palpitations during basketball or other exercise

[wcats9698]

I am a 29 year old male in good shape. For the past year and a half I have been experiencing palpitations during exercise. What happens is when I am plating basketball and running hard, my heart obviosuly increases, when I stop running and rest my heart starts skipping and having irregular beats until my heart rate slows enough. When it slows to a good rate it all stops. The palpitations are different sometimes, it skips a beat and then other times it beats too early, like irregular heart beats. Like I said this will happen for a couple minutes until my heart rate decreases to a resting level. When I have a palpitation it feels like air goes into my chest and I have to burp and release it which I do. There is no real pain in my chest except for the tightness of the air that goes in there. After I burp it feels better.

I have had an EKG and a stress echo which both came back normal. I was told it was anxiety related. I did go through a major stint of anxiety when my wife was pregnant and I am currently taking 10mg of Lexapro for the anxiety. Has anyone experienced anything like this or does anyone know what it could be. Could anxiety cause these palpitations during exercise even though I dont have anxiety. This only happens when I do strenous activity.

[Tyler77sg]

Im 14 having the same thing

[Artaud]

Hi Roland, though the content is relevant, the thread is old. Why not start a new thread on the topic?

[Roland30]

Found a answer ? I have exact same problem

[wcats9698]

Thanks for the input. The palpitations i get are a combination of skipped beats and early beats. i really dont know how to explain it but here is an example:  

beat..........beat..........beat....................beat..........beat..........beat..........beat...beat..........beat.

so sometimes i get just the skipped beat and other times i get a double beat right next too each other. are both of these considered to be palpitations. And all this only happens when i am playing basketball or something strenous. some sport when i run and stop alot. i go running about 4 times a week and i maybe get one or two skipped beats and that is it.

is there any explaination for air build up in my chest after palpitations causing me to burp.

Thanks

[Momto3]

A stress echo is a great test for determining how your heart functions under stress.  That's why it is so important to get right to the U/S from the treadmill (I hate that part).  Anxiety can be a trigger for some people, but it's hard to say for sure.  The fact that you've had a normal EKG and stress echo is great!  

If you're still concerned, ask you doctor about wearing a Holter monitor (a monitor which is generally worn for 24 hours to record the patient's heartbeat) or an event monitor (usually worn for 30 days, and the patient activates the "record" button when he/she feels something different).  

Also, anxiety over the palpitations can make you even more aware of your heartbeat....Most of the time, there is no known trigger.  Dr. McWilliams (expert heart rhythm forum) posted an answer to a similar question.  Maybe this will help....
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/540616

Take care

.

[BionicBabe]

I'm not an expert on echos. I have had several echocardiograms and one stress echo. During the regular echos, the technician spent a lot of time with the ultrasound and during my stress echo, she spent only a few minutes with the ultrasound...so I don't know that a stress echo would show everything a regular echo would. That would be a question for your doctor. I would guess that what you are describing is probably quite common. I just find it odd that someone would attribute it to anxiety.

[wcats9698]

Well i have had a StressEcho, isnt that an echo. It was when i was on the treadmill and ran until i reached a certain heart rate.

[BionicBabe]

Please check out my post, "All You Young People, Are you Being Taken Seriously." In case you don't find it or don't have time to look for it, let me sum it up...doctors always tell us young folks it is anxiety. It's not always anxiety. Demand an echocardiogram. Tell your doctor you're concerned you may have an underlying heart condition. If you have any family history of heart disease, that might help. Your description of when you get the palpiations does not sound like anxiety to me. The reason I knew my heart palpitations were not from anxiety was that I too suffer from anxiety and I know the difference between anxiety and palpitations. I'm beginning to believe they teach doctors in med school that anytime a young person comes in complaining of an irregular beat, just to tell them, "It's probably anxiety." I'm only telling you this so that you do everything to ensure your heart is healthy. It probably is, but if your concerned, you deserve to have it checked out thoroughly. Because if there is a problem, there's a good chance you can get treatment that may end up saving your life. Good luck and God Bless!