Hi friends,
Well I have so many skipped beats again. I am currently on a holter monitor. Does anyone ever have fear of what monitor results will be after the study? The anxiety is actually making my palpitations worse thinking about it. Why can’t I break the anxiety when I have skipped beats? Does anyone else feels anxious when you have skipped beats?
Any oddities that occur are surely welcome as they will enable a proper diagnosis.
It is tedious, unsatisfactory and unhelpful when you have a monitor and nothing happens whatsoever.
You had an ablation in 2016 for AF and SVT. You are worried that your pathways are reconnecting.
You recognise that AF and anxiety feed off other. Your cardiologist will manage your heart. Many here will have thoughts about managing anxiety.
My instinct is that a small dose of a beta blocker may be helpful but only if not contra-indicated. Are you on any medication that could be contributing to your anxiety? Are your thyroid function tests normal?
May I ask how old you are?
Yes all normal. I take daily aspirin. I’m 34
Thank you. I have the impression that at a younger age, AF is occasionally secondary to other conditions, but I see that you are in the US so I’m sure you will have been very thoroughly checked out, including for Lyme disease which can cause heart rhythm problems.
No, nothing to fear, I'm rather looking forward to knowing if what I am feeling is flutter or just anxiety.
I too have had an increase in the frequency and number of palpation's over the last few months. After a couple of years of not seeing any benefit (for me) I succumbed to buying an Alivecore . I have caught a few PAC's and now I can see my feelings on a screen. It has actually reduced my anxiety, knowing that it's "just" a palpitation. I can just try and "tune them out" and get on with my day.
All the best
Mike
Anxiety and ectopics can feed on each other. There is a simple breathing exercise which will often help to relieve them.
Breathe deeply using your belly not your shoulders to a count of 5, then slowly out to at least a count of 5. Take no more than 6 breaths a minute for at least 5 minutes. Works for me but I usually continue for 10 minutes.
If you search the top right box for Gupta ectopics, you’ll find a link to Dr Gupta’s video explaining the technique. There are also many threads on ectopics as so many of us suffer with the blasted things. Best wishes
Hi Rdiehl, totally understand your anxiety about what the monitor results will show. Every time I go for a download of my implanted recording device, I’m really nervous about what it will reveal.
BUT if I were you, I’d be very grateful if my heart was misbehaving while it’s being recorded. I remember back to the endless times I had 1 week and 2 week monitors on ... and my heart suddenly behaved impeccably. I think the relief of knowing it’s being safely recorded used to make me relax! Many of us have the experience of going into arrhythmia literally minutes after handing back the recording monitor!! Very very frustrating.
I know it’s nerve wracking wondering what they’ll find, but the known is much much better than the unknown... here’s hoping that what they find is reassuring.
There’s some great advice in the posts above about methods to manage or reduce the effect anxiety has on arrhythmia. Really hope it helps.
Do let us know how you get on x
I think the anxiety is normal. Ectopic beats can cause a person to feel drained, or have less energy. So it's hard not to think about it.
I really sympathise, because I hate it when my heart goes berserk, and it's so hard not to feel panicky, but you're being monitored, and I wish you all the best.
Heart Palpitations (skipped beats)
Skipping Beats
Skipping Beats ! 
PACs/Skipped beats post ablation
