Plpitations, fluttering, stopping.

[LukeL]

Starting way back in March of 2005 I started having real bad palpitations with no none cause. Many tests latewr (4+EKGs, ECHO with Doppler, blood tests (cardiac enzymes?), and holter monitor) all have showed nothing specific that would indicate a serious medical condition. But I have had two scary events, both upon awakening where I saw a black blob infront of my face, I was able to check my pulse during once of these events and it was steady and strong. Also during these events I was either on high dose beta blockers, or Valium which I have had a bad expiercne with.

Currently on toprol XL 25mg twice daily, and Paxil CR 12.5mg daily. The other night I had what I would call skipped beats where it felt like my entire body stopped working for 2-3 seconds followed by a surge of addrealine and a sick felling in my chest. These went on all night and it was the first time I felt anything for over a year.

My once PCP thought he saw a delta wave in two of my leads on an EKG and ordered the holter which he said was normal. Could I take this to mean I do not have WPW, even with a short PR interval. Also what are the odds things like LQTS, Brugada, Short QT, CPVT, RVOT etc. would not show up on multiple EKGs and/or a holter?

[mdd]

hi mnharleyman, could you plz tell me more about the bio-feedback to stop palpitations? This is driving me nuts. I have had my ECG done and everything checks out okay. Every now and then (once a week or so) I feel my heart pounding but not beeting faster, just beating harder. I am looking for ways to stop it.

[honeyb2]

my first time here.  i have been reading some of the comments.  they are like you are all discribing me.  espically the anxiety. i did have ablasion in 04 for a-fib.  and it seemed to work well but this past yr i have started to have the pvcs once in a while but now they are everyday, sometimes all day.  i hate it.  you can not get away from it.  i want a reason but of course there is none.  i made my dr do blood work because i read the low potassioum can cause pvc but i was fine. i did not know they could do ablasion for pvcs.  my dr has not said anything about that.  he did ask if i wanted to go on "mexitin" but i do not like taking any thing new unles i have looked in to it.  has anyone taken that med? thank you

[Forum-M.D.-MM]

Hello,

If there is suspicion that you have a tachycardia syndrome, the key is capturing your symtoms while you are on a monitor to try and correlate the symptoms with an arrhythmia.  If a sudden onset tachycardia correlates with symptoms, there is often a good treatment available.

The same is rue for VT, RVOT VT, Long QT, Brugada -- these are all based on EKG findings as well as monitor data.  If you have symptoms while on a monitor and you have sudden onset tachycardia, it is easier to establish a diagnosis.  It is harder when  you don't have symptoms while wearing the monitor.  If you have a normal EKG, the diagnosis is in catching a arrhythmia recording during your symptoms.  If the holter doesnt do it, event monitors or continuous monitors may help.

Good luck and thanks for postihg.

[mnharleyman]

I too have had some of these same symptoms. I chalk it up to nerves and anxiety issues. However I think in some case it may be meds as well? I found that Bio-feed back has helped in most of the issues I have had with palpitations, fluttering. Really strange how the mind works with the body.

[EchoTech]

Perhaps you could express your concerns to your doctor and tell him you want we call in my hospital a King of Hearts monitor.  It may go by other names where you are at, but the basic concept is that you wear a monitor about the size of a pager that has two leads on your chest.  You wear it for a month or so, and any time that you have what you consider a major event, you press a button on the monitor.  The monitor then records the previous 90 seconds before you pressed the record button.  Then depending where you are at, you can call the monitor stationing/hospital/doctor's office and they can tell you what it is I believe.  I am not real strong in the arrhythmia monitoring department, so you'll have to take what I say with a grain of salt.  That is it in a nutshell.  

I would doubt that an abnormal rhythm would be missed on four different EKGs, but ohterwise I really can't help you out.

Good night and good luck.

[LukeL]

I know anxiety is a culprit because I was thinking about how long it had been since an attack, along with reliving some triggers that caused my first attack (even eating or seeing a certain food or article of clothing can do this for me) But it is hard to accept anxiety is 100% to blame.