Palpitations and Movement Changes

[easygrace]

I've been to my Dr. and had some tests that showed mild MVP. I currently take 1/2 25 mg a day of Toprol XL. Sometimes I do take a whole when I need it. My questions is sometimes when I have bad days my palpitations can get worse with certain movements. Bending down to sit, and things like reaching in the dryer for clothes. My palpitations get worse for a few min. then level out. Never any problems when getting up, only going down.  Is this common with MVP? Of coarse my Dr. says it's all benign but it sure scares me when it is going on and I'm wondering if I should see a different Dr.

[Artaud]

In addition to causes cited above, we have receptors that tell our brain about our blood pressure and adjust heart rate to try to maintain a constant pressure.

"The system relies on specialized neurons, known as baroreceptors, in the aortic arch, carotid sinuses, and elsewhere to monitor changes in blood pressure and relay them to the brainstem. Baroreceptors are stretch receptors and respond to the pressure induced stretching of the blood vessel in which they are found. Baroreflex induced changes in blood pressure are mediated by both branches of the autonomic nervous system - that is the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves."

Movements can result in transient changes in blood pressure, sensed by the barorecptors, which change the heart rhythm accordingly. This, I believe, is responsible for some of the ectopics we feel. The heart has an established rhythm, the Baroreceptors try to change it, and implementing the new rhythm is not always seamless.

Many people have heart rhythm irregularities, but fortunately for them, not many people feel it.

[easygrace]

Your right, when they start up I do get alot of anxiety. I do have regular everyday bumps and flutters but did always wonder about the movement flutters. You would think if it's going to do it it would happen all the time where as mine can go away for a week and then come back. Strange.

[marlinspike]

As Tom says, PVCs when adopting certain positions is very common. When you bend the heart can touch the chest wall which can trigger a few PVCs. People often say they are worse when lying on their left side for the same reason. I get lots of PVCs most days, and they have caused me huge anxiety, but everything I have ever read says they are benign if your heart is structurally normal. It's hard to accept this when they start up as it can be very scary, but try to relax. I found I couldn't do much about the palps but working on the anxiety helped.

[tom_h]

Easy, Grace! I would not be surprised if your MVP has little to nothing to do with the skips and jumps you're feeling as you move about.  Postural arrhythmias are a very common occurrence with some people.  As you move or bend over, the heart move about in your chest cavity as well.  The diaphragm may push upwards into the chest cavity as well.  These forces can have some effect to briefly modify the electrical activity within your heart.  I use to have SVT, a rapid beating of the heart.  It would sometime start up when I twisted my torso, like getting out of my car or even rolling over in bed.  A simple twisting motion could set it off.  So what you're experiencing is very possible.  Your Toprol XL is an just extended version of the common beta blocker Metoprolol (Tartrate).  12mg is an extremely low dose. As a comparison, I take 75mg per day.  These drugs have different effects on people, but I sometimes wonder when dosages this low are prescribed, is it to make the patient think they're being properly attended to by the physician.  But I think he's right in calling your condition as "benign".  What you're experiencing is very common to some of us, and as I said I wouldn't be surprised if your slight MVP has any bearing on it..