How do I know when skipped heart beats are dangerous?

[iAmEllen]

Over a week ago for absolutely no identifiable reason my heart started skipping way more beats than usual.  I can go hours with none and then have several hours where I'll have 2 or 3 a minute.  It's setting me over the edge.  I don't know if it's dangerous or not.  I went to the ER the other day and they basically didn't care at all and just had me take Ativan and sent me home.  Today I panicked and called the paramedics who came and did a 12 lead and they said normal sinus with one ectopic and so I didn't go back to the ER.  I had a normal echo 3 years ago.  I already don't eat caffeine or sugar.

Please reassure or sympathize with me.  I'm going insane and have no idea what's causing this out of the blue.  Why would they suddenly increase for no reason whatsoever?

[Banibee]

Mine started about a year ago. If anyone is interested in starting a group, message me blan_02 AT hot.mail (thats my address, minus the spaces)

[whistlebang]

I am a 70 yr old male and in pretty good health except for the skipped beats. I have been dealing with these pesky things for 45 yrs and have experienced all the symptoms named in most of the post on this board. I have been to
all kinds of docs, had many many test and still have the PVC's. I am still trying to find a solution. Considering a
nutrional approach with food based supplements designed for my problem. Good luck to all of you,

[selfhelp2]

Other than a stint 18 years ago I think my heart is in good condition.
I have a stress test every 2 years and do well on it. I think my heart doctor has been knowing I have skipped beats because he is always asking about it and I say I do not.  
     I take 25 Mg metoprolol daily and 20 Mg zocor daily. .
     Recently my blood pressure, which is usually in the 130s over 60/70 dropped for a while to anywhere from 106 to 96 over 35 to 45 and my heart rate to around 35 for a good while at a time. I felt some not too severe chest symptoms which I cannot describe. I did notice that my heart usually beats 3 or 4 beats then skips 2 to 3 beats, then maybe 6 or 7 beats  and skips 2 or 3 more.  The cardiologist none of that is anything to worry about. Get a stress test again in 6 months (my regular time) and come back in a year.
     I started checking blood pressure before medicine time.  If it is 120 or lower I skip the metoprolol.  
     Today my blood pressure was 124/74.  When I get up from a reclining position I almost blackout for 15 to 30 seconds. I have not felt like doing anything.  I did have 1 cup of caffeine coffee (my usual). I have had a  protein drink in a quart of almond milk, the one cup of coffee, a good bit of water, some lean port, a large serving of ice cream.  None of that has made me feel better or worse. At the present my pulse is 65 and I checked for 100 beats without a skip.  this has not happened in a long time.
Wishing the best for all of you.

[Maxamillion5663]

I'm 57 and have been having skipped beats since 30. Thousands a day. And I'm still alive. I look at it this way, it's like mileage on a car. The less mileage the better. The less beats of our hearts the better. After years of skipped beats my heart is way stronger than those beating normally because my heart gets to rest. Problem solved. I'm gonna live to be 100, because my heart has saved up a lot of beats!!!! ***** to have a normal heart, don't you think?

[LetV_]

Hello do u still get them and how often. Do u get them at night.

[jake54321]

Hate to break it to u but your heart doesnt actually skip a beat, instead what happens is ur sinus node gets distracted because a premature beat is fired from else where. Therefore ur heart has to wait for the rxtra beat to pass through and then resume

[Skullkilla]

Hi I'm Ben I just got one right now. I use to get them almost everyday for about 1 year. Sometimes I would feel the stump so hard it would chocke me. I stop drinking caffeine and artificial suggar or any suggar at all I noticed that every time I drink any soda or coffee seems to hapend even more . I try to drink natural juices and seems to help me . just don't stress over it don't get panicked out just take slow breaths and sit for a little. I been having this condition since i was 16 when i started playing sports i was in the best condition of my life so i figured that over working or over exercise can get the heart a bit sore I notice and I take it as my heart is just taking a breather my condition has gotten better by sleeping more doing some work out and eating well. Above all not stressing. I hope this helps

[Skullkilla]

Sorry I am 25 years old

[Becdon]

Hello, I am a 23 year old female who has had occasional skipped beats in the past where id feel a thud in my chest and I would immediately grip my chest and get out of breath. I didn't think anything of it then because I know skipped beats are normal for everyone but im just the unfortunate one to feel them. They would go away as quickly as they came. But NOW, for a little over a week they've come back. The odd thing is that they haven't left. I've been having them everyday sometimes 20 a day or 30 or 40. So, that being said, something didn't seem right. I got an ecg and of course it was a normal sinus rhythm (because I wasn't having the pvcs at the time. They come on very randomly). I got blood work yesterday.  I'm currently waiting for those results to come in. I have no idea what started these random pvcs and I have no idea how to make them stop. Thats what is really baffling me. I'm a very healthy young women who is very active so I doubt I have a bad heart. This is just very confusing to me because I get them when I'm anxious (during my ems job) and also during rest when im not anxious at all... idk.

[Hornbeam99]

I  am  65  and  have  had  skipped  heart beats since  I  was  24 .They  are  worse  just  recently. My heart  seems  to  stop and  then  slide  into a  heavy  noticeable  thump. I  have  been  through  some family deaths  recently  which  have  affected  me  greatly  along  with  some  family  problems . I  have  stopped  drinking  caffeine .  I  have always  been  overweight  but  could  function perfectly  but  as  I  get  older  its  hard  to deal  with  the  skipped  beat  and  dull fuzzy  head. Occaisionally  I  will get  an  adrenaline  rush  especially  after  drinking  alcohol in  any  amount  such  as   the  odd  party.  Its  been  helpful reading  all your  similar symptoms  and  it  helps  . The  doctors  keep  telling  me  its in  my  head and  I  refuse  to  take  anti depression  meds . Good  luck  to  you  all.

[Modman0]

I'm having the same issues myself. Im a 53 year old male and have had skipped beats in the past but nothing like this. I also went to the ER yesterday unfortunately it was when I was doing better so nothing came up as being irregular. Im having at least 5-10 skipped beats a minute with a pain behind my shoulder blade and a pain in my left shoulder when I breathe in heavy. Fortunately my EKG is exactly the same as one I had in 2009 so these episodes do not seem to be damaging the heart muscle. I just wish we could find a solution as this can be very debilitating as you cannot function normally. Im trying to figure out if its related to certain foods or something that triggers it but so far Im at a loss. If I find anything out or things change I will try to update everyone.