heart skips

[Barbara]

I have been plagued with heart skips many years, but lately they are coming in a series.  They come many at a time, lasting about 15 to 30 seconds.  Of course, it seems like an eternity and I totally panic.  I have had all sorts of tests, even going to another hospital for another opinion.  They all say they are benign.  This maybe so, but how long will this go on.  Mentally, its taking a toll.  What scares me is I think my heart will never go back to its normal rhythm.  I am on 50 mg. of atenolol in the A.M., 150 mg. of avapro in the afternoon, and I cut myself down to 25 mg of atenolol in the evening, instead of 50 mg.  My cardiologist thinks this is fine.  I have stopped smoking, and everthing else they recommend.  I know they claim is it not from the stomach, but I do have the gastro problem according to upper GI series.  I burp sour after these are done.  Any suggestion to get my life back to normal.  Thank you for your interest.

[CCF-M.D.-RCJ]

Barbara,

Sorry to hear of your recent problems.

PVCs can be quite disruptive and concerning, although they have no known untoward effects in patients with otherwise normal hearts.

I like a two-pronged approach to treating them: identify any possible precipitators of the PVCs and develop coping mechanisms for dealing with them.

Possible precipitators can include changing diet, caffeine, alcohol, lack of sleep, slowing heart rate, change in medicines, etc.  The causes are different in different people -- you need to pay attention to your body and be open-minded to figure out any possible precipitators.  Sometimes keeping a diary of what you are doing when a wave hits you will help you to identify a pattern.

Coping mechanisms can include medicines (such as the atenolol), treatment for anxiety, bio-feedback, or exercise.  Sometimes getting other things in your life back on track makes these PVCs less troublesome.

Hope that helps.

[chickachicka]

I too have been dealing with pac's for over a year now..I am 29 and have never smoked,drink no alcohol and have a decent diet and they do come generally any time...
this morning for instance I was just sitting there, had not had a bite to eat yet and boom there was a skip..
followed by belching and or gas/stomach rumbles..
when my skips are the worse I usually have gas/ and or belching.
I have had all the heart tests too and am told benign however they still scare me..I am not having panic attacks aftewards like I use to but sometimes I get one after I feel the beat..
a few weeks ago I had some and they felt so much stronger and I went into full blown panic..
oh well I just wanted to say I have the same issues..
I do not take any meds though.

[pilchard]

I have also just started to experience these....I thought my heart was going to stop all together then launches me into full blown panic. My doc tells me its nothing to worry about but its making me so scared of when it will happen again. Does anyone know if you are more likely to suffer if you have a slow resting pulse...mine is about 55 and always happens when resting or going to sleep. I'm 29 pretty fit non smoker male.

[karie]

Pvc's,Pac's are very scary and after knowing what they are from numerous holter monitors over 7 years still has this gal complexed. I keep a journal and at 27 when I had my first cardiology exam and learned of Mvp, pvc's and the way my heart functions.I enjoy this heart board for sharing.My last holter a month ago had 495 pvc's and I was really feeling bad. Increased my potassium, magnesium and given Propanolol to keep on hand. For years I walk daily , stay thin, lots of water and non of the no-nos which can cause heart palps. I find comfort in meditation too.
Hope for a skip free day for all.

[Susan @ Manderley]

Hi
Someone asked if they are more likely to occur when your resting pulse is slow.
I definitely think so.  Mine are much more likely to come on when I am just sitting relaxing or whilst lying down at night.
Postural changes also bring them on and this totally doesn't make sense but everytime I have tried to quit smoking (and therefore my heart rate slows down somewhat) I have been absolutely PLAGUED by them!!!!!
I also find that after hard exercise whilst heart rate is dropping down to its normal rate is a prime time for them to happen.  I haven't posted before but always read this forum.  I'd just like to say that I have had these things for 14 years now and I guess if they were going to hurt me then they would have by now - but I still panic somewhat when I get a bad run of them.
Just a hint - I have found that taking the tissue salt Mag. Phos 6x (magnesium phosphate biochemic tissue salt) sometimes will stop them in their tracks.  It's harmless to take and you just dissolve them under your tongue.
Best to everyone
Susan in South AUstralia

[chickachicka]

Postural changes!!!
you know I notice mine when I get from a sitting to a standing position or like walking up the stairs...

[shelley67]

Hey all,
Do any of you experience palpitations as a "fluttery" feeling or a butterfly type sensation which you can even feel in your throat?

[Steve-M]

It has been over a year since I have visited this site. It was very helpful for me to learn that I was not the only one with strange heartbeats. I think I have had irregular beats (PAC's) for the last 25 years. It wasn't until the last year or two that they started really bothering me. I went to the ER and also made several trips to various doctors to get checked out. My doctors were no longer interested in my condition after the results of my tests showed a normal heart. Their advice was that this happens to most people after 40. They told me to go out and live a normal life and not pay attention to it. This was not much comfort and did little to reduce my anxiety. I then went back and had them treat me for my anxiety and panic. They were kind enought to give me Valium. This was very helpful and allowed me to start researching the road to my own cure.

The best thing I did for my peace of mind was to buy these books..."Hope and Help for Your Nerves" and "Peace from Nervous Suffering". Both are by Dr. Claire Weekes and they both say about the same thing. But when you are looking for comfort and thinking your heart is about to turn against you it's nice to have them around.

I really feel for the people on this list with horror stories much worse than mine. If you're like me with simple PAC's, PVC's, anxiety and panic, then these books are for you.

[ecobravo]

Hi all, I am 42 years old male and have been experiencing PVC's since one year. Really they are not so many but for sure I get scared when they occur. I was on atenol 25 mg with good result for PVC's but also with 35 beats per minute so the cardiologist stopped the betablocker. I mainly perceive them when sitting at lunch and dinner even if the stomach is not full. As far as I am anxious subject I am really convincing that PVC's are in otherwise healthy people a normal variant of the beat.
My wife experienced them when she was 20 and now she smiles over looking at me. I believe that hearing from other more or less same axperiences is the best med.
Be happy with life,
Egi

[Ianna]

Hi Steve,

Just to let you and everyone else know that it is soooo true that the books of Dr. Claire Weekes can help you when you are so lost in anxiety and other nerve problems!
I live in the Netherlands and the books are titled here: "Blijf Uw zenuwen de baas" and "Breng Uw zenuwen tot rust", but the English titles are as you wrote.
I bought the first one in I think 1971 or 1972, and the second book in 1979. These are the books I still ALWAYS take of the shelf when I am in stress, distress, anxiety, feeling heartbumps, palpitations and all the other **** that comes with a sensitive nervous system. I lend the first book to my daughter-in-law (just last month) who was in a little bit of anxiety, and told her that this book was like my bible for feeling good again
.
-
She is so right this Dr. in describing what people feel when in anxiety!
-
Your comment was recognizable so I immediately wanted to write back this letter...
Hope you feel ok now!
-
Greetings from Holland - ***Ianna***

[pilchard]

Reading these posts makes me feel so much better, I ended up in ER last night due to what I think is a heart skip or flutter it freaked the hell out of me but when I was there they just said ECG and everything was fine so go home and get referred to a cardioligist. I am yet to be diagnosed with this condition but can someone please explain exactly what one feels like. Like I said it always happens when I'm resting and feels like my heart just stops for a second or two then I go really light headed and start to panic. I'm 29 and never had this untill 2 weeks ago.

[arthur]

Light headed is normal as you are probably very anxious.  My suggestion is to get as much information from the cardiologist as possible, study up on the type of arrhythmia you are experiencing (sounds like either a simple PVC or PAC...premature beats which usually portend nada), and use the deeper understanding of the phenomenon to quell your anxiety.  If you don't do that, you will head into an abysmal cycle of fear which lends itself to increased heart skips, which of course worsens the anxiety...

Most of us experiencing the skips have gone through this cycle and most have overcome it by understanding derived from consulting with experts.  BTW...the pause your heart goes through is the normal consequence of a premature beat...it just reflects the extra filling time required since the premature beat was too early and inefficient.  It does feel queezy and that's normal too.  Just take the advice you get from a cardiologist you can trust and calm down...almost every arrhythmia is treatable.

[Barbara]

Hi, I'm the one that sent the question.  Good to hear from you all, and know so many people have the problem.  My email is ***@****  Would love to hear from someone.  Seems like it helps to talk.  Thanks

[pilchard]

Thankyou so much for taking the time to post on here and try to help calm me down. I keep thinking the next skip it will stop, it seems that what you said about worrying and anxiety that you and others have gone through is what I'm going through at the moment and its so horrible. Then it adds to the problem and makes it worse. Also thanks to the person who posted the question, so I could get some advice on it. I think my next test is the 24 hour moniter, hopefully that will show the problem.

[skipping in Toronto]

I am very interested in the comments about diet and supplements,  I have developed these alarming skipping of beats, and rapid beats at the same time as I started new asthma medication (Serovent), and a homeopathic diet which cut out wheat, yeast products, dairy and sugar and addded acidophellus and grapefruit seed extract.  I stopped the Serovent in August since I thought it was the culprit.  And I've cut out coffee, even decaf.  But 2 months have passed and the heart stuff continues.  I can catch the variation of the beats by quickly checking my pulse on my neck when I get the "dread" sensation and the thump.  And yes they are most noticeable when resting but I wonder if that isn't just because it is easier to detect them then.  I have had a variety of tests and currentl await the results of an echo-stress but since I am fit I expect not much will show up.

Should I be looking at calcium and magnesium in the diet?  Any other suggestions?

[AmosDoyle]

The books by Dr. Claire Weekes have been a god-send for me.  I also purchased two tapes from Amazon, recorded by Dr. Weekes which I find to be very effective at calming me down when I have had a bout of "skips".  She was truly an outstanding physician and psychiatrist, far ahead of her time.  I am glad to see that she is getting more recognition, which I think she certainly deserves. I recommend her works to anyone who suffers from symptoms caused by fear and anxiety.

[DelsT]

This is an unusual request - but hankstar were you in the video business in Great Scott stores in the '80's? I knew someone by the same name - who I considered him a great friend, but we lost contact thru the years.  Just wondering!~

[squeala7]

Hi everyone - I notice that most people complain about the skip, dreaded feeling, then the big THUMP to follow - I know this to be one pvc. Does anyone out there get like a zillion different feelings???????? I dont just have ONE type of pvc. I get the fluttery ones that are light and seem to run in 3 or 4 - but very minor and dont worry me - then I get the BIG THUMPS, which I attribute to pvc - then I get ones that are far more intense, deeper, sometimes hurt at the moment they are pushing the blood out - before being on toprol - I had ones that felt like someone hit me in the chest - all OK say the drs - as everyone is different - I just feel the aftermath of the pvc more than someone say that just has the thump...does anyone else out there have all kinds of different feeling pvcs/pacs??

[LynnSB]

I'm up right now, scared to pieces yet again, due to irregular heartbeats. And, yes, I have all SORTS of DIFFERENT feelings with them.. sometimes the thump, the flutters, the "stopped" heart feeling. Tonight, I awoke feeling this was it -- the "big one".. felt slightly weak. Took my pulse.. skipped beats..regular beats for 20 beats or so and then skipping.. a few fast together.

I've had so many holters, a thallium stress test just a couple of months ago. This has been going on since the early 80s - it is better then worse. i'm so depressed about it, so scared. Actually got  up out of bed and came here to try to make it through the night. just terrified.  This is what my life has become. I have tried to read, research, do everything I know.. and yet, tonight, when they are this frequent, all I know and all I know about coping and how my heart is supposedly normal and how i've been told by wonderful cardiologists that my heart skips are not life threatening, i'm terrified. and miserable

[chickachicka]

Do you have any information or carbohydrates and pac's/pvc's?
I have been trying to keep a food journel and I am noticing even the smallest amounts of carbs like mashed potatoes,pasta ect trigger an increase in my palps.
other foods that seem to send me over the edge are tomato based and even ketchup seem to produce an increase in heartrate..
I would just love to read any info you may have..
thank you

[arthur]

The relationship between "normal" PACs/PVCs and dietary intake is fuzzy at best.  This is because no one has done a scientific study of specific dietary components and their effects on "skips"...this would require that a vast amount of variables be controlled, all of which could have effects (eg, time of day, your mental disposition, other health factors, your body position, your weight, pulse rate, and what else you ate that day, and so on...).  There are certainly a whole host of claims, some partially scientific, that certain agents can increase the production of skips, eg, caffeine or aspartame or MSG or chocolate or carbs... Some come from folks who think that a test consists of eating something and seeing what happens...wow...and some come from anecdotes scattered throughout the Web...and some come from doctors who should know better.

The bottom line:  Skips owe their origins to a complex set of events.  Depending on the individual, time, and place, some dietary components might well trigger skips at times, and at other times, be completely without effect.  The same goes for Web "cures" like magnesium, hawthorne, minerals and vitamins...

Just stop and take the time to study the problem, or speak with a cardiologist who knows something about the relationship between foci, the nervous system and skips.  The knowledge you gain will be the single most potent agent you can hope to digest.

-Arthur

[Beat]

I have suffered from skipped heart beats for a couple of years. About a year ago my disorder went dormant for about 9 months. Recently a went back to some cardio exercise and the skipping started again, even as I started to catch my breath. I'm wondering whether heavy exercise can trigger this. Is anyone experiencing the same?

Mike.

[chickachicka]

I just wanted to say thank you.
it is funny because any of the usual culprits other then having panic disorder..
I have never smoked, nor do I drink alcohol..never ingested aspartamine..do watch out for msg..no caffeine..occasional chocolate..I stopped drinking soda in 1987..
I have had anxiety for many years..this did not started or made its presence known during a trip and I over exherted myself and was deydrated.
I am 29 now..they really effect my lifestyle...well just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading the boards are your relies always stand out..
thanks again.

[EddieMoy]

It is calming reading all these comments.  I have come to a conclusion that the PVC's will not kill me.  I was sitting here today at work looking at what I would do to help my anxiety attacks.  the PVC's definitely trigger them.  they feel like a pause in my heart beat and then a big beat.  basically like a stubble in my heart rythem.  The other thing I notice is that with the big thump, I feel the blood rushing through my veins.  

I think most of the people here probably have some sort of stress related anxiety disorder.  I know I have it.  It was triggered by many things starting in college to the present day where I am stressed out by family illnesses.  My dad has cancer and I went through two operations with him.  I know that when he was travelling after his operation, I experience none of the PVCs.  "Out of site out of Mind" is the saying and I guess when my dad was not around, I didn't have to worry about him.  Therefore less stree.  During the last couple of months, I have had the worst cast of panic attacks that I have ever experienced.  I have been trying to controll it ever since.  Not too sucessful though.  I felt as though I was going nuts sometimes.