Heart palpitations/fluttering, more frequent, worried

[arw1970]

I have not seen a doctor for this yet, though I have scheduled an appointment that is 2 weeks away. I've been without medical insurance until very recently. I'm a 36 year old female, overweight, pre-hypertensive.

When I was in my early 20's (and not overweight), I started experiencing an infrequent heart flutter. It would happen 2 or 3 times a year and last only a second or two. It was so insignificant to me that I never even mentioned it to my doctor during checkups. I think I may have even gone a couple years or more between episodes.

However, in the last 2 years, these flutters have happened more and more frequently and gotten more severe. They happen 30-40 times a year. Instead of lasting only a second, they can last up to 10 seconds and then happen in a series over a couple of minutes. It feels like a fish is squirming in my chest and when I check my pulse, I can feel my pulse sputtering or stopping altogether. These episodes tend to come in clusters. I'll have 2, 3, 4 episodes in a week and then nothing for a few days or weeks and then it seems I'll have another cluster.

Lately, I feel like my chest aches a bit after a bad episode (one that lasts more than a second). I don't know if I'm just scaring myself and so aware of my chest that I THINK it's aching, or if I'm really in discomfort. I've never fainted from an episode, but on a couple of occasions have been very mildly light-headed. Usually, they don't last long enough for that to become an issue.

BTW, it never happens when I workout (which I'm trying to do for my weight and for my blood pressure).

Anyway, from everything I've read on the Internet, it could be nothing, or I could have an underlying condition. Just don't know yet.

I just had another episode today and decided to post about it since I have 2 weeks until I can see the doctor and I'm worrying myself. Just venting I guess.

Thanks!

[heide1044]

I have had 24 hours of flip flopping heart and tried your suggestion for the L-Carnitine and by the time I got to 2000 mg the palpitations stopped and I haven't had them since, thanks so much. You saved me lots of money and worry since I don't have insurance.

[herbalman]

Hey all, just thought I'd let you in on a little secret that may make you really excited.  I've had heart palpatations for about 4 years now and they would come on arounbd the 4th of each month and be so strong that I'd get really dizzy, almost pass out, and really scared.  They would last for 12 hours each time... trust me when I say they were bad!   I finally found something that really stopped my palps and haven't had many in the last 6 months, and if I do they are really light and maybe a few seconds long.  I've been so happy leaving them behind.  Here's what I take.    L-Carnitine "Fumerate"  caps.  I took them for 2 months at 2000 mg per day spread out, and when they stopped all together I stopped taking the l carn all together.  I usually have a few small palps as sort of a warning before the big boys kick in, at which time I'll pop 1000 mg and they never surface.  They are a bit expensive, but for me, they are my cure.  Good luck and I hope they work for you.  Remember, get the fumerate version.  I'm not going to say what brand because I'm not selling a product and I suppose any brand should work as long as it is fumerate.

[redwinger]

Wow, I could have written your story myself. I was 26 when my first heart fluttering started.BTW, I am female. I was in good health and weight. Dr. said it was nothing, did an echo,etc.skip forward about 5 years with another run of flutters and had a stress echo done. again nothing( I was up 30 lbs. at this time!). Now another 4 years later, at age 35 and I have been having them off and on for about 1 1/2 years. Have had another stress echo and the doctor said that I was fine and said it was Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia. He gave me Toprol  and told me to take it whenever I felt symptoms. I don't particularly like taking meds, so I decided to try and stick it out since he assured me that my heart was structurely normal and I was not going to drop dead. About the same time I started getting a very lightheaded feeling only when I would lie down to go to bed. never when I was up and around. weird I know. this would come and go. for the last 2 months, the lightheadedness was getting more frequent during the night and I couldn't sleep, so I went and got a 30 day event monitor from my EP and still have about 1 week to go before I send it in. Of course now that I'm recording these events, they have slowly but surely tapering off. Anyway, my GP thinks I should see an ENT and doesn't seem concerned about my heart. by the way, I am now 40 lbs overweight. I have a hx of heart disease on my father's side of the family. granddad and dad died before the age of 65, so I'm a little concerned. Anyway, if the drs are right and my heart if fine, then I worry what the lightheadedness could mean. I DO think it has lot to do with stress and being overweight. I've lost 16 lbs, so I'm trying. Stress is a little harder to deal with, but hopefully that will change soon. Lord, I don't want to be one of those people who have to constantly be assured constantly that they're not going to die! Sorry for such a long post. come here regularly. Rest assure that you can get much valuable info here and i've also gotten a lot of comfort too. One thing's for sure. it's been almost 10 years since the original symptoms started and I'm still here.
Good Luck! keep us posted.

[SillyHeart]

You need to see your doctor and wear a 30 day heart monitor to catch the episodes on EKG.  You may be having harmless palpitations or you may be having sustained episodes of another arrhythmia, so get a diagnosis.