help me

[kreyes28]

I am 30 yrs old and i need some help and advice from anyone please. i dont know what to do anymore i started to feel a difference in my heart beat about 10 years ago but what happens is i will feel like my heart skips beats and then pound real hard and i feel it in my neck/throat area. i will have 5 to 10 a day and sometimes when im just sitting doing nothing. the thing that i dont understand is i will have them and feel so weird for about 2 weeks to a month then i will go for 6 to 8 months and not feel a thing then one day out of the blue its back and its very scary. i am a stay at home mother of 2 and i am constantly worried that something will happen to me and the kids will be home alone. i also have feelings of shortness of breath sometimes a feeling of weakness fainting then my heart will race i turn into panic mode instantly i hate this! i have never been diagnosed with pvc or anything i am scared to go to the doctor. i have been reading up on things it could be and came across this site and it sounds like it may be this pvc. can anyone help me do you think it is pvcs or something more serious what do i do about this i have changed my whole life and it is affecting me badly and my kids i live in constant fear and dont even go out anymore in fear that something will happen to me. please tell me something anything.. thank you kristen

[Ken1945]

I feel for you. I started having palpations a few years ago and went to my family doctor. He put me on a monitor for 30 days. This monitor was neat in that when I felt something I would push a button on the monitor and later send it over the phone line. The results didn't show anything. A year or so later it became more frequent so I again had the monitor for 30  days. This time it showed runs of SVT. When I was in the doctors office to discuss the results the EKG should SVT at 170 beats per minute and he sent me right to the ER. Turns out it was AFib which I have had since. I am on medicine now to keep my heart rate well below 100/min. You should not fool with this and see your doctor ASAP. Chances are they will be able to offer you treatment that will help. If you wait you may get into real trouble. Good luck.

[rilesnic]

I have the same symptoms and have since I was 21, I'm now 39. Mine started much like yours did, every so often, but now it is daily. I always feel short of breath, dizzy, and like I'm going to pass out. I have nightmarish hot flashes that hit me out of no where and cause much panic. Mine started after the birth of my second child and I always worried something would happen to me and I would leave them without a mom. My youngest turned 18 last week. You do need to see your doctor and tell him/her all your symptoms. They may refer you to a cardio for futher testing. Don't be alarmed if they do send you to one...I've seen one every year for the last 7 years and more often if I need them. I have been diagnosed with PAC's, PVC's, and anxiety and panic. My skippy heart is not life threatening, just very symptomatic and terribly annoying. There are medications and treatments to help palpitations and anxiety. Keep us posted on how you're feeling.

[DeltaDawn23]

I have a lot of the same symptoms.  I think you should definitely see a doctor.  Knowing is better than not knowing, no matter what.  I have Afib, controlled by drugs -- Beta blocker, anti-arrythmic, coumadin and Xanax.  Xanax will dampen the adrenaline surge which makes things so much worse.  Meditation, deep breathing, reminding yourself that you have had this 10 years and are still here.  Someone mentioned a "conditioned response" just lately on this board and I think it's true.  When I'm alone and am without my cell, I can panic.  Stress is a HUGE trigger for me.  Get enough sleep, stay off caffeine, carbonated drinks, chocolate.  A good book about panic is "The Sky is Falling."  I beieve it is out of print but you might find it at the library or online.  Another is "You can't afford the luxury of a negative thought."  Good luck to you, I've been there since 2003 -- you need to work with a doctor to get some meds and some help.

[RavenMedic]

Hello, Im a paramedic and I to suffer from the same exact symptoms that you have been feeling. And I will be the first to say that they are not life threatning. scary, annoying yes but not life threatning. The trick to this is trying to find the source. I couldnt agree more with the post above mine. PACs or PVCs are caused by many reasons. The main reasons are electrolyte imbalance, stress, smoking, alcohol, in some cases working out to much. The first step you have to do is consult with your doctor about this issue and have blood work done. Do everything! Thyroid check and all. I know that what goes thru your head when you have this weird chest feeling is "omg is my heart going to stop"? trust me its not going to especially that your young and had this going on for 10 years. if something was really wrong with your heart it would have happen already being that you have gone without treatment. One thing ive learned thru out my years of medicine is the heart is an amazing muscle and it will do its hardest to sustain life. Another thing i do suggest is when your heart kicks dont panic becuz this only makes it worse. You will cause your heart rate to increase and sometimes your blood pressure will elevate. when it happens stay calm and breath deeply. It will pass, I learned to do this living with this horrible feeling. If you have anymore questions please message me. =)

[merileegal]

I posted on the other one so I'll copy and paste my answer here.

You are sooooo not alone!!!! Many, many people here can identify with what your are feeling including myself. No one can tell you what for sure is going on, only a doctor can do that. It sounds for sure like an arrythmia, either PAC's or PVC's . The way you describe it sounds like mine which are PAC's and they are annoying but not life threatening. The speeding up of your heart sounds like some kind of tachycardia, which is a heart beat over 100 while resting and it is scary. Mine went to 250 bpm and I was diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) and had it fixed with a heart ablation. I had these for over 20 years before finally getting it taken care of. SVT's are also annoying but not life threatening if that is what you have. If it's something like atrial fribillation, or ventricle tachycardia, then that is a little more serious.

You really need to see a doctor to see what exactly is going on. Sometimes arrythmias can be caused by your thyroid being out of whack. Believe me, there are many things that cause arrythmias but you NEED to find out what you have first. Don't be afraid to go to a doctor. You'll probably find out like most of us that everthing is fine structurally with your heart, but the electrical system is out of whack which is more common than you might think.