My mother's heart is mucking her about - worried about it, has anyone any experience please?

[ImflightbutIcantlogintoday]

She sounds really tired and not well.

She was up all night having bad palpitations - I think it means you feel like your heart is beating too fast and irregularly - she went to the hospital this morning and they ran some tests and monitored her for a bit - nothing really showed up except her BP went very low at one point, like 65/48 or something.
The palpitations stopped as she was starting the ECG which didn't help solve anything!

She's had them mildly a few years ago but not persistently like this and she's been getting breathless/having to stop doing things recently because it was going too fast. I had no idea.

What could this be? I think last time they mentioned 'ectopic fibrillations' or something like that? I can't remember.

I know her cholesterol is high but that's all, she's otherwise fit and active - she is 55.

Suddenly I'm quite scared, I think my dad is too.

Lol!!! About the takeaway I mean. She never touches anything 'foreign'

It's ventricular ectopic beats I think actually. God my memory is like a sieve.

Thanks Riven. is your Mum Ok now?

She might be put on beta blockers. My MIL has palpitations some times and the beta blockers have really helped.
She also had a monitor for 24hrs so that they get a better look at what is going on.

Has she been to her GP too ?

Not yet, just the out of hours. Thanks - that's encouraging. I just hope it doesn't indicate something serious iyswim?

Last time she gave up caffeine and that seemed to help a bit.

She's to have a 24hr ECG as well. I can't think about losing my mum. She's so young. I'd not know where to turn.

Think about the here and now.
She needs to see her GP so get her to ring on Monday morning.

Ok. I'll be dialling for her

It could (?) be paroxysmal atrial fibrillation:

heartdisease.about.com/od/atrialfibrillation/a/afib_overview.htm

I get exactly the same symptoms as your mum, and it's frightening to say the least. I'm not an expert, but I hope this helps. Hope your mum's ok and taking it easy.

Goodness, thankyou for the link. I will pass it on to her actually as she doesn't totally understand what she has got.

Do you know what causes yours? Do you take anything for it?

Thanks for the good wishes! Saw her this morning and she seemed much better, I am still worried though as we don't know what is underlying it iyswim.

You're welcome. I'm glad your mum's feeling a bit better. My palpitations are caused by mitral valve regurgitation (where the blood flows back into one of the heart chambers), they tend to be worse if I've had an infection or if I'm tired.

Hopefully the 24 hour ecg will pick up the problem, altough sometimes there's no specific cause. If the palpitations happen on a daily basis, she will probaly be put on beta blockers, but if they happen less often, the doc tends to have a 'wait and see' approach.

I hope your mum can get an appt quickly, let us know how she gets on.

Take care.

I had super ventricular tachecardia - basically, an extra nerve circuit in my heart which was causing palpatations.

I had radio wave ablation to burn the extra nerves out. I've had absolutely no problems since.

Before I had the treatment, I was put on beta blockers for a few years, but then the radio wave ablation treament was developed!

Just thought you might like to know that there are heart things which are not life threatening in any way, and can be treated.

Hope you get some answers for your mum soon.

Thankyou both, you're so lovely!
I feel better knowing all this.

You're welcome, hope your mum's ok.

All the best.