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Avatar universal

Incredibly weird and scary heart issues

Hi,

I hope someone can help me with this issue. I am getting these weird sensations in my chest. I will be sitting down relaxing, standing talking to someone or in a car with a friend when i get this weird sensation in my chest. It is like someone poked my chest and injected me with this weird sensation.

I get a thump in my chest, not hard but just average, im not sure if this sensation comes first or the thump comes first.

I have had ECG and also had a stress echo test and all was fine.

This scares me so much and i cannot get a holter monitor until 2 months from now... I cant sleep, i cant have fun, i cant do anything as it is controling my life. I have recently quit smoking and drinking, i am not on any medication.

Hope someone can help
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Avatar universal
It could be stress. Especially if you recently quit smoking. How long ago did you quit?

I am asking because I keep having panic attack symptoms. I also had an echo done and I was told that my stress level is effecting my heart. I smoked for 25 years and I noticed an immediate change in my inability to deal with stress. I went through a morning phase. My cigarettes were my best friend.  I smoked when I was sad, angry, or happy. My first reaction to everything was to reach for my cigarettes. I realized that for 25 years I stuffed my feelings and I never really dealt with anything - I just smoked.

I quit smoking a year and a half ago, and I am still trying to figure out how to deal with my stress...

As far as what you are going through, with this chest thing, I have also had heart palpitations, rapid heartbeat, all due to stress. It can control your life and I knows its absolutely terrifying. But you have to tell yourself that your heart is ok and alienating yourself will only cause more problems.
I hope this helps.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi :) and thanks for the reply.

I do have a lot of stress, i would say i am anxious all the time, however the issue is when im not thinking about anything stressful or when im just relaxed or enjoying myself this weird sensation which i would say feels like a drop feeling in my chest followed by a heart beat just comes on.

I quit about 2 weeks ago, not long but long enough hehehe, i used to be exactly like you, whenever somehting happened the cigarette was my cure.. It is reassuring, i hope it is just stress

Helpful - 0
1807132 tn?1318743597
It sounds like you are having ectopic beats, pac if in the atria or pvcs which come from the ventricles.  They are extra beats that arise sometimes for no good reason.  Quitting smoking may have changed the dynamic of the heart a bit thus bringing the palpitations on or it could be you have had them but just didn't feel them until you quit smoking.  Pvcs can fell like a poking for me and can be accompanied by pain that lasts for about 5 minutes depending on when in the beat cycle they hit.  For me I mostly feel the pause after one as the heart waits to reset its pace.  In a healthy heart they are completely harmless especially if they are isolated which it sounds like yours are.  Stress will cause them to act up as well as stomach issue can contribute.  Continue to stay on your path to get checked out proper but more than likely you will be told you have nothing to worry about try and find your triggers and ignore them as best as possible.  For some they come and go so it is possible they will disappear for you at some point but try to not worry too much.  The heart is very resilient and can handle a lot.  They are distracting but the worst think you can do is hyper focus on them because it will actually make everything worse.  Stay strong and keep us posted on how you are doing.
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Avatar universal
Can stress really cause this ? I mean, just a few minutes ago i was sitting on the couch leaning over reading something on the laptop, then in the middle of my chest the bottom where my rib cage meats i felt a thump but it was a tiny thump but strong it literally made me jump back. And these happy everyday, and if they do not happen one day, i can expect the next day for it to happy but twice as bad.
Helpful - 0
1807132 tn?1318743597
There are a number of things that can TRIGGER them.  They are a product of the heart, a safety net so to speak but the issues is once they flare off they can get triggered at any time for no real need.  Bending down or changing position, stress, stomach issues, electrolyte imbalances, holding your breath for whatever reason.  Just because you have them doesn't mean there is something wrong with your heart just that it is misfiring some extra beats. Your heart is excitable so to speak.  They can be disconcerting and sometimes hurt but they are harmless.  That is the main thing to remember, if your heart is healthy they are completely harmless especially the small number of them that you are having.  They only become concerning when they reach somewhere around 20,000 a day so the number you have the doctors won't even blink at.  They sometimes won't even tell you that they detected them because we tend to worry about them when they aren't a worry.  That said, go and get properly checked out just to make sure you heart is indeed healthy.  It likely will be but best to let a doctor make that call.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your replies :)


I have had a few ECG's and have had an Echo Stress Test and everything came back fine. So i am hoping it is benign.

I do appreciate your help, you have been really kind. Thank You!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been under a ton of stress for a few years, and the way it was explained to me was this:
When a person is under stress the body will cope. When the body is relaxed, the stress comes out - this is when the stress hits.

I realized, when a tractor-trailor nearly ran me off the road a few weeks ago, that the heart palpitations I felt at the time were identical to what I experience while sitting on my couch watching tv.

Basically, my body has held everything together, and now that my life is somewhat settling down, my body is getting it all out. This is quite common when people have been under stress for a period of time.

Stress can cause some insane symptoms in the body.
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Avatar universal
I get the same "sensation" you are talking about for the last 5 months when I get them.  I'm over the anxiety mostly of it all but now trying to deal with the source.  Was diagnosed with PVC's.  I believe the sensation is likely adrenaline.
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