CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Hi friends....does anyone know anything about heart palpitations? Has anyone experienced them for a prolonged period of time? I have been having them for over a month now, and not just for a few minutes at time. They last for hours...sometimes up the entire day. Sometimes they keep me up at night. I have been checked by my Dr. who tells me that nothing is wrong with my heart. I wore a Holter Monitor for an entire day (a device that monitors your heart rate much like an EKG) and it showed no evidence of palpitations, even though I was feeling them. He blamed it on the fact that I am going through menopause, and also "anxiety." This is NOT anxiety...I've had anxiety and panic attacks and I know the difference. Any help would be so greatly appreciated. Link to comment
sfullerton Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 While I do not have them, my fiance developed them shortly after getting out of the navy....so about 6 years or so. He also had them monitored at first...and they found nothing. I can feel them when I lay on him and he says that he can feel it everytime they happen....but...for him they are completely normal. All the doctors say not to worry about it and he has gotten used to it. Do they keep you up at night because you are worried about them? It could just be that it is completely normal. I would get a second opinion if you are worried and then, if it comes back normal as well, I would try to accept it as normal and not worry. Link to comment
lavenderdove Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Do you have allergies of any kind? It could be that you are either a bit congested in the chest and hence 'feel' your heart more. Allergic reactions can also make your heart rate increase a bit. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 While I do not have them, my fiance developed them shortly after getting out of the navy....so about 6 years or so. He also had them monitored at first...and they found nothing. I can feel them when I lay on him and he says that he can feel it everytime they happen....but...for him they are completely normal. All the doctors say not to worry about it and he has gotten used to it. Do they keep you up at night because you are worried about them? It could just be that it is completely normal. I would get a second opinion if you are worried and then, if it comes back normal as well, I would try to accept it as normal and not worry. Thank you. God I hate to think of living with these as "normal"...how long do his usually last? Yes...sometimes mine keep me up at night. I also suffer from insomnia and was told that this could bring on palpitations....... Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Do you have allergies of any kind? It could be that you are either a bit congested in the chest and hence 'feel' your heart more. Allergic reactions can also make your heart rate increase a bit. I have seasonal allergies but they have not bothered me this year.....I do have some shortness of breath at times as well. Link to comment
lauramed Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I've been dealing with something similar for a few years now. Had to wear the Holter Monitor also, been to the ER a few times and finally saw a cardiologist. I have an extra pathway in my heart and sometimes my heart chooses that pathway rather than going down to the bottom of the chambers. It's usually brought on by stress and being extremely tired. It's nothing that will kill me....very annoying though when it happens. May not be the same thing but I would suggest going to a cardiologist. Link to comment
lavenderdove Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I also feel that way when i get too much caffeine... too many cups of coffee or caffeinated sodas. Some medications can also cause that sensation. You also might want to ask the doctor for some mild tranquilizers. If it starts to happen and you take one and it stops the problem, then you would know for sure whether it is anxiety or not. If it's not anxiety, you might investigate further with a second opinion. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 I've been dealing with something similar for a few years now. Had to wear the Holter Monitor also, been to the ER a few times and finally saw a cardiologist. I have an extra pathway in my heart and sometimes my heart chooses that pathway rather than going down to the bottom of the chambers. It's usually brought on by stress and being extremely tired. It's nothing that will kill me....very annoying though when it happens. May not be the same thing but I would suggest going to a cardiologist. I have been stressed, and have had insomnia for about 6 months now. How long do your palpitations last? Do they last for days? Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 I also feel that way when i get too much caffeine... too many cups of coffee or caffeinated sodas. Some medications can also cause that sensation. You also might want to ask the doctor for some mild tranquilizers. If it starts to happen and you take one and it stops the problem, then you would know for sure whether it is anxiety or not. If it's not anxiety, you might investigate further with a second opinion. I am on antianxiety medication already as I do suffer from panic attacks, but these are MUCH different than a panic or anxiety attack....when I get the palpitations, I take my xanax, but it does NO good. When I have a panic attack and I take my xanax, it goes right away..... Link to comment
lauramed Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Sometimes they last for a few hours, but a few times they lasted for 24 hours. Those were the times that I went to the hospital. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Sometimes they last for a few hours, but a few times they lasted for 24 hours. Those were the times that I went to the hospital. Thank you.....and now how often do you get them? Link to comment
lauramed Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 When it first started I was going through a nasty divorce, so it was happening at least once a month. Now it's about every 2-3 months that I experience it and it only last for a few hours. I've also count down on my coffee intake quite a bit. Gone from 6 cups a day to one and I really believe that has helped a lot also. As I said it's usually when I'm extremely stressed out about something that it tends to bring it on. The doctor prescribed a mild dose of Zanax to take when it happens which does help to get it under control. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 When it first started I was going through a nasty divorce, so it was happening at least once a month. Now it's about every 2-3 months that I experience it and it only last for a few hours. I've also count down on my coffee intake quite a bit. Gone from 6 cups a day to one and I really believe that has helped a lot also. As I said it's usually when I'm extremely stressed out about something that it tends to bring it on. The doctor prescribed a mild dose of Zanax to take when it happens which does help to get it under control. OMG........I have been having mine almost DAILY for a month....... This is wearing me out. Link to comment
lauramed Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Have you been to a cardiologist? Have they done more test than just the Holter Monitor? I know that the monitor showed absolutely nothing wrong with me. The first time I went to the emergency room my heart rate was 132 and they had a cardiologist look at me. They did an EKG but he also ordered an ultra sound on my heart and I just got lucky that he knew exactly what was wrong. Link to comment
Nixee Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Several years back I went through a period of severe palpitations that were, quite frankly, really freaking me out. They wouldn't happen every day, but they would happen frequently and would make me very lightheaded and it would feel like my heart was trying to leap out of my chest. So naturally I went to my doctor and got referred to a cardiologist. I had a series of tests run, including ultrasound (got to see my own heart beating, that was pretty cool), EKG, and wore a Holter monitor. In the end I was told it was something called Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia, or PSVT, and that it was not serious. Basically the electrical impulses that told my heart to beat were sometimes going haywire and telling it to beat way too much. But the doctor told me it was not serious or life threatening, and he gave me many tips on how to calm and slow it, including breathing exercises, and icy water on my face even. Over the years I have gotten very good at it even, and I honestly hardly ever have attacks anymore. I'm not sure at all if this could be what is affecting you... it just sounds similar. But, I am not a doctor. This is just my story Link to comment
Nixee Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Also - how fast is your heart rate during these palpitations? Is it fast enough to get you dizzy? To the point of passing out at times? Or just slightly elevated or like skipping a beat? With my PSVT it was very easy for them to diagnose on the holter monitor because my heartrate was typically over 200 beats per minute. 20-30 minutes of that and it becomes hard for me to hold conversation I'm so lightheaded. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Have you been to a cardiologist? Have they done more test than just the Holter Monitor? I know that the monitor showed absolutely nothing wrong with me. The first time I went to the emergency room my heart rate was 132 and they had a cardiologist look at me. They did an EKG but he also ordered an ultra sound on my heart and I just got lucky that he knew exactly what was wrong. I have not been to a cardiologist yet. When I see my primary care Dr. for a follow up on this Tuesday I am going to ask for a referral. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Also - how fast is your heart rate during these palpitations? Is it fast enough to get you dizzy? To the point of passing out at times? Or just slightly elevated or like skipping a beat? With my PSVT it was very easy for them to diagnose on the holter monitor because my heartrate was typically over 200 beats per minute. 20-30 minutes of that and it becomes hard for me to hold conversation I'm so lightheaded. The Holter Monitor detected NO palpitations, even when I said I was feeling them. This is why the Dr. is blaming it on early menopause, lack of sleep and possibly anxiety, but as I said, I am on an anti anxiety medication and it does NOT help. I know the difference between a panic attack and this nightmare. Link to comment
Cognitive_Canine Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 My boyfriend went to the ER for heart palpitations his senior year. He was training about 6 hours a day and only sleeping for 4. He was also drinking far too much caffeine. He slowed down after the hospital visit and they went away. Link to comment
Nixee Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 That is very strange if you were feeling them. Did you take your own pulse at all? Hopefully the cardiologist will be able to listen and shed some more light on things for you. I sympathize very much... having your heart go haywire on you is a very freaky and scary feeling. Even if it is not anxiety related, in the meantime I do still recommend breathing exercises (holding breath hard for a bit before slowly letting out) as this is one proven way to slow a heartrate. Good luck! Link to comment
sarey Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 My heart has being going haywire for months now, as well. I am sorry you've not got any answers... it's awful, because then you've got no way of knowing how to help it... I hope you find out what's going on... till then, be well and limit stress levels as well as taking care of yourself... that's always good. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 That is very strange if you were feeling them. Did you take your own pulse at all? Hopefully the cardiologist will be able to listen and shed some more light on things for you. I sympathize very much... having your heart go haywire on you is a very freaky and scary feeling. Even if it is not anxiety related, in the meantime I do still recommend breathing exercises (holding breath hard for a bit before slowly letting out) as this is one proven way to slow a heartrate. Good luck! I will try that........thank you. Link to comment
rollingalong Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 They're brought on by stress. You should try exercising. Go outside and get fresh air. Relax. Link to comment
CallingAllAngels Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 They're brought on by stress. You should try exercising. Go outside and get fresh air. Relax. Well, no doubt I have a lot of stress...between my job, just moving in with my boyfriend and having insomnia for almost 6 months........ Link to comment
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