Heart pulpatations even though im in nsr

[Steve2810]

Hi all had my 1st ablation last november and been in nsr since with the help of a cardioversion a couple of weeks after it. Anyway, since friday my heart feels like its quivering and its driving me mad, i have the alivecor app and keeps saying im in normal rhythem and heart rate is about 70bpm so seems ok??? I know if i go hospital there going to say im fine because im in nsr, but this quivering feeling in my heart is driving me mad! Any ideas what it could be??? Dont really want to cause a fuss with hospital again,

[Buffafly]

Hi Steve, my ablation was in December, my heart has had some little tantrums, what I call 'mad bunny mode' and it also quivers sometimes. It is as if a shiver runs through it and I agree feels very strange but as long as it is not constant I don't think I need to worry. I am sure it must be maddening but if you feel OK in yourself I guess you don't need to worry but if you feel at all unwell you should get it checked out if only to reassure you.

I wonder what you are anxious about? I think if you could express what your fear is it would help others to help you. When I first had lots of ectopics I was convinced my heart was going to stop but I didn't dare tell my doctor that and he didn't give me any reassuring information!

[Steve2810 in reply to Buffafly]

Yes also just like a chill runs through it yes, i feel ok in myself, but just wondering when its going to go as its driving me mad, i was the same with eptopics they was wierd i had loads of em after my ablation

[Devine75]

Hi I had my second ablation In November for svt and my op was a success but I felt bug thuds and what felt like little runs etc and managed to get ecg for 72 hours as I was convinced op had failed. Turns out its ectopics and anxiety. I currently have good days and some bad when they are frequent. If you're worried get checked if it's nothing then hearing that will stop you worrying at least. X

[Steve2810 in reply to Devine75]

Yes just seems when im slightest bit stressed now or slightly nervous eg being a passenger in car with the gf's driving (scary) lol,the stress on my heart is crazy and it really does effect it, was thinking about trying yoga or something, but i just dont feel my old self anymore, everytime i have a bit of everyday stress i feel it effecting my heart and have to sit down or if its that bad i try and sleep it off, just to help try and escape the strange feeling! I still dont think this ablation has made me feel as great as everyone says, its not as bad as it was i admit but it still doesnt feel right????

[Buffafly in reply to Steve2810]

I do worry when anything happens that stresses my heart, last week my husband had a possible small stroke and I felt so anxious for a few days I could feel my heart thumping and then I worried about that too!

Some, maybe many, lucky people feel wonderful after an ablation but people like us just have to feel grateful we feel better.

By the way, my husband is not allowed to drive but I'm not driving him around because he definitely would have another stroke if I did 😨

[CDreamer in reply to Steve2810]

There is a very close link between AF and you call it stress - which implies you have control of your stress levels but that is easier said than done. but I think there is a direct connection between the nervous system and those with AF which means we are hard wired into anxiety.

Without the long lecture, the nervous system is complicated but controls our 'stress' levels - we need stress in order to function, but when the system goes into overdrive it can cause a feedback loop which gives unpleasant symptoms - such as you are experiencing. The connection between AF and anxiety is very close, but in my opinion it is very different type of anxiety which people without AF suffer - it is palpable for me it felt chemical and electric - I call it the adrenaline rush - it is a physical sensation which some experience as excitement and others as anxiety. But other versions of the experience exist.

The nervous system consists of not only nerves but a bunch of glands throughout your body and hormones - adrenaline, cortisol are the main stress hormones. They have the effect of keeping the body on 'high alert'.

The good news is you CAN do a lot for yourself but need to find the 'thing' that helps you - exercise works for some whilst meditation for others and then there is mindfulness and on and on.....Yoga is good exercise and also, if you get into meditation, excellent relaxer for the nervous system.

One very easy practise which helps - operative word practice.....

Find quiet place and practice 7/11 breathing - that is

Breath in slowly for count of 7

Pause for 1

Breath out for count of 11

Pause - then repeat from top

Focus on your breathing, use you muscles to push the air in and out of your belly - slow as you can. If you cannot manage 11/7 count - reduce to what you can but ensure the out breath is longer than the in.

Once you have mastered that - put your hand over you heart area and then think Calm - as if you were speaking to your heart, then imagine you are breathing through your heart,

Practice the heart based breathing for 5 mins X 2 a day, regardless, use the 7/11 breathing every time you have sensations. Use both if you can.

7/11 breathing is a direct bio-feedback into the nervous system which basically tells it to calm down.

I use heartmath.org a lot - they developed & produced gadgets that really do help you relax but they also publish loads of info and resources page have loads of simple exercises, such as above which are helpful, it is a non-for-profit organisation. Just go to the resources tab. Products are available in on-line in the UK through various agents. You can download their app - InnerBalance which has graphics to which you match your breathing which many people find helpful.

Otherwise do anything that brings you joy - as long as benefits your health and that of others!

Bit of long post but hope may be of use to you,

Best wishes CD

PS - above applies only assuming you have been checked out by GP and nothing else is found to be wrong.

PPS - Doctors are good at telling you 'it is anxiety' but not so good at telling you how to manage it!

[Steve2810 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks for the usefull comment i will definately have a go with the breathing excercises tonight

[Eliza1 in reply to CDreamer]

Creamer you explained that beautifully......I get that anxiety and I feel wired and tense....on alert. It lasts from few minutes to few hours and anything can set it off. Deep breathing and meditation are its enemies. Practice, practice, practice.

[RichMert in reply to Steve2810]

I am with you there Steve. 2 years down the line (from ablations) and snap. I was told and read here that having suffered AF along with the various feelings, we become more alert to every heart blip. I accept that but like you believe I would have been aware of these 'blips' had I been getting them prior to the AF diagnosis.

[Steve2810 in reply to RichMert]

To true, i totally agree

[mikeymike7]

I had a cryoablation a year ago and those ectopics, ectopic runs and what I would describe as a burbling (your quiver?) have been a frequent visitor, not good for the mind and raising my anxiety.

So, I could have zero, one or two ectopics in a day OR I might get a burble lasting a second or two, OR I might get an ectopic run lasting a couple of hours. These runs could be every five or six beats but varying OR say one a minute.

Anyway, they seem to been getting less of late but who knows!

[Steve2810 in reply to mikeymike7]

I had lots of eptopic beats after my ablation, like 1 after every beat but they slowly fizzeled out and so far i have been ok, when it comes to having that type of beat

[AlanAF in reply to Steve2810]

That's encouraging Steve, thanks for posting.

[AlanAF]

Interesting. I am coming up to a week since my first ablation, and am getting lots of AF and wobbles, but am hoping it will settle down. Concerning that they may never go away entirely. When I asked the EP before the op, I am sure he said they would go.

[IanB48]

Yes, I'm experiencing rapid heartbeats after an ablation last November. The procedure appeared to be successful and I recovered quickly but things went wrong when I came off my beta blockers and started experiencing periods of very rapid but regular heartbeats. My doc arranged for a 24 hour heart monitor that showed I was not in AF but during these episodes I sometimes had a resting pulse of 150.

Things continued to get worse but I persevered hoping it was just a reaction to coming off beta blockers. However, at the end of a month without my meds and with several disturbed nights leaving me feeling worn out and anxious, I gave up and, at my doctor's suggestion, went back onto a low dose of beta blockers. Since then things have calmed down a bit though I still feel tired and anxious. My doctor's arranging another test to check me out a bit further but I feel slightly puzzled as to how things will work out for me.

[Steve2810]

Good luck Ian, i had the racing heart rates and use to try and catch them on my alivecor ecg heart moniter they only lasted a few seconds though and only felt that odd sensation after my ablation, things have calmed down a lot to how i was but still not great, take it easy mate

[Walison]

Hi,

Snap! I completely know where you are coming from with this. I too had my first ablation in Nov 2015. I too have been getting palpitations and odd beats. I went to hospital at first about it and they weren't concerned, saying it was probably ectopic beats. Still unhappy, I have since seen my cardiologist who didn't do any tests and said he is sure they are ectopic beats and nothing to worry about. My pulse, like yours, is around 70, and I am in nsr.So why do we find it so unsettling? I can only say I am just trying to get on with my life and not worry when these strange things happen. I guess we will know soon enough if anything worth really seriously worth worrying about should happen, as our bodies will let us know. Anxiety about it all isn't good for us, so we should try to 'let go of it' I think.

It is of some comfort to know I am not alone in this though, and I really wish you well.