MItral Valve Prolapse Symptoms...Flutters and Skipped Beats

[ColtsFan1978]

I am sure this exact question has been hashed over time and time again but I was unable to find an answer on this board.

What can skipped beats feel like? I have MVP with almost no regurgitation but have several MVP symptoms.

I find that I can have the usual skipped beat feeling. Meaning my heart “pauses” and then produces a large “thump”. This one I have learned to ignore (for the most part).

I have also felt what feels like a fluttery sensation in my chest that lasts for a few seconds. Sometimes this is followed by the familiar hard “thump”. This one I can’t get used to. I don’t have them very often. I have them maybe twice a month, more if under stress or anxious. Many times these are noticeable after strenuous exercise such as weightlifting or paintball. Sometimes they trigger from a good stretch in my chair. Sometimes they are just random.

Anyone else have these different kinds of palpitations?

I just had a follow up echocardiogram two weeks ago. It had been 10 years since my last. Structurally my heart is fine other than the slight MVP.

Thanks everyone!

[Sweetiepie1963]

I ve had mvp since i was 16 and now im 50...I used to suffer quite a bit when i was younger from palpatations really bad...Used to put me in the er...Then the Dr put me on Lopresser and it has controlled the problem for the most part...Now just in the last month maybe not even...I am having trouble again...Skipping heart beats and the thump you all talk about...It does scare me...I have not seen a cardiologist since the age of 16 ...I have had ekg test done and blood test everything appears normal...I am just wondering now what is going on...Scared of seeing a Dr...Scared of this skipping beats and thumping...I take my medicine daily twice a day and still having trouble...don't know what to do...? Scared !!!

[giraffefanatic87]

Well I haven't died yet! More frustrating and crazy annoying than anything. From what I hear, if accompanied by dizziness or shortness of breath, it's more serious. If its just missed beats like mine, it's less likely to be serious I think.

[JoKelly]

My daughter has just been diagnosed with this complaint but was told not to worry about it as it is not life threatening and troublesome symptoms if they occur, can be successfully treated with appropriate drugs.  How true do others find this statement?

[giraffefanatic87]

Oh. And one more thing. According to the internet, heart palpitations are described by a fast heart rate. I am sorry that is not a palpitation. Sorry guys! Just super frustrated!

[giraffefanatic87]

I have been struggling with these palpitations for a few years now and I go through phases where sometimes they are worse than others, but they never totally go away. It is SO frustrating. I too have a missed beat followed by a hard thump followed by a fast heart rate for a few seconds before returning to normal. Unlike you all though, mine does this several times an hour and at well over 100 times a day. Sometimes during exercise, I get 1-2 minute long strings of constant missed beats. Its extremely scary. However, like the rest of you, I've had every test under the sun and everything has come back normal. I've tried taking magnesium and hawthorn berry supplements, drinking camomile tea, and eating grapes. Nothing works. It's definitely worse at night and afternoon than it is in the morning when I first wake up.  The even more annoying part is that I've been so a million doctors and they've all listened and said they hear absolutely nothing abnormal on the stethoscope. Then one random cardiologist told me he heard MVP (which my mom had) . No other tests indicating it though. Anyway, it's getting ridiculous. I have more missed beats than I do normal ones. I like to exercise. I use to run cross country, and I'm not about to give up everything in my life in the hopes that they MIGHT go away.  BTW, the things that make them worse for me is definitely exercise (especially weight lifting), anytime I'm not eating 100% healthy (like the holidays), and even positions. What am I suppose to do? Give up all foods that aren't veggies, never ever drink coffee ever again, never exercise, and lay perfectly still all day??? Please! Someone give me some advice on what works for them bc doctors are not helping at this point!  Please! I need advice! It's dominating my life!!!

[Thombene7]

I get "The Thump" about twice every month. It feels more like my heart thumps and then stops, then feells like something is preventing it from beating to a normal rhytham for about 30 seconds then it speeds up to a tachycardia beat measuring 120 BPM......  My vision gets dim when this happens also, anyone else get this wonderful thing?

[ColtsFan1978]

Red and Gillster,

I am just glad to hear that others have the same symptoms I do. I kept trying to do research online but it was hard to find anything that differentiated between the skipped beats and flutter. I guess we all just have to learn to live with it. I was worried that the fluttery feeling was worse than the usual pause then forceful beat I normally get. Thanks for posting these responses.

Red, good luck with the testing. I am sure that like all of us, everything will be fine.

[Red931]

I also have Mitral Valve Prolapse. My symptoms are almost exactly the same as gillster. I did have to go to the ER two weeks ago because the palpitations were much worse than usual. My cardiologist thinks I was overtired as I had not gotten good sleep in about 8 days.

I am geting the Holter tomorrow and an Echo on Thursday. It has not bothered me in about 20 years either. I have had alot of surgery lately and my body has been under excessive stress. I expect everything to turn out okay but I was due for the tests anyway.

[gillster351]

I have the same thing...30 years now. Driving me nuts lately. The usual pause then hard beat. I also have gotten use to that but I now have the strange feeling in my chest "fluttering" pause which seems to be for several beats..then back to normal. It sometimes takes my breath away.forces a quick short exhale. I have MVP but everything else seems to check out ok. It does get worse with stress, being overtired and sometimes I notice my symtoms get worse just before the onset of a cold !!!

Tough to live with without thinking about it but thats what all the docs seem to say !