Heart palpitations and fluctuating heart rate. Worried about AF and compliations.

[Misg]

Hi I am new to this community. For nearly two months I have been having problems with random palpitations and feeling slightly more breathless than usuual plus so many more issues. It is strange for me as I have not had problems with my heart I am only 22

It all started with heart palpitations. I have been having problems with my kidneys for two months now so I put it down to the stress of that as I had had this before when I was stressed out over a liver situation but that had quickly gone away after my anxiety calmed down. However this was different. I had started to feel light headed, plus tired and had noticed my heart rate was in the 90s for a couple of hours straight which alarmed me. Long story short i had gone to A&E the next day because of the lightheadedness. They did an ECG test which came back normal. Within this week I experienced chest pains muscle cramping plus breathlessness slightly on one occassion my left arm went a bit numb whilst having a sharp electric almost shock in my chest but normal breathing which sent me flying into A&E in which i had 4th ecg that week whcih came back normal and also 4th blood test which came back normal.

Since then my heart rate has fluctuated slightly from day to day but is consistently between 73-78 on a normal day but when i count sometimes it can be an 85 and then the next hour 76. The palpitations have been on and off too. I notice when i have not eaten enought the day before my heart rate can be a bit high especially after a day of walking and i have put that down to my electrolyte.

Last week my heart rate was about 105 beats per minute for 3 hours straight but just for one day. However i had again put tbis down to not eating well the day before cause I was worried about my potassium intake.

Now this week i have eaten well been active tried sleep well but my palpitations are still there but my heart rate is still in the 70s especially today I had an irregular heart rhythm that was painfull and lasted longer than what i was used to as well as feeling very tired.

My question is is it right to be worried about atrial fibrillation? I can't help but be worried about the risk of stroke and heart attack as I have now had this going on for nearly two months now and have no anti coagulants so i am a bit worried. Any advice will help. I want to go in for the blood thinners but think they most likely won't give me any sadly. Again any advice will help. Thank you.

[BobD Volunteer]

Firstly have you seen your GP and has he arranged for you to see an specialist. A and E is not the right place for this type of problem in my view. Palpitations just means that you are aware of your heart beating and to be honest the rates you quote are not that high . Normal heart rate is considered to be between 60 and 100 and will vary according to what you are doing. Anxiety is always a problem in such cases as it has the double whammy of being self perpetuating plus increases heart rate and so ad infinitum.

You must understand that AF is not life threatening even when it does feel like it but since this has never been found on an ECG I think you are getting ahead of yourself. Even if you did have AF, at your age you are unlikely to need anticoagulation. (Not blood thinners please. They don't. They help prevent clots forming which is quite different). Oh yes and AF won't cause a heart attack so don't worry on that account either..

[Misg in reply to BobD]

Hello, thanks for your reply. I have brought this issue up with my GP and I am now to keep a diary of when this happens, got an ecg and a blood test to see my kidney function plus electrolyte levels as I have been having pain and other symptoms and that can cause irregular heart rhythm but it also could be anxiety; momist below pointed out a nerve situation and I have also been having problems with that in my head, neck, and arm so i will bring that up to with my gp. I have been having quite alot of health issues over the last couple of months and I am just always concerned when something goes out of whack so I am consistently searching for what it could be just to get somr clarity. Again thanks for your message.

[JaneFinn]

Welcome to the forum, Misg

I’m sorry you’re being troubled by these symptoms. You sound quite anxious - which is totally understandable when suddenly faced by the sensation of your heart misbehaving, and other worrying symptoms. We’ve all been there! But so have A LOT of people whose palpitations and pains turned out to be both harmless and temporary

Do take on board Bob’s great response and his reassurances - he knows his stuff

It’s very normal to have a fluctuating heart rate... all sorts of things such as food, temperature, position etc etc all affect it - even checking your heart rate affects it! And it’s good to know your rate isn’t really that high at all. Even if you do have spells of AF (and it’s very far from being confirmed) you are unlikely to be advised to take anticoagulants at your age, so don’t worry that you’re missing out on that.

Going to a&e means you’ve had some really useful blood tests and ecgs, and the results are very reassuring that there’s nothing sinister going on - they ruled out that you were having a heart attack, and also ruled out various permanent rhythm problems. What’s left for you to do now (if you haven’t!) is to go to your GP and outline all your symptoms ... and get him/her to refer you to a cardiologist. Be clear about the different symptoms you’ve experienced. The tests they will send you for will hopefully pick up the palpitations you’re talking about and anything else that’s going on.

I hope that like many, many others, you’ll find that what you’ve been experiencing is just a harmless bit of arrhythmia that will even itself out.

I know it’s easy to say, but try not to worry. Do you do any breathing exercises to help keep calm? They are really useful for steadying the heartbeat, as well as for calming the body’s reaction to any anxieties.

Really hope you feel better soon - do keep us posted X

[Misg in reply to JaneFinn]

Hello, I have gone to my GP and they have told me to jot down when this happens and then come back to them as well as an ECG test and blood test to see if my kidney function could affect this (too much potassium could cause your heart to beat irregularly) but he thought anxiety could part of it but could also be my other health problems. Thank you for your reply I'm gonna be doing more of those breathing exercises and keep track of all of this. Alot has been going on with my health and I'm always just trying to search for an answer. Again thanks so much for your advice. Best wishes.

[momist]

Hi Misg and welcome to the forum. However, I'm not convinced that you should be reading this forum as you have not (yet) been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, and what you are describing doesn't sound like a typical introduction to this 'mongrel disease'. I'm very sorry to hear of these distressing symptoms, and the resulting anxiety, in someone so young, and it is right that you are searching for your own answers, even on here.

I have just one recent experience to offer: My 38 year old son has had a sudden chest pain on the left side, high up, followed by distressing pains in his left arm. This naturally sent him rushing to a doctor, thinking he was having a heart attack. At the doctor's, he went into a true panic attack, with short heavy breathing and dizziness and the works. All heart related tests were done, and nothing showed up at all. A week later with pain still in his arm he was sent to see an 'orthopaedic' (he lives in Germany, and the health structure there is different to ours). They gave him an injection of something in his chest, just below the collar bone, and told him the pain will 'go away' eventually. When he asked "how long", he was told "I don't know, no one ever comes back".

He is now staying here with us for a week (for his brother's wedding) and still has a pain in his arm. I took him to a private physiotherapist, and he has diagnosed a nerve condition afflicting the nerve sheath and causing the pain. This originates in a postural fault in his neck, but the result is severe inflammation in a nerve nexus just under the collar bone and then a stretching of the radial and central nerves down his left arm. The chest pain was the flare up at this nexus, and the arm numbness and pain are due to the 'stickiness' of the inflamed nerve sheath. He has been given exercises to do which are immediately helping, and will have two more visits during the week he is here for more massage of the spine and instruction on the exercises.

Now, I'm not saying this is relevant to you, but what is relevant is that not everything is caused in the way we think it might be, and doctors don't always know best. Get some second opinions on what is going on, but I would start with your GP as BobD suggested.

[Misg in reply to momist]

Hello, thank you for your message. I was so anxious and worried as the palpitations were becoming frequent and was unsure whether my symptoms were anything of atrial fibrilliation as I thought I was wrong and I guess I am. I do have the same thing with nerves and pain that spreads to my head and left arm and seems to be a nerve or something as it is affected with how my body is positioned especially my neck and back.

Thank you for this message again. I have already gone to my gp about this and they have said anxiety and probably a mix of my other health problems. Again thanks for your story and I hope your son is better now.I will bring this issue up with my gp. Best wishes.