Heart skipping beats again!

[JustMe]

How do I know if it’s just skipping beats or it’s actually going to turn into heart failure or a heart attack!? I hate this!!! I’m pretty sure at my age people just drop dead of heart failure all the time! Maybe it’s a blocked artery and I need open heart surgery? What if I ignore it and this time it really is something? I wish I was just normal!

 

[bin_tenn]

Truth is, I'm not aware of any foolproof way to say that skipped beats are benign or not. Heck, even medical testing sometimes can't tell simply from skipped beats. They look at other symptoms.

So that leads to the more telling question: are you experiencing any other symptoms? Chest pain / pressure / discomfort, pain that is radiating to the shoulders / back / arms, shortness of breath, dizziness / lightheadedness, confusion, etc.

You will almost certainly experience some of those symptoms alongside the palpitations because the palpitations are putting you in an anxious state. However, there are rather noticeable differences between those symptoms caused by anxiety as opposed to being caused by a medical condition (e.g. heart failure).

I would imagine you're just fine, but that's just my guess. From personal experience and remembering what you've described similarly in past episodes. If you feel like you're in danger at all, seek medical attention.

 

[JustMe]

Truth is, I'm not aware of any foolproof way to say that skipped beats are benign or not. Heck, even medical testing sometimes can't tell simply from skipped beats. They look at other symptoms.

So that leads to the more telling question: are you experiencing any other symptoms? Chest pain / pressure / discomfort, pain that is radiating to the shoulders / back / arms, shortness of breath, dizziness / lightheadedness, confusion, etc.

You will almost certainly experience some of those symptoms alongside the palpitations because the palpitations are putting you in an anxious state. However, there are rather noticeable differences between those symptoms caused by anxiety as opposed to being caused by a medical condition (e.g. heart failure).

I would imagine you're just fine, but that's just my guess. From personal experience and remembering what you've described similarly in past episodes. If you feel like you're in danger at all, seek medical attention.

Ya. I can’t make out the difference between actual symptoms and anxiety. As soon as the slipped beats came then I got shaky, dizzy, chest pain, all the symptoms. Now I’m calm and I’m feeling ok i think. Not sure if I should go to just get checked or assume I’m ok

 

[TruthHurts]

How do I know if it’s just skipping beats or it’s actually going to turn into heart failure or a heart attack!? I hate this!!! I’m pretty sure at my age people just drop dead of heart failure all the time! Maybe it’s a blocked artery and I need open heart surgery? What if I ignore it and this time it really is something? I wish I was just normal!

Drink some water it's been hot water could make a world of difference for you.

 

[bin_tenn]

Ya. I can’t make out the difference between actual symptoms and anxiety. As soon as the slipped beats came then I got shaky, dizzy, chest pain, all the symptoms. Now I’m calm and I’m feeling ok i think. Not sure if I should go to just get checked or assume I’m ok

You can though. The body knows what's normal and what's dangerous. Believe me, you would know, you'd have a very strong feeling that something is wrong, and you wouldn't question it. Been there before, used to think the same way you do.

 

[MATD]

Those skipped beats or palpitations are normal with anxiety. The best thing I could tell you is to see your doc to rule out any issues, then you can relax a bit about it. I go thru periods of time when I get them frequently and then they disappear for a while. I don’t give them any attention other than to determine if anything feels different. Like you said, I’m at that age. Otherwise I don’t react and put them in the “nothing to worry about” section and go forward.

 

[suzzeeb]

Some people get them even without anxiety, though. Anxiety makes mine worse but was getting thousands a day even when not anxious, but in most people anxiety makes them worse. I had an ablation but lately I'm getting more and more again. Hoping I won't need to do another one! Even at the rate I was getting them the cardiologist said they are benign.

 

[JustMe]

Those skipped beats or palpitations are normal with anxiety. The best thing I could tell you is to see your doc to rule out any issues, then you can relax a bit about it. I go thru periods of time when I get them frequently and then they disappear for a while. I don’t give them any attention other than to determine if anything feels different. Like you said, I’m at that age. Otherwise I don’t react and put them in the “nothing to worry about” section and go forward.

Ya it always throws me off when i go through long periods of nothing then getting them again. I freak out. I think all the stress of the move is catching up with me. I don’t have a regular dr yet and my appointment to establish care with a dr isn’t until next month. I’ve been to cardiologists in the past but I always wonder is this time different… I’m trying to stay calm and not stress too much about it.

Some people get them even without anxiety, though. Anxiety makes mine worse but was getting thousands a day even when not anxious, but in most people anxiety makes them worse. I had an ablation but lately I'm getting more and more again. Hoping I won't need to do another one! Even at the rate I was getting them the cardiologist said they are benign.

Yesss i try to remember this while going through my episodes! My mother had an ablation and helped her quite a bit but she was always having afibs.

 

[MATD]

Ya it always throws me off when i go through long periods of nothing then getting them again. I freak out. I think all the stress of the move is catching up with me. I don’t have a regular dr yet and my appointment to establish care with a dr isn’t until next month. I’ve been to cardiologists in the past but I always wonder is this time different… I’m trying to stay calm and not stress too much about it.

Yesss i try to remember this while going through my episodes! My mother had an ablation and helped her quite a bit but she was always having afibs.

Palps are also known as PVC’s, premature ventricular contractions, which is nothing like A-fib. When I was having a lot of pvc’s in my 20’s, a paramedic friend ran a strip on me and showed me what they were and I it scared me and I had some pvc’s while she was running my strip. Eye opener as to what fear can do to one’s body. Just an FYI.

 

[Kingdoey]

Ectopic beats are normal. Most people get them all day everyday. Those of us with anxiety seem to feel them more. I had a particularly bad episode at the start of the year. Had various tests done and the cardiologist was not concerned. He told me he gets them a lot aswell. If you focus on them you feel them.

Obviously you need to get checked first but thats to rule out anything serious, then when you get the all clear you can try and switch off from them. I have periods where they go away only to flare up again.I am having them as i type this, but put that down to an episode of HA i had last week and the fallout from that. Good luck