What kind of palpitation is my heart doing?

[ithinkitsbroken]

When I stand up, my heart rate jumps up to the 150s. It's been doing that for years no matter what change I make to my level of activity. However, lately, I've been having the strangest palpitations. Usually, my heart would just skip a beat here and there and then continue about it's normal rhythm. One night, on my way back to bed after making a middle-of-the-night trip to the bathroom, I started having palpitations like I often do, but they didn't stop. My heart sped up because I was up moving around, but after it skipped the first beat, it was having a hard time picking back up the 150ish rhythm. It would beat fast a few times, then seem like it would skip anywhere from one to a few beats(up to a couple of seconds with no actual heartbeat), then beat fast a couple more times, then more skipped beats, then back to the quick rate. I laid back down and continued to monitor my pulse for a minute or so. Finally, I just said 'whatever, if I die, I die', and went back to sleep. It wasn't happening when I woke up, but it has happened a few times since then. Not continuously, but the prolonged 'skipped beats'. My resting heart rate in 2014 was around 50bpm. I was deferred from plasma donation once because my heart rate was in the low 40s. (my current normal RHR is 90s -100s). So I know what a slow pulse feels like. This was like it just stopped. Just gave up, and then was like, "Oh yeah. I'm a heart. I should probably beat." Each time I've noticed it, I've been completely calm, no anxiety.. (my body has been betraying me for years) I don't think it's a medication reaction because it's so random. I could be reading, or taking a shower, or getting up in the middle of the night to go pee. It's so very random. I just want to know what it's called so I can look into it more. I've told my doctor, and we're working on figuring it out, but I'd like to do my own research in the meantime. But of course, there aren't many ways to narrow down the results on Google, and there are a LOT of different types of heart issues. Halp!

[ayl291]

I think a simply holter and echocardiogram are a good start.  If that is revealing, I would push for a cardiac MRI and stress echocardiogram.   If that comes up short I would potentially push for an electrophysiology exam.  Good luck!!

[ithinkitsbroken]

Sorry for such a late response. I saw my doctor and she asked if I'd had any tests done in the past, and I told her about the holter monitor. I was pretty sure we'd had that conversation already a couple of times. She switched my bp meds and said she wanted to see me in a couple of weeks to follow up on the palpitations. That's usually how my appointments end. A new prescription and "come back in two weeks"

[ayl291]

What the ****.  That's ********.  You need to self advocate.

Futher more on top of the tests I recommended I also suggest a Tilt table study and skin biopsy looking for sfn.

I think you should see another doc.


Are you in the USA?

[ithinkitsbroken]

Yes, US.
I've been thinking that a second opinion was needed since I was put on multiple asthma meds without any test for asthma being ordered first. I ended up taking myself off the medications after a couple of years with no improvement. While I was on the medications, I still complained about shortness of breath, so a breathing test was performed, and results were normal, and then a rescue inhaler was used and the test was repeated, results were slightly worse, but still in normal range.
But that's a different branch on my complaint tree.
I'm going to write down the tests you mentioned and bring them in to my next appointment, and I'm going to say, "Pick a test, any test, but we're doing at least one within a fortnight."

[ayl291]

Lmfao.  Yes, do that!! Keep me posted.  

[ayl291]

I have good teams I can recommend in NYC or Boston if you wanna travel!

[ithinkitsbroken]

Will do.
As far as traveling, that's a bit far for me! I'm on the other coast!

[ayl291]

Got it.  Good luck!!!

[ithinkitsbroken]

So I saw my doctor today. I suggested a few of the tests, on top of wanting an asthma test. She responded with "you can have asthma and not have it show up on a test." Then she said doesn't believe I have a heart issue, and that it's likely anxiety, brought up the possibility of re-starting Xanax, which I refused, and tried prescribing Seroquel, which I refused because my mom gained 80+ lbs while taking that. She told me that she thinks it could really help me, and that if I keep refusing it, she'll have to call 911. And so that happened, and the crisis team showed up, and told me I was free to go.
That was not at all how I expected today's appointment to go, but hey, at least I didn't leave with another prescription and a follow-up in 2 weeks. *sigh*

[ayl291]

Dude what the ****.  PM me directly, I don't want everyone reading what I am about to write lol

[ayl291]

Have you had a holter monitor?

[ithinkitsbroken]

I have, 8 years ago.  I'm sure that's going to be done again here soon. But when that was done, it just came back normal with tachycardia here and there.