Aa
did my heart stop
Today pvcs were not too bad. I was sitting down working on a paper when out of the blue I felt this sense of doom like sensationa and my heart stopped beating ---felt like waaaay to long compared to normal pvcs. I swear it felt like 3 full seconds, followed by a blurp feeling, then beat then pvc. Now I am having a lot of pvcs. Anyone have any idea of what that was? I already had 30 day event recorder a couple months ago.
It sounds like what I had a couple of years ago. I was lying on the couch and all of the sudden it felt like my heart just stopped. Then a big thud. I had my husband take me to urgent care immediately. They left me hooked up to monitors for over an hour but could only find PACs. My regular dr told me it was probably just a compensatory pause. However, I have been later diagnosed with NSVT. But those episodes are nothing like that episode. I have never had it again and hope I never do. The last few days though I have been having this odd feeling where it feels like my heart is beating very weakly and I just feel tired. Hoping its nothing and just my nerves.
Anita
Anita
Thank you. The only thing is, I did not feel a slam or boom. Just rumbling like a flip flopping.
First degree heart block, which I have had for decades, is not an evil condition; in fact, it's pretty common in well-trained athletes. It just means your p-r interval is a tad longer than usual, but all the impulses are still getting through.
Now, the thing about pvcs is this: They are generally not felt, because they represent a contraction BEFORE the ventricle has filled. That's why they're called 'premature,' and it's why they are smaller than usual. After that, there's a pause until the next regularly-scheduled beat occurs, and during this interval, the ventricle, which is rather elastic, has a chance to fill with slightly more blood than it usually receives (the ventricles are sort of passive about what they receive from the atria--kind of like water running into a sink).
Now, the heart tries to pump out all the blood it receives, and 'knowing' that the ventricle is carrying a bit more blood than usual, it gives an extra-hard contraction to push out as much as it can. That is perfectly reasonable and normal--but it means that you REALLY feel that one! It's the 'boom' sensation we all know and love so well.
So, what you perceived as a looong, 3 second pause was almost not: You'd need the EKG strip, but there was almost certainly a very slight, virtually imperceptible early contraction, followed by a heavier than usual contraction.
The sense of doom and the 'blurp' sensations were likewise almost certainly related to the activity of the vagus nerve, which is this astoundingly long and strange nerve that involves your gut, your heart, and your psychological alarm system. Google 'vagus nerve' to get an idea of what might have been going on there.
Now, the thing about pvcs is this: They are generally not felt, because they represent a contraction BEFORE the ventricle has filled. That's why they're called 'premature,' and it's why they are smaller than usual. After that, there's a pause until the next regularly-scheduled beat occurs, and during this interval, the ventricle, which is rather elastic, has a chance to fill with slightly more blood than it usually receives (the ventricles are sort of passive about what they receive from the atria--kind of like water running into a sink).
Now, the heart tries to pump out all the blood it receives, and 'knowing' that the ventricle is carrying a bit more blood than usual, it gives an extra-hard contraction to push out as much as it can. That is perfectly reasonable and normal--but it means that you REALLY feel that one! It's the 'boom' sensation we all know and love so well.
So, what you perceived as a looong, 3 second pause was almost not: You'd need the EKG strip, but there was almost certainly a very slight, virtually imperceptible early contraction, followed by a heavier than usual contraction.
The sense of doom and the 'blurp' sensations were likewise almost certainly related to the activity of the vagus nerve, which is this astoundingly long and strange nerve that involves your gut, your heart, and your psychological alarm system. Google 'vagus nerve' to get an idea of what might have been going on there.
Im not sure I guess. The result said my lowest pulse was 48 early in the am when sleeping and they said it was sinus bradycardia. This is so confusing. :)
Even with the pauses? My pulse would go down with the pauses. My pulse was 80 or so, but the pauses brought it down to 40 to 50 bpm. The pauses were happening closer and closer together in the end. My pulse rate was getting slower and slower even when walking around.
The thing about the pacemaker that doesnt make sense for me, is if I take my pulse it is usually 80-90.
I wish I had a clear answer to your question. I am in the middle of a frustrating situation. First of all I believe God wants me to go to him for healing before man. I did that--I also know God can use doctors or anything else he wants for that matter. I am praying for direction, because I need to know clearly what he wants me to do because I am scared and I dont trust the medical doctors. I have paid a HUGE price for years of taking 2 different medications--one I took for a couple years was prozac, for anxiety---I have it in writing by 2 different cardiologists that prozac caused my first degree heart block. Then I went of the prozac, still stuck with heart block, and a year later got the flu, and for months and months following the flu, I had NO energy--literally, could do nothing-- they said it could be chronic fatigue and I was put on effexor. I was told the drug was safe etc...It helped with energy so I could function again and I was on it 11 years and when I stopped, I had issues with severe withdrawal, and now am left with vertigo, unsteadiness, vision issues. So you can see I am torn. I believe Gods way is best, yet I cant make him move, and mans best scares me to death for good reason.
Jenny, I would ask for another monitor from the EP. My first monitor showed nothing wrong. I began feeling worse and asked my cardiologist for another monitor. After that, which showed pauses of 1.9 seconds, the Cardio sent me to an EP right away. The cardio said I might need a pacemaker. It wasn't the length of the pause, but how often I had them and how close together they were. What amazed me was how I seemed to be getting worse over a short period of time. The EP said it was probably coming on for a long time.
I felt the doom with those pauses too. It was different with the pauses than my usual skips. I finally, towards the end, began to get a woozy feeling and would stop and lean on something thinking I might faint. That didn't happen though until the last month or so.
I had a cadio cath because I was given a chemical stress test right away by my cardio which showed a possible block. Luckily there was no block.
The EP did a EP study and said I needed an ablation and pacemaker. She ablated two areas for Afib. That was done about 2 weeks later. Since the pacemaker I feel much better. It is a miracle.
To make a long story short, your heart can change and I think you should make an appointment with your EP for another monitor. I also don't know the last time you had a stress test done at your cardio's office. That would show any blockage. I had a slowing heartbeat which was getting slower over a four month period.
Good luck and I am very happy at the way I feel now.
I felt the doom with those pauses too. It was different with the pauses than my usual skips. I finally, towards the end, began to get a woozy feeling and would stop and lean on something thinking I might faint. That didn't happen though until the last month or so.
I had a cadio cath because I was given a chemical stress test right away by my cardio which showed a possible block. Luckily there was no block.
The EP did a EP study and said I needed an ablation and pacemaker. She ablated two areas for Afib. That was done about 2 weeks later. Since the pacemaker I feel much better. It is a miracle.
To make a long story short, your heart can change and I think you should make an appointment with your EP for another monitor. I also don't know the last time you had a stress test done at your cardio's office. That would show any blockage. I had a slowing heartbeat which was getting slower over a four month period.
Good luck and I am very happy at the way I feel now.
Jenny,
When I get my NSVT it's almost exactly as you describe, a looooooong pause. I don't get a carotid pulse that I can detect during it and I feel absolutely no movement in my chest except just before (like a floppy single palp) and just after (a HUGE thud and throat pressure). I'm not saying that this is what you're experiencing, but it does sound familiar. I'm also wondering if SVT might cause a similar sensation, not sure though because I don't get that, just single PAC's.
I'm not sure why it feels like a pause to me, maybe because the ventricles are contracting so quickly that the movement is slight. Who knows.
What are they planning to do about your heart at the moment? Are they suggesting an EP study or further monitoring?
When I get my NSVT it's almost exactly as you describe, a looooooong pause. I don't get a carotid pulse that I can detect during it and I feel absolutely no movement in my chest except just before (like a floppy single palp) and just after (a HUGE thud and throat pressure). I'm not saying that this is what you're experiencing, but it does sound familiar. I'm also wondering if SVT might cause a similar sensation, not sure though because I don't get that, just single PAC's.
I'm not sure why it feels like a pause to me, maybe because the ventricles are contracting so quickly that the movement is slight. Who knows.
What are they planning to do about your heart at the moment? Are they suggesting an EP study or further monitoring?
all i can see on my paper work for the 30 day event recorder is
pvcs, pairs, bigeminy,some multifocal pairs,non specific t wave changes with increased heart rate, intermittent nonspecific t wave changes, abnormalities,first degree av block, intermittent first degree av heart block
there was one place it said possible 3 beat run of multifocal ventricular tachy rate of 139, but when I asked the EP he said it wasnt a 3 beat run.(he looked at the strip)
As to symptoms, other than what I mentioned, I did not faint or feel faint or anything. It was just I was sitting there, somehow had a sensation that my heart stopped, now I cant remember if I felt the flipflop before or after, but I checked my neckpulse and it paused for what felt 2-3 seconds. I read of others here, taking their pulse and to me, mine is a little different because sometimes there are the pauses lasting like a half beat long and there will be 2 beats very close to eachother, and then other times I just have these longer pauses. Its all creepy!
pvcs, pairs, bigeminy,some multifocal pairs,non specific t wave changes with increased heart rate, intermittent nonspecific t wave changes, abnormalities,first degree av block, intermittent first degree av heart block
there was one place it said possible 3 beat run of multifocal ventricular tachy rate of 139, but when I asked the EP he said it wasnt a 3 beat run.(he looked at the strip)
As to symptoms, other than what I mentioned, I did not faint or feel faint or anything. It was just I was sitting there, somehow had a sensation that my heart stopped, now I cant remember if I felt the flipflop before or after, but I checked my neckpulse and it paused for what felt 2-3 seconds. I read of others here, taking their pulse and to me, mine is a little different because sometimes there are the pauses lasting like a half beat long and there will be 2 beats very close to eachother, and then other times I just have these longer pauses. Its all creepy!
Hi jennyfi1234,
I'm totally guessing on a few things you've mentioned. It may have been a ventricular pause. I'm not talking about the type of pause called a compensatory pause for a PVC. I mean a full pause in the ventricles contracting.
A pause can be caused by AV block or lack of a sinus beat. A pause like this is followed by something called an "escape beat". This means that a pacer cell(s) in the ventricles recognized the lack of a sinus beat and fired an "escape beat". The escape beat is nature's backup for such an event.
This is whole different subject, but it's these backup cells that cause benign PVCs. One way of thinking of a PVC is that it's an escape beat when one is *NOT* required.
I'm completely guessing though. You aren't mentioning other symptoms associated with a long pause event so who knows.
On the other hand one could make a case that you had a couplet or triplet. Or a PAC followed by a PVC. Or it could have been the timing of the PVC, early in the cycle causing a longer compensatory pause. ....impossible to tell without catching it on an EKG.
If it were me, I'd look into the heart block issue you noted to me earlier and also see if there were every any pause events noted in the holter studies. If there were any pauses the strip will note how many and how long they were. You could call the doctor up to see if pauses were noted then go from there.
I'm totally guessing on a few things you've mentioned. It may have been a ventricular pause. I'm not talking about the type of pause called a compensatory pause for a PVC. I mean a full pause in the ventricles contracting.
A pause can be caused by AV block or lack of a sinus beat. A pause like this is followed by something called an "escape beat". This means that a pacer cell(s) in the ventricles recognized the lack of a sinus beat and fired an "escape beat". The escape beat is nature's backup for such an event.
This is whole different subject, but it's these backup cells that cause benign PVCs. One way of thinking of a PVC is that it's an escape beat when one is *NOT* required.
I'm completely guessing though. You aren't mentioning other symptoms associated with a long pause event so who knows.
On the other hand one could make a case that you had a couplet or triplet. Or a PAC followed by a PVC. Or it could have been the timing of the PVC, early in the cycle causing a longer compensatory pause. ....impossible to tell without catching it on an EKG.
If it were me, I'd look into the heart block issue you noted to me earlier and also see if there were every any pause events noted in the holter studies. If there were any pauses the strip will note how many and how long they were. You could call the doctor up to see if pauses were noted then go from there.
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