• Welcome to the Anxiety Community Forum, a friendly space for discussion, help and support with mental health issues. Please register to post and use the extra features available to members. Click here to register.Everyone is welcome!

Skipped beats during exercise?

bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
I'm not sure how to feel about this. On one hand, I've had palpitations often for several years, with no known cause (re: clear stress test and echocardiogram in 2016). However, I don't recall ever experiencing them *during* exercise before. Only after exercise, or otherwise outside of an exercise scenario. In recent months, when I do anything strenuous such as carrying heavy things repeatedly, I feel several skipped beats. Once I stop and rest, they go away.

Do you think this would warrant a cardiologist visit eventually? They don't occur with any other symptoms. My heart doesn't race more than it should considering the level of physical activity, no shortness of breath, no chest pain, etc. The skipped beats feel exactly like the ones I also sometimes get when I'm not doing any physical activity (e.g. when I've had too much caffeine). The fact that they're now quite frequent during exercise, whereas they weren't before, is the only thing that somewhat concerns me.

This doesn't apply to any and all activity. I can comfortably play around with the kids, lift my 5yr old, walk a long distance, etc. It's only when I do something more strenuous that I start feeling them.

I never got a clear answer from my cardiologist about this: is it indeed acceptable for some people to experience palpitations *during* exercise? (it's okay if you aren't able to answer that) Everything online just says some people with heart disease will experience heart palpitations and other rhythm disturbances during exercise, but never explicitly states that it "should never happen" in someone who's healthy. Do any of you also get this frequently?

If it matters, I do often get palpitations *after* exercise, which my cardiologist did say is very normal. Adrenaline levels are still high when you start relaxing. And that part makes complete sense to me.
 
Alwayshere

Alwayshere

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
Messages
50
Reaction score
16
I don’t think it hurts to talk to your doctor about it. I sometimes have palpitations as well, not when exercising, but I went to my doctor and they requested for me to wear a holter monitor for 24 hours. You could try that? You could wear that while working out and when it’s time for the cardiologist to read it they would call you with any concerns. Palpitation are VERY common so I wouldn’t worry too much about it! It also doesn’t hurt to call your doctor if you need a peace of mind.
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
Alwayshere said:
I don’t think it hurts to talk to your doctor about it. I sometimes have palpitations as well, not when exercising, but I went to my doctor and they requested for me to wear a holter monitor for 24 hours. You could try that? You could wear that while working out and when it’s time for the cardiologist to read it they would call you with any concerns. Palpitation are VERY common so I wouldn’t worry too much about it! It also doesn’t hurt to call your doctor if you need a peace of mind.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I have a physical coming up later this year. I'll ask her about it then unless it gets worse, in which case I'll call sooner. I suppose it's possible that it's due to other factors, such as general stress, caffeine, etc (plus I'm a smoker), and maybe cutting those down/out would help. If that's the case I won't even worry about it.

It's not constant, and not necessarily every time, but certainly much more frequent lately. We will see. :)
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
I almost wonder if it could be related to the fact that I take a low dose beta blocker. I use it in order to lower my blood pressure, which is otherwise chronically (although mildly) elevated. Of course it also helps with controlling tachycardia. A common side effect of beta blockers is that it's more difficult to get the heart rate up - which I've definitely noticed.

Since my heart rate doesn't go up as high as it normally would, without the beta blocker, I wonder if the increased demand with certain levels of physical activity puts a bit of strain on my heart? Thus causing some skipped beats? I guess that's something I could ask my doctor about. I just thought about it, and I wonder if that's a thing. Google won't be able to answer it so I'll just send my doc a message when I have time.
 
Alwayshere

Alwayshere

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
Messages
50
Reaction score
16
bin_tenn said:
Thanks. I have a physical coming up later this year. I'll ask her about it then unless it gets worse, in which case I'll call sooner. I suppose it's possible that it's due to other factors, such as general stress, caffeine, etc (plus I'm a smoker), and maybe cutting those down/out would help. If that's the case I won't even worry about it.

It's not constant, and not necessarily every time, but certainly much more frequent lately. We will see. :)
Click to expand...
Stress can definitely do it! As long as you have no other symptoms when working out (lightheaded, dizzy, out of breath) I am sure you are fine to wait. You could always write down when it happens to you, that way your doctor knows how much it’s happening and can decide where to go from there. Just an idea :)
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
Alwayshere said:
Stress can definitely do it! As long as you have no other symptoms when working out (lightheaded, dizzy, out of breath) I am sure you are fine to wait. You could always write down when it happens to you, that way your doctor knows how much it’s happening and can decide where to go from there. Just an idea :)
Click to expand...
For sure. Definitely no other symptoms that I've noticed. I've been keeping an eye on that. There's absolutely no pattern to it, no way to know if it will in fact happen, pulse rhythm feels fine when it happens, etc. It's just so strange because I don't recall having this issue until the past several months. Oh well. I'll figure something out. :D
 
JustMe

JustMe

Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2020
Messages
522
Reaction score
236
bin_tenn said:
I'm not sure how to feel about this. On one hand, I've had palpitations often for several years, with no known cause (re: clear stress test and echocardiogram in 2016). However, I don't recall ever experiencing them *during* exercise before. Only after exercise, or otherwise outside of an exercise scenario. In recent months, when I do anything strenuous such as carrying heavy things repeatedly, I feel several skipped beats. Once I stop and rest, they go away.

Do you think this would warrant a cardiologist visit eventually? They don't occur with any other symptoms. My heart doesn't race more than it should considering the level of physical activity, no shortness of breath, no chest pain, etc. The skipped beats feel exactly like the ones I also sometimes get when I'm not doing any physical activity (e.g. when I've had too much caffeine). The fact that they're now quite frequent during exercise, whereas they weren't before, is the only thing that somewhat concerns me.

This doesn't apply to any and all activity. I can comfortably play around with the kids, lift my 5yr old, walk a long distance, etc. It's only when I do something more strenuous that I start feeling them.

I never got a clear answer from my cardiologist about this: is it indeed acceptable for some people to experience palpitations *during* exercise? (it's okay if you aren't able to answer that) Everything online just says some people with heart disease will experience heart palpitations and other rhythm disturbances during exercise, but never explicitly states that it "should never happen" in someone who's healthy. Do any of you also get this frequently?

If it matters, I do often get palpitations *after* exercise, which my cardiologist did say is very normal. Adrenaline levels are still high when you start relaxing. And that part makes complete sense to me.
Click to expand...
Sometimes I get them more while working out. If I get them I just slow down or stop working out because it scares me. My son without anxiety gets them too and he is a fitness trainer. He says that he gets them all the time when he works out and he likes them because they "feel cool". If I feel one while I'm working out I'm assuming a heart attack is to follow... I've done strss tests, EKGs and MRIs all came back good. This has been happening to me for the last 20ish years.
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
JustMe said:
Sometimes I get them more while working out. If I get them I just slow down or stop working out because it scares me. My son without anxiety gets them too and he is a fitness trainer. He says that he gets them all the time when he works out and he likes them because they "feel cool". If I feel one while I'm working out I'm assuming a heart attack is to follow... I've done strss tests, EKGs and MRIs all came back good. This has been happening to me for the last 20ish years.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing! Haha, I wish I could say they "feel cool." :D Like you, I assume a heart attack or similar is to follow. I ultimately know that's not very rational, but we all know how anxiety goes. Haha. I've also had multiple EKGs over the years, on top of the stress test and echo.

I think the one thing that is helping keep me sane is the fact that they do feel like the palpitations I've had any other time. They don't feel abnormal in that sense. They're just like any skipped beat I've had before, still without other symptoms.

I'm doing my best to remain logical and rational, as heart stuff is by far my biggest fear. Anxiety wants to say "this is the end", but I know that's a lie. Even if something is amiss, it'll be taken care of if it comes to that. No worries. I'll be 33 years old on Thursday, why is this even a major source of worry for me? :O
 
JustMe

JustMe

Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2020
Messages
522
Reaction score
236
bin_tenn said:
Thanks for sharing! Haha, I wish I could say they "feel cool." :D Like you, I assume a heart attack or similar is to follow. I ultimately know that's not very rational, but we all know how anxiety goes. Haha. I've also had multiple EKGs over the years, on top of the stress test and echo.

I think the one thing that is helping keep me sane is the fact that they do feel like the palpitations I've had any other time. They don't feel abnormal in that sense. They're just like any skipped beat I've had before, still without other symptoms.

I'm doing my best to remain logical and rational, as heart stuff is by far my biggest fear. Anxiety wants to say "this is the end", but I know that's a lie. Even if something is amiss, it'll be taken care of if it comes to that. No worries. I'll be 33 years old on Thursday, why is this even a major source of worry for me? :O
Click to expand...
Well I think my worst episodes were in my late teens and early 20s. I'm 40 now and somehow I've made it this long.
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
JustMe said:
Well I think my worst episodes were in my late teens and early 20s. I'm 40 now and somehow I've made it this long.
Click to expand...
Right. All my symptoms didn't start bothering me until I was in my 20s, and I think the vast majority of them wouldn't be an issue if I wasn't so aware of what I fear (heart problems). When I first started having panic attacks around 16, I could function perfectly fine in the midst of an attack. The very first one I had, my heart was beating so hard I could see my chest vibrate (others could see, too), and it was during a school day. I walked from class to class like normal, and simply ignored the fact that I felt terrified of "something." LoL. And now if I have a severe attack (it's been a long time now) I'm utterly useless.
 
JustMe

JustMe

Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2020
Messages
522
Reaction score
236
bin_tenn said:
Right. All my symptoms didn't start bothering me until I was in my 20s, and I think the vast majority of them wouldn't be an issue if I wasn't so aware of what I fear (heart problems). When I first started having panic attacks around 16, I could function perfectly fine in the midst of an attack. The very first one I had, my heart was beating so hard I could see my chest vibrate (others could see, too), and it was during a school day. I walked from class to class like normal, and simply ignored the fact that I felt terrified of "something." LoL. And now if I have a severe attack (it's been a long time now) I'm utterly useless.
Click to expand...
What helped me a lot was one time in my 20s i was crying in the waiting room at my dr.s and some old lady (like 80s) asked what was wrong and i told her about my heart palpitations and she started laughing and told me i would be ok. She said she's had them since she was my age and she is still alive. She said they used to scare her too but I had to trust my dr.s and know I wasn't going to die from them. After that I really haven't been as scared of them because i saw living proof (not just my dr.s telling me) that it isn't a death sentence. Also, every time i have gone to the ER they always say oh everyone has PVCs no big deal. I haven't met a Dr yet that doesn't get them themselves sometimes. My heart Dr promised me that they won't kill me. I'm still scared of a heart atttavk and i can't promise iim not going to go to the ER again but it is much more manageable to me than it used to be.
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
JustMe said:
What helped me a lot was one time in my 20s i was crying in the waiting room at my dr.s and some old lady (like 80s) asked what was wrong and i told her about my heart palpitations and she started laughing and told me i would be ok. She said she's had them since she was my age and she is still alive. She said they used to scare her too but I had to trust my dr.s and know I wasn't going to die from them. After that I really haven't been as scared of them because i saw living proof (not just my dr.s telling me) that it isn't a death sentence. Also, every time i have gone to the ER they always say oh everyone has PVCs no big deal. I haven't met a Dr yet that doesn't get them themselves sometimes. My heart Dr promised me that they won't kill me. I'm still scared of a heart atttavk and i can't promise iim not going to go to the ER again but it is much more manageable to me than it used to be.
Click to expand...
I definitely understand that. Thanks for sharing the story. :D I can say they do still bother me sometimes, but I've also learned to deal with them much better than I used to. A few years ago, just having a single palpitation would trigger an intense amount of anxiety. Now they generally only bother me when they happen during exercise, but even that doesn't trigger intense anxiety - still tolerable.

I plan to ask my doc about it later this year when I go for my physical. Until then I will just monitor it, and if it gets worse I'll send her a message via the patient portal.
 
W

Worriedmama

Active Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2019
Messages
207
Reaction score
88
JustMe said:
What helped me a lot was one time in my 20s i was crying in the waiting room at my dr.s and some old lady (like 80s) asked what was wrong and i told her about my heart palpitations and she started laughing and told me i would be ok. She said she's had them since she was my age and she is still alive. She said they used to scare her too but I had to trust my dr.s and know I wasn't going to die from them. After that I really haven't been as scared of them because i saw living proof (not just my dr.s telling me) that it isn't a death sentence. Also, every time i have gone to the ER they always say oh everyone has PVCs no big deal. I haven't met a Dr yet that doesn't get them themselves sometimes. My heart Dr promised me that they won't kill me. I'm still scared of a heart atttavk and i can't promise iim not going to go to the ER again but it is much more manageable to me than it used to be.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing your story! I’ve been super stressed and getting some heart palpitations lately so this really helped!
 
stevet

stevet

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
97
Reaction score
48
I asked my wife about this and she said it’s most likely PVCs and that a 30-day event monitor would be helpful to record exactly what’s going on. I really think you’re just fine!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
stevet said:
I asked my wife about this and she said it’s most likely PVCs and that a 30-day event monitor would be helpful to record exactly what’s going on. I really think you’re just fine!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thanks, Steve! Does your wife work in the medical field? I've worn a 7-day monitor (2015) that caught a handful of PACs/PVCs, per my doc's analysis. Nothing at all concerning. The only thing that concerns me at this point is that they tend to occur quite predictably (as in I can guarantee at least one will occur) every time I engage in strenuous activity. Anything other than standard activity such as walking, cleaning around the house, etc, will trigger it.
 
stevet

stevet

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
97
Reaction score
48
Sure! Yes, my wife is a family practice doc who is now working in physical medicine and rehabilitation - changed after 20 years. She said she would order a 30-day event monitor as it will give more data to analyze. From what you’ve described, she thinks everything will be fine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
stevet said:
Sure! Yes, my wife is a family practice doc who is now working in physical medicine and rehabilitation - changed after 20 years. She said she would order a 30-day event monitor as it will give more data to analyze. From what you’ve described, she thinks everything will be fine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Oh cool. I appreciate it. :D I'll talk to my doctor about it next time I see her (later this year, at the least). In the meantime I'll just continue to monitor it, and I'll go to the doc sooner if things get worse.
 
K

kj103

New Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2020
Messages
28
Reaction score
22
I just canceled my appointment with my heart doctor, due to social distancing/COVID spread. I even had palpitations last night and some today! I just worry about SVT, which is why I am on low dose beta blocker. My cardiologist isn’t even concerned about the random SVT episodes I get occasionally. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m a big heart hypochondriac and I willingly canceled my appt and will reschedule later. If I felt something different or the SVT didn’t go away, then of course I would go in ASAP. I have had issues with heart palpitations when I’ve done more strenuous or not so strenuous things: lifting heavier objects, bending over to look underneath something, sitting in a chair, etc. Mine are so random. I think you are ok, but certainly go to the doc if something is different for you. That’s what I did for my last SVT that lasted longer than usual. The doc still wasn’t concerned but she did give me a beta blocker. I haven’t had an SVT with the beta blocker so far, but there have been a few times I thought one was coming, just by the nature of the heart palpitations I have preceding my SVTs. Hard to say if the beta blocker is working.
 
J

Joe diesel 09

Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2020
Messages
152
Reaction score
85
I take spells with them. I may go days or weeks or maybe a month without a single one. Have been under huge stress the last couple weeks and they have returned. This afternoon I believe they were the worst I've ever had in my life. Felt like every 4-5 beats I'd feel one. No chest pain, hard to breathe, nothing. But it freaked me out. Lasted like that for several hrs. Still having them but not quite as bad. Yesterday I was in an almost all day anxiety attack. Not quite panic, but really amped up. Had a tough day at work. Felt kinda ok today but not the best. This afternoon was scary tho.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top