Prolonged Episodes of Heart Palpitations

Question

Hello All - I was just wondering for those of you who have suffered from palpitations for years, how long do your episodes last?

I was diagnosed last year with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is the probable cause of my palpitations.  I am currently taking Levothyroxine for the hypothyroidism.

Sometimes, the palpitations are barely noticeable - only a flutter here or there over the course of several weeks.  Then, I'll begin having them every day for hours at a time.  For example, last night they started at 8:30pm and still had not stopped when I fell asleep at 3:30am!

I do not feel bad when I have them - no dizziness, shortness of breath, etc.  They just make me feel uncomfortable.  I have been to a cardiologist who said that everything is fine, although I was not having episodes lasting this long when I went to see him.

Is there anyone else out there who also suffers from these marathon episodes?

DEWTN · Answer

Sorry for the mispelling doin this from my phone and thank you all for these posts gives me a little comfort

DEWTN · Answer

Hi im dewtn i to went to the er bout 2 yrs ago i thought i was having a heart attack my heart was way high and i had terrible pain in the middle of my xhest but they said all was norm now latley ive been having palps the started once or twice a month and have recently turned into four or five a day they 
Only last a second or so and then i feel fine sometimes it feels like someone has stuck me with a knife split second sensation im a father of 3yr old and a 5yr old dont even want to think about leaving them yet but rhis is really got me worried dont think the docs will give me good news

gothic_beauty · Answer

Yeah, I have been tested for anxiety. In fact, my doctor recently assured me that my mind is at the root of all my health problems. I've had loads of heart tests that have come back normal, so the verdict is that I'm panicking rather than having a heart attack! So hard to believe, and in many ways harder to deal with. I still haven't come to terms with it, but I'm working on it ...

suzy74601 · Answer

my problem is the panic and anxiety do not start till after my pvc's and pacs start... then i start to stress about them... causing me tummy troubles and all sorts of stress related problems.  

IT *****.  reading these posts helps me some

benthic_man · Answer

Have you been tested for Generalized Anxiety or Panic disorder? Anxiety sufferers sometimes experience these same symptoms, and find it difficult to believe when their doctors can't find a physical problem with their heart. I had severe chest pains that put me in the ER, only to find that it was a panic attack. People, including some medical professionals who should know better, don't always give the brain credit for finding inventive and frightening ways to let the owner know that there's trouble upstairs.

gothic_beauty · Answer

MelinDel, when you say 'palpitations' do you mean that your heart is thumping, or that it is skipping beats, or that it is racing? Or a combination of the three? Just wanted to clarify, because I get all three sensations and they come at different times. When my heart starts thumping, it can happen for hours on end, but if it's not that severe and my HR is normal, I don't care too much. I have never had a run of skipped beats that lasted for longer than 10 minutes (knock on wood). As for racing heartbeat, I have had episodes of 120 beats per minute that lasted for over an hour. Luckily, when my heart goes faster than that, it usually does not last as long. Any sort of tachycardia terrifies me, though, so it is these episodes that have me most concerned. I cannot imagine enduring them into the night though, let alone for months at a time! I hope that your symptoms do not interfere with your life too much, and that they abate in the near future!

saimon282 · Answer

Hi I have the same problem as you thyroid ,and I take the same med,and since that I have a lots of pvcs,i had all the test done,but is very uncomfortable the feeling ant is taking over me.  The EP gave mg and I take it everyda,but not luck until now.  I wonder if the thyroid med makes the palpitations.

suzy74601 · Answer

I am sorry you are going through this.  My Palps have been going on for awhile now but just recently became unbearable.  I dont know what to tell you to do.  Its very hard to act like there not happening.

kellyp323 · Answer

i have panic disorder and my palpitations started last week. it has been everyday for hours on end. i have the urge to go back to the er for the millionth time, but i know they wont find anything. i have this horrible fear of death, and i think that makes it worse. i have been put on a small dose of atenolol, but im not feeling a difference. what should i do?

Chrisitine · Answer

I am going to try the magnesium as well.  It is so annoying.  just started for me last week. 3 days straight, 4 days minimal to none, now on day 3 and is so uncomfortable. was fine both of the last 2 days for a while in the AM just after getting up, both days started before coffee.  not sure if going to my primary would be helpful? the cardio office did get me right in to see the nurse, can't see the cardio MD till July.

ireneo · Answer

I do hope the magnesium helps you feel better. Stop by some time and let us know.

MelinDel · Answer

Okay, so I went and spoke with the pharmacist today.  She agreed that 300mg of magnesium was good to start with.  She advised me that she has been receiving a lots of prescriptions from cardiologists for magnesium.  The pharmacist didn't anticipate any interaction with the Levothyroxine.  I'm just going to make sure I take it at night.  Hopefully I'll notice a difference over the next few weeks.

Thank you all again for your posts.  I have found them all very helpful!  Mostly, it's nice to have people that understand what you're going through because they too are going through the same thing.  I wish you all the best!

RNRita · Answer

I have had very long, spells here and there all my life.  The worst was bigeminy (every other beat) for 8 weeks.  I cried a lot.  Once I accepted it, as you have no choice, they went away and I didn't even realize it at first!  I am a 51 year old nurse who worked critical care cardiac and EVERYONE had them on the unit.  A lot of nurses had them, too.  We used to try to joke about them.  I take mag (400mg) now and I was wondering why I've been so tired, too.  The PVCs are better, but exercising is harder...hmmm.  I DO drink at least two mugs of coffee a day and find no difference whether I do or don't.  I take BBs for a fast resting HR and that helps.  Diltiazem doesn't really stop PVCs any more than BBs, but helps with SVT runs.  I tried to go off the BBs after 20 years but my HR went right back up to fast and uncomfortable.  Oh well.......I'll live till I don't.

melanie48 · Answer

thanks for the advice.  i might try to try that next time . i'm glad to know that your a fib was cured through ablation  my brother has this condition and the ablation was not an option for him for some reason. he takes medication for his afib and he is doing well with that. i guess those of us with pvc's will just have to cope the best we can.. which i am through my faith in God and my magnesium supplements!!!!

AMichael · Answer

When I get PVC's, I hold my breath and bear down, squeezing my mid section.  This often provides relief.  Best wishes my new friend!

MelinDel · Answer

Thank you for the advice!  You are completely right about not letting this rule my life.  I do my best to ignore them most of them time.  I think when I fell asleep with them at 3:30 in the morning, I was just so upset for having to deal with them!

Your story sounds like mine.  I cut out all caffeine about 6-8 weeks ago, stopped smoking, and am also walking 3 miles a day.  I noticed a HUGE difference the first 4-6 weeks.  By week 4, they were almost completely gone, and then over the past 2 weeks, they've come back with a vengeance.  I guess I just get upset because I'm trying to do all the right things, and just when I think they're on their way out, they come back for no apparent reason.  It's just frustrating.

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.  I think that I am definitely going to try the magnesium.  I wish you all the best!

melanie48 · Answer

Hi  i'm a 48 year old nurse who has had this problem with pvc's for about a year now.  they come and go.   tonight i'm at work and i have had about 4 episodes of pvc's and it is so scary because you just feel that your heart will just stop beating!!  i do take 400 mg of magnesium daily and have completely cut caffeine from my diet.  this has helped alot.  i used to have them alot more than now.  i have had a stress echo and have been told that my heart is normal  but it sure doesn't feel normal .  i have also been walking 3 miles a day since october  even though at first i was scared to exercise. my dad died at age 70 of sudden cardiac death and  i  was very scared that this would happen to me but now i have just learned to accept the fact that i will die someday and i am going to live my life to the fullest until then.  i am trusting God to take care of me. i just have to believe that the doctors know what they're talking about.  try the mag and go completely off of caffeine and maybe this cut down on your marathon episodes.  enjoy your baby now while he/she is little. try to not let these episodes bother you  i know it is very hard but you can overcome this fear by just staring your fears in the face and refusing to let this rule your life.

MelinDel · Answer

Thank you again for the info!  I really don't know how you did it for 5 months!  I think I would have gone absolutely nuts!

I have been doing some online reading in magnesium, and just like you, a lot of people said it helped their palps, but also that it made some people tired.  It was suggested to try to take it at night before bed.

I am going to talk to the pharmacist tomorrow, and see what he says about any possible interactions with the Levothyroxine that I take for the hypothyroidism.  I figure anything at this point is worth a shot, right?

You have been really helpful, and I cannot tell you how much appreciate it!

ireneo · Answer

I have no thyroid problems. That 5 month spell I had was 15-25 PVC's or PAC's a minute 24/7 for the first couple of months. Then I began to have short periods of time (1/2 to 1 hour) where my heart was much quieter only to have it ramp up again. It took 5 months for it all to slow down to my "normal" which is 1-5 ectopics a minute and a few tachys a week. 

I can't take BB's because of my asthma. Diltiazem (CCB) worked somewhat but not a big deal. I no longer take it. I just have it on hand to use if I'm having a bad heart day. 

As far as I can tell, my heart's been a bit irregular from birth. Seems pretty normal to me.

MelinDel · Answer

When you guys have them (for 1 month and 5 months), is your heart continuously offbeat?  Meaning, are there any breaks for you each day, or are you constantly dealing with PVCs, PACs and tachycardia 27/7, non-stop?  Besides magnesium and anxiety meds, did you ever try beta-blockers or anything?

And just out of curiosity, have the docs ever found any related causes for the palpitations, ie. hashimoto's thyroiditis like me?

ireneo · Answer

That 5 month mess was unusual for me. After a couple of weeks I did call the doctor to see if they could find a reason for the change of pace. They stuck the event monitor on me for a month and when I got the results, it was just as I told them- PAC's and PVC's (I wasn't counting the tachy times because they were about the same). Well, shoot, they were no help at all and they didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Thanks a lot folks. I just had to wait it out. But I was a bit grumpy :-)

stutterheart1 · Answer

I'll have them for only a month at a time (so far but I'm only 2 years into this nightmare). Rest and anxiety meds tend to help me get out of the rut.

MelinDel · Answer

5 months?!  I don't know how you could stand it?!  

When they pretty much went away for a few weeks, I was elated.  But a seven hour spell last night had me in tears!  Even though the cardio doc told me everything is fine, when I have episodes like that, I begin to worry that my heart is simply going to grow weak over time, and eventually give out.

I am a 34 year old mother of a two year old and just wish there was something I could do to make them go away!  Maybe I'll check into the Magnesium and see what happens.  

Thank you for your quick response!

ireneo · Answer

I had a 5 month spell of PAC's and PVC's thumping away at 15-25 per minute. Yeah, I got pretty tired of that. It's hard to fall asleep with heavy thumps going on. The lighter thumps and flutters can be ignored so much easier. The good news is they do calm down in their own time. Some folks have had success with magnesium. I tried it for a few months and it did wonders for my PVC's. But then I felt tired, low BP with light headedness. Not sure if it was related to the mag but I stopped and  felt back to normal in a week. Of course that "normal" includes my bouncy heart too. I'd rather have my energy.