Heart Fluttering, Skipping Beats Constantly

[samannran]

I've been having palpitations since 5:00 am this morning. I woke up with them. They haven't let up at all. It feels like my heart is jumping up in my throat at times. Other times, I feel skipped beats. My husband felt of my pulse for a while and couldn't believe it felt like that. I'm having more irregular beats than regular. I went to the ER last month for fainting twice and having severe weakness on the right side of my body. After countless tests, the doc just told me that it's because of the orthostatic intolerance. My husband had to help me back out to the car because I couldn't walk. I've had these episodes in the past, but this seems so much worse. My cardio told me before that I could double up on Coreg if I have an episode. I've taken two extra pills today. I've tried bearing down to stop this, and I even put my head in a large bowl of ice water because a family member said it would "shock" my system. Yes, I'm that desperate! Nothing is working. Does anyone have any suggestions?? When do you decide to risk another disappointing, expensive trip to the ER?? Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[Lizzegrl]

call your cardio and see what he wants. They might want a quick ekg, before they tell you to take any more meds, or?? It feels horrible, I'm sorry!!

[mkoven]

I've recently had a spell of skipped beats. Have you had a holter monitor or event monitor , so the docs can know what the rhythm is? Mine are all pacs or pvcs and my doc said they were benign in an otherwise structurally normal heart. At the time I was having ten a minute. Doc said she wouldn't treat them unless I had twice as many. But you should have them documented. Mine were hormonally triggered. taking magnesium also helped. I still get them, butit's not as bad now.

[Miriam Poorman-Knox]

I agree Call the cardiologist. This is someone who understands orthostatic intolerance right?M

[EarthMother]

How is it going today? I know those "skipper beats" as my cardiologist calls them can be really frightening. It is good to get reassured from one of our specialists. I remember when I had a Holter done last October (because I was complaining about them and my Cardiologst wanted to reassure me they were benign) he said "I'll order a Holter test to reassure you these are fine, but I'm telling you now that unless you are having 10,000 skipper beats a day I won't do anything about them." That's about 8 each minute by my math. I was having a few a minute, but no where near eight and not 24 hours a day.

For me they seem to come in waves ... I'll be fine for a few weeks and then BAM! (More like B-B-BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM BBBBB-BAM) They get really annoying (more like scared out of my wits) and they stay for a few days or weeks (sometimes months) and then seem to vanish as mysteriously as they came.

Good luck getting some comforting answers.

~EM

[samannran]

Thank you all for responding. Today has been a much better day. I've only felt a few flutters. I have worn a holter monitor a few times, and it showed pac's. But I only had a few when I was hooked up. My cardiologist wasn't concerned with those. He is knowledgeable about OI, thankfully! I've had an ablation in the past for AVNRT, and both of my grandmas had A-Fib that caused fatal strokes, so I tend to get scared when my heart feels out of control for so long. I felt so much better after reading your posts. Once again, thanks!!

[Guest brianala]

Hi Sam,

I get the skipped beats and fluttering pretty much constantly throughout the day. And by constantly, I mean all times of day, no matter what I'm doing. I'll get 15 or so in an hour, then none for awhile, then a whole bunch all in a row.

I've had an echo cardiogram, ekg, and a 24 hour holter monitor. I was on a beta blocker for awhile but mostly to regulate my heart rate and bp. My cardiologist and electrophysiologist have both told me that the palpitations might be annoying, but they are not concerned about them.

My mother has A-fib and recently had a stroke, and is also being treated for a brain aneurysm. I understand how scary it can be when your heart jumps around like that, but hopefully it helps to know that there are a lot of us out there with the same issue.

[Rene S.]

I've been having palpitations since 5:00 am this morning. I woke up with them. They haven't let up at all. It feels like my heart is jumping up in my throat at times. Other times, I feel skipped beats. My husband felt of my pulse for a while and couldn't believe it felt like that. I'm having more irregular beats than regular. I went to the ER last month for fainting twice and having severe weakness on the right side of my body. After countless tests, the doc just told me that it's because of the orthostatic intolerance. My husband had to help me back out to the car because I couldn't walk. I've had these episodes in the past, but this seems so much worse. My cardio told me before that I could double up on Coreg if I have an episode. I've taken two extra pills today. I've tried bearing down to stop this, and I even put my head in a large bowl of ice water because a family member said it would "shock" my system. Yes, I'm that desperate! Nothing is working. Does anyone have any suggestions?? When do you decide to risk another disappointing, expensive trip to the ER?? Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Hi. I know this a late after your post, but I just wanted to add that your palps may be due to the Coreg! I was taking a tiny dose 3.125 (1/2 pill) and only twice and had the worst palps! They would not stop.

So, please look into that aspect. Not all meds effect everyone the same.

Rene

[Maxine]

I'm glad your feeling a bit better, but still think another holter monitor might help, but sometimes they completely go away though, and you can't catch them. One doctor told me the best way to cure these is to get a holter monitor, and they go away-----------LOL.

I had a real bad one that felt like someone was squeezing my heart, but no pain. It just felt like my heart was struggling to beat. It started out like my usual flutters, but then it got worse and felt like a fish flopping around. Then it felt like there was no blood in my heart. I had blurry vision, my heart went fairly fast, and then it straightened out. I waited in fear all night for it to happen again. It hasn't, but I have had more of the PACs and PVCs then I used to have. I'm struggling a lot with OI combined with the partially blocked spinal fluid affecting my brain stem.

I wish docs would not just say, " It's just the OI acting up". When there isn't enough blood flow to your brain it needs to be taken seriously, weather it's from a stroke, or 'OI". Why the heck do they think people with OI pass out--------------ahhhh, that would be the blood flow not get to the brain folks.

I hope you don't have any more of those darn things, I hate them too. And if you do, I hope they're caught on a monitor.

HUGS,

Maxine :0)

[icesktr189]

i know how you feel! they are the worst because you cant seem to control them like you can with your bp. I did the whole even monitor thing and had it on for a month... it was so annoying calling it in every three episodes (and i called it in a lot) and then after the month my cardiologist looked at my work for like a whole minute. It was like wow.. i put all this time and effort you can at least pretend to look at it for longer! LOL. if they dont let up then call in your cardio good luck!

[mrsdavidson8605]

sorry to hear about the palpitations! They drive me nuts too! And by the time I get to the ER, they have usually subsided to where no one catches them! SO FRUSTRATING! hang in there!