Heart problems????

[HoldingOnHope]

Y’all…is something wrong with my heart? I keep telling myself it’s just anxiety but of
Course, that little voice in my head is telling me otherwise.
I’ve been having episodes of heart flutters…not like beating fast or pounding, it feels kind of like a butterfly, like it gets out of rhythm for a few seconds. It usually only lasts a few seconds but I just had one and I knew I was fixing to die. I didn’t get weak or light headed or anything like that and I have no other symptoms of heart problems but I am just convinced my heart is going to quit at any second. Has anyone else had these flutters?

 

[Phillies Phan]

So very common. Hearts “skip a beat” frequently for any number of reasons. Many songs talk about heart skips a beat, usually with high emotion like love. But it can happen literally hundreds times a day and mean nothing. They’re called PACs and are normal and harmless. And yes, anxiety is a big cause, especially anxiety occurring when you worry about it after the first one.

 

[Cuchculan]

Skipped heartbeats, irregular heartbeats, had them all. Always have put them down to my anxiety. When I am calm and things are going good for me they are never there. If things were to start going bad and the anxiety levels increased they would appear. Anxiety can do so many things to us. This is just another symptom.

 

[suzzeeb]

I have seen cardiology for mine and had a procedure to stop them - most of them anyway. I still get them. Even when I got them by the thousands every day, the cardiologist told me they would not hurt me at all and the procedure was elective. I couldn't stand having that many, but even if I wouldn't have had it, nothing bad would have happened. They are annoying and distracting, but that's about it. They are either PVCs or PACs and everyone gets them, but some people never notice them. I usually have ones that feel like hard heart beats but have also had the fluttery little ones. They really are benign, but it might help you not to worry if you saw your doctor and had them tell you.

 

[HoldingOnHope]

Thank y’all for the responses! I am so thankful for this forum and the extra reassurance from y’all!

 

[ThankfulJen]

I just want to add that I had them for almost two months straight with a break here and there. Was totally convinced something was horribly wrong. I haven't had barely any in two weeks now!!! It's really hard to think anxiety could have caused it but I am almost positive that's what it was! Hang in there and take it one day at a time. You are going to be fine!

 

[Amanda]

I have seen cardiology for mine and had a procedure to stop them - most of them anyway. I still get them. Even when I got them by the thousands every day, the cardiologist told me they would not hurt me at all and the procedure was elective. I couldn't stand having that many, but even if I wouldn't have had it, nothing bad would have happened. They are annoying and distracting, but that's about it. They are either PVCs or PACs and everyone gets them, but some people never notice them. I usually have ones that feel like hard heart beats but have also had the fluttery little ones. They really are benign, but it might help you not to worry if you saw your doctor and had them tell you.

Hi, did you really have like thousands of them every day. I'm literally feeling this right now almost every time I walk around for a bit then sit down I get about 4 -8 little flutters every few minutes for like an hour. It doesn't happen everytime but when I am doing something like walking in a store or anything I think if it's going to happen. I had a EKG done on May 9th and they said it was normal.

 

[suzzeeb]

Hi, did you really have like thousands of them every day. I'm literally feeling this right now almost every time I walk around for a bit then sit down I get about 4 -8 little flutters every few minutes for like an hour. It doesn't happen everytime but when I am doing something like walking in a store or anything I think if it's going to happen. I had a EKG done on May 9th and they said it was normal.

Yeah I did. Close to 4000 on a 24 hour Holter monitor. I was horrified, but while I was sitting in my cardiologist's office he was looking over the results and was like, "Oh good, only 4% of your heartbeats are PVCs." Apparently unless 10% of all heartbeats are PVCs they are not concerned. My husband gets episodes of bigeminy, which is one normal beat and then a PVC, then one normal beat and another PVC. That can go on for hours or days where every other beat is a PVC. Luckily for him, he just takes a beta blocker and that usually stops them pretty quickly. That didn't work for mine though, and that's why I chose to get the ablation. They really don't get too excited about skipped beats like that since they are so common.

 

[gadamsgrega2]

This is very common... I get it when I have not slept well or stressed about something... anxiety perhaps is high or I'm anticipating something coming up, it'll do that and then it's followed by some other symptom right after... Nerves playing tricks

 

[Amanda]

Ok, then do you think I shouldn't be too concerned? This is the first time it has lasted this long. I don't think mine is near the 4000 mark and I'm not having any other symptoms with it. Would the EKG that I had done back in May show the PVCs, cause the EKG only lasted like 15 seconds? I'm just afraid to do anything and I keep thinking like is heart inflammation or something.
I have been thinking of irregular heartbeat for last week almost all day long. I will say during memorial day weekend I didn't have any.

 

[suzzeeb]

Sometimes EKGs are too short to show them. Some people just get them more than others. Anxiety definitely makes them worse, but even people without anxiety can get them often. They say in a healthy heart with no structural damage, they are completely benign. The only way to check for structural damage is an echocardiogram. I had one, and it was completely normal. That's why they were not concerned even with the amount I was having.

 

[Amanda]

How would you know if you had structural damage? The irregular heartbeats is the only symptom I'm having. I really don't think it's structural damage for me at least I really hope not.

 

[suzzeeb]

I'm sure you don't and I doubt you have enough PVCs to warrant any testing anyway. An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart and that's how they know.

 

[Amanda]

Thanks I've gone almost two hours without any. I need too try and relax I just gotcto Florida for a beach vacation.

 

[ThankfulJen]

Ohhhh, enjoy your vaca!! If they happen just brush them off and focus on the sand and the waves! They will eventually let up. I was getting them day and night for almost three months. Now I get flutters here and there but nothing like before. Seems pizza sets them off, too. Which stinks because I love pizza! Have a great time!

 

[Amanda]

Ohhhh, enjoy your vaca!! If they happen just brush them off and focus on the sand and the waves! They will eventually let up. I was getting them day and night for almost three months. Now I get flutters here and there but nothing like before. Seems pizza sets them off, too. Which stinks because I love pizza! Have a great time!

Thanks, they seem to act act up when I walk around and then sit I'm really trying to ignore then.

 

[ThankfulJen]

Thanks, they seem to act act up when I walk around and then sit I'm really trying to ignore then

Mine were doing that as well! I even got on here and said as much and binn reassured me they can definitely happen that way!