erratic heart beat and sharp pain

Hi..for the last few months i have been having erratic heart beats.Sometimes it slows or speeds up so bad that it takes my breath away..ive noticed its been getting alot worse recently and is worse when i lay down of a night time..it is starting to really scare me as it is taking my breath way more and more..last night i had really sharp pains in my chest on the left side.. i have recently over the last 6mths put on 20kgs,would this be contributing to my erratic heart beat?Should i see a dr?

[Brooke_38]

Hello...

I am a firm believer that if you are experiencing a new onset set of symptoms, it is best to have them evaluated. Your Dr can then decide what tests may be needed to determine what is causing them to occur.

He will probably want to perform an EKG, labwork, holter monitor etc. This would be the starting point and maybe will be the only thing that is needed to figure out what is going on.

Your symptoms sound likely related to premature ectopic beats occurring in either the upper chambers (premature atrial contractions/PAC's) or the lower chambers (premature ventricular contractions/PVC's)

You mention that you notice them more when your lying down at night...this is typical of these beats and especially if your lying on your left side (your heart is closer to your chest wall which makes you more aware of your heartbeat)

So I think that yes, you should see a Dr just to know that what you are experiencing is a benign (won't hurt you) condition.

Good luck and keep us posted:)