What do YOU do when you get a bad bout of skips?

[Carey01]

I am sitting here with my finger on my pulse -- beat, beat beat, SKIP, beat beat beat beat, THUD.  Its been going on for about 30 mins.  What does everyone else do when they get an "episode" of weird heart beats?  Does anyone else get een more frightenend when they feel them vs barely feeling them?  Maybe  if we all respond it will give some good ideas in how to deal with them.  Ill start --

I usually come to the computer and try to look up postive affimations that they will not harm me.    

[Mom2four85]

It's funny, I'm one of the ones who should monitor when something goes on, but I mostly ignore how I feel;  until I feel the OH no here it comes....heart racing, dizziness, sob, freaky feeling I get when I know my heart's going to go wild...happened 4 times yesterday where I had Vtach episodes and when it happens I feel like I've been ran over and it leaves me weak and sick for hours - before I had my pm/icd I'd pass out.

This is going to sound funny but I've never done my finger on my pulse to check mine - if I feel it's something really to check out, I get my BP/HR monitor and see what's going on.

Normal everyday pvc's/pac's I don't even sweat em, deep breathing helps alot and helps get oxygen back in the system and makes you forget about what's going on - try it for 15 min -close your eyes and really concentrate on breathing in your nose, out your mouth as slowly as you can.

[jpek]

I concur with most of the above comments.  Loosening clothing ie belt helps me.  Laying on my back with my upper body slightly elevated seems to be the greatest help.  Watch TV.  I dont know why, but body position seems to play a role.  Looking down or dropping my chin toward my chest seems to cause some issues.  Stress can also be an influence.  I usually feel the stress in my legs and feet.  Relaxing music and meditation seem to be effective stress relievers, and thus reduce the onset of palps.

I am 6 months since my first pvc and learning to live with it.  There is  no doubt in my mind, that mine are stress related.  I noticed that there are many people in the community that report stress, and anxiety as well as pvcs.  Do what ever it takes to lose the stress. Stress does far more damage than pvcs.  

Good luck.

[ireneo]

I get up and move around which helps me: distracts me a bit and I can't feel them as strongly. I had a bad bout of them (PAC's and PVC's) for about 5 months running 15 - 25 a minute just about non-stop. It was hard to fall asleep with all that ker-thumping going on. I got a lot of jigsaw puzzles done and books read. LOL  I'd get so sleepy that all I could do was zonk out.

I'm luckier than most because I've had arrhythmias all my life so the fear factor is gone. To me it's normal to be out of sync. But really, moving around does help.

One other thing that may just be me: although I don't have digestive problems, I do find wearing any tight clothing seems to set off my heart. So nothing tight around the waist or especially around the chest. Yes, I'm female and no, don't ask. I've never worn one.

[cherrytea]

oh yes and what i do to take my mind off palps is paint if possible, I find that dooing something that absorbs me as much as painting really takes my mind off whats going on in my chest. I once painting a beautiful picture during what i now am realizing was an episode of svt and kept calm!

[cherrytea]

hi I am an obseccive pulse checker i literally feel it every five minutes, and have been trying to breaak the habit. I am quite anxious and have noticed that my pulse is indeed very much lighter when I am having anxiety, this of course breeds more anxiety, and before i know it im in panic mode calling my dad telling him im dying, I never realized that the week pulse was a product of the anxiety so thanks! I will continue to work on breaking this obcessive behavior.

[itdood]

For a quick fix I try things like valsalva maneuvers.  Sometimes stretching can help.    Sometime lying on my stomach helps.  I used to be able to start exercising them away but I don't mess with that anymore due to an issue I may have thought myself into...

I swear maalox helps mine, quick 20 minute fix.  I learned this trick from an older gentleman on this board who is from the UK.  I don't know why it works sometimes for me.  Either it's the magnesium or just the normal variation.

These "little tricks" also help get my mind off them.  SO who knows.  I'm literally just guessing just like the rest of the modern medical community.

[rilesnic]

I had this happen to me a few months ago...we had been on our Mardi Gras float, throwing beads, dancing, me drinking my good old H2O, and had gone to eat afterwards at the Waffle House.  What I ate was VERY greasy.  The palps started before I got out of the parking lot...and I am always the designated driver so no one else COULD drive...anyway, got home, still happening...I wasn't feeling my pulse but I could feel the palps through my body...it was driving me crazy...I continued with my nightly routine and told my husband if I passed out to call an ambulance-not to drive me to the hospital...I went to bed and finally fell asleep.  I blame the food at the restaurant and doubt I will go back there. But I was very proud of myself for mustering through it all without a full blown panic attack.  My cardio told me if it is happening to get up and do something to try and forget about it...and this past time I followed his advice and it worked.  I woke up the next morning with no palps at all.  I hope you start feeling better soon.  Keep us posted.

[is_something_wrong]

I used to do the same. It just caused more anxiety.

Anyway - look at some of my answers and posts here - and you will se that I've done my part of reading cardilogy trying to find calming answers :)

First some advice: You should NEVER feel your pulse. Try to sum this up, what does it help to monitor your pulse? If you're afraid that your heart will stop, do you think this is less possible if you monitor the pulse? What do you gain then? More anxiety. Sorry to be a bit brutal here, but this is important. Monitoring your heart rate will only create more anxiety and more skipped beats.

In addition, when monitoring your pulse, you will feel lots of things that are NOT skipped beats, just a normal slight irregularity that you will find in any heart - especially during breathing. Adrenaline effects change from second to second - your heart rate is never completely regular.

If you are anxious, your pulse will feel lighter and this is completely normal. The reason is, during anxious times, blood will be pumped out (and sustained) in your large muscles to prepare them to fight. This will cause less blood to your underextremities (hands, feet). Anxious people tend to have cold feet and hands, hence the expression "to get cold feet".

Anyway, your reaction is completely normal and I do / have done this myself. But it's not helping..