Hard thumping - experiences - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Hard thumping - experiences

Nellls profile image
25 Replies

I am going to get this checked out but I was hoping to hear of anyone else experiences. I've been reading this site for a few years and it has helped me so much.

Quick background, I'm 41 had af for 7 years. 2nd ablation in Jan 19 and no issues or meds since. When I was in af I occasionally felt a run of hard thump beats that made me panic more than the palpitation feelings. I had fast af, lasting up to 20hrs, hr above 230 at times. But these thumps scared me. I told my EP at the time and it was seen as part of the af.

Last night, sitting on the couch, I had about 10 hard beats, it felt like a pause in between each beat. I then felt a bit dizzy afterwards. I had a bit of a silent panic! Kardia was fine and it didnt happen again. My chest felt achey as if I had been thumped?!

I would be grateful to hear others thoughts and experiences. I have that dreadful feeling/anxiety that has overwhelmed me today, I think the mental health around af is significant for me too.

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Nellls profile image
Nellls
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25 Replies
Chrissy7 profile image
Chrissy7

Hi It’s interesting you should post this just about the same time I was going to post something similar. So if you don’t mind I’ll just read here and see what people say

I have had this experience several times especially when I get angry or upset.

Just a few really hard beats .. seems like they stop in between.

Thump, thump, thump - like it’s going to jump out of your chest.

I had PAF and went to ER once but my Apple Watch doesn’t show a high heart rate at any time ...

So I find this confusing...

Let’s see if anyone can shed done light on these episodes....

Nellls profile image
Nellls in reply to Chrissy7

Hi, thanks for the response. Hopefully we can get some thoughts. I'm hoping they are ectopic beats, however I've caught pvcs and pacs on my kardia countless times before and these thumps feel quite different.

Nigel2000 profile image
Nigel2000 in reply to Chrissy7

I call this wonky heart and I used to get it all the time before and during AFIB. The Iwatch don’t label it afib but the read outs showed the weird rhythms and pauses. Made the iwatch worth its weight in gold as it was hard to describe to the docs..

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

These sound very much like ectopic beats whch are generally benign. Very brief explanation.

Ectopic means out of place. When the top chamber fires before the bottom chamber , when that fires there is nothing in it to pump. Therefor the next pump is bigger and harder which is what you feel. Everybody gets them but never notice whilst we AF people do unfortunately because we become so heart aware.

Slow deep breathing helps. Why not use the search facility to look at what other people have said about ectopics?

Ronnieboy profile image
Ronnieboy in reply to BobD

Excellent description.

TracyAdmin profile image
TracyAdminPartner

Good Morning Nells - if you would like some advice please do not hesitate to contact the Patients Services team at the A F Association via info@afa.org.uk or call our helpline 01789 867 502. Alternatively, you may find some of our Patient Information booklets helpful heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

Chrissy7 profile image
Chrissy7 in reply to TracyAdmin

Wow thank you Tracy!That’s so helpful... no doctor has been able (or has even tried) to answer my questions.

Finvola profile image
Finvola

First thought I had was heavy PVC's- 10 in a row can leave you very wobbly. I occasionally get a couple together but only once had what you describe. The anxiety - I think - comes from our brains telling us that there was an issue with our hearts. Relaxation, deep breathing or anything which lifts the spirit does help to get over it.

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat

Hi nellls, yes Iv had the same sort of thumps in the past too. Sometimes they would be really forceful as if a billiard ball had dropped into my chest.?? Sometimes I was left with a slight ache in the chest area which was very frightening and put me straight into panic and worry mode for the rest of the day.😢 I did explain to my EP what had going on as I waited for my first ablation and he did indeed say these were ectopic beats, I hated the ectopic s more than the afib sometimes.

Nellls profile image
Nellls in reply to Jetcat

Yes, that sounds like my experience too. I was surprised by the force and the ache!

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat in reply to Nellls

The ache I experienced lasted quite a while so that’s why I probably went into worry mode.? But it wasn’t a ache I can exactly explain if you know what I mean.!!!! I didn’t think I had to call ambulance ASAP but it wasn’t nice all the same, I’m sill here so my cardiologist was rite even though I thought he wasn’t at the time,!!!!!😂 he told me sometimes ectopics can cause a great deal of alarm but they aren’t going to kill you.

jeanjeannie50 profile image
jeanjeannie50

Things to think about:

Were you so deep into what you were doing at the time, that for a short while you weren't breathing deeply enough and your heart protested?

Tight clothing restricting internal organs (for ladies it could be a tight bra)?

Your posture at the time, or perhaps a large stomach causing internal pressure?

Just some ideas and things I believe may cause the heart to complain,

Jean

Nellls profile image
Nellls

Thanks for all of the thoughts and responses. Hopefully it was hard PVCs, I think when I've caught pvcs or PACs before it felt less severe. Pre-ablation, my heart had been wobbly throughout my entire life with af, flutter, svt and ectopics, having 2 years of calm has made me a bit panicky, especially as these sensations felt different. I'm going with the hard pvcs and a tight bra as the explanation. Fingers crossed, calmness resumes. Thanks again.

seasider18 profile image
seasider18

Before going into permanent AF on two ocasions I had a tremendous thump that knocked me off my feet. One time I fell forward on to the bed . The other I fell forward between the table and a chair and had difficulty in getting up.

Nellls profile image
Nellls in reply to seasider18

Gosh, that sounds forceful. I've also had a thump before going into af before. A paramedic once told me that I had an ectopic beat before a run of af, then an ectopic and a run of flutter, then one before svt, as if my heart was trying reset but setting of down another dodgy track! I think that's why I'm wary of the thumps and I've never had more than a few in a row until the other night.

seasider18 profile image
seasider18 in reply to Nellls

This was before I went into permanent AF.

I had a really bad case of GAD Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which is in remission. You folks obsessively staring at that Kardia are not doing yourself any favors. I never wear a monitor unless my EP puts me on one.

Now, I just got off a two week monitor (approximately 150+ days after AFIB/tachycardia ablation). Over the 2 weeks, I had two or 3 rapid fire series of beats just as you describe. Lasted maybe 2 or 3 seconds (6 beats+/-).

During follow up analysis with my EP ... they must have been the .02 percent of ectopic beats they picked up. Virtually no significance as far as they were concerned. A little different from ectopics I had in the past, I will say. Haven't had it again since I took off the monitor almost a month ago.

Goldfish7 profile image
Goldfish7 in reply to The_Lord_is_with_Us

I think its a case of 'horses for courses' I find the Kardia devices very useful, don't obsess over them and find that they stop me from worrying when my hearts misbehaving as it will show me if things are worrying enough to have to consider medical attention. If they aren't I can relax and 'weather the storm'.

MartinoH profile image
MartinoH

I have also had something very similar over the past few weeks. I am fortunate enough to have a Loop Recorder implant, which means that my EP can check when I have symptoms. He gave me an explanation which matches Bob’s explanation above. So hopefully nothing to worry about !

Tapanac profile image
Tapanac

Yes I know that feeling well. My thumps were so hard it felt as if the bed or sofa etc was moving instead of me. Unfortunately mine went on for hours so in the end I did have to call paramedics and was taken into hospital. I believe like everyone has said they were ectopics but still frightening and then and also when I have the afib/tachycardia afterwards I feel as if a horse has kicked me in the chest.

We all feel for you and hope you feel and stay well soon

Tapanac profile image
Tapanac

Tapanac

Yes I know that feeling well. My thumps were so hard it felt as if the bed or sofa etc was moving instead of me. Unfortunately mine went on for hours so in the end I did have to call paramedics and was taken into hospital. I believe like everyone has said they were ectopics but still frightening and then and also when I have the afib/tachycardia afterwards I feel as if a horse has kicked me in the chest.

We all feel for you and hope you feel and stay well soon

Goldfish7 profile image
Goldfish7

I have similar heart thumping experiences that usually come in very short runs but sometimes longer - seem to be PAC's, ectopics, but the gap is scary. As the worst are usually over in around 20-30seconds - although often reoccurring a number of times following the initial burst - Kardia often misses them.

I also frequently get a very loud thumpy heart that can last for hours but the Kardia doesn't show anything different. So I'm unsure what is going on as well. I know that some of the general thumping can follow overexertion or picking something up thats too heavy (sadly overexertion for me is set at a very low threshold, similarly what is too heavy), but not always. Occasionally the thumping will carry on for hours and then turn into bigeminy, trigemini. or tachycardia requiring pill in pocket meds.

Nellls profile image
Nellls

Sometimes the anxiety is half of the battle. I hadn't taken the kardia out of the drawer for over 2 years but must admit I find it really reassuring to check. I feel very blessed that I can now often go weeks, without thinking about my heart. There was a time when I couldn't go 5 minutes! I really appreciate the reassurances regarding the ectopics. I think I have a little voice that is always expecting a return of af at some point, but every day without it is a bonus.

dwright12 profile image
dwright12

I wake up and have those "hard" beats. Feels like I'm going to pass out. I have a implant monitor and I press the button to record these beats and the EP doesn't say anything about them!

Alphakiwi profile image
Alphakiwi

I get the same thing. It started about 10 yrs ago. I have aflutter now and am drug intolerant and excersise intolerant. when resting my heart rate goes down as low as 31 when sleeping but bike riding which i used to do a lot of sends the heart rate way over max for my age. im awaiting paceand ablate procedure as my left atrium is severely enlarged. when im resting those thumps come on sometimes really hard and cause me to breathe in real hard. not nice and hurts. my drs over the years could never say what the thumps were. all part of aging problem. for me it seems it was a precursor to AF problem. take care.

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