What are skipped beats like for everyone else?

[Ruu 39]

Hey all!

I'm worrying about my heart again. I say again. It's been a pretty constant anxiety attack for the past month, it just starts to get better and then it'll all come back. I'm just wondering what skipped beats feel like to everyone else. Basically trying to make sure that's actually what's going on. Trying to reassure myself from thinking something horrible is happening. I seem to be getting about one skipped beat a day at the minute.

For me, I'll be fine, then all of a sudden I'll feel a flutter, what I think is a skipped beat, I'll get an instant wave of butterflies and my hands will tingle for a few seconds, then everything will be kind of back to normal, except for I'll suddenly be panicing and my heart rate will have gone up. Does anyone else react like that? is it different for anyone?

Thanks!

[bin_tenn 1252]

Palpitations often cause an adrenaline rush. For me, the more forceful palpitations sometimes send what feels like a heat wave through my body very quickly. I used to panic, but I don't anymore. Do not react to them. Acknowledge that they happen, then go on about your day. The more you think about it and the more you react, the worse the panic will be. The panic is often caused by not only your anxious tendencies, but also the adrenaline rush.

Are these new to you in any way? If so, it's best to see a doc (preferably a cardiologist) in order to evaluate them thoroughly. Play it safe. However, if these are not new/different, and especially if you've been cleared by a medical professional, it's best to just ignore them.

[Ruu 39]

Thanks! That sounds almost exactly like what happens, I'll get the flutter and then I'll suddenly feel really hot for a few seconds, and then panic. It's very difficult not to panic about them.

it was new to me and I went to the doc a few weeks ago, when I had an episode of constant skipped beats all evening. But he didn't seem bothered. Just "skipped beats are normal". He gave me an ecg which was fine, but of course no skipped beats or anything ever happened when you actually want it to.

 

I'll work on not panicking. Hopefully I'll have some luck eventually.

[Walking Circles 53]

For me the smaller ones feel like a fluttering in my chest. The larger ones can feel like a jump inside my chest. They often induce a little minor wave of panic that causes some tingling, shortness of breath, etc. 

Palpitations are incredibly common, almost everyone I know experiences them occasionally.

[bin_tenn 1252]

7 hours ago, Ruu said:

Thanks! That sounds almost exactly like what happens, I'll get the flutter and then I'll suddenly feel really hot for a few seconds, and then panic. It's very difficult not to panic about them.

it was new to me and I went to the doc a few weeks ago, when I had an episode of constant skipped beats all evening. But he didn't seem bothered. Just "skipped beats are normal". He gave me an ecg which was fine, but of course no skipped beats or anything ever happened when you actually want it to.

 

I'll work on not panicking. Hopefully I'll have some luck eventually.

ECG was normal, or did it show benign palpitations so your doc said there was nothing more to do? An ECG will only detect things when they happen, of course, and it's a very short test - a minute or so. I definitely agree with your doc that these sensations are normal and harmless, but if they continue, perhaps ask about a Holter monitor. My doc had me wear one for a week a couple years ago. It did detect the things, but they were "benign PVCs", so nothing to be done.

I'm not saying it's urgent to do so, nor am I saying you're in any danger or that your doc is wrong. Please don't take it that way. It's just that sometimes another harmless test is needed to confirm that all is well.

The choice is yours, however. Don't obsess, and try not to worry, but also don't let yourself ignore your body if it's telling you something genuinely doesn't feel right.

3 hours ago, Walking Circles said:

For me the smaller ones feel like a fluttering in my chest. The larger ones can feel like a jump inside my chest. They often induce a little minor wave of panic that causes some tingling, shortness of breath, etc. 

Palpitations are incredibly common, almost everyone I know experiences them occasionally.

Yep. A lot of mine feel like the flutter, with the harder ones feeling, as someone here described it previously, as a "light punch in the chest." I have also experienced the tingling, shortness of breath sensations, etc with mine. Sometimes they even make me cough. And sometimes I feel the need to cough to alleviate them. No worries.

[Ruu 39]

On 20/10/2017 at 2:13 AM, bin_tenn said:

ECG was normal, or did it show benign palpitations so your doc said there was nothing more to do?

Thanks bin_tenn! As far as I'm aware it was just very fast (~110). No palps that I was told about. But as you say. Not very long and they never appear when you're being monitored.

On 20/10/2017 at 2:13 AM, bin_tenn said:

Don't obsess

So much easier said than done  haha. But thank you! I'll try

[bin_tenn 1252]

110 BPM is not "very high". It's not even "high". It may be mildly elevated, but it's not abnormal. The average resting heart rate for adults is 60-100. 110, even if consistent regardless of how much rest you may have done, is not terribly high - though in that case it does need attention. But given that you obviously suffer from anxiety, 110 when anxious is absolutely common. You'll be fine, IMO.

[Ruu 39]

Thank you!

[newday 49]

If you’re able get a monitor for a few days or a week and see what it says. You’d be surprised about what you feel is crazy unusual and scary and what a cardiologist feels is normal and no big deal!

I have two types of palpitations. Little blurbs that are a beat or two. And the ones that start suddenly and my heart races (200+) for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. The little blurbs just feel like that. Blurb. Flutter. Over. I’ve gotten used to these. I can go months without them. Then maybe a few for a few days. I think alcohol might make them happen, especially if I’ve had two drinks (that’s a lot for me!!)  or stress or anxiety. 

Then the racing heart.  Yikes. It can happen if I bend over and don’t “hold” myself, like hold my stomach muscles and clench. The first time it happened I was driving so I just drove myself to the ER. They hooked me up right away, kept me the night, and discharged me with a “well that’s weird but everything looks ok”. I still see a cardiologist yearly. She isn’t too concerned. I take Toprol XL and feel ok.  When it happens I lie back if I can and put my feet up. I also find coughing helps and drinking some water. 

Good luck!

[bin_tenn 1252]

If it helps, I've had one episode of atrial fibrillation before. I spent only about 12 hours in the hospital. I woke up with awful reflux, so bad that I was choking on the acid that was pooled in my chest/throat. The cardiologist said the reflux and the violent coughing fit caused my heart to lose its otherwise normal rhythm. A subsequent stress test and echo revealed all is well.

I can say, though, that AFib felt unlike anything I've ever felt before. It wasn't painful, but uncomfortable. I was a bit lightheaded and short of breath, though a lot of that was probably due to the panic attack I had before I knew I was actually in afib. It wasn't until about half an hour later that I called 911, and the paramedics did an EKG which showed the persistently abnormal rhythm.

It felt like having nonstop palpitations. Not a run of four or five, but almost like I was in constant palpitation state. That skipped beat feeling, but it didn't stop. It didn't go away. It got a bit worse before the ambulance arrived. When I called them, there was no doubt in my mind that something was wrong, as, again, it was unlike anything I'd felt before.

I hope that helps. The body does a great job of telling us when something is seriously wrong, even when you have anxiety. The difference with anxiety is that the mind makes you think something is wrong, but in a real situation, the body *knows* something is wrong and relays it to the brain differently than anxiety.