Palpitations scaring the )(*&^% out of me

[ellacjn]

HELP! I can't live a normal life like this! I've been having these regular palpitations. They come on for no reason, only last a second and are gone, but it can happen 20-40 times a day! The worse time is between 4pm-6pm. No pain, no discomfort, just this thump in my chest. It takes my breath away for a second. I try to continue my life as though they are not there, but more and more that seems like an impossibility. Yesterday I broke down and sobbed! I went to the doctor, she didn't seem concerned, but didn't offer any explanations except that many things can cause this. She did have me wear a 24hr heart monitor, but those results wont be ready for a week! Another week of this will put in the psychiatric forum instead of the heart one. When I pair up "palpitations" on the internet with some of my other issues like, low iron, no thyroid, perimenopause, asthma, it seems like anything can cause them. Are they dangerous? Do I need to worry like this? Should I plop myself on the couch and not move till I have answers?  I'm begging anyone out there that knows anything to please help me make sense of what I am going through. I am currently on a prearranged vacation with my husband and and making this holiday into a nightmare for both of us! HELP!

[ellacjn]

I got my test results today from wearing the 24 halter. Apparently, I had 16 ventricular premature beats during this time period.  I maintained a normal sinus rhythm throughout the 24 hours, even when I had these extra beats. I worked out hard while I was wearing that monitor too. I believe  VPB is the same as the PVC's you mentioned. I am still worried, as I probably should have stopped reading so much on the internet. I read that VPB can be associated with sudden cardiac death, however that is only when they actually find some kind of existing heart disease. The doctor said that my results are considered to be "normal". I asked for a stress test anyway for peace of mind, so she booked me for an Echo Stress Test, but it is not booked until August 11th. Maybe if that comes out OK I will finally be at peace with this new sensation in my chest. In the meantime I read that milled flaxseed and soy can help, so the way I see it, it certainly won't hurt.

[rochelle25]

hi..i also get palpitation...i diagnose Mitral valve prolpse last january....my Dr. ask me to do 2d-echo its an ultrasound for the heart....PVC and MVP has the same smptoms..Good luck..

[ireneo]

Thank you my little booglet. Not a gold star, more like a tarnished silver one maybe. I try to be helpful but I've been quite a grump lately. And have either of you tried Magnesium yet? It did make a difference for me but I also experienced some real fatigue after a few weeks. I just did it as an experiment. If the PVC's are keeping you awake at night, perhaps the mag would help. There are a few posts about it some place on the board. Maybe over on the heart rhythm forum. I've had a long day at work and my mind is ready for bed. No, it's not because I'm getting old. LOL  irene

[EFT56]

I have to say this :  I have pvc's since the 1980s  lived with them since.  
they can drive a person up a wall at times !  most doctors use beta blockers to stop or slow the palps down - others use ccbs cal channel blockers.  however beware of ccbs.
they are nasty drugs to take with meny side effects!  

Irene is one nice person and she knows alot about these things. she has helped me alot
shes been 99.9 % on the mark !  about almost everything we talked about and problems
iv had.  If I could give her a gold star or a award I would do in a heartbeat !  

anyways - you might try these things to help aid you in stopping palps
worked for me - and they are all natural  so no side effects !
Natural Calm powder drink .  res q 1250 fish oil pills (these help your heart actions)
and also lowers cholesterol down in a few months to  normal .  
as well you might wanna try res q  orosine  - this helps the heart and vains and also
lowers blood pressure and as well brings o2 to the blood and heart , as most bp meds
take away o2 from the heart !  as your system is slowed down .. worked for me !

hope that helped.   3 cheers for Irene !  

[ellacjn]

There is no question she had a very different lifestyle. For starters she was a holocaust survivor and was always afraid and stressed out. She was overweight (but so am I) and she did smoke, which I do not. She ate very poorly as well, lots of organ meats etc. They didnt know much better back then, and the doctors she went to just said she was anxious and told her to ignore everything. I am having a better day today and like you say we are more proactive in our health then our parents were. Thanks so much for making me feel so much better.

[ireneo]

That is lousy timing. I can understand your concern with your family history. But there are so many other factors involved with heart attacks. Most often it's caused by a blockage due to fatty deposits or clots. You have to think about your Mom's health history. Was she overweight, inactive,  did she eat unhealthy foods, have other health problems? And just because she had a heart attack doesn't mean it's going to be your fate as well.

My biological Dad died at a young age (50's) but he was also obese, smoked, etc. I'm taking charge of my health (although I confess I'm not as proactive as you are). I want to feel good and do all the things I enjoy. I'm 56 but want to get another 30 years out of this body.

It's hard to wait for answers but stay busy. Next week will roll around soon enough.

[ellacjn]

Thanks for responding Irene. You in fact have at least given me a place to look. I will look up PVC's and see what it says. You say the number I experience is low? I can't imagine what I would do if I had 1-5 a minute. I guess at some point, once a doctor can reassure me that it is not dangerous, I will stop being so intuned to them and hopefully try to relax a bit, but in the meantime, they are driving me crazy. I worked out this morning, keeping my heart rate up to about 70% of max for about 45 minutes, and I had no problems other than a couple of flutters. No pain, no dizziness etc. My nerves are shot though, and my doctor has left me for a month! I will be seeing a different doctor who is in the same clinic for my test results, but she does not know me and I won't be seeing her till some time next week.  I guess another reason I am so freaked is because my mother died in from of my eyes from a massive heart attack when she was 52 and I was 13. It two weeks I will be 52! YIKES!

[ireneo]

I'm sorry you're so afraid. I understand though since it is your heart, after all. Not like having a cramp in your toe. I'm a little disappointed that your doctor didn't give you more information to reassure you. I am glad that you wore a monitor so they could get a good look at exactly what electrical shenanigans are going on in there.

Most likely they are PVC's - premature ventricular contractions. The heart has tiny spots of tissue that send out electrical impulses that cause the muscle to contract which of course causes our heart to beat. Once in awhile the signal comes a little too soon (we're talking micro second here) and that's when it feels strange. I like to think of them as heart hiccups. That's about how it feels, that sudden lurch in the chest.

In a healthy heart (no other disease) PVC's are just an electrical anomaly and cause no harm. Many people have them. Sometimes we can feel them, sometimes we can't. The number you have each day is considered very few. I average 1-5 a minute (moderate number) and some people here have tens of thousands a day.

I do hope you get some clearer answers from your doctor. Don't be afraid to press for answers. Make a list of your concerns and ask. True, there are some triggers and you can narrow down your own triggers and avoid them. But most people find the PVC's can also pop up just because. . . . It's truly a minor electrical problem. As for me, I'm not giving up my chocolate.  :-)  Take care.  irene