strange palpitations

[car]

Can you please tell me something.  I have palpiations every day.  They feel like a big thump and then my heart seems to stop and and then start again and sometimes it feels like a couple of fast beats and then stop and go again and I kind of feel a rush down to my hands and heat like the blood stops flowing for a second.

This seems to happen approximately 10 times per day.  I really hate the feeling but I have seen an EP doctor and he has said everyone gets palpitations and not to worry about it.  They have caught a 5 beat run of PVC's on a monitor but say it is not conidered v-tach and not to worry because I have no signs of heart disease.

I am a 40 year old female with no other health problems other than this heart skipping thing I have.  I am taking a small dose of Celexa (10mg) every day because of my high anxiety level about my heart skipping.

If everyone gets these things why is it that my husband, my sister and many friends I have talked to do not feel anything strange happening to their hearts?  The doctor says I am no doubt just "really tuned" into these things but I question it who wouldn't be tuned into these things when you heart is stopping all of the time?  

My next question to you is usually once per week I will be sitting quietly doing nothing and my heart will start going irregular or does a couple or three of hard pounds and then stops and I feel like I am going to pass out for a split second.  I always take a deep breath and it seems to go back normal beating.  Once again the EP doctor says don't worry (as this is quite infrequent he says), but I really do when this is happening.  

Do you think it is just a run of PVC's that is making me feel like that?  Is that not a bad thing?  Do other people actually get runs of these horrible things?  Am I making a big deal out of nothing?   I hate it but would really like to know if other people get the same thing as I really let these things control me.

I thank you for any input you can give me about this as I really value your comments.

Thanks!

[Dina]

I can't tell you what a relief it is to find others who have experiences similar irregular palpitations.  I have had them for probably 10 years.  I am 39.  It does not happen often but when it does it scares me.  There have only been a few times that I felt I was going to pass out.  Once I was in the shower and the episode lasted so long my vision went blurry.  Normally what happens is there is a sudden strong building up of pressure.  The longer the pressure builds the more painful.  During the pressure phase I get lightheaded, dizzy and sometimes see stars.  Next the pressure releases with a big surge that is sometimes painful and my heart races to 190-210.  It takes about an hour for my heart rate to get back to normal.  Afterwards I feel slightly weak especially in my arms.  I have been told that it is probably due to stress.  I also drink a LOT of coffee which I am sure does not help.  I am an otherwise very healthy person with an active lifestyle.

[nancyjo]

To the original first question of the run, posted for doctor, do you too get the electrical sensation tingly feeling go down your arms and chest during these flutters???????i have been through all testing to do with heart even an ep study procedure. almost 2 hours in columbus hospital. not fun!!!!!! they say heart is ok, something else causing these, doesn't make them less scary!! i have asked every doctor i have been to about these sensations with these, and they can't tell me waht or why i feel this. if you have ever got an answer, or anyone, plese let me know. e-mail me. one doctor finally convinced me that they might be stress induced and asked me to please try buspar to see what happened. i did about 4 weeks ago and after 2 weeks, they have almost stopped!! i even take 1/2 dose. but when i do have an episode, still feel this electrical shock sensation.
about the stomach gas and problems, yes, i too feel like when stomach is bad, heart acts up. i have bentaking aciphex for 3 months now and it relaly cuts down on the gas. very expensive medicine.any comments about the weird sensation, please let me know. nancy ***@****

[nismo]

I have spoken with many doctors about my palpitations that only   occur during pregnancy. A few of them think that they could be caused by hormonal changes. I have been looking into that possability and I have found that, some women even get them right before menstruation. Another common cause in women is the thyroid. Mine was tested and came back normal. I was also told by one doctor that 65% of people have something like this, and most of them don't know it. I am interested in learning how eating small portions more frequently helps. Best of luck, Nismo

[Buzz]

BTW I am a 44 year old woman,  I have noticed the increase of heart beats just before my period.  The whole body is effected including my eyes, which I have tons of problems with.  I hate that one week a month.  I just started birth control pills 2 weeks ago, hoping it will control the hormones better.  (report to follow in several months).  You all need to take the time and search this web site. You will find many answers and new questions.  http://www.medhelp.org/perl6/cardio/faq.html

BTW,  eating smaller meals put less pressure on the heart.  Your body has to work harder to empty a super full stomach.  Sleeping is still the best meds for me.  Many wonderful things heal them selves when one sleeps.  And another thought, GERD, Asthma, and heart problems really seem to go hand in hand.  Many many people will have asthma and go there whole life and never know.  Many never know they have to much tummy gas either.  If you take tums/rolaids one or two times a week, then get real meds like tagamet.  

Take Care,
Buzz

[stop stupid replies]

Can you post the web page address for the costochodritis forum?  I get short, quick jabs of chest pain on the upper left side and am wondering if it's costo.  Thanks.

[MLS]

These "electrical shock" feeling in your arms, hands, chest are most likely due to stress.  I have experienced this many times years ago approximately 23 years ago when I was in my early 20's.  I went through terrible panic/anxiety attacks.  I believe you are very "tuned" into all of your physical feelings.  I remember when I first started having panic attacks I would get this electrical shock feeling and I asked the doctor about it because I thought it was the "cause" only later to find out it was the "reaction" to too much self-introspection, anxiety, worry, creating more stress, more symptoms.  It is a viscious cycle and one that will not stop unless you decide today to try to think "positive" or as positive as you can about the negative things your heart is doing.  I know it is not easy.  I still suffer from skipped beats on occassion.  They always throw me until I learn to "accept them" as they are.    But...the one thing I have learned is...the more you worry about them the worse they get.  Exercise does help abolish them because I have gone out cross-country skiing while I was having them.  People who are tense and worry alot tend to "shallow breath" and use only the top part of their chest when they breathe.  Their whole chest area tenses up.  When you notice you have them, try to breath slowly and deeply.  At first you may notice that when you breath in that your heart beats a little faster.  This happens a lot and is a perfect sign of a normal healthy heart.  Only when one is tense and noticing every little thing we tend to say "oh no, what if...." and come up with a hundred horrible things that could happen.  Anxiety is a natural part of life, it will not go away by some magic pill.  When we worry for a long period of time about something, be it physical symptoms or something going on in ones life it tends to create symptoms from stress. It will only get worse if we continue to "worry" about it...learning to think positive and accept as best we can tends to help break the cycle.  I  wouldn't wish any of this on my worst enemy.  Learning to think positive doesn't happen overnight.  It takes repeated "doing" to at least help one on the way to recovery.... Best of luck.