Unexplained Palpitations

[LukeL]

In March I had a series of endless palpitations that started with a buzzing feeling in my chest that lasted for about 3-4 seconds. This went away and I felt fine, but I looked up causes of palpitations and within an hour got a fluttering feeling in my chest that lasted for a couple of seconds and came in a couple of runs for about 1-2 hours.

I went to the ER and they found nothing wrong with me and my EKG only showed an IRBBB and Sinus Tach.

I went to the ER two days later still afraid and they still only found IRBBB and sinus tach.

I asked to be refered to a cardiologist and had an echo done which showed no abnormalites and a perfectly normal heart.

I also had a EKG later on and it again only showed an IRBBB.

Since then I have not had the fluttering feeling but have goten very troubling symptoms. Twice I have had blury vision for a couple of seconds and have recently felt a quick lump or pulse in my neck and chest which last less then a second and comes and goes for a couple of hours.

Also during the day my chest often feels hollow or like I am getting an adreline rush that goes up into my neck.

My questions are:

1. With 3 normal EKGs and an ECHO do you think my symptoms are indicating a serious condtion (especially the fluttering)?

2. I am particualry concerned about EP condtions like Brugada and LQTS should this concern me with normal EKGs and no history of heart disease in my family? (no realitve has died from heart disease in my family)

3. I am currently on Toprol XL and Valium could this explain my periodic blured vision?

Thanks.

[upbeat63]

Since pvcs are "benign", they won't kill you, but they will rob you of life if you let them. They are hard to ignore, I get them all day long, every day, less now, maybe 1000/hour. But I take great care, all day long, every day, to recognize how special the world is, my world is, my life is. Takes great effort and practice. But I can either dwell on the positive, or dwell on the PVCs.

PVCs will come out of the blue, and may leave just as unexpectedly. But if you are watchful of them, you will indeed see more and more of them. I'm in a fortunate place right now, they don't bother me too much. But I've been in states of panic where I thought the end was near. Hope you find some relief in what ever way possible. Keep looking for solutions that fit you. I find enough water, enough rest and enough activity help me.

[joe1974]

thank you for your responses.  I went joging last night  and immediatly began getting pvcs maybe 10per min ( i feel them in ny throat when im running) I was able to run through them and didnt stop until I was exhausted, I felt great afterwards, like a small victory over my own fears.  I'm still worried that i should be getting wore tests to be sure i have an otherwise healthy heart, I've had and ekg, and a treadmill stress test.

Should i insist on more? thanks again.

[Momto3]

Ditto on tickertock's comments.  You may want to consider an echo just so all bases are covered.  If that comes back "normal" your "condition" will likely be referred to as "benign."  That being said, they are definitely not considered benign to those of us who deal with these pesky buggers.  But, once you have been deemed to have no cardiac anomolies, it may help to cope with the anxiety. When our hearts are involved, our anxiety kicks into high gear and it becomes a tug of war with mind over matter.

[kloedanser]

okay, question for the doc.  I have had PVCs or PABs or whatever they are calling them now for about six years.  I understan it is mostly benign.  I suffer from acute anxiety, just went on meds (klonopin and paxil, klonopin till the paxil kicks in and then a quick wean off I dont need any more problems LOL).  My question, is this.  I stay off and I mean OFF of the caffeine, smoke only lightly, drink even lightlier (i know that not a word but it describes it) but on labor day weekend my niece stayed over for the duration.  We had lots of fun, no stress, but Monday morning (labor day) She and I had gone to the store and she got a Mt. Dew while I got a Sierra mist.  Let me tell you, the same damn bottle.  Inadvertantly, I drank down (in about four seconds) her entire Mt. Dew thinking it was my Sierra instead.  Mistake.  Two hours late I am being picked up by EMSA with a heart rate of 338 BPM.  No feeling in the arms, totally on the ground, unable to help myself or get up.  Niece called 911 (I thought I was gonna die, of course, I have anxiety and an arrythmia, thought it was the end) Well they work me through several rounds of Vagals before they gave me propanolol (I think) to get me to normal.  We go the the ER and do the usual, EKG (normal) Holter 24 hrs. (several PABs, one "blocked P" nothing to worry about) and I can't find the cause of this seemingly "out of the blue" thing untill later when I spy the innocent bottle of empty Mt. Dew and remeber grabbing it and drinking it, thinking it to be caffeiene free Sierra.  So I think, okay, that was it, MUST stay off of the caffeine no matter what, that was TOO scary to ever repeat.  So, no caffeine.  Anyway, this past Saturday, I am doing my eye makeup with my fiancee downstairs and I feel the same thing...a string of PVCs (PABs? Skipped beats?Extra beats? Whatever..) and then BOOM. Tach.  Just like that.  No caffeine to blame, no stress...taking my klonopin and my paxil...lots of water, exercise, doing my cardio (which i am sure is gonna kill me ) in short playing by all the rules.  So I totally scare the **** out of my fiancee and say, hey, we got to go to the ER I am in tach...at which point he takes my pulse (we are both RNs) and he says, okay, vagal, hold,please, okay release, pulse again...too high for him (or me ) to count.  Do the Vagal several times on th way to the ER, finally it slows as we get there. Didn't go in.  What could be the cause of this unexplained (and unagitated) episode? I am only 29 and in perfect health (with the exception of that pesky heart).  My cardio guy says nothing is wrong.  Looked at EKG and 24 hr Holter.  Can't  find a thing. What could bethe cause of these "episodes"? Only makingthe anxiety worse.  Just trying to only have one problem at a time, LOL.
Melissa

[pbanders]

Luke, join the crowd, assuming what you have are PVC's. The doc's consider them benign if you have a structurally normal heart. Those of us who have them know that they suck. Symptoms vary widely, some people have tremendous problems (pain, anxiety, panic, etc.), others don't even know they're having PVC's.

The real problem is that there doesn't seem to be any coherent way to reduce them or to predict their frequency. Some people report reduced PVC's with beta blockers, dietary supplements, exercise, and diet changes. Others try the same thing and get no results. The doc's don't seem to be able to do much.

What most of us do is learn to live with them. I just went a year with zero PVC's - then they started up abruptly about a month ago. Now, their tailing off - but they could be back tomorrow. I don't let them stop me or make me freak out. I just keep doing what I want to, and adapt as a I can. In my case, they bug me so much when I lie down to sleep that I can't go to sleep - so I take Ambien. If they disrupt my morning exercise, I exercise later. Just figure out how you can work around them. You'll get lots of support here, I figure about half the group that posts here are PVC sufferers!!

[LukeL]

I should also point out to the doc that during the ECHO I had the non fluttering palpitation feeling through out the test and on the 3 lead EKG I could see the tracing was abnromal. I was wondering if the EKG tracing is recorded on tape along with the echo and doppler? Because the technician didn't even say a word during the entire exam.