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heart stopped but not palps
Monday I went to er because my heart stopped or paused for a few seconds and when it did start again it was racing, I was hot. They couldn't detect anything so I went to heart doc next day and they gave me a holter monitor which I just finished wearing today. About two months ago I woke up gasping for a breath and then it happened again one other nite but eventually went away so I didn't think much about it. But ever since then my pulse has been much slower then it had been before. So with this episode of a paused heartbeat my body automatically panics on its own like I'm being suffocated. It continues to happen and Im terrified. My breathing has also been heavier since this episode. When I told my heart doc he didn't think much about it which was extremely disheartening. I have pacs and I'm used to palps and these episodes are definitely not Palps. Does this sound familiar to anyone.
Rhythm irregularities always remind my of Charlie Brown, running to kick the football that Lucy is holding and she has avowed to keep in place "this time", only to have it pulled away and he falls, yet again, on his back. Just when we think we have some insight into how to reduce or eliminate them, they put us back in our places. You are not alone.
I have a tendency to externalize my frustration with them, my wife thinks it's both funny and pointless (she gets them too), but there I sit, enjoying a good movie or book, and out of the clear blue, the darn things just pop up, out of no where, sometimes aggressively (not just a single one), the fear ramps up, the adrenaline flies, and I get more.
I have a tendency to externalize my frustration with them, my wife thinks it's both funny and pointless (she gets them too), but there I sit, enjoying a good movie or book, and out of the clear blue, the darn things just pop up, out of no where, sometimes aggressively (not just a single one), the fear ramps up, the adrenaline flies, and I get more.
Thanks Dawn. It seems I can be fine and not thinking about them then they start. Yesterday i was having a good day and suddenly the pauses started and pretty much continued through the nite. Life just doesn't seem fair sometimes. First I had an ablation, then I developed PACs, then started having chest pain which still hasn't been figured out and now this. Seems like I can't catch a break. Just makes getting up everday hard sometimes.
BTW, I have had the pauses too, altho not often and not too long. They've showed up on a monitor and weren't long enough to worry about, according to the doctor. I think it needs to be so many seconds before they become concerned, and I can't remember how many. I think they can be just part of the whole pac, pvc, irregular rhythm thing.
Just a thought -- I know if I focus on my irregular beats, I start pumping out adrenaline and they get worse. It may be why you notice them more at night or when you are lying down. I even learned to tell myself "You are fine, these are benign," which also slows down the panic. meditation and slow breathing help. Once you get your reports back that should help as well. Also you might want to purchase a pulse oximeter (it goes on your finger and will tell you how much oxygen you are getting as well as your pulse -- about $30). My blood pressure checker will tell me my pulse and if it is recording irregular beats also. Good luck with this. I know how frightening it can be.
Thanks for all your support. I should be hearing back from the doctor about my echo and Holger soon, hopefully.
Hi again, you can take your pulse, at your wrist, over 15 seconds, multiply the results x 4 for beats per minute, or, over 20 seconds, and multiply the results x 3 for beats per minute. If you have ectopics during that time, wait for a good stretch of 15 or 20 seconds that hasn't any ectopics. I was at work one day recently and I took my pulse, it was 56 (I was using the computerat the time, no physical exertion). My doctor said he had no problem with that, I'm on a Beta Block and it slows the heart rate. Other medications can cause slow heart rate as well.
Due to a reflex associated with taking your pulse at your neck, the heart rate can actually temporarily change (slower), so it's best not to take it there.
Years ago, my wife developed a strange heart rhythm so I took her to the hospital. They had the sound on the monitor, and you could hear a beep with each heartbeat. The strangest thing is her heart was going fast sometimes and very slow at other times. The doctor came in and jokingly said she was doing it to herself because she was listening to heart rhythm. He shut-off the sound. Despite her varying heart rate, and she was listening, but I was watching the values on the display, they said it was anxiety and released her. She's been fine ever since.
Due to a reflex associated with taking your pulse at your neck, the heart rate can actually temporarily change (slower), so it's best not to take it there.
Years ago, my wife developed a strange heart rhythm so I took her to the hospital. They had the sound on the monitor, and you could hear a beep with each heartbeat. The strangest thing is her heart was going fast sometimes and very slow at other times. The doctor came in and jokingly said she was doing it to herself because she was listening to heart rhythm. He shut-off the sound. Despite her varying heart rate, and she was listening, but I was watching the values on the display, they said it was anxiety and released her. She's been fine ever since.
I'm not sure how slow but it feels like it's barely beating and this heart rate started shortly before the heart pauses started as well
How slow is your pulse, and when you say it's slow, do you mean slow and regular or slow because of ectopics (PVCs, PACs, etc.).
And my heart is beating so slow right now I can't help but wonder of if the heart is getting proper blood and oxygen flow.
I'm just scared. This whole week I felt like I haven't existed, feeling like crap, not being able to eat or sleep much, and just laying around thinking about my heart.
If your Holter is like mine, when you return it to the place that put it on you, they take the Holter and connect it by Computer to the place that analyzes the data. I was told, and I read about it as well, that the Computer that receives the data screens it fairly quickly for any rhythms of especial concern. If anything urgent is found, that would quickly be provided to your doctor. Then the data is screened for routine stuff. Let's face it, no doctor wants to watch every normal beat of your heart over the time you wore the monitor. So the normal stuff is put aside and it focuses on rhythms of interest. I had 6000 PVCs on my 24 hour monitor report, no doctor wants to watch 6000 PVCs, but uniform samples of them would be of interest. Same with other rhythms. Then, in my case, the information goes to an independent cardiologist (not my cardiologist) that interprets the data, writes up a report, and forwards that to my cardiologist.
Are you keeping a log?
Are you keeping a log?
See I noticed my heart rate slow down weeks before this began, and now my heart races from the smallest things like getting up and down. I'm a little winded and I'm a fairly healthy guy. I've been getting them mostly sitting and especially laying. They are sporadic through the day but last nite it was every few minutes until I literally passed out from being exhausted. I turn my holter in Monday or Tuesday and waiting to hear back from my echocardiogram I had done. It took me years to just be ok with the palps I already have and not jump across the room when I have one.
As long as you've seen a doctor to rule-out any serious problems, fortunately they are benign (harmless) but unfortunately there's not a lot they can do about them.
I almost went to the Emergency Room again last night, but I phoned my family doctor and updated him on what happened last time I went (twice now). I get what is best described as back-to-back PVCs, and they are the ones with the pause. So I've had twelve in a row already, no normal beats in-between. The effect is that it's scary and my heart rate drops to 1/2 of normal. After a while, I start to feel odd. Last time I went to the E.R., they were occurring on the EKG, the doctor was unimpressed.
Mine start in the evening, at or around dinner, and it's back-to-back almost continuously for an hour and a half. I get 5 of them, some normal beats, more of them, some normal beats, and it goes on and on.
I had a 24 hour Holter monitor within the last few weeks, I had 6000 PVCs, and the doctor still isn't concerned. How many do you get a day?
The problem is that, when benign, treating them with anti-arrhythmic drugs is more dangerous than not treating them, though this danger can be minimized by proper testing. Beta Blockers and Calcium Channel Blockers are used to treat them, though, and are considered safe and they have a good history of being safe.
I almost went to the Emergency Room again last night, but I phoned my family doctor and updated him on what happened last time I went (twice now). I get what is best described as back-to-back PVCs, and they are the ones with the pause. So I've had twelve in a row already, no normal beats in-between. The effect is that it's scary and my heart rate drops to 1/2 of normal. After a while, I start to feel odd. Last time I went to the E.R., they were occurring on the EKG, the doctor was unimpressed.
Mine start in the evening, at or around dinner, and it's back-to-back almost continuously for an hour and a half. I get 5 of them, some normal beats, more of them, some normal beats, and it goes on and on.
I had a 24 hour Holter monitor within the last few weeks, I had 6000 PVCs, and the doctor still isn't concerned. How many do you get a day?
The problem is that, when benign, treating them with anti-arrhythmic drugs is more dangerous than not treating them, though this danger can be minimized by proper testing. Beta Blockers and Calcium Channel Blockers are used to treat them, though, and are considered safe and they have a good history of being safe.
So you have the pauses too? How do you deal w them. I've had PACs for years and I can handle those but this new sensation is not something I think I could live with.
Hi again Josh,
Here is the source for the above. I hit post by mistake when trying to paste this. It may be of great interest to other members as well.
http://www.equimedcorp.com/rhythms/topic/40/
Here is the source for the above. I hit post by mistake when trying to paste this. It may be of great interest to other members as well.
http://www.equimedcorp.com/rhythms/topic/40/
Palpitations, there are different kinds. PACs (Premature Atrial Contractions), PVCs (Premature Ventricular Contractions) and a few others that I know of. There are PVCs with a compensatory pause, and PVCs without a pause. Most of my PVCs have the pause.
This may be what you're feeling, it is a pause after the PVC.
"Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are beats which are initiated in the ventricles or lower chambers of the heart, prematurely. As opposed to PACs, when the SA node (the natural pacemaker of the heart) gets interrupted, PVCs do not interrupt the SA node. However, with a PVC the ventricles contract, which normally causes the impulse from the atria to be blocked from reaching the ventricles.
PVCs are one of the two most common heart rhythm abnormalities, the other being PACs (premature atrial contractions). They are frequently benign and require no treatment. However, in some cases they may be so frequent (over 15-20/minute) that they may cause the heart to beat inefficiently enough to cause symptoms which may need to be addressed.
PVCs may occur singly or in pairs (generally referred to as couplets), every other beat (bigeminy) or interpolated and may also be described as multiform. Examples of all of these are shown below. (Three or more consecutive PVCs is technically referred to as ventricular tachycardia.) Patients who have these types of rhythm abnormalities may often refer to them as palpitations, skipped beats, hard beats, irregular beats, missing beats or extra beats. They may also complain of feeling dizzy or lightheaded or experience chest pain. Some patients may have no symptoms at all."
This may be what you're feeling, it is a pause after the PVC.
"Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are beats which are initiated in the ventricles or lower chambers of the heart, prematurely. As opposed to PACs, when the SA node (the natural pacemaker of the heart) gets interrupted, PVCs do not interrupt the SA node. However, with a PVC the ventricles contract, which normally causes the impulse from the atria to be blocked from reaching the ventricles.
PVCs are one of the two most common heart rhythm abnormalities, the other being PACs (premature atrial contractions). They are frequently benign and require no treatment. However, in some cases they may be so frequent (over 15-20/minute) that they may cause the heart to beat inefficiently enough to cause symptoms which may need to be addressed.
PVCs may occur singly or in pairs (generally referred to as couplets), every other beat (bigeminy) or interpolated and may also be described as multiform. Examples of all of these are shown below. (Three or more consecutive PVCs is technically referred to as ventricular tachycardia.) Patients who have these types of rhythm abnormalities may often refer to them as palpitations, skipped beats, hard beats, irregular beats, missing beats or extra beats. They may also complain of feeling dizzy or lightheaded or experience chest pain. Some patients may have no symptoms at all."
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