I am just about to lose my mind

[Blessed]

I'm extremely discouraged right now. Was on vacation and had a really relaxing week, hardly any heart palps, didn't have to take my ativan for the whole week! Then I come back to work and it's been a continuous strand of heart palps sometimes 5 or 6 a minute. I'm so scared and upset which is not helping! I go to my cardiologist tomorrow for a check up. What kind of questions can I ask him? How can this be harmless? I've had too many tests to count, but what if my heart wasn't doing it while I was tested? How can I quit worrying? Please I'm begging for help here I just want to cry.

[Enduronman]

You just answered all of your own questions B.
Your heart didn't skip a beat, while escaping from the truth of life and reality.
It's just anxiety. It is not a thing wrong with your heart. Merely, stress, worry, concern...you had NONE for a week.
A serious heart condition, would not, take a vacation with you...think about it.
You NEED medications to even out the anxiety, and also the heart palps, they are HARMLESS.....
Your heart doesn't have to be doing anything, for a cardiologist to figure out what it had or has done in the past....
Plus, you'll be freaking out in there for no reason so he WILL notice it quite easily...
Then, when he tells you the answer, and prescribes you meds, TAKE THEM PLEASE....
Don't "overthink" this any longer.....Senior.

Best wishes and thoughts your way.

E-Man...:)

[natbaby]

Blessed, I have the exact same thing that you are having. My doc calls them PVCs or "premature ventricular contractions". I've been to doctor after doctor for second, third, and fourth opinions and the diagnosis has always been the same - anxiety. I started getting them in high school, but over the years they have increased and decreased based on what was going on in my life at the time, and I have even gone long periods where nothing happened at all. If your doc says there is nothing wrong with your heart, trust that. I know it's hard, but that's the anxiety giving you the "what if" scenarios.

The best thing a doctor told me is this - your heart WANTS to beat. Even if it gets a little tripped up from time to time, your body has backup systems in place to get it on the right track again. When it happens once, do you get that rush going through your body? That's the adrenalin, which is only going to make the skips worse. It's a vicious cycle because one palp can cause anxiety, which just brings on even more palps, and vice versa. It's like which came first, the chicken or the egg...

You will be FINE! :)

Try to think about how you felt while on vacation and relax. You are not alone. Sending positive vibes your way!!

Nat

[artaud]

How can this be harmless? I've had too many tests to count, but what if my heart wasn't doing it while I was tested? How can I quit worrying? Please I'm begging for help here I just want to cry.

I've corresponded with people that had 10,000 Premature Ventricular Contractions per day and received no treatment.

Here is an excerpt from the forum:

"My EP told me that if you are having less than 20,000 a day and have a structually normal heart the doctors don't worry about it."

The EP he is referring to is an Electro Physiologist, a cardiologist of sorts that specializes in the electrical system of the heart.

Assume the normal heart rate is 70 beats per minute. The total beats per day would be 70 x 60 x 24 (beats in one minute x 60 minutes for the hour count x 24 hours) the total daily count is 100,800 beats per day. Roughly 20% of the total output of the heart as premature beats is, according to his EP, still nothing to worry about. I've read of people more often having 10,000 per day, roughly 10% of the total, and the doctors were still not worried. Some people develop bigeminies (every other beat is premature) trigeminies (every third beat is premature) and a few other weird but related patterns. Although these are not usually lifetime rhythms, they can last for days.

How many do you estimate you have daily, or is yours more of a flutter?

[artaud]

How can this be harmless?

If the heart is structurally sound, and the EKG, other than the Premature Beats, is normal, they won't cause any problems other than making you nervous. Many people get them but can't feel them.

Beta-Blockers and Calcium-Channel-Blockers are safe ways to try to reduce the frequency of premature beats. There are other more powerful medications and heart procedures to try to eliminate the premature beats, but these may actually make things worse. That's why, except for Beta-Blockers and Calcium-Channel-Blockers, doctors seldom try to treat otherwise benign arrhythmias.

See if a Holter may work, if not, an Event Monitor you wear for a week or more is surely going to catch the worrisome rhythm. Ask for blood tests, including Thyroid levels and Electrolytes.

Honestly, have you avoided smoking, alcohol, and caffeine? If premature beats are bothering you, these will surely make them act up. Same with some cold and diet meds.

Best wishes, I'm sure you'll do well at the doctors.

[Blessed]

Thank u all very much I'm just so mad at myself right now for not getting a grip. I have been weaned from beta blockers for two months now, my primary doc didn't think i needed them. I dunno what to think anymore but I have wrote lots of questions for my cardiologist I pray he is patient with me today, please wish me luck!

[artaud]

please wish me luck!

Just thinking about you a little bit ago, remembered you had an appointment today. Best wishes.

[Blessed]

Thank u I'm in waiting room right now and a nervous wreck , I'm the youngest one in here

[Enduronman]

It will be fine, you will get your beta's back...he will see that. :)

[Blessed]

I just got finished with the doctor and he said that everything looked good and that I need to STOP worrying about the heart palps he said as long as I wasn't passed out on the floor that they won't hurt me . I told him I was off beta blockers for two months and he was ok with that but if I didn't calm down I may have to be put back on on the future . But he did think it was a good decision for me to stop taking them and deal with this on my own . Thank you so much for asking!

[Blessed]

He did say my heart rate of 80-90 was borderline high? He wants it to be 60-80. What's up with that? I thought anything from 60-100 is normal?!!

[Blessed]

But I'm too scared to take them. Will losing more weight help. ? I mean I'm sure it will. Is 90 dangerous, or does it take a while to cause harm. He did not put me back on them yet .

[Blessed]

Why did you delete ? :)

[artaud]

Why did you delete ? :)

Who are you addressing here?

[Enduronman]

Here's the dilemma;
1. You will spend every day worrying about your heart. When according to a cardiologist, there is nothing wrong with it. And, he had no concerns.
2. You're scared to take a medication, to regulate the heart.
3. Everyone's heart rate is up, when it a doctor's office anyway.
4. This obsession with your heart health, beats, etc. Is not alleviated even by hearing a heart specialist say that its OK.
5. So, it's a Catch 22.
6. Not real sure why your Doc ever took you off of them to begin with, unless they were causing a health concern on their own.
7. Did they take you off of them because you were always afraid to take them?
8. But, did they help or harm you?
9. Yes, losing weight will help, but losing weight is tougher than taking a tiny tablet, and weightloss takes extreme disipline. Which sounds more logical?
10. No, losing weight will not ever remove this fear, of the heart or an irregular heart beat.
11. He didn't put you back on them, because you didn't want him to put you back on them. Right or wrong?
12. So, now we are right back at square #1...Your concern about, your heart.
13. It's just a circle..

See my point?

IMHO...

Breaking this cycle, is up to you B...You are fine.

Are you convinced?

Or, will there be 700 more post about your heart?

It may not look like I care with these words, but I do and wish your torment would stop too.

E-Man...:)

[Enduronman]

I deleted because that's what I needed to say Blessed...not want to say, had to say friend.

E-Man.

[artaud]

What's up with that? I thought anything from 60-100 is normal?!!

60 to 80 beats for an adult is, in my humble opinion, the more common range. Beta-blocking drugs are safe and frequently used. Some have more calming effects than others. Propranolol is known for it's calming effect. Atenolol is more focused on the heart itself, but by slowing the rhythm, it may also help calm.

My resting heart rate is 60, and not because I'm some athletic well built guy, it's due the wonders of pharmacology. (Atenolol to be more specific).

[Enduronman]

60 to 80 beats for an adult is, in my humble opinion, the more common range. Beta-blocking drugs are safe and frequently used. Some have more calming effects than others. Propranolol is known for it's calming effect. Atenolol is more focused on the heart itself, but by slowing the rhythm, it may also help calm.

My resting heart rate is 60, and not because I'm some athletic well built guy, it's due the wonders of pharmacology. (Atenolol to be more specific).

Exactly..The only thing atenolol was ever really noted for doing to my knowledge was lowering testosterone in both men and women..but only about 20points or so....not a big deal.. I take atenolol every single day. Excellent for the irregular heart beats that drive our friend Blessed up the walls daily..

[Enduronman]

Propanolol can cross the blood brain barrier-atenolol can not....:)

[Blessed]

So which one is better, propranolol or atenolol? I was on low dose atenolol for 2 years before being weaned.

[Blessed]

Should I give it till my 6 month visit before making a decision, you think there would be any harm other then aggrevation

[artaud]

I deleted because that's what I needed to say Blessed...not want to say, had to say friend.

E-Man.

I was thin as a rail when my benign arrhythmia started, not so now. I agree that loosing weight might help, but no guarantees. In addition, people that want to loose weight in a hurry often take pills, energy drinks, or caffeine. For a person with a benign arrhythmia, I would not advise this, IT WILL MAKE IT WORSE. Loosing weight has a corresponding aspect that may be of help for people with a benign arrhythmia, namely exercise. Maybe if Blessed is open to it, you could suggest a way to start slowly and build over weeks.

Regards.

[artaud]

So which one is better, propranolol or atenolol? I was on low dose atenolol for 2 years before being weaned.

Either. If you have no respiratory issues, either one. If you have asthma or bronchitis or similar, or mild restriction of the airways, small doses of propranolol probably would still be OK, but if larger doses were needed, atenolol would be my choice as it is more selective to the heart.

[artaud]

Should I give it till my 6 month visit before making a decision, you think there would be any harm other then aggrevation

That's up to you. If the doctor thought there was any chance for harm, he would have given you more tests or prescribed something. Personally I like beta-blockers, they can help you to feel more relaxed.

[Enduronman]

IMHO: Atenolol...is safer. Propanolol crosses into the brain, and can cause "other issues". Atenolol, to my knowledge, has not and is prescribed also quite frequently to people who have (microvascular angina, which is PAIN IN THE CENTER OF THE CHEST) because it stops that, takes the focus (OFF OF THE CENTER OF THE CHEST) therefore making lives more tolerable so there isn't a (CONSTANT PAIN IN THE CENTER OF THE CHEST THAT MAKES PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DIE OF A HEART ATTACK EVERY DAY) when quite frankly, microvascular angina is just a condition and not a disease and low dose atenolol provides a more stable heart beat, less in any pain, and lowers the risk of an actual coronary heart disease as well......ggrrrrrr ruff rufff!...LOL!.......

It is entirely up to you B...:)

[Enduronman]

That's up to you. If the doctor thought there was any chance for harm, he would have given you more tests or prescribed something. Personally I like beta-blockers, they can help you to feel more relaxed.

BINGO!!!! Agreed ^^^^^ Artaud!!!

E-Man.

[Enduronman]

If I didn't take (atenolol) daily, I would ALSO have minor chest pains every single day but it would just be an annoyance and not a trip to the ER...(microvascular angina and ANXIETY makes it worse because it's in the tiny vessels)....:)

[artaud]

I just increased my Atenolol from 1/4 of a 50 mg tab, twice a day, to 1/2 twice a day. Just like Blessed, I've been plagued with PVCs as of late. Mmmm, sedation. In a few days that'll wear off, the sedation that is. My cardiologist always thought that taking such a small dose was without merit, but hey, if I can get therapeutic relief from 12.5 mg bid rather than 25 mg bid, why not?

I know how she feels, believe me, I've been getting these damn things for 40 years now. They used to plague me for months, then I'd get relief, but anymore, they're constantly here, on and off throughout the day. Still, nothing near 10,000 and I suspect my vagal nerve is the culprit.

As my stomach churns now, I get PVCs with the more aggressive feelings. One time, when I would get home from work and eat dinner, every time I swallowed my heart would misbeat. My wife thought me nuts, so I told her to take my pulse. Lo and behold, everytime I swallowed, a misbeat. So off to the cardiologist, my wife worked for him. He does an EKG, listens, everything's OK. He tells me that it's got to be the vagal nerve. Come to research the bugger and find out that it's the brakes for the heart. Adrenaline fires us up, but something has to slow us down after that, and the vagal nerve (vagus nerve) does it by directly controlling the heart rhythm, son of a b**tch.

The vagal nerve is part of the autonomic nervous system, controlling involuntary behind the scenes things like heart rate, breathing, etc. And when we suffer anxiety, this stuff gets messed up and wham, we're not running like a well tuned watch, but we still are running.

Also, Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, the natural fluctuation of heart rate as we breathe, I think this is screwed up by anxiety and contributes to rhythm issues. My dog was lying on the floor, and I was petting him, my hand finally stopping on his side. I could easily feel his heart, but the rhythm was constantly changing, I almost rushed him to the vets. What was occurring was respiratory sinus arrhythmia. When the autonomic system works correctly, the heart rate increases as we breathe in and slows as we breathe out. His was remarkable and easily discerned. His was working normally. Supposedly the effect is most noticeable on children and teens, but we loose this as we grow older. Nevertheless I think the shallow rapid breathing the anxiety sufferers are known for is responsible for jerking the heart rate fast and slow too often and contributes to premature beats.

IMHO

[Blessed]

Ok another question please. Is it a good thing that I do not experience heart palps while exercising (knock on wood) ?

[artaud]

Ok another question please. Is it a good thing that I do not experience heart palps while exercising (knock on wood) ?

Simple answer, YES, yes, 1000 times yes. And I mean this in deep earnest. If someone has a problem with their heart, it would not be uncommon to have them on exertion. But when they are benign, exertion causes your heart's natural pacemaker to discharge faster than the irritated cells that cause the arrhythmia. Great sign. Note that after exertion, as your heart is returning to its normal rate, you may get some then. That's to be expected.

[Blessed]

Ok thank you this makes me feel better !

[vonnhelsing]

I do get them when I exercise :( shit

[artaud]

I do get them when I exercise

Have you had tests, Holter, Stress, etc.that showed them occurring under exertion? If the doctor saw them under those circumstances, he/she could evaluate the significance.