may recommend magnesium; mine didn't.  Not sure about Co-Q10.  I just kept trying things one at a time until something worked.  I read about the magnesium supplements online.  My doctor wasn't impressed when I told him it had worked for me.  It won't work for everyone I'm sure, probably only a minority of people, but it's something to try.  

Interestingly, one of the articles I read online called magnesium "nature's calcium channel blocker".  Evidently magnesium is required for muscle relaxation, and calcium is required for muscle contraction.  Since the heart is a muscle, this explains why magnesium/calcium balance is important for proper hearbeat.  Same thing applies to other body systems, too, including digestion.  Too much calcium can cause constipation, and magnesium treats constipation.  I noticed beneficial effects in that department right away when I switched from the Mg+Ca supplement to Mg only. :)