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heart vibrates and beats irregularly

I’m a 32 year old woman, I’m not overweight and I’m not underweight. My heart beats irregularly and like vibrating sometimes in such a way that I feel very scared each time. It also jumps in a very strong way sometimes. This happens since I was about 16 years old, but during the last year it has been happening more often.
My heart is structurally good and I have had ECGs and a 2 week heart monitor, but my heart didn’t do any of this during the heart monitor (which was very strange because I usually have this every few days, and lately almost every day).  Therefore, the doctors couldn’t find out what it is, and it looked like my heart is perfectly normal, but it isn’t. I feel this almost every day at random moments and is causing me to be scared all the time which also might be causing the irregularities and vibrations to happen more. Also, I notice they get worse when I’m worried or having a bad day.

Both my grandparents died from the heart and my father has a lot of heart problems and a cardiac-defibrillator was placed in his chest.
I have tried to find out what could be triggering my problems but I can’t. I quit smoking years ago, I stopped drinking coffee years ago too, I occasionally drink alcohol (not anymore since long now since I’m scared about this), I don’t even drink cola drinks to avoid caffeine. I eat chocolate sometimes but if I stop eating it that doesn’t seem to make a difference. I don’t know what else to do.

Does anybody else have these same symptoms? Do you know what it could be?
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Avatar universal
thank you :)
I have had that monitor, but they gave it to me for two weeks, not a month, and nothing happened while I had it, which was strange and makes me think the monitor made me feel secure and that made my heart more stable.
I wish you the best too and thank you for your help.
Helpful - 0
1807132 tn?1318743597
We have a monitor here that is worn outside the body and can record events up to a month.  You wear it and just press a record button when you feel something and then you phone the recording to a company that transmits the data to the doctor.  It is possible not all countries have this type of monitor.  That is a tough call to put yourself through a scar.  But I also know how wondering about something can make it worse than it actually is.  My mind wanders the more in the dark I am.  Well try to center yourself and make a decision based on what feels right.  Even though these issues are "Nothing To Worry About" they sure are tough to deal with.  I wish you the best taking control of this and taking your life back.  And congratulations on your upcoming marriage.
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Avatar universal
I will talk to my doctor again. I moved to a new country a year ago, now i'm visiting my home one, but I will talk to the dr when I return to the new one.

They did offer me a next solution: a monitor that goes implanted under my skin. they recommended me to think very well if I wanted it since she thought is probably nothing to worry about and this will leave a scar above my breast, and I'm a young female. And I do have to think about that. I'm getting married next year and I would prefer not having a scar showing above my dress. But i also really want to know what I have. I will ask the drs if there's other solution.

It is true I have had this for years now and I'm still alive. But it feels very scary and I spend a lot of time worrying about it, it definitely affects my life quality.
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Avatar universal
I also feel the sinking in my stomach most of the times, and as if some adrenalin jumped. I'm not sure if this is a consequence of it or part of it.

I also have a bit of pain sometimes, not at the same time as this happens though. Do you have that too?

Please, keep me posted when you see your doctor!
Helpful - 0
1807132 tn?1318743597
So did you catch your vibration on a monitor of some sort?  My doctor is very nice and understands though the cardiac community doesn't see these as a problem he understand they can be a bear to live with.  Though instead of telling me to not bother him he tells me to don't waste my mine coming to see him.  Sometimes you have to waste a little money to have peace of mind.  I really kind of think the pvcs are just something they are not able to get a handle on or they really would offer us a fix.  I am sure one day they will but will it be in our life time.  Who knows.  Take care.
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1807132 tn?1318743597
The pause can feel different to different people.  Mine feels weird.  Like a jittering almost as though the heart is beating faster but not.  It is hard to explain but it is possible it feels more like a vibration to you because you are having a number of pvcs close together.  At the worst it could be ventricular tachycardia or having pvcs in a row for more than 30 seconds.  If you had that though you would likely feel dizzy and light headed.  You would also feel that if you had an svt or fast heart beat from a structural problem with the heart.  That said, if you haven't caught this on a monitor and it is concerning you I would ask for the month long event recorder.  This way you can have a longer period of time to catch what it is.  If you current cardiologist refuses then go for a second opinion.  It is likely not anything to be concerned about though that is easier for the doctor to say than it is for us to live with it but at least if you know what it is then maybe you can put your mind a little at ease.  It is very strange to me, I had an svt ablated in september.  A lot of people have svts but for me they never frightened me.  I guess growing up with it I just could trust it would stop.  But the pvcs developed, though my doc said not so, but I believe they developed from the svt.  And the pvcs are way more bothersome than the svt ever was.  I guess because the svt would only happen once in a while for usually only a couple of minutes but these pvcs can get triggered all day long it is really annoying  and what is more annoying is there isn't much beyond beta blockers that they do about them unless you are having such a god awful amount you can't barely function.  I guess it is because they are tricky to fix and going in to fix them can cause more problems so kind of defeating the purpose. But you have a right to know what is going on so do go back and ask for the monitor, explain you need peace of mind to move on and see if your cardiologist will comply.  If not then find a new one.  Also get yourself a heart rate watch so you can track what your heart is beat at during one of the episodes.  It might help to narrow down what is going on.  In any event the most important thing to remember is most arrhythmia conditions will not kill us.  They are a bear to live with but most likely we will wind up living long lives.  
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Avatar universal
This has just starting happening to me to...the vibration thing. I swear I feel like I am going to die when it happens. I feel like it is not going to go back to "normal" beating. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. Scares the heck out of me. I also had a echo and ekg a year ago which said my heart is perfectly normal. Hahaha really? Because this doesnt feel normal at all. I actually called my cardiologist today and I am going back the first week in Jan. to get checked again. I know exactly what he is going to say to....Your fine these are harmless and you just need to learn to live with them. But man oh man it sure is hard. I just want you to know your not alone!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you for the answer. What you describe seems like it could be the same, but I do not feel a pause. Do you know if it is possible that is that without the heart pausing?

What i have feels like it vibrates and is all out of control for a second or two, sometimes it repeats for longer.

I think I will see if the dr gives me a monitor for longer time yes
I have been paying attention to it for months and I can not find out what triggers it besides stress and bad moments. Sometimes I'm having a normal day and I'm relaxed and it happens out of nowhere. And feels very scary every time.
Helpful - 0
1807132 tn?1318743597
We are not doctors in this section of the website but rather people like yourself with various heart rhythm conditions so we can't really diagnose you but from my experience it sounds like you likely have premature ventricular contractions.  This is an extra beat arising from one of the ventricles that disrupts the normal atrial beats thus causing a disruption in the beat cycle leading to a pause as the atria resets itself.  It is likely the pause that you feel.  For me it feels like the heart fizzles out a bit or sometimes feels a little like a vibration.  If you get a number of them close together it can feel even more strange.  These pvcs that you are feeling will ramp up with stress or adrenaline so that is why you feel them more when you have had a tough day.  PVCs are not life threatening in an otherwise healthy heart which it sounds like yours is structurally fine but since you haven't had the vibration feeling captured and subsequently diagnosed I would document for yourself when it happens, if something seemed to have triggered it, how fast your heart is beating (you can get a watch to monitor this from a sporting goods store) and if the beat is getting fast does it start and stop suddenly or is it slow to rise and fall, do you get dizzy and or short of breath during this episodes.  So get your notes together and go back to your doctor and see what they have to say.  For me I had an event monitor that I was able to keep for a month and only recorded when I had an episode.  Maybe you need to have something a little longer to capture what is going on.  That said, most heart rhythm conditions are not life threatening just for your peace of mind. Take care and keep us posted on how you are doing.
Helpful - 0
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