Not heart palpitations then what?

Question

Hello all,

I have been recently suffering from what I thought were heart palpitations, a feeling of skipped beats or forceful thumps in my chest. Being the hypochondriac in training I am they scare the sh*t out of me. This whole thing started awhile ago and since then I've had probably every test in the book for diagnosing heart disease or arrhythmia's. I've had an ECG, echocardiogram, stress test, chest x-ray, one week holter monitor and now because I didn't experience these palpitations while using the holter I am using a heart event monitor. I'm 18 years old, in good shape and not overweight or anything so hopefully that and the all normal test results proves what I am experiencing is nothing serious.

I have luckily managed to record these "palpitations" on the heart event monitor many times. However when calling my doctor to see what the event recordings showed I was surprised to find that every recording I ever made was completely normal, no skipped beats or anything. This seems so impossible since I get these forceful thumps in my chest that feel exactly like a heart palpitation but according to the ECG's there not and nothing abnormal is occurring with my heart when they occur. 

So my question is what could possibly be causing the sensation of palpitations when there are no actual heart palpitations occurring according to the event monitor? Could it be my stomach or esophagus or something?  Thank you for your help I really appreciate it and thank you for reading all this.

Some additional information about me:
I have acid reflux and have had it for about two years. Also these "heart palpitations" usually occur only while laying down or sitting leaning back. Nothing else seems to effect when or how frequently they occur that I know of. However they sometimes still occur while standing but infrequently.

Heathergrey6 · Answer

I don't have an answer, but I have the same problem. I am a telemetry tech and I look at Al kinds of abnormal rhythms all day long. Fir years before I started this though, I've been having multiple episodes of very uncomfortable palpitations a day. I've also always been extremely embarrassed to tell anyone about my symptoms because I am sensitive, and was afraid people would tell me I was a hypochondriac or was making it up for attention. I finally told my boyfriend about it, and he said it was probably just 'anxiety' or esophageal spasms, but encouraged me to have it checked out. I did, and everything came back completely normal. I was relieved to know that I am healthy, but I was mortified when my 48 hour Holter monitor report came back, and the cardiologist had written all my diary entries in quotes on it and said that they had absolutely no correlation to the findings, which were perfectly fine. And my doctor had to point out that my ecg looked 'better than hers', which made me guilty for wasting their time. I know these are probably things that are routinely done, but it is so embarrassing for me when I was hesitant to go in in the first place. I was really optomistic that I would get some answers from the Holter monitor, as I experienced many symptoms while it was on. I am almost always aware of my own heartbeat because it always feels like it is pounding, and when I have a palpitations, I can feel a distinct change, to something that feels the same, but irregular and unnatural, which is why I can't understand how it could be my esophagus, or how it didn't show up on the monitor. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm not physically in danger, but now I feel crazy. Please tell me if you find out anything more, I can deal with it and will never talk about it again after my experience, but it would mean a lot to have an explanation.

C33peeO · Answer

I just left the ER for these reasons. Nothing serious, no pain, no high blood pressure and no recordings or blood work showing anything.  6 days straight now these fast little thumps have occurred all day long.  If anyone has figured anything out; what's the next step?

lilianne1 · Answer

Wow,, I can t even believe I'm reading this, I was running out of words to search in google for this heart situation that does not show up on a any test. 

I recently posted this on Medhelp

Im a 33 year old mom of 3 boys with a healthy lifestyle, no caffeine, no supplements, high protein diet, 5.5 inc tall, 125 lbs. I thought I was having PVCs or PACs but a recent 24 hr hotter confirmed nothing but 3 PACs at times i didn't even feel them. I wrote down the time when I had the flutter. Needless to say, I'm so confused and worried. BTW what i feel its exactly what everyone describes as PAC and PAC, I place my hand on my chest and when i get the flutter feeling and that weird gas like feeling in my throat I feel my heart pauses and the next beat is stronger. Is there any chance doctor or who ever read the holder results missed the arrhythmias, or whatever else can it be. I have had these ectopic like feelings for 13 years, it used to happen only 2 or 3 per week sometimes i would go months without feeling one. Now since January i have been feeling them while working out, especially when i finish a set of reps (weight lifting, squads 70-90 pounds) it happens during recovery, then when my heart slows down and it goes away. For the last few weeks I only get them while I'm working out. So worried. I really enjoy working out but  it has become a nightmare. BTW I have had echo, stress test, holter and ekgs  done and the only finding is mild Mitral Valve Prolapse and those 3 PACs i mentioned on the holder I wore 3 weeks ago. I do notice when I do exercises laying down I don't feel them as much. I do feel them sometimes when i bend down. Please help. Should i continue to exercise when i experience these weird extra beats or delayed beats, i don't even know what to call them?  Is there is possibility that when the heart rate is too high the hotter does not pick up on PAC's or PVC's?

How are you guys doing lately?

robinhut · Answer

I am also interested in this.  I have been dealing with this for over 3 years now and really do not have any answers still.  I have been experiencing nearly no stop palpitations for a week now . EKG was fine, blood work fine, had a 24 hr holter and waiting for the results.  But, if it anything like the past, it will show nothing but benign palpitations.  I agree with a previous comment that says this is not normal and certainly does not feel normal.  At times it feels like something is trying to escape from your chest.  Really, all I want for Christmas is an answer to this condition.

Quantumeye · Answer

Did you ever find out what yhis was? I have the same issue.

InsideThenOut · Answer

I'm sorry, but you must not have had a heart palpitation before with this response. We are not experiencing something "normal". I know what "normal" feels like and I assure you, this is not under that category. The fact you think people who actually have heart palpitations can "not pay attention to our hearts" means you have no idea what these particular heart palpitations, indeed, are.

Sorry, but I don't feel like your response was empathetic, helpful, or legitimate, and I wanted to chime in.

is_something_wrong · Answer

"Palpitations" is really a stupid word because it can imply almost everything. You can easily have palpitations without any abnormal rhythm. It's just the sensation of the heart beating.

A normal rhythm can also be irregular. Just after you start exhaling, the heart may behave as if it skips a beat (with the next beat harder) when it in fact just gets able to expand better as the lungs deflate. Your autonomic nerve system can sense this, and because a healthy heart adjust to pump as few times as possible, the heart does just that. It happens in me, and most other young healthy people.

When you bend over to pick something up, you will provoke a so-called vagal reaction. Your heart beats heavily and slow. Or the opposite may happen, if that nerve is triggered. That is somewhat more uncommon, but both are completely normal reactions and no sign of disease.

Mental stress will strengthen both reactions and is in many cases to blame.

Try not to pay attention to your heart. Easier said than done of course, but you did it before and you can do it again ;)

neptune692 · Answer

Yeah I didn't think so either but like you I have recorded strong "palpitations" and my doctor tells me my ECGs are clear... weird. However this afternoon I noticed something odd about 30 minutes after eating I dropped something on the floor and I went to pick it up by bending over and then felt one of those "palpitations" I thought ok maybe it's just a coincidence. So I bent over again and what do you know I get a second one then I tried it again and I got a third one while bending over. So it seems that for me it is sometimes strongly correlated with bending over which makes me think maybe it is related to my acid reflux or maybe it is my acid reflux which might explain the absence of any abnormalities on the ECG. 

I don't know just a thought but I have a doctors appointment scheduled soon so maybe they will have some more insight. While writing this I've gotten at least three "palpitations", kinda scary so I'm looking forward to that appointment. :(

Thank you and Good luck.

curmudgen · Answer

I was on an event monitor ( 2 leads) and over several days I recorded strong episodes of what I felt to be multiple PVC's (10+/minute) with bigeminy and trigeminy and when I phoned in the recordings to the hospital the cardiac tech was not concerned by what was recorded. Apparently we must feel something more than what is recordable. I don't think the monitors are insensitive to PAC/PVC activity.

neptune692 · Answer

Thank you for your response,

I always thought if an ecg was being taken while a palpitation occurred that the palpitation would always show up on the ecg would it not? Especially if it was noted that it was a hard thump not a minor palpitation. I'm not sure what type of ecg the event monitor is but it has two leads, a red and a white.

Yeah I have talked about acid reflux with my doctor and I am going to be getting on Dexilant to see if that eases my symptoms.

Thank you again.

curmudgen · Answer

Have you discussed acid reflux with your doctor? Many people have noted abdominal discomfort along with their palpitations. GERD and/or esophagitis can trigger or cause an irritation of vagus, which in turn can cause palpitations. In addition many have also noted, myself included, they have had holter/ event monitors that recorded little to no palpitations when the person experienced them. As long as your palpitations are benign they are just going to be part of your life.