Heart "skipping" and chest pain

[Ifeelweird]

Hello there,
For the past 3 or 4 years I've been having what feels like "Skipped" heart beats.
I've actually had them since I was about 17(I'm 22 now) But they were very rare back then and only seemed to happen when I was nervous(I have anxiety problems)
But they started happening more frequently and without being provoked these past few years.
Just when I'm sitting around the house doing nothing.
BUT I am stressed alot....so perhaps it's as people tell me...that it's related to the stress.
But it even happens when I'm in a good mood or doing something nice that relaxes me.
Last year I had kind of an emotional break down(lol) over various things that were going on....the heart thing included.
And the very next day I was having "skipped" beats every few heart beats.But only when I would be walking or standing.
It lasted for a couple days and I decided to go to the ER.
They did some blood tests and an EKG(Or is it ECG?...The one where they stick the little sticking round things all over your body and leave you in a room by yourself.lol)
While in the room by myself I was watching the monitor and was seeing dips in the heart rhythm.
It was like . l___l___l__l_l  ___l etc...
                                     U
.the U being the dip 'm talking about.I mentioned it to the doctor and he said he would look over the reading and see if he could see anything.
Sat there for a bit and the nurse came in and told me some stuff...that my blood tests looked fine and they didn't see anything too bad.
And then a bit later told me I could leave.......The Doctor never came back!
He waved at me as I was leaving though......should I take this as he looked it over or that he just ignored me?
They also suggested that I see a heart specialist.
So a few weeks later I did.

[CCFHeartMD 15]

No one can diagnose via the internet but based on what you have described, most likely that you are having symptomatic premature ventricular or beats (PVC). They are very common and a high percentage of the population have some of them during the day. It is hard to define why only some of the patients can feel them but is most likely related to increased awareness and stress. Where do they come from? Usually is an extra intrinsic pacemaker that is located in one of the heart's ventricle that can cause a change in the sequence of the normal pacemaker (sinus node). The activity of the extra pacemaker may be increased by different factors like stress. Now why can we feel these extra beats? Just because the strength of every heart beat depends on the amount of blood that fill the heart before the next contraction. Every time that you have an extra beat, the normal pacemaker makes a normal pause to regain its normal rhythm, and that's when the chambers get filled with more blood. So the beat that you feel is not the PVC, is the beat that come after that one that is usually stronger. Symptoms that are red flags w/ PVCs are passing out w/ no reason or fast flattering of the chest or palpitations w/o exercise or other cause. If the PVCs still bother you after understanding what they are, you can discuss with your doctor about using medications to decrease them (i.e. beta blockers) or even doing an invasive procedure to try to "burn" this extra pacemaker.

Good luck.

[skipolot]

Don't worry you sound like me and I am sure you are fine. I have had the skipped beats as well since I was about your age and my heart is structually fine. My family doc and cardiologist tell me the same thing they are benign not dangerous. Remember the more we dwell on it the worse they get. Easier said than done I know. I have been there...still am. I have also read that heart related chest pain does not come and go it will progressively get worse. I have had the same chest pain you are experiencing was also told that was not heart related. Do you possibly have acid reflux. I have that as well and that will sometime make you feel like you are having chest pains that are relating to your heart when it really isnt. Remember stress and anxiety can bring on chest pain as well. Hope you feel better....remember we all in this together!

[Ifeelweird]

They did a ECG(Chest ultrasound?) and told me that my heart looked structurally fine.
I told them about what I was seeing on the monitor and they described to me what was likely happening.
That it was heart beats too close together and a pause and then a hard beat...that it was my heart "trying to get back into a normal rhythm"
I don't recall if she called it PVC's or not...but from what I've read.It seems like that's what it is from what she told me and what it feels like.
She said that most everybody has them but I just happen to have them more often...possibly due to stress.
And since my heart is structurally fine she felt that it was nothing to worry about and I need to just relax and they could end up going away one day.
It's been a few months since that day......and I don't think ive stopped worrying any less.
That makes 2 ER visits,a regular doctor visit,And a cardiologist.
Two EKG's,Blood tests,And an ultrasound.
.....and they all just tell me I'm fine......I wish they were right....or simply that I could believe them
This is ruining my life. :(
And to top it off....and the thing that prompted me to write this..
For the past few days I've been having a slightly sharp chest pain in the left side of my chest.
It comes out of nowhere and only lasts a couple seconds.
It varies in intensity but hasn't been bad enough for me to clutch my chest or anything.
When it happens I check my pulse and it seems normal.
I've read that if you can point directly yo the pain...or if it is how I describe it...that it's likely not heart related.
But coupled with the pvc's....it just really seems like it could be.