About a month ago, I posted about the "heavy" heartbeats that I experienced when lying on my back or reclining back in an armchair (also, to a lesser degree, when lying on my side). Typically, the heart beats normally for a few minutes, then I get two or three "heavy" beats in succession. This pattern then repeats; it makes it difficult to get to sleep. The sensation isn't detectable when walking about it sitting upright. These palpitations don't seem to be ectopics in that I don't experience any irregularity if I feel my pulse. It's more common for me to get ectopics. I thought at first this problem might have been caused by the booster vaccine, but it's now about two months since I had it and it seems less likely. I wondered if anyone else had experienced this problem or had any ideas what was causing it? It's a definite change in pattern.
Still plagued by "heavy" heartbeats. - Atrial Fibrillati...
Still plagued by "heavy" heartbeats.
I wonder whether this isn't a physical effect caused by your heart being brought by certain body positions into contact with, probably, your diaphragm or oesophagus. This is a natural thing in some people, I have read, and can act to amplify the heartbeat. When I was younger, I could hear my heart like the clicking of a thumb and middle finger, caused by just this effect, but only when I lay down.
Steve
Thanks for replying. I've read something similar -that lying down can increase pressure inside the body which in turn causes the palpitations. However, this has not happened before, or at least not continued for weeks as it has this time. It's fairly usual for me to get ectopics, which can build up to AF at night. Once the PAF is over everything goes back to normal, but with these palpitations it's not even clear if they are ectopics, just a heavy "thudding" kind of beat intermittently. After I sent the last post I fell asleep then woke up two hours later with an odd "quivering" sensation and even heavier palpitations. I thought I was going into AF but didn't. This quivering continues as do the palpitations, including, now, when I lay on my side. The main reason for the concern is that I think that this is a new pattern, and follows two episodes of PAF in December after seven and a half months of being free of AF. I'm wondering whether this is a shift to more frequent or persistent AF. It's not going to be easy to explain the significance of all this to a doctor (not that one will be available for several days) who will probably say something like "of courses you'll get palpitations, you've got AF."
It is difficult to explain these things and, once a doctor thinks the heart itself is sound, everything else is put down to AF or similar and in a way, ignored. My two week trace last March showed bursts of what the cardiologist called “AF-like activity” whatever that is, for example.
Have you got a Kardia or Apple Watch? You could turn try to record the ECG while it’s happening then email this to your doctor for comment.
Steve
I've got two Kardias- the 6L and an old 1L. The latter is arguably more useful for this as with the 6L I'd have to get out of bed, , switch on Bluetooth and place the device on a knee. I took one a few minutes ago which was normal,but have now got a mild chest pain-which the doctor was dismissive of when I told him about it last time.
I get a lot of chest discomfort at times often when I have tachycardia (85-130bpm). Having been told my heart is okay, I just assume this is my hiatus hernia. To be honest, I find it the most stressful aspect and I never can feel sure that it's my stomach causing it or my heart causing my stomach! The discomfort goes through to my back often.
Steve
I would have thought the hernia had the potential to cause a lot of heart problems. Isn't it possible to get this fixed surgically?
Unless it’s worsened, it’s a small sliding HH and there’s little evidence that these cause much in the way of symptoms at all online. The op is a major one reserved for when the stomach is essentially in the chest cavity. My GP is sympathetic to it causing symptoms but trying to get a cardiologist or a gastroenterologist to connect the two seems impossible.
Steve
I think it's quite common to be able to feel heartbeats more according to your posture Samazeuilh. And it's true that sometimes posture can actually induce the onset of an arrhythmia. But it doesn't necessarily mean that this is a new problem, or increasing an old one, just that you may be feeling it more because you are standing, lying or sitting in a particular position. I don't know if this is the case with you, but you are clearly concerned about what you are feeling, and on those grounds, I'd just advise that you describe it to someone who is medically qualified, so they will have a better idea of what it is. It could be something of no concern, but equally might be something which shouldn't be ignored.
I will try to speak to someone on 111, but I expect it will be difficult on New Year's Day. This isn't quite the ideal start to the new year. Your point about position is valid, but I'm not sure why this should occur now when it hasn't (other than intermittently) in the past.
Hi Samazeuilh, I can certainly relate to the sensations you’re getting and the difficulty getting to sleep but , for me, these are mostly followed by an episode of AF. Like you, I had been free of it for a few months but it has started up again since November and I’m getting episodes every week at the moment🙄. Like you, when I lie back, or on my side, I can experience some heavy “thumps” and then will feel a strange vibrating / buzzing feeling in my chest before it starts. I’m sorry, it’s of no help to you at all but on a positive note, although I’ve been getting more frequent episodes, the last couple, including last nights, have been of shorter duration.
I hope you’re able to get some resolution and get some sleep!
Its very disheartening when AF reoccurs after a longish interval. For the past two years, I have had longer intervals between episodes- maybe only 3-4 episodes a year whereas before I had them more frequently. I had persuaded myself that this was due to better diet, more exercise etc. but am reminded that the condition often progresses. I don't know if this is the start of that progression. Does the frequency of your episodes follow a pattern or are they more or less random?
You're right, it is challenging for sure. Like you, I thought the dietary changes I've been making and the exercise were having a good effect up until things started kicking off again in November . However, I did discover around a month ago, that my vitamin D levels were bordering insufficient which surprised me as I thought I'd been outside a lot this past year, not that we had a huge amount of sun! I have also noticed that my af burden seems to increase over the winter period last year too, so have started supplementing vit D and K2 to see what that does. Have you had your levels checked recently?
I've also got an appointment later this month at a sleep clinic as I suspect I have a degree of sleep apnoea and want to get that checked out too. I only get episodes of af at night and so am thinking there may be a possible link there. I have a little device that tells me my o2 sats and heart rate overnight and I can certainly see a link between o2 drops and hr increases. Some nights I appear to be getting 9 -10 drops per hour , although I'm not aware of them. However, after a particularly bad night in terms of drops, I do notice the next day my heart seems more 'irritable' and prone to firing off ectopics etc. I'm sorry for over-sharing and I don't know how long you have been dealing with af yourself, you may well have investigated these things already but all I'm saying is don't give up until all avenues have been tried.
All the best to you. TC
I've had it since mid 2018 (although I had a few isolated episodes about 20 years earlier which were not identified as AF). Mostly I have AF at night which probably indicates vagal AF. If you do t mind my asking: what is the device which measures SpO2 and heart rate at night? It would be useful to measure these.
No problem, it's a ring that you wear on either index finger or thumb. Called a Viatom Oxygen saturation monitor. I got it at a discount on Amazon in their Black Friday deals back in November. It comes with an App and produces data that can be shared as a pdf etc.
Being outside quite a lot is a bit vague as far as vit D production is concerned! As we age our skin becomes less efficient at making vit D to the point where the skin of a 70 year old will make only one third that of a twenty year old for the same amount of skin exposure. Also the advice that walking about with the arms and face exposed a few times a week will do the trick is a myth. Arms and face make next to nothing . Exposure of the torso and legs is far better so unless you can actively sunbathe in the garden regularly again it is unlikely you will produce enough from the sun to last through winter. The further north you live the smaller the window when the sun is at the correct angle to produce vit D and if you live in a polluted city this again puts a spanner in the works. Sardines help but supplementation is often necessary to get into "sufficient" range. Again the UK "sufficient" range is below that for most of Europe and being below that would be considered frank deficiency. Do you know what your level was?
Hi Auriculaire, thank you for that information . You are quite right, I enjoy being outside gardening but I’m not a sunbather. In addition I don’t like fish, so sardines aren’t an option for me. I have heard the U.K. recommended levels are lower than elsewhere. My level when tested last November was 31 nmol/L, hence starting the supplements of D3 and K2.
I too am a keen gardener and I live in a part of France with plenty sun. In 2007 I was diagnosed with vit D deficiecy with a level slightly higher than yours. I did not sunbathe then and was only really exposing my arms when out working in the garden. You will need to take a hefty supplement to get your levels up. Here in France the sufficient range starts at 75n mol/L. My doctor prescribed a loading ampoule of 400,000 iu .
Wow, that was a dose! When I had a similar problem a few years back now my GP prescribed tablets of 400ius and reckoned that would be fine!
I’m currently taking D3 in liquid form, 1000iu per day and K2 Mk 7 at 100mcg per day. I’m a bit cautious about taking a higher dose of Vit D because last time round I ended up throwing my calcium levels out. Mind you, I was taking a combined Vit D/ K2 supplement then, hence I thought it better to take them as separate supplements this time round. Out of interest, may I ask how much Vit K2 you take?
I take either 100 or 200 mcg depending on what tablets I have! I now take daily drops ( prescribed ) of Calcifediol. This is what our livers produce after the cholecalciferol ( vit D ) has been hydroxylated. It is a much more direct and powerful form of vit D but I do not think it is available in the UK even on prescription. This gives me a very high level of vitD - last test 72ng/mL (180nmol/l) on only 3 drops a day. I do eat oily fish several times a week and actively sunbathe for about 50mins a day .
Thank you for the further information, Auriculaire, it is appreciated.
Yes, I've heard that the quivering sensation can be flutter. I have had some atrial flutter on ECGs in the past. Not sure if it will show on a Kardia.
That's interesting to know, thanks john6. I'll keep that in mind when it happens again. There I was thinking it was the atria getting revved up ready for a night of partying, whilst all my poor old ventricles want to do is go to bed with a mug of cocoa!😀
Hi, I get heavy heartbeats when crossing my arms, lying on my left side, or if someone gives me a bear hug where my chest is getting crushed. It is weird but stops immediately the pressure is taken away. Had it for years since the AF started. I think it might go into AF if I allowed the pressure to continue but don't know for sure. Good luck with finding some answers.
I have just spoken to a doctor and he wants me to do blood tests to check the thyroid etc. All he said was that it sounded like an electrical problem rather than a plumbing problem!
It's the jabbs. The sooner you figure this out the better off you'll be. Happy New Year!!!
You *might* be right but I don't think there is any way of being certain!
Just my humble opinion from 18 months of research.
Yes, certain foods can trigger this sort of thing. But I ate -not heavily- at about 1700 and am still getting the symptoms some 4.5 hours later. I was completely ok this morning. Kardia readings are showing normal at the moment however.
What were your findings?
It's certainly possible that certain foods could trigger these symptoms. I spoke to a doctor today and he suggests doing blood tests. I've also noticed that the heart speed is a bit lower than normal recently so that might be relevant too.
Ectopic heartbeats...distressing!!!
Short heart pause
In A-fib again, again, again and again 
