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Avatar universal

Very rarely, my heart will give a single strong beat for no discernable reason.

Sometimes I'll be going to sleep, or watching something, and my heart will give a single really hard thump that will make me feel like coughing. This has only started happening in the past year (I am 19). I'm moderately fit, I lift weights and run regularly. Other accounts of heart palpitations report that it happens several times over a certain period, E.G. happening every 3rd beat over the course of a half hour, but for me it is not like this at all.

To simplify, maybe once in a couple of months i'll have a very random very hard heartbeat that will make me cough, and I have no idea why.
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Avatar universal
I also get those single "skipped heartbeats" that can be anywhere from a day apart to many months in between. I have had them for about 28 years and never got a satisfactory diagnosis. The first time it happened, I had moved to a new city to go to college. I figured, it was anxiety due to the move. Over the years, I saw dozens of physicians including several cardiologists. I had all relevant tests done and all results were normal. The only answer I got was anxiety. Years later, on an office visit with a Dr. for a checkup, I got a blood test for magnesium. It showed a low Magnesium level and started taking Mg supplements. I didn't have a single episode for the next 5 years. Recently I started experiencing them again every couple of months. I went to a Dr. again in search for answers. This time to an endocrinologist. A thyroid test showed that my thyroid level was a little low. Also was positive for H. Pylori in the stomach which both conditions have been linked to palpitations. Started taking levothyroxine for low thyroid level and a 2 week antibiotic treatment for the H. Pylori infection. Have felt much better since then and rare palpitations I have experienced have decreased in intensity by about 80% which makes them barely perceivable. There are so many possible causes, that it is a matter of discarding them by you and your Dr. by doing all the relevant tests. Good luck to you.
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1807132 tn?1318743597
They are fairly common in people who work out regularly.  I would say watch that you don't over strain but otherwise try to not worry.  If you start to get more then it may be a good idea to get your heart evaluated but in generally they show up for really no good reason at all.  Stomach, caffeine, and anxiety are the biggest triggers but I do think overly heavy work out routines can irritate the heart and cause the pvcs to flare off more.  I agree with the suggestions from the previous poster.
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17020225 tn?1455749597
This also started happening to me in the last year.  A few months ago it went from every once in awhile to a couple times a week.  Then to a few times a day.  My doctor suspected it was PVC's. Which she told me they don't do anything about.  I got an ekg and a Holter monitor and they showed nothing abnormal.  So my doctor told me to cut out eating chocolate and cut down on caffeine.  So I cut down on both and haven't had any PVC's since.  Which was about a week ago.  I also found out I have a vitamin d deficiency which I have read could cause palpitations.  Try cutting down on caffeine.  Go to the doctor and try to get your vitamins and thyroid checked.
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1807132 tn?1318743597
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