Hi everyone
I've had many ectopics in the past and I've had normal holter tests, event tests (although I never really captured those on the monitor), normal BP, low cholesterol, normal stress test, etc.
However in the last two months I was getting ectpics that were lasting neearly all day....and particularly runs of them....here's a typical episode:
I'd be at work, getting tired (i work on my feet all day), would go to break, have a sandwich, would want to eat more but there wouldn't be anything really suitable, would think that will be ok til I get home. Would go home, get dinner ready......then as soon as I sit down to eat, major ectopics going on. I remember getting these as a young person but back then I used to think my heart was just dancing with delight at the food! After eating and resting, they would still be going on but would gradually calm down. I've always put it down to tiredness....
I mentioned it again to my doctor though because I've had numerous heart anxieties since I saw my father die in front of me from a heart attack. The doctor has always tried to reassure me but this time he listened to my chest, felt my pulse and then said 'I think you are describing something different and I think we need to have another 24 hour monitor.'
I got upset at which point he said 'I didn't hear anything untoward then, I just think you are describing something different, you've never mentioned runs of them before.' and 'Considering that you've had lots of tests before I expect these will just turn out to be ectopics, but I'd like to be sure we are not dealing with some other kind of arrythmia.'
So I'm worried. I've made sure I've eaten well since that appointment and it seems to result in a somewhat camer heart....
I'm wondering if I overdo things physically then i mess up my electrolytes or something? and if so how can I prevent this? I don't seem to have any warning apart from feeling a bit tired but everyone at work is tired, it's ot until i sit down and rest and replenish with food, etc, that they start up usually.
Has anyone got any opinions on what this sounds like? The ectopics feel like a jumpy heart, not fast or anything, just jumpy. Usually they are spaced apart.....every 4 beats or so, and as they calm down it goes to every 7 beats then 10, then seems to disappear but can take up to an hour. On one occasion i was so aware of them whilst watching tv that i felt my pulse and it all felt a bit random.....but it still felt like ectopics, it felt like the ectopics were making the heart rhythm seems random because there was a lot of them....I did think maybe it was atrial fibrillation, but I think it was just a lot of ectopics still.
Anyone any thoughts? I'm so scared about having another monitor. I'm scared of everything at the moment. It's ruling my life because I don't want to do anything that wil trigger them.
I may also be peri menopausal. I will go and get a blood test for that....if so is it possible that this is causing them?
thanks for listening