skipped beats, can i exercise? [extrasystoles]

[rockmum]

hi, this is my 1st question here, im 34, a mum of 4 under the usual mummy stress,i am 15kg overweight [not sure if that can also cause extrasystoles]
ive now n then noticed skipped beats, but not often, i also get anxiety, am a hypochondriac and stress for everything
last week i noticed i could feel constant jumpy feelings in my upper chest, after a few days as i checked my pulse i noticed the jumpy feeling were actually skipped beats, so i rushed to see my local dr

he took my blood pressure, and said it was perfect, and checked my pulse and said he could feel skipped beats and called these ''extrasystoles'', he said that im getting these cos of my anxiety and i need to relax, and they will stop when thats under contol, and to go to emergency if theyr making me dizzy or blackout
a few days later i noticed that i was getting less sleep as i felt theyd sometimes make it hard to catch my breath, and id get a skipped beat every 7 or 8 beats [8 a minute] tho i still felt ok, no dizzyness i decided to go to emergency to get checked out

my blood pressure was good, they put the sticky tabs on my chest and did a test for a few minutes, got a printout and said i look ok, gave me blood tests, all my bloodwork was great, as i still stressed they sent me home with a letter to my dr asking to get a 24 hr holter organised , which im going dr today to see about.

im really scared,, could these missed beats be brought on by anxiety?, or could i have major problems?
im scared to exercise cos i read about 'sudden death'' am i at risk of that?
pacs and pvc , whats the difference? what do i have? do they both cause sudden death?
i have boom boom boom boom______boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom_____boom boom boom boom ect ect

is it possible if i stop thinking about these heartbeats i will stop getting them?, my dr seems to think if i chill out it will all go away, is that possible?,,, help,, thanks!

[cindy707]

Tati i loved your post "fellow palpitators" cracked me up........you truly also set the record straight here in your feelings about what we do to ourselves when in panic mode and i think we have to live by the creed......an ant can't move a rubber tree plant (man i used to love that dumb song).  Great post to you too Tati and i personally hope rockmum takes your advice.....

[TatiSD]

It's good for you that you have found this site to get reassurances from your fellow palpitators.  Cindy707 is great at that and like many others here are truly helpful.  I've had my arrhythmias for years and like I you, I tend to catastrophize every little thing that I feel in my body.  I think believing the doctors when they tell us that the heart is in good shape and that arrhythmias will not kill us is super important.  good luck and let it go.

[rockmum]

hey cindy,, thanks heaps
i love hearing ''its common'' makes me feel better,,lol
i am getting myself VERY wiorked up about it, its on my mind every second of the day, checking my pulse in the hopes of feeling it pump perfectly,, which never happens!
i am a hypochondriac, i know i am, which makes a problem like mine seem deadly, as does every symptom i get of any disease, i bring on my stress myself
im going dr in a minute, so i hope he can set me up with the holter to ease my mind a bit, ill keep u posted on what happens next
thankyou so much for your reply, i thought i posted it up wrong cos i didnt get an answer straight away.,.lol,, thanks from laura xxxxxx

[cindy707]

Hi i read your post and first off you need to understand what is happening to you so you don't get yourself all upset.  Extrasystoles are super super common in people...all it means is that your heart is contracting a little early and remember that is how our heart works is by pumping in a very specific pattern and yours just contracts a little earlier is all.  No you definately won't die from it from all that i know about it and literally millions of people have this and alot of the times never ever know it.  100% healthy people with no heart problems have this so relax a little bit.  A holter monitor is a great thing because it will tell the doc exactly what is going on with your heart but i doubt very much that they'll find anything because generally with this they never do.  Of course stressing about our hearts can cause it to do all kinds of crazy things..sometimes we hold our breath without knowing it when we are upset and that can effect the way your heart beats, when you get upset with your kids that can do it, watching a scary movies on T.V. can do it and the list goes on and on and on...its just called life.  It takes an awful lot for sudden dealth to occur in each and everyone of us trust me....you are young, obviously healthy if you are going to the gym, sounds like you are living the life....so don't sweat the small stuff.  As we always say on these posts caffeine is a bugger when it comes to our hearts especially if you are working out and injesting caffeine which is not a good idea.  I think you have really got yourself upset by this and i understand that having kids and worrrying about the what ifs and could be's.....relax...enjoy your family and continue to take care of you...maybe you just need a "mommie" weekend and take time out for you......your doc gave you some great advice.....chill out and concentrate of things that are more important that most healthy humans have in the way of an early contraction of your heart....sudden death?  For you only in a football game on T.V. or Soccer not in life.....let us know what happens after the holter results come back rockmum....we're here for you.......