skipped heartbeats

[bridgehorse]

hello, since 2004 i have been having skipped heartbeats..it's weird because sometimes it goes away, like recently i have not had any for 4 months, then it comes back again like recently..it happens mostly in the morning, and does not happen at night...sometimes when i brush my teeth it happens, when i shower etc...when i feel skipped heartbeat it stops then it either goes faster or stays slow after the skipped heartbeat.. i dont have any symptoms associated with the skiped heartbeat like chest pain, dizziness etc..why does it leave and then come back again after months?  do skipped beats mean there are clogged arteries or heart issues?  i do not have caffeine and i am a vegetarian on a meditteranean diet..i use olive oil, flax seed and have alot of  fresh garlic everyday..i also have co-enzyme q-10, 400 mg everyday...i am thinking that since this is NOT  a stable skipped beat issue that it might be just anxiety and neves etc..i dont know..but i know i am healthy with good cholestrol levels and blood pressure..i do drink red wine on the weekends however..i take enough potassium and i take l-carnitine and b-complex as well...sometimes the skipped beats go 3 or 4 times in a row then go back to a normal bpm of 68-72...i rarely get fast heartbeats, only if i drink red wine.

i will be 42 in june...i would greatly appreciate any answers that you can give me..thanks alot..

dan white
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[talylor]

I just got done putting in some new locks on my doors (this is when my man should be around. lol) and doing some laundry. My left chest felt so tight and straigned and I couldnt take a deep breath to save my life. THIS is what I dont understand. THIS is why I am confused as to what is REALLY going on with me. I know I had normal echo, ct scan, xray, pft test, and so on...but what the hell? I just dont get this. PUSHING 5 MONTHS NOW. I understand that my holter showed PAC and PVC (more PAC's though) and I truly believe this is the cause of my left chest, throat and stomach sensations. Had many small ones today by the way. Just "flashes" and then they are gone. But this CONSTANT aching anda tightness and breathnesses. I dont understand how something is not causing this. I am so grateful for all my normal testing but some days I ask myself the dredded..."did they miss something?"


Do people with these PACs and PVCs experience any of this constanst chest ache and lacking of a deep breath feeling????

[momto3girls]

Welcome to the club!  You are in really good company.  I too am plagued by these darn pvc's, pac's,skips whatever you want to call them.  They're enough to drive you batty.  Of course in the light of a good cardio work-up, these little buggers mean nothing.  They sure as heck feel like something when they're happening though, don't they. I know a lot of people claim there are "triggers" but for me, there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to them.  They come when they want, everday for days on end and then, they're suddenly gone for weeks.  

I wish some doctors would do more research in this area.  When you look on this forum, it seems the majority of questions are regarding heart skips, palpitations, flutters etc.  Anyhow, try to relax and remind yourself that in a structually normal heart, these annoying little skips are benign.  It's hard to do, I know, but they can control your life if you let them. I would get monitored and see if what you're feeling coincides with any kind of arrythmia.  Peace of mind is worth it's weight in gold.  Best wishes!

[momto3girls]

Hi there,

I completely understand.  It is so easy to start the ball rolling with "did they miss something?".  I have had chest pain/tightness for months.  Sometimes my arm aches with it.  I hate the tight feeling I get.  My chest aches as well but I have costochondritis too.  Have you ever explored that avenue?  It might explain some of your achiness and tightness.

I have had so many cardio tests it isn't even funny (echo, stress echo, stress tests, nuclear stress test, ekg's).  From what I've read, pac's and pvc's can cause chest tightness, particulary if you start to feel anxious.  I think for people like us, we really have to trust in the testing we've already had.  It is so much easier said than done, I know.  Don't let anxiety over the "what if's" control you.  Quality of life is so important and worrying really takes it's toll on you.  I'm so sorry for you though to have these problems.  To put it bluntly, it sucks!  I know. Hang it there and try to gain some reassurance from tests you've already had.  Best wishes!

[wmac]

Garlic is a big trigger for my palps. Also wine is not a good thing to have. It will cause them too. Msg really triggers them as well. As time goes by you will figure out what to avoid and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to them either. I also avoid chocolate and caffine like the plague! Good luck
wmac

[Momto3]

Hi Linda,

There are no stupid questions, so don't worry about asking whatever's on your mind....

A PAC (premature atrial contraction) is an extra beat that orginates in the atrium, or the UPPER chambers of the heart.

A PVC (premature ventricular contraction) is an extra beat that originates in the ventricles, or the LOWER chambers of the heart.  Pretty tough to FEEL the difference, but some are able to.  

Bigeminy is when you have an ectopic beat every other beat.

Trigeminy is when you have an ectopic beat every third beat.

I do find that gastro/intestinal activity can trigger ectopic beats.  IBS seems to occur frequently in people with ectopics.

No sure about why you would experience more palps after an echo....Maybe you're just more aware of them.  

Hope that helps : )

Connie

[Barbarella]

I've been having skipped beats off and on for over 35 yrs, and they still scare me.  Heart was checked out and is o.k. However, I found out that I have high BP and since I am on BP meds my skipped beats are a LOT less.  I used to have them real bad at times.  

They can be caused by fatigue, nervousness, low potassium, hormonal changes (in women)stress, high BP, thyroid problems, and sometimes there is absolutely no cause at all and they just appear.  Its always important to have them checked out to make sure nothing physical is causing it, and if that is the case the doctors/cardiologists usually say "live with it" "don't worry they will not kill you".  Some people get beta blockers for the PVC's (skipped beats) but they never helped me, and I know of other people where the beta blockers did not help their skipped beats.