can stress cause irregular heartbeats?

[lou33]

i've been getting a lot recently

When I was in labour with DC2, they found I had a hear murmur. After I had an echocardiogram, it showed that it was just a normal flow murmur. However, I did notice that the irregualr beats occured more when I was stressed (I guess when your bp is higher it's more noticable). If it happens now, I try to relax instantly and stay calm and sit down for a while.
Perhaps you have a flow murmur so should ask GP to check it out if it's worrying you.
Are you pregnant as heart murmurs are often detected during pregnancy as they're more noticable then?Or (b), it could be nothing. Would get it checked out though.

that will probably be it then!

omg i hope not, i am 40 and was sterilised 5 yrs ago lol

not too sure my bf would be too keen on timing either as he is emigrating in a few weeks!

it's been getting worse over the last couple of weeks, but then so have my stress levels

they felt all over the place this morning when i was driving, and there was nowhere to pull over until they passed

defo get it checked out then - you don't want to worry about when it's going to happen, especially when driving. Sometimes mine are so bad, it makes me feel ill and I panick.

i feel like i have lived at the gp's since xmas

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thanks oops, i did know the difference, as dd1 had a murmur when she was younger

and i dont drink coffee

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you didnt sound like that at all, i appreciate you posting

Anaemia can do it too, apparently.

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lol

Are they irregular i.e. fast, fast, slow, slow (or something), or a short period of RAPID heartbeats (Sometimes feels like twice as fast, and pounding inside)?

I had the latter during a period of extreme stress - several bursts over about three months. If it's this, it's useful to learn something called the Valsalva maneuver (see here which will help bring them back under control quickly.

Worth getting checked out by your GP if it continues though....

irregular beats, fast, slow, fast...

lou33, I have exactly the same thing. I had an all over body examination last week which included and ECG etc, my heart is absolutley fine. But my doc told me the irregular heart beats [and with me, a tightening of the chest too] is the start of an anxiety attack. She told me to try and calm my breathing down when I feel like this, and to breath slowly and calmly. Hope this helps you.

i'm sure it is something to do with stress or anxiety, but it comes on sometimes when i am falling asleep too

am going to doc tomorrow, i feel like i am living there atm

Lou - it's quite common to have stress/anxiety symptoms when you're going to bed at night especially if you're mind's racing. Sounds like you have a big upheaval happening soon with BF emigrating though? Do go and see the doctor just to get it checked out but if they can't find anything wrong then cut yourself some slack and take some time out to relax if you can.

i have a condition called supra ventricular tachycardia (basically was born with an extra nerve which short circuits occasionally and makes my heart beat too fast), and it is usually triggered by stress, so i think thats going to be a big factor in whats happening to you.

have a nice long hot bath tonight to try and relax and unwind a bit

i wish i had only that to bother about, but i have 4 kids on my own, my youngest is due in hospital on thursday, which is also the day my mother died, i am having to go bankrupt and my exh is possibly coming back to the uk in may, and knowing him he will undoubtedly give me shit

the only time i get to unwind is when they are all asleep and i am so tired then ,all i want to do is go to bed

deffo stress

are you still smoking?

I bet you smoked that pack in your car

no i'm not and no i didnt

nearly 15 weeks now!

[impressed and pleased emoticon]

I have atrial fibrillation and have to take meds all the time now - I do think that stress was one of the causes, yes. Get it checked out. It's not dangerous as such but it does increase the risk of a stroke if your heart is in AF for a long time.