Heart palpitations, anyone else?

[AllyMcD]

Hi guys,
So I've been having frequent heart palpitations. They are on and off throughout the day, everyday, for about a week now. I've been to emergency and the ECG and blood test have come back normal. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has had then this frequently and all tests for them have come back normal? I'm wondering whether I push for more tests. Thanks.

Go to your GP, it could be many things.

Are you in the age range for menopause? Hormonal changes can cause them.
Anxiety?

Hi I'm only 27. I've been to the doctors. I've had anxiety since I was about 6. I cant see anything more stressful happening in my life but I do have 2 very young children.

Could be iron deficiency.

I’ve had them on and off for years. I get it when I’m excited or stressed usually or have had too much caffeine and had a lot of them when I was pregnant. Do yours have a pattern?

Yes I get heart palpitations, I also have episodes where my heart palpitates continuously for a few seconds and sometimes up to about 15 seconds at a time. Those freak me out a bit. Mine was diagnosed as Quadrigeminy Premature ventricular contractions (PVC's), so on average a palpitations every 4 beat when it occurs.

My dr referred me after an ecg which was normal but did show the palpitation. Prior to my appointment I had to wear a 72 hr heart monitor and after my consultation I had a heart scan not because he thought there was a problem but to tick all the boxes and put my mind at rest. It all came back as a diagnosis of palpitations deemed within the normal range and not harmful. Consultant did say if I became very dizzy, fainted or had chest pain then to go to a&e but that’s never happened.

Mine are much worse if I am tired, hungover, dehydrated, if it’s too hot and sometimes if I’m walking uphill. I do drink caffeine but not coffee and I avoid aspartamine sweetener. I had my thyroid checked too as this can be a cause. Other causes are lack of potassium and magnesium. I use a magnesium body spray and that does help.

Could be oesophageal spasms? They feel a lot like heart palpitations and would give a null result on any heart tests.

I have this too OP and am your age roughly. Had an ECG etc and nothing came up. I tend to have them a lot for a month or so, then none for ages! Have cut out caffeine and everything, so I'm putting it down to anxiety!

I get them all the time. I have an underactive thyroid, am on thyroxine now, but they are worse if I go under or over. Also tend to lowish iron.
I have had various tracers, I react to the sticky pads so had to give up early on the 72 hour one. They show palpitations, even when I am asleep ( nocturnal tachycardia) but the Doc wasn’t worried. I do hate them though !

Loads and loads. Horrible. Never had it checked out coz I think it’s most likely anxiety

I used to have them a lot and really really fast (minimum 250+ bmp) for hours at a time. They started when kneading my early 20s. I've been in hospital a few years ago with it and then a and e in more recent years for treatment.

I finally got diagnosed about 15/16 months ago with SVT. I had ablation surgery in September and not had any since. I now get the odd missed (ectopic) beats which is similar feeling to when they used to start but they never develop to proper palpitations anymore.

I have also cut out all coffee and reduced my caffeine intake substantially. I've only recently started having non decaf tea again and had my first Diet Coke in about two years the other week.

I had really intense palpitations which started during lock down combined with dizzy spells. Ironically I was feeling more relaxed during lockdown than normal. I had a 24 hour ecg and got diagnosed with sinus rhythm with extremely frequent ectopic ventricular beats. I’ve had an echo cardiogram but haven’t had the results back yet. Am waiting to see a cardiologist but everything has been delayed so I don’t really know any more yet, but I’ve started on a beta blocker and am feeling much better. I have an under active thyroid as well but they don’t think it’s connected. If you keep getting them ask for a 24hour ecg trace, assuming you’ve only had short traces done before. They can track any patterns. They can also do them over 48 or 72 hours.

Another with VEs . Had a stress test, echo, dozens and dozens of ECGs as had the blasted things for years . Always told they’re harmless ! I still worry about them endlessly - more so due to family history - but 99% of the time they’re nothing apparently .

Yes but I'm older than you (49). It took a 72 hour heart monitor to notice the patterns of palpitations, which for me is ectopic heartbeats (extra heartbeats where there shouldn't be, then a pause, then back to normal rhythm).

I have managed to reduce these to a minimum by cutting down on caffeine (one cup of weak coffee a day) and basically no alcohol except special occasions, and just a couple of units. I can get the palpitations if I have a bad cold.

I am not a naturally anxious person but anxiety can trigger palpitations, so something like meditation can help.

Yes me. Also had tests and nothing worrying but I find them debilitating at times. I get them a few days after a stressful event and now regularly before my period. They go when my period starts. Might be worth seeing if there is a pattern.

I've been investigated for them multiple times including Echo, 24hr monitor etc. I have a heart murmur as well which is probably why I have had them investigated so many times. The vast majority of them are benign. Mine are related to stress and hormones. But sometimes my body seems to get in a habit. They can be unsettling. If you are worried push for more investigation but most really are nothing to worry about.

Yes, lots of times, mainly stress related. One time when I went to doc he said it could be due to drinking red wine. I used to drink quite a lot back in the day. The first time I got them, coupled with lumpy breasts, I had it checked out (not a drinker in those days) and the consultant said I should avoid caffeine. So, that was about 30 years ago and no caffeine in coffee anyway, since.

I can be a sign if anemia. Did they test for that?

Hi everyone thank you for your comments!
They don't seem to have a pattern they just seem to be throughout the day. Doesn't matter if I'm standing, sitting, earing, coffee, no coffee etc. I'm trying to find a pattern! My bloods came back normal for thyroid, salts etc all normal. My very short ecg was normal. I'm not sure about iron though, could be a possible deficiency there. I'm wondering if it's due to lack of sleep and my anxiety manifesting itself in a new way. It's just strange because they just randomly started and ow are constant and I don't feel like anything has been different from the last few months!

Mine get into a pattern too and are constant. Even if I wake in the night they are there. Mine normally arrive when I’ve had a stressful event and start to relax. You could try mindful breathing etc to see if that helps. Worrying about them will increase anxiety and then you’re back to square one!

I've noticed they happen more in the evening after dinner when I sit down to relax

I think that’s because that’s when you are still. They may be there at other times but not as noticeable as you are moving around etc

I have had these for the last few weeks, just started like a hot flush, then panic attack , not menopausal, well past that
I get them mostly when just sat, also very fast heartbeat
Due to have an ECG on Friday
Have had quite a lot of stress recently though
Also felt i couldn't breathe properly which panics me a bit

My ECG was read as normal by two paramedics (I'd had heart palpitations for a couple of months before collapsing outside on a dog walk). My DH came running out when the man who helped me informed him I'd collapsed and the paramedics were on the way. I was in an out of consciousness, mainly because of the pain. So ECG was fine, I heard them say. It was DH who said, "Have a look. Her ECG is anything but fine." DH is a GP. I was in the middle of a major heart attack which resulted in a 100% blockage of my LAD as a result of an artery that spontaneously ripped while I was out walking the dog. I then went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated (CPR, defibrillator, all the fun and games). I had a 50/50 chance of survival that night in ICU. I'm still here, by some miracle.

My very long-winded, self-indulgent point is: get your GP to hook you up to a Holter monitor for 24-72 hours to follow this up. My palpitations started in my 20s. I've had them on and off over the years, calming down a lot in my late 30s/early 40s but returning every night for a couple of weeks before my artery tear. I've had a lot of stress and anxiety in my life. My artery tear was caused by immense stress just before it happened. I am 48. You're 27, so it is extremely unlikely that you're about to have a heart attack or anything like that. But you have a heart issue. Your heart is talking to you. You could simply be iron deficient, low on potassium, etc. You're young and you will be ok. But do follow this up with blood tests and a holter monitor. I did this when I was younger and I was followed up by cardiology. Then that stopped because everything was looking normal and healthy over the years. But because of my history, I knew I was having a heart attack immediately (I have very low cholesterol and no risk factors, yet I knew I was in a bad way. You just know.). I was able to get myself to a more populated area to tell someone I was having a heart attack in case I lost consciousness. I think, given my history, I was always secretly prepared and slightly worried I'd have one.

I am giving you an extreme example of what palpitations can mean. And I know this is scary and also rather self-indulgent of me, but it is really, really important not to let heart symptoms go at any age. Push hard to follow this up. Don't let your GP fob you off because you're young.

Thank you for that. I went back to hospital last night with chest pains. They did an ECG which came back fine, bloods fine and a chest xray all fine. I am now getting referred to have the holter monitor placed on me so they can track the palpitations. Because if feels like a big thud they think it's a benign extra beat. It's the very fast beats they said are the real cause for concern. So hopefully the monitor will pick up a pattern and put my mind at ease.