What is it, palps, atrial fib????

[kellebelle]

I am a 43 year old female who is in good health.Since October I have been dealing with palps, they drive me crazy. I have had a holter, echocardiogram and tests came back normal other than pac's, sinus tach.The past couple of weeks have been horrible I will begin my episodes around 4:30 pm and they will last until bedtime. When they hit they will come every 2-3 minutes feels like my heart is jumping out of my chest very distrubing.

I saw my doctor on Monday and he drew blood again and ordered an event monitor. I wore it Friday events started at 5pm and I filled the monitor up by 9pm. I will be able to call it in Monday at 9am. I currently take a beta blocker, and also meds for panic attacks.My dad has atrial fib and that always concerns me that I am heading in that direction.I also have very low blood pressure 80/55.I also have Hashimoto's thyroiditis but the endo doc does not feel my numbers are abnormal, so I am not on thyroid medication.
Questions???  
Do you think it is atrial fib??? My heart rate does speed up a bit when these hit, but not much. Just seems to jump every few
minutes or so.

Would my low blood pressure cause the palps, I take 25 to 50 mg of atenlol per day. Only take 50 if they really get bad.

Is it anxiety or my heart?? With my dad's history I just wonder.
This is something new that I have never experienced in my years with panic disorder.

What tests do I need but haven't had????

I appreciate your time! Would love to hear from others who are bothered by these darn things.

Kelly

[pitterpat]

This year I have started fibrilating. At first they told me it was anxiety. But when I went on Atkins last month with all it's associated Splenda sweeteners, I started fib every night after dessert. I read online that Splenda seems to cause tachycardia in many people. Finally it wouldn't self correct so I went to the hospital and was kept overnight as I went in and out of afib with heartrate over 200. They put me on aspirin and Atenenol and Dr. Weil's site suggested Coenzyme Q10, L Carnatine and Hawthorn to improve the hearts pumping ability. But I still fib a little after a busy or stressful day, usually after dinner. I understand it is fairly common to get afib, but its not as benign as they used to think due to the blood pooling in the heart as it quivers instead of pumping which is sited in 15% of stroke victims as the cause of stroke. Ergo the thinners. I'm scared. My husband is too.

[wingtip]

I had palps from age 24 on, and it developed into cronic afib by 35.  I have to say its gets a lot easier once they are cronic because you can stop worrying.  I went on a thinner, and started to test my limits and found that the palps can be ignored once you realize they won't kill you.

The only time I have focused on them in the past five years is when my cardiologist told me I had a blockage in the left main,  but once the doctor proved that wrong with a angiogram, they went "away" again.

[Lamar1]

That's wonderful news! Since they are basically benign and we're going to have regular checkups anyway, who cares to be aware of them?? Symptoms and quality of life are the main issues...

[Lamar1]

Maybe what that cardiologist meant was that PVCs might become less symptomatic with age? Don't know, but I hope he was right! He was an expert who replied to a question asked on a forum similar to this.

[Rocko1]

I had noticed them perdiodically in times past. One here or there over week long periods although at the time I didnt know what they were!!! What concerned me was the sudden onset of mine right out of the blue at age 49. Unfortunately all I have read is that they tend to increase with age. However this probably wouldnt be universal especially if an underlying cause is there... besides being alive!!*S*.. ps... I have always been extremely active and athletic and I wonder if there might be an association(just a dumb guess) between a little extra wear and tear on the heart and their occurence.

[Lamar1]

I loved your post, Rocky! It shows sometimes PVCs can get better even without meds like b-blockers. BTW, 1 cardiologist told me PVCs usually improve with age, another said they usually don't.......Somehow I hope I'll get better without having to go on meds starting at such a young age - 33.