Heart Pause

[lieze]

Does anyone else get the sensation that their heart totally stops?

I have gotten it probably 4 or 5 times since all of this started and it scares the daylights out of me.

It just happened tonight. I was sitting out in the car with my son daydreaming I think and it hit me all of a sudden. It almost feels like getting the wind knocked out of me. It just feels like everything stops. I feel conscious I never get to the point I'm starting to black out.

This one came with no building sensation at all. A couple I have gotten come with chest pressure that increases to the point it feels as if it totally wipes out my heart. This one was pretty much out of the blue and scared the daylights out of me. I felt my carotid nothing. Talk about scary.

I wiggled around and sure enough it took off again with a strong steady beat. I felt shaky after-in shock. Not knowing what to do. Thinking I probably need a pacemaker defibrillator but then questioning well do I really. I don't actually know what my heart is doing. Maybe my bp is just dropping out on me. Or my vagus nerve is being stimulated. I don't know.

When wearing the monitor back this time last year I had several heart pauses that showed up that were several seconds long. My internist had circled them. I think I've only had about 4 since the ablation. It's one of the scariest sensations I get. I have found other people on the internet experiencing the same thing. Not sure what to do at this point. I guess I'll see how often it happens and base it on that.

lieze

[lieze]

so far it looks like this might be related to acid reflux?

might make sense with the sensation?

Also anxiety just from what I'm finding on the internet

[valliali]

I get this too, exactly, but I always assumed that they are PVCs. I also get where I don't feel anything in the carotid and then it will noticeably return with a very forceful beat. Do you know that yours aren't PVCs?

[MomtoGiuliana]

I was going to make the same point about PVC's. I get very strong ones at times and it truly does feel like the heart is "stopping".

Have you been evaluated by a cardiologist? A holter monitor would probably help pinpoint what is happening.

[lieze]

I did have quite a few PVC's while at cleveland clinic.

I don't think I've had many since ablation but before every time I got up out of bed I was like a corn popper with PVC's.

The cardiologist did not act concerned.

I have no way of knowing what's happening with these since.

I do still have a report of the holter results with actual pauses. These I believe though I did not feel. It was after a run of SVT's or while symptomatic. But the heart pause was not something I was feeling as I pushed my button just the usual POTS symptoms.

I almost thought in the heart pauses recorded my heart was just recalibrating since there was arrhythmia involved?

My last EKG was in December and was fine.

I've been reassured my heart is fine.

My last echo-June of 09

Last cardiac event monitor was September-October 09

He said all he saw was sinus tach nothing to worry about.

Do you think it could be a run of PVC's I'm feeling rather than an actual pause?

[lieze]

These usually occur while sitting or standing. I don't know well I'll take that back the ones recorded were lying down but as I say were related to the SVT's. I had been standing doing dishes til I had to go lay down and it was too late my heart went crazy.

My impulse if the sensation doesn't go away is to lay down if I am somewhere that I can.

I saw that it is possible on tilt table test for the patients heart to actually stop beating while in the upright position but as they are laid down that the heart will automatically resume so I'm wondering if the same thing would happen. My instinct is to jump scream holler, all which probably causes the rush of adrenaline.

lieze

[valliali]

I definitely agree that another discussion with your cardio may help you get some answers, but my personal experience is that PVCs can feel very different to me. Sometimes it's just a little flip that I hardly notice and passes in the blink of an eye, sometimes they run on and on and on and I wonder if my heart will ever go back into rhythm, and sometimes they feel like a complete stop, and then the beat comes back so forcefully that I get an intense rush of blood to my head that even causes my head to hurt. Freaks me out big time too. I still have a lot of questions as to what is going on, but I have had a lot of cardiac work up and PVCs have been the only thing that has been caught. So I assume that mine are PVCs, but it's impossible to say if that's what is going on with you. I actually feel more reassured when I research this online because there are SOOO many people out there who have concerns about their hearts for these exact reasons. My doctor has also been unalarmed by my symptoms, so I try to be as well. It's very difficult though!!! And when those big-time flops/pauses happen, I sure do freak out!!

[MommytoSJEA]

I get them. My cardio said they are PVCs. Nasty feeling. I will notice first that im getting lightheaded. My heart beat feels like beep...beep.....beep.........beep..................beep.........................

........................................BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. It hurts almost. When they "kicker" beat hits it feels like im being slammed in the chest. The longest they have ever lasted is about 30 minutes. But its such a scary feeling.

~Kelli

[lieze]

I think I get a type of pressure with mine not sure. But thank you all-I am sorry you are experiencing this too! But glad we are okay.

I am working more and more on trying to let these fears go!

And just believe I am okay.

Thanks for your help with this process.

Oh I also read with pvc's the beat can't be felt, so maybe that's why even though I feel totally alert I feel no pulse at the time.

lieze