longer than normal pause in heartbeat

[jpcox]

Can anyone tell me what causes a longer than normal pause in the heartbeat? I think I am experiencing this, but I have not been able to catch this on a monitor. To say the least these episodes are frightening. After this happens I feel strange and weak.  Also is premature atrial tachycardia the same as WPW? Can you please explain the difference.  I am 28 years old with a normal cardiac workout, when I had my last stress test, the doctor said she saw PAT. I did not notice it though because my heart was at it  max on the treadmill.  I am scared of all this so your help is greatly appreciated.
Jennifer    

[momof03]

Hi jpcox.  I'm afraid I don't know anything about your problem, but hopefully someone will come along soon that can give you some insight.....I'm bumping you up :)

[whatayear]

bumping you good luck I have IST I dont know anything about this what is PAT?

[meredith_jrsj]

Hi Jennifer,
I have the same thing.  When I take my pulse there is a pause and sometimes in can happen twice in a row.  I went to my regular doctor and he said it was normal.  Next week I'm going to a cardiologist to have it checked out for myself.  It really scares me too but everyone tells me this is normal and lots of people have skipped beats.  If it makes you feel better have it check out.

Meredith

[heartofgld]

PAC's are not the same as WPW(Wolf Parkinson White syndrome). The pause you may be feeling is what you feel following a PAC when the heart resets itself. PAC's are usually a benign condition if your heart is otherwise healthy. As for PAT, that is Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia. Have you seen an EP?

[PikaPika88]

I got PAT and RBBB (WPW) when the first diagnosed at 15 years old.  After The EP study, ablation & pacemaker... I'm now very confused what I have!  Now they use the word SVT more offen than PAT (It is the same).  My cardio said I didn't have PAC nor PVC.  I have pauses which had caught once in the holter monitor (3.2sec).  It is a bit scary at first that I feel.  Now I use to it.  It wakes me up during the night and I wait for the beats to come then fall back to sleep.  Sometime I'm too tired, they just come and go whenever it feels like to.  Some (not all) wpw can show up in the simple ECG/EKG.

[jpcox]

thank you for your responses, and the bumping me up. I have had all the cardiac testing, nothing of concern has showed up. At least nothing my doctor has mentioned. My symptoms seem to be changing, this Very noticeable pause. I was wondering if this was a compensatory pause or a sinus pause? Can someone explain the difference, and if they have this.  I am also assuming if I had WPW it would have showed up on the last dozen ekgs I have had in the past two years? Thanks guys, I feel better knowing someone cares!

[PikaPika88]

I don't know what is compensatory pause or a sinus pause?  I hope someone can explain these to us.  Were all your ECG in normal sinus rhythms?  Some wpw only appear on the ECG when you are having palpitations.  There are many different types of wpw.  Google it.

[meredith_jrsj]

Jennifer,
How often do you have pauses? I can have up to 4 pauses in a minute after activity.  When I relax sometimes I don't have them at all or just 1 or 2.

[jpcox]

sometimes a few a day, then nothing for weeks. they are not too predictable. they scare the daylights out of me. If this is the "normal" pause after a pac, why am I symptomatic? I have seen a cardio for the past two years, but she has not referred me to an ep. I wonder if I should ask? I feel so lost with all this.

[meredith_jrsj]

me too... I'm now wearing a holter onitor until tomorrow and I'm getting an echo.  My doctor told me today that I have PVCs and usually they are benign but he wants to do some more tests.  This whole thing scares the you know what out of me.  I just hope whatever this is it can be corrected with medicine.  I have several pauses a minute.  

[jpcox]

today I have been burdened with constant pacs. I have felt awful all day, tell me how you feel when you have those pauses. What have you been diagnosed with? So, far me pacs. I wish these things would go away.

[meredith_jrsj]

Jennifer,
I haven't been diagnosed with anything yet... I'm waiting for my results.  So far my doctor told me I have PVCs but I'm waiting for the holter monitor and echo results.  I'm very anxious with all this.  Sometimes I feel nothing with the pauses other times when I'm rushed and stressed out with my kids or just doing daily activites I can tell I'm having a lot more and I guess my main syptom (symptom) is I think I feel the pause and also my throat will feel tight. I'm not sure if this is stress or the increased pauses.  I hope that I can just take something to reduce the PVCs.  I told my doctor I really don't have a lot of symptoms so I think he's waiting to see how many PVCs I have in a 24hr period and then decide what if anything needs to be done.  Now, I also have a fast pulse I think this is a seperate issue.  At my echo yesterday I could tell my heart rate was always around 100.  Some of that was nerves but I really wasnt that anxious.  I tried leaving my email on another posting but I don't think it worked.  I would like to exchange emails with someone who has similiar symptoms.  Here is it... meredithhooley(at)msn.com

[jkfrench]

I also have PAT.  I get those very long pauses prior to a PAT attack.  It only happens a few times a year but they are very upsetting because I feel a flutter, then nothing and I mean nothing to the point where I get up and walk a few steps and yell at my heart to start again.   Meanwhile, I fell like I'm fading out.  Then it jumps into PAT for 60 seconds or so.  I find it interesting that you were diagnosed with PAT and you feel those pauses too.  Those are the worst and I'm telling you, it takes days for me to recover mentally from those episodes.  If it truly is PAT, don't worry.  Those pauses should not hurt you as long as you have had your heart checked out.  My doctor just completely dismisses it when I try to talk about it to him.  Makes me feel stupid.  Don't they understand that people like us need the detailed explanation so we can process it and relieve ourselves from the anxiety of thinking we are going to die!!!

take care
Frenchie

[jpcox]

describe your pat symptoms please.  I have never felt one, just showed up briefly on the stress test. My doctor was unconcerned, what if any questions should I ask my doctor when I see her on Tuesday? Is PAT something that you can have once with anxiety? Any info would be great, thanks

Jennifer

[jkfrench]

Hi Jennifer~
PAT is a very fast usually regular heartbeat.  It can last only seconds or I think can go on for hours.  Mine beats at 220 and I am lucky enough  (joke) to have pvc's thrown in with the fast rate as well.  
Fortunally I never have had it go longer than a few minutes.  Usually less than 1 or 2 minutes, however it did go on for 10 minutes once and I was getting ready to call 911 but I got up and walked around and it stopped.
Mine was caught on a moniter and my doctor is unconcerned as well.  Anxiety can cause it, but it really has to do with the electrical system.  They just come out of the blue if that early beat chooses to take a different pathway.  It triggers the PAT.  The long pause prior to the fast beats really makes me nervous.  Oh, by the way, PAT is not WPW.  Not at all.  PAT I'm told is not life threatening.
It is possible you feel weak after that long pause because your heart is in a short burst of PAT.  
Good luck at the doctors.
Jodie

[Loon33]

Hi.  I just read your original question.  I experience the pause in heart beats as well.  I was diagnosed a year ago with NCS (Neurocardiogenic Syncope).  This causes an irregular heart beat that feel like palpitations/ flutters.  It's a VERY scary thing to feel!  Everytime mine pauses, I feel it.  My cardiologist says that my hearts beats prematurely, then pauses, then starts back up again.  I've never actually counted the times in a day that I experience this, but it's a lot.  The condition I have deals with the lack of communications between the brain and heart...that's when the syncope (fainting) occurs.  I don't think I read anything about you passing out though- thank goodness.  None-the-less, what you're going through is very scary.  I am at the moment experiencing some trouble dealing with my condition- waiting to see a neurologist next!  Good Luck to you and please keep me posted.
Melinda

[jpcox]

Thank you for the replies, I will keep you informed. Frenchy, you mentioned that it was possible that after that long pause it could be in a short burst of PAT.  If I took my pulse would I be able to tell? Would I  be able to feel that short burst?  Do you think if I took my blood pressure and it has an irregular heartbeat detector would it detect it?  

[jkfrench]

Yes, you would be able to tell if you felt your pulse, however it beats so fast that sometimes it feels weaker than normal.  Yes, your blood pressure machine would pick it up.  Sometimes it happens so fast, you don't have time to sit down and take it.  Good luck!
Jodie

[jkfrench]

Yes, you would be able to tell if you felt your pulse, however it beats so fast that sometimes it feels weaker than normal.  Yes, your blood pressure machine would pick it up.  Sometimes it happens so fast, you don't have time to sit down and take it.  Good luck!
Jodie

[maz2]

hi, how old r u now ? just need to know how long u been living with paqused beats since it started whn u were 15 !

[PikaPika88]

I'm 49 now.  When started at 15, I didn't feel any pause beats.  All I had were palpitations.

I got the pacemaker, it supposes not to let my heart pauses more than 2.5 sec but ........ ??????

[maz2]

you mean you had a pacemaker since you where 15 or just recently?

[Loon33]

You know, when I take my BP, I can see the flashing heart symbol pause when my heart beat pauses.  And I can of course feel it too when it happens.  I wore a holter monitor for 30 days last year which surely showed every pause!  That was in March 2006, and in June 2006 is when I had the tilt table test and was diagnosed with NCS.  Didn't have many problems, but just since around July of this year is when it became pretty bad for me.  Waiting to see specialist in March '08.  Keep me posted and good luck!

[PikaPika88]

Not at 15, also not just recently.  First one at 24 years old.  Now this is the fourth.