Well, I have to go to Houston this weekend (which isn’t helping the palpitations btw). So I called the cardiologist to see if there was any chance of an appointment before Friday and lo and behold, one opened up while I was on hold! I got in today and they put a heart monitor on me to wear until Monday. Also ordered an echocardiogram. I take 5mg of Bystolic for BP and was told to take up to 20mg a day “if needed” for the palpitations. Of course they didn’t catch one happening while I was there but I feel better about getting things moving. Now to wait for all the results.

Good to hear. Keep us posted.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
Let me preface this by saying I’ve been to my doc, had 2 EKG’s, some bloodwork and have no chest pain or shortness of breath…. Everything was normal.

So these palpitations started out of the blue this last week. I can feel it happen and I’m quite sure of what it is. I’ve thrown an irregular beat or two on occasion in the past, a PVC or PAC typically. What’s going since Tuesday or Wednesday is the same, but a lot of them. My Doc and I chocked it up to stress, etc. I know him fairly well and he takes quite good care of me. It’s just odd how suddenly it started and I’d prefer it stop! Suggestions?

I have a similar problem but with shortness of breath. I'm wearing a heart monitor now maybe it's a good idea that you do also.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
Well, I have to go to Houston this weekend (which isn’t helping the palpitations btw). So I called the cardiologist to see if there was any chance of an appointment before Friday and lo and behold, one opened up while I was on hold! I got in today and they put a heart monitor on me to wear until Monday. Also ordered an echocardiogram. I take 5mg of Bystolic for BP and was told to take up to 20mg a day “if needed” for the palpitations. Of course they didn’t catch one happening while I was there but I feel better about getting things moving. Now to wait for all the results.

Excellent news! Persistence paid off. Please keep us posted.

Well I finally had my follow up appointment with the cardiologist today. He gave me some advice (eat better, get better sleep, exercise, etc) but otherwise I got a clean bill of health for the most part. He said he was quite certain that some “stimuli” was upsetting me.. stress, etc. The monitor I wore for 5 days definitely recorded the erratic beats, but he basically said to just take it easy and make healthier choices with food and lifestyle. Good news! Thanks again for all the suggestions, advice and concern guys.

That's great to hear. Now comes the hard part, following doctor's order.

That is excellent news, I'm glad to hear it.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Now comes the hard part, following doctor's order.

So true.

Exactly guys, exactly. Clearly I’m following the “get more sleep” advice.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
Exactly guys, exactly. Clearly I’m following the “get more sleep” advice.

How's that cup of coffee going?

quote:

Originally posted by wingspar:
I started having heart palpitations in October 2020.

My first trip to the ER was the night before the 2020 election. I guess it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Day after the election I was back in the ER. It was also the day I was supposed to start my new job, a job I'd taken to remove tons of anxiety and stress from my life. It worked, just too late.

Just a frustrated rant - went to the doc this week for regular checkup and after listening to my heart asked if I have had any heart palpitations. I answered ‘occasionally’ and she just nodded.

After doing rest of physical she told me that she was going to have me set up for a heart monitor to wear and then also have an echo.

Can’t get in for the heart monitor for 2 weeks and the Echo can’t be schedule until after Thanksgiving.

Of course I do/did what everyone does - Google. I guess I feel ‘some’ relief that of all the terrible things heart palpitations can lead to, I do not have any other symptoms of anything. I exercise with no issues, do not get winded, and feel good…but anything to do with your heart can freak you out a bit…which I’m trying not to do because I end up giving myself an anxiety attack.

Some days I don’t have any at all, other days they go on throughout the day until I take my atenolol in the evening and then they go away. They are not uncomfortable in any way, usually feel like a mild hiccup.

Just frustrates me that I need to wait so long to get the echo.

Your doc failed the part where the patient is reassured. Next time let her know that you did not get your monies worth and ask some questions. You should not have to google for answers.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Stress / anxiety can certainly do it.

I've written two giant walls of text now telling my story and my presumed "brush with mortality", deleted them both.

Long story short, it can be anxiety or stress that you don't even realize you have.

Bingo right there. You can have chronic stress that you get used to, unconsciously thinking it as a new normal, until you talk to a doctor who may help you tease it out. In either case I agree with everyone so far recommending a cardiologist. For sure.

Finally got in for Echo today. “Murmur” is what got me sent there - have not had any palpitations for a few weeks (after greatly reducing my alcohol and shit food intake).

The tech doing the scan said the cardio doc would read it in the next day or two and then I’d get a letter. I fished for her thoughts and she repeated that the doc would do the reading. She did say…”But if I saw anything bad I wouldn’t let you leave…”. I jokingly told her I was going home to exercise unless she told me not to and she laughed and said, “have a great workout!”

Ronin, when I was still in practice your story was far too common. Usually the cause of symptoms was anxiety, but often enough it was not--atrial fibrillation being the usual diagnosis requiring treatment.

The barriers to seeing a cardiologist are usually too high, the wait for an appointment too long, and the valued reassurance--based on a thoughtful evaluation--too rare.

When I was on the "inside", I could walk down the hall and get an appointment to see any specialist very quickly, was treated with respect, and was referred quickly as needed.

Now that I'm just an old retired coot, things are different. I'm just a civilian and witness the same barriers to get across the exam room threshold as everyone else.

OTOH my wife and I have had mostly excellent experiences. with the physicians and their assistants in San Diego--better than in other facilities served by this large mutispecialty group practice. It's probably going to mean we have to keep a house in SD just to access medical care.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:

The tech doing the scan said the cardio doc would read it in the next day or two and then I’d get a letter. I fished for her thoughts and she repeated that the doc would do the reading. She did say…”But if I saw anything bad I wouldn’t let you leave…”. I jokingly told her I was going home to exercise unless she told me not to and she laughed and said, “have a great workout!”

Have you been checked for sleep apnea?

I ask because I was diagnosed with Afib and it would hit me randomly about 6-8 times a year

In 2021 I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and went on a CPAP and the Afib has subsided to almost nothing. My heart must have been getting so stressed at night fighting to keep me alive that this was a result.

It's worth looking into.

quote:

Have you been checked for sleep apnea?

I think that’s probably next. My Garmin watch shows that I am still relatively “stressed“ at night.

My girlfriend tells me that as I’m losing weight, I don’t snore as much as I did, so I’m hoping I can get this under control myself, but a machine may be in my future.

quote:

so I’m hoping I can get this under control myself, but a machine may be in my future.

Just because you start using a CPAP for assistance doesn't mean you have to forever, and you might be reducing the stress on your heart in the meantime.

quote:

Originally posted by Nismo:
Anxiety? How is your caffeine intake?

Bingo..I had to give up caffeine to get my PVCs to stop It took a few months to wean off of it, but pretty much all gone now.