Heart flutter

[Profound15]

I get ectopic missed beats most days although they have improved due to the regime I’m on currently. However, anytime I’ve had afib, it takes hold after I’ve had a fluttering feeling in the chest. I’m not aware of it converting to afib with just ectopic beats. Does anyone know why you get the fluttering feeling please.

[Padayn01]

I also suffer from ectopics can I just ask what regime you follow to keep yours at bay?

[Profound15 in reply to Padayn01]

I take 275mg of magnesium daily and also recently started taking 500ml of coconut water. I do find the coconut water does reduce the ectopics. I normally take it late morning. I’ve also recently tried to reduce my gluten intake but whether this is effective with me I’m not sure

[Hidden in reply to Profound15]

Hi Profound15, can I ask why you take coconut water. I mean what is it about coconut water? I too suffer constant ectopic. 😔

[Profound15 in reply to Hidden]

I take it to top up my electrolytes, particularly potassium, and it does seem to help my ectopics. I do like the taste as well though.

[HANDY1]

Profound15 How long have you been feeling your ectopic (pause) heart beats? Are they worse in the day or at night?

[Profound15 in reply to HANDY1]

I’ve had ectopics for many years and generally I get them after eating. It depends on what I’ve eaten I think but pinning down exactly what it is is very difficult. They seem spread out throughout the day. However when I drink the coconut water they seem to stop or reduce. Perhaps the extra electrolytes help but it’s so difficult to determine. Funnily enough I don’t seem to get them after I go to bed before falling asleep although I’ve never used a monitor to check whilst asleep.

[HANDY1 in reply to Profound15]

Profound15 I’m the same way when it comes to food. I ate something yesterday that didn’t agree with me and my ectopic beats were bad. I’m Celiac too. There’s definitely a correlation between the stomach and heart (Vegas nerve) even though most cardiologist say no. I’ve communicated with too many people here that say the same thing. When the stomach is aggravated, ectopic beats increase. When I begin to belch, they diminish too.

[HANDY1 in reply to HANDY1]

Profound15

I had a stress test conducted at the hospital several months ago and the cardiologist who spoke with me told me he has ectopic beats too. What he did say is he cannot feel his but I can feel mine. His were discovered when he wore a halter monitor several years ago. Most people cannot feel there ectopic heartbeats. He claimed that possibly up to 70% of the human population has ectopic heartbeats but most people cannot feel them. If I knew that I had ectopic heartbeats but did not feel them, they would really be no big deal. They determined my heart is structurally sound, my blood pressure is perfect, 120/80, my heart rate is real good (resting 50bpm) so there is nothing to be worried about.

[Profound15 in reply to HANDY1]

I’d read that about ectopics and that we just seem to be more sensitive to them. Just got to not let them bother me but they do.

[KMRobbo]

Not medically trained. However I believe the source of the fluttery feeling is an empty beat.

Ectopics are extra beats. If the extra beat is just prior to a normal beat then the heart chamber has little time to fill so is empty from the extra beat, so little blood is pushed out, so does not cause a proper pulse ( so the missed beat you feel when taking your pulse), this "empty" beat also causes the fluttery feeling.

SORRY - I believe I read this in a Web site but I can't currently find it.

However please note that fluttery feeling can be caused by many things not necessarily ectopics. Gastric issues and stress for example. The double whammy is that the fluttery feeling causes stress which can then cause palpitations, so creating a loop!

The best thing us to relax and don't worry, so to do this you need to understand what you have via a medic, , and if it is not serious like most ectopics then ignore it.

Wikipedia has a lot if info if you look under " Palpitations" .

[Tux18 in reply to KMRobbo]

I needed to read this and other discussion on this topic. Today has not been the best, as on and off all day I have felt fluttery feelings or a fib. When I take BP my machine does not show afib, but I certainly have had uneasy feelings. And my heart rate has shot up briefly over 100 and then settle in for a while. Finally, I decided maybe it was because I had not had enough protein or food today. So did eat some more and took a magnesium drink. Strange day. Just expressing myself as this Afib stuff can make for negative feelings at times.

[mikelocke]

I get the “fluttery” feeling for two or three hours at a time. This happens for a number of times per week. With me it is caused by PAC’s. With a kardia it’s easy to see the pattern. I don’t worry unduly about it.