Extreme Palpatations

[baby_boy]

Hi to you all, my first post in a long time.

I was resting, on my PC, developing some software then i had a skipped beat, usually it skips then goes back to normal but this time it skipped, went irregular and was irregular for about 10 seconds. It felt horrible, i cant even explain how it felt, my body felt mad. I could feel my heart beating funny, there was no pain or anything.

I had my echo and ECG last week and came back fine, so i am very confused. Before my echo i would be really scared now, but im not to bothered because my heart structure is normal.

What is causing this!!

I have not been diagnosed with POTS, the doctor dont know what it is, but i thought id ask in here because i have been a member for a while and the community is great.

Thanks all.

Anyone had similar experiences?

[pat57]

There are frequent posts about feeling the heart misbehave. "does your heart feel like this" is a recent thread. Generally I think its high rate tachy that makes people feel "horrible".

I have had various rhythms but they never make me feel sick, only weak.

My descriptions would be, junctional escape is a flutter, tachy is fast and of increased force, Brady is Thud- thud.

[mallen1]

Anytime you are consciously aware of your heart, anytime you can "feel" it, that's not normal. That's actually the definition of palpitation. I realize you just saw your cardiologist and are likely not keen on pestering her or him again, but your cardioligist should be aware that this happened. Unless you are choosing not to disclose stuff for insurance reasons or whatever, this event should be in your medical record.

-Mark

[baby_boy]

If i was to tell him he would just push it off as another a) anxiety attack or im just aware. Thinking about it now this has happened a good few times in the past 4 years. I will talk to my doc, have him run different tests to rule out other things.

It may be alchol that brings them on even more, i have alot of alchol in the house (as its christmas) and thought id have a couple of glasses of wine but only when i drink do they get worse. Or when im at college an dehidrated (sp?).

Lets see what the doc says anyway.

Ps. I have no insurance, im in the UK, health care is free.

[cardiactec]

dont let them pass it off as anxiety. i was told that and also "I think if you had an underlying heart rhythm abnormality, aside from sinus tach/POTS, we would have found it/seen it by now". Guess what? after five years, and two years specifically of complaining about very specific palpitations, that i kept saying WERE NOT my "normal" sinus tach/POTS symptoms, and I have proven to the docs that I was right and they were wrong -- caught an atrial tachycardia at 270's BPM on an event monitor (and to all who read my previous pots about "pots gone bad" and that this rhythm was all just POTS, that was proven to be false via mayo clinic - rhythm strips sent out to them, and their EP confirmed a "definite PSVT, most like PAT" ................)

anyway, my point, get it checked out. and if your doctor doesnt believe you, find a different doctor. dont wait five years waiting for them to believe you or waiting to prove them wrong. you shouldnt have to.

[cardiactec]

p.s. you mention alcohol -- there is a true condition called "holiday heart syndrome" -- people can go in and out of atrial fibrillation -- paroxysmal - from alcohol consumption. google holiday heart syndrome to read more about it.

[doctorguest]

Right. Alcohol is a major trigger of palpitations, whether accompanied by true cardiac arrhythmia or not. It is probably best if you stay away from alcohol and caffeine for a while - probably not possible with the holidays, but worth a try .

[MomtoGiuliana]

I had a 10+/- second episode similar to that in Sept. I called my cardiologist. A member of his practice returned my call and told me to cut out caffeine and take my beta blocker. He said if it lasted for a minute or more he would be concerned/I should go to the ER, otherwise not. He said it was likely a string of ectopic beats. I saw my POTS specialist finally two weeks ago. He was also not concerned. I felt that maybe I needed a 30-day monitor or something to try to catch an episode b/c I have had several since then, shorter in duration (and have rarely had so many of these over such a short time period). He said that treatment for these, for POTS, is more fluid and salts (he was not concerned about caffeine in my case). He said, sure we can give you a medication, but there are side effects associated with meds that may be more significant than the symptom. He insists the symptom is benign--the biggest risk is passing out and hitting my head. I said, is it at all possible a string of what you think are ectopic beats could turn into a dangerous/fatal arrythmia? He said, very, very unliklely. He said the worst thing about it is how scary it is, and uncomfortable, and disruptive to life, therefore. SO, I do trust this doctor, he has lots of experience with POTS (and in fact also mentioned he has just returned from a national conference on autonomic dysfunction and had had some discussions with Dr. Grubb) and is a highly respected electrophysiologist. But, just the same, it is scary to have these events and hard to feel confident that it is benign without a lot of reassurance.

This is my experience. I would definitely talk to a doctor about any new symptoms.

[morgan617]

Just because the structure of your heart is normal, it doesn't mean the electrical system is always going to work perfectly. I have episodes on a daily basis. I have yet to really get used to them. It's not like you get a lot of warning most of the time. So it's kind of like being blind sided every time you have them.

Mark, I am glad you said that, about "feeling" it. I've had doctors tell me (a cardiologist of all things) that I was fine because it wasn't tachy. Well it was hyperandrenergic and therefore, even though not fast, it was beating so hard it made my eyes pulse and they could SEE it on my chest and on my carotids. I think I hate those more than anything, those really forceful beats, whether fast or not.

I never ever drink alcohol and virtually no caffeine. The last time I had a wine cooler (six years ago) I felt so awful, I've never drunk again. You need to decide if it's worth feeling so bad, and for me it sure isn't. I have enough health issues without triggering them I guess. It is possible to have a wonderful holiday without alcohol. But I've never been a drinker, so it's not difficult for me.

How pathetic, never drank, did drugs, or smoked, and look at this body...maybe I should have been more wild....hmmmm morgan

[Mrs. Burschman]

I can see my heartbeat in my chest sometimes and feel it pounding in my neck. Yuck! Are those palpitations?

And BTW, mine have nothing to do with anxiety. It can happen anytime. Seems to happen most often after a hot shower.

Amy

[MomtoGiuliana]

I guess the bottom line question is -- what can we do to make this symptom less intense/more tolerable? It may not be normal, but apparently there is no easy/safe medical fix. My specialist is against any further testing--he says, the answer will be the same, more salt, more fluids.

Amy--it makes sense that you get more palpitations after a hot shower--due to vasodilation. I get mine after eating.

[baby_boy]

Had them again today. Only lasted a few seconds, but counted about 4-5 episodes now.

I also purposly fed my body less water, to see if it could be dehydration (sp?). As i said, they happen more when i am at college when i cant drink fluids (in classes). Ive had no alchol and 2 cups of tea, 1 glass of coke. Im going to drink water now and keep my body hydrated all day tomorrow and see what results i get.

i see my doc in 3 weeks, so will tell him all about me then.

Thanks for the replys.

[India]

Hi! I can sympathize with your plight: you'll see that I have posted on similar issues in the past.

You mentioned you had tea and coke. Was it caffeinated tea and coke? I get similar symptoms and anything with caffeine increases the episodes. I haven't had caffeine for 15 years!!! (how do I cope?) I sneak a bit of chocolate now and again, but too much also causes symptoms. Of course, I get the episodes without caffeine too, but cutting the wonder drug out did seem to help.

I teach college, and, although the university has a policy against drinking in class, I allow it, largely because I need the hydration too. You might consider approaching your professors to explain: we are human!

Good luck with the docs.

India

[Mrs. Burschman]

Caffeine gives my mom palpitations. Back when she first figured out that Coca-Cola Classic was the problem, she decided to switch to MOUNTAIN DEW instead. I think she was relieved when I told her that Mountain Dew has MORE caffeine. She didn't like the taste anyway.

Amy