Humming bird bubble in chest with skipped heart beat

[19Rob76]

Hi, my first symptoms started about 2 months ago. The previous day I worked in the direct Arizona sun all day. I then went to my son's football game that lasted until 10 pm. I slammed a pepsi down and then went to bed. I woke up late the next morning and was in a rush. I walked downstairs and felt this weird vibrating hummingbird like bubble feeling in my chest. For some reason it prompted me to check my pulse. It was skipping beats. I was terrified. I had a mild panic attack and everything eventually went away. I kept checking my pulse and it happened a couple of more times. I was basically scared to eat, drink, or do anything that whole day. I at that point stopped drinking soda cold turkey. I eventually got my wits back and life as usual. 5 nights later it happened again this time I had a full blown panic attack that prompted the ER visit. Dr said everyone’s heart skips beats some are just more aware of it. He said it probably appeared to skip a beat but it was actually panic that caused it. That was June 6th 2014. I have had small bouts here and there but nothing different than before. I finally saw cardiologist on July 11th. He said my EKG from ER visit is the same I had in 2008. He listened to my heart for about 30 seconds and said he wanted me to do a ECG, stress test, and wear a 30 day monitor. The ECG and stress test was refused by my insurance. I had the monitor for 2 weeks before I put it on. I could not wear it long because of my job. I did had have one episode while wearing it so he could see what my heart was doing. So I stopped wearing it last Saturday . What do you know! I had several of these episodes Saturday night. I then got my monitor out again and wore it rest of Saturday and Sunday. What it feels like is a vibrating bubble or humming bird in my chest (No pain). That then prompts me to feel my pulse and its always out of beat or skipping beats. It then feels like I have to cough and when I do all symptoms go away.  I have had like a raspiness in my chest a few months now and has gotten progressively worse. Sometimes I cough to the point I throw up and or have sharp pain on my head. I have also been diagnosed with GERD a few years back. I was using Agave in my coffee and drinking a lot of Arizona tea with honey and Ginseng since my initial attack. I do have a lot of stress mostly due to unhappy home life, job, and especially money. My wife needs surgery, kids need dental work, and we need a car fixed and then just everyday living. I know stress leads to panic and anxiety. I am not an optimistic type person. I basically think the worst about everything. Every since 2008 I have been to the doctor several times for chest pain and they always conclude to anxiety / stress.  These episodes of skipped beats have only been between the hours of 10pm and 8am kind of weird. Does anyone know what these are and why do they basically happen at night or times of rest? I’ve heard it could be caused from GERD, Anxiety, Lungs as well. I am overweight with torso fat but I do have a lot of muscle as well as I am active and used to be an athlete. Please if anyone else has these things let me know what I can do or try. Happening at night makes it worse as I want to rest but can’t. They say one of the best cures for anxiety is rest. But with a racing mind and fear of these happening at night I can’t sleep.

[19Rob76]

I got results from my 24 hour monitor and Dr said it did show my heart was skipping beats. He said it was not serious but if I become symptomatic it could be a problem. He put me on metoprolol 25 mg 2 x a day. I have never taken a prescription, but this is my heart. I just took 2nd dose and 2-1/2 hours later feel a bit light headed maybe due to mild headache and lack of fluid intake. This drug has a ton of side effects which scares the crap out of me. One being anxiety which I already have. I'm wondering if there is a natural way to get heart back into shape like completely cut caffeine exercise more stress less or foods perhaps? If anyone has a recommendation I'll for sure look into it. I'm 38 with 4 kids and don't want to be on meds the rest of my life.  I'd like to mention before I started this drug the previous night that I had no episodes, but I did sit worrying about them coming up so I was awake from 1:30 am to about 3:15 am breathing from my nose and exhaling from my mouth and no episodes occurred.
I think the prescription was a bit pre-mature as I should have tried to do it naturally by cutting caffeine exercising more etc.... to see if that helped.

[MichelleP_3811]

No one can say for sure but it sounds like you have run of the mill pvcs or pacs.  They are really are just extra beats the heart throws off for any number of reasons.  They are clinically of no significance in an otherwise healthy heart.  A lot of people get them from stomach issues like gerd as well stress will bring them on.  I can't say for certain what the buzzing feeling is exactly but it may be an over stimulated vagus nerve which then triggers the ectopic beats to go off.  I know I have felt it myself but nothing ever comes of it.  Hopefully now that you have it captured on a monitor you will know exactly what it is going on but I will say in the absence of any really concerning symptoms, like severe chest pain or passing out, more than likely your issue is benign and nothing to worry about so do your best to not stress.  Work on your stress in general.  As much as we want life to go smoothly stressing about it being so won't make it so.  It will only serve to make us feel bad.  I would say make it a point to try and slow down, breath deep and let go of needing control of life.  The more you can slow down and go with the flow the less stress will affect your heart and the happier you will feel about life.  A win win.  Best of luck getting a handle on all this.  Please do keep us posted on how you are doing.