Athletic with Recurring Palpitations

[edhunter]

I am a healthy 30 yr old athlete. I've trained 5-6 days per week for the past 5 years. I have recently increased my intensity and started a very demanding cardio and circuit training routine on top of my weight training routine. I have always been very careful not to over stress my body. I have gradually approached this new training regimen. I am in the gym no more than 1 hour to an 1.15 per day. I eat healthy/clean, sleep well, do not drink or smoke. I do include some supplements in my diet, but nothing in excess. These include fish oil, multivitamin, whey and caesin proteins and glutamine. For the past two weeks I have started to notice palpitations. They feel like skipped beats, pauses. extra hard beats--similar to those described by people experiencing PVCs and PACs. The only change I can pinpoint that I have made since they have started has been the increased intensity in the gym and added cardio. I do not have any other symptoms other than feeling these palpitations--no dizziness, chest pain, or tiredness. The palpitations usually occur at night when I am at rest, after meals, and when I'm lying down on my side. They do not seem to occur during exercise. I have gone to my gcp and was given an ekg (normal). He explained that in most cases these palpitations are benign, but put me on the 24-hr holter monitor (still awaiting results) and took blood (still awaiting results). He said I can continue to exercise as usual for the time-being. But wants to look over the holter results and if the palpitations aggravate me, he suggested possibly taking a beta blocker for a few weeks to clear them up. The fact is though, I'm worried about my heart and can't believe it's anything less than serious. This feeling is very frightening to me. I'm reluctant to push myself now in the gym and it has quite dramatically impacted my  daily routine--and its only been a few weeks. Yesterday, the whole day I was fine than whamo, they hit from 7pm to 11pm. Every few minutes I'd feel one and sometimes I'd experience a few every minute. I try to do everything to stay healthy yet I have these new symptoms. It's very frustrating. Maybe its tension and anxiety they is just building up or something. I can't really say. Sorry I just needed to vent how I feel because nobody around me thinks its a big deal. Thanks for reading!

[edhunter]

Thanks a lot for your response. I greatly appreciate hearing from others in this particular situation who can relate to how I'm feeling. Although I'm still awaiting test results from my doc, the past few days I've gone through a roller coaster of emotions. But I've begun to cope on my own. I'm frustrated and tired to the point where I've just said to myself f*** it. I am starting to realize that stressing is not going to make anything better, and in fact, could be a main reason why these palpitations are occurring in the first place. I have taken the rest of this week off from training. Maybe my body just needs a little break. It could be trying to let me know that I need to slow down a little bit from time to time. This forum has also helped me tremendously, as has getting a response to my  semi-psychotic rant above. It's actually made my night so thanks again! God bless.

[jp0567]

Your comments seem to be a in-line with many others, myself included. I am 41, "hyper-heathly" as my doctor put it and yet my heart (PAC's and MVP) has appeared to counter all my hard work and good nutrition habits over the last 11 years.  I am convinced that I had these things for the last year or so and I though it was gas bubbles in my chest, then when I wound up in the ER (10 days ago) with successive "skipped/extra" beats, I went into a full panic and I have become so aware of these that it has taken away from my few enjoyments in life (playing with my children, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and weight training).  My triggers appear to be stress/anxiety and laying down flat on my back.

If I relax and don't anticipate them, I do better. I don't mind a few flutters throughout the day what gets me wrapped around the axle is when I get successive PAC's in a row and I think they won't go away.

Ultimately, these things are harmless and its a new challange to convince ourselves just that. I plan on easing back into life as I knew it in a couple of weeks and live without fear until I am a ripe old age.

JP