Skipped beats

[Rdiehl01]

Tonight is kind of a rough night for me…I think I’m just exhausted but I have had a lot of PACs tonight…any words of encouragement?

[dmjtanner]

My cardiologist told me that sometimes we just have periods of more frequent ectopics. It’s like we go thru a phase of them. And he said they aren’t dangerous. When going thru it, I think it’s never going to get better, but then it does. Catch up on your sleep if you can. Drink fluids. For some reason a glass of orange juice seems to help me, drinking it slowly, maybe because it contains a good amount of potassium. Take an extra magnesium. Be as calm as you can.

[Rdiehl01 in reply to dmjtanner]

Thank you so much that means a lot…these skipped beats have been going on for over an hour…sometimes every 2nd beat or every 4th and then 5th…and the ever 10th beat…not fast just skips…ugh…ever have them in this short frequency?

[dmjtanner in reply to Rdiehl01]

Yes I have and I know it is scary. I have had 10 to 12 a minute at times for several hours. One time I had them like that and my granddaughter-in-law was with me. She works as a nurse in the ER. She checked my pulse and told me, yep, I was having them that frequent but she told me not to worry. Her reassurance helped alot.

[ETHEL103 in reply to Rdiehl01]

I've had those ectopics too.They are very alarming.Hate to tell you mine did turn into a fib eventually but strongly not anywhere near as unpleasant as the missed beat feeling.Good luck.

[Janith in reply to ETHEL103]

I had them horribly on Friday evening and they DID IN FACT turn into afib … h/r 136 … l went to emergency because this terrifies me … hospital is only 8 minutes away … l was there two hours and they converted me … back home we went … for some reason my veins wouldn’t give blood … although l coincidentally had a full blood test the day before with good results. So they accepted those results.

[HANDY1 in reply to dmjtanner]

They will pass. Breathing exercises really calm them down.

[BobD Volunteer]

Do the slow deep diaphragmic breathing. No more than six breaths a minute for at least five minutes. Works like a dream.

[Sherbett in reply to BobD]

Hello Bob, after this advice you gave to someone else I tried it and it definitely works for me, the only problem I have is nodding off before the 5 minutes is up 😊

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Sherbett]

Same system is used by US Navy pilots to get to sleep on noisy aircraft carriers I am told.

[HANDY1 in reply to Sherbett]

That’s exactly what happens to me. I fall asleep time and time again doing my breathing exercises

[Hidden]

Hi Rdiehl01, So sorry to hear this has been so troubling. There's not much which can make you feel better, but try to cling on to the knowledge that these, whilst being really annoying as well as exhausting, aren't actually dangerous. Hopefully this is just one of those periods of increase which will eventually pass and endorse BobD's advice to try the diaphragmatic breathing

[Bagrat]

Sorry you are having to cope with this. I don't look in here often these days but having same issue myself today. BobD your advice does work. Don't know why it went out of my head today. A bit stressy to think straight!!

[Deadwoodmike]

It happens to me every now and then. About a year ago it was happening off and on for a couple of weeks. I thought I was in afib but it turned out I wasn’t. It was happening a little bit today; the 2 beat, 3 or 4 beat thing. I just don’t panic and calmly go about my business. A little while later I realized it had stopped. My cardiologist has told before it’s not serious and that I’m ok. So take a slow deep breath and try not to worry. I hope I helped a little.😊

[Jay10]

Hello Rdiehl01, I am also going through the same thing. Waking up in the night with heart missing beats, not fast.My GP is requesting a 24hr monitor and

has put me on Apixaban to be on the safe side.

I hope things settle down for you. I will also try BobDs breathing technique .

All the best, Jackie

[Jetcat]

They can get you down sometimes mate. Iv had them for years and years on and off. Their a bloody nuisance. You’ll be ok just try and ride it out and try not to worry too much as this can make them worse.!

My cardiologist told me we all get them but unfortunately some people feel every single one of them( like me and you) but others don’t (lucky ones)!!

Keep hydrated, take it easy.

Best wishes.Ron👍

[Jock68]

Request a 7 day tape, a 24hr will not capture the issue unless it is there all the time. You describe it as Missed beats, but the doctor said after reading my 7 day tape they were pauses, I now have a Pacemaker. It depends how what your normal heart rate is often it happens and how long the pause last for. My normal rate was 45, so pauses were an issue for me. The tape caught a very bad day for me and I had my pacemaker within 6 weeks. Just the afib now to resolve, two Ablations and it has not got any better.

[KMRobbo]

If you are sure they are PACs and they have been going on for a while then try not to worry about them. The frequency the ones you have are VERY IRRITATING. Less than 1 in 15 are easier to ignore. Several months after my successful PVI CRYO ablation I developed them and for a while they were worrying but they did not do me harm except the frequent ones irritate so much!I have found that having a bug causes them/ makes them worse. Could you have a bug? Maybe it was always so but before I had AFib I did not notice them or probably did and just thought it was the bug and did not think "heart" especially?

As well as breathing you could try some excercise, raising the heart rate smooths them out for me!. Sometimes they dont return.

Worst thing is to fret about them..Too much worry causes palpitations which are pretty similar to ectopics if not the same thing. Try to focus on other things.

Not medically trained

Best wishes

[Ppiman]

I get these and can sympathise. They create a strange kind of stressful feeling. I can’t stop them with breathing exercises and envy those who can (but I can say that the slow breathing is well worthwhile for relaxation. In fact, I can recommend the French Dodow device to help with this)).

Mine are especially stressful when my heart rate is also raised (75-115), which happens quite often for no apparent reason. Is your heart rate normal when yours occur? When they go on for hours, for all the world it’s like AF to me, in fact my Kardia sometimes gets confused and reports them as AF. My Apple Watch simply comes up with “Inconclusive”.

Steve

[Figbar]

I can relate. I frequently have PAC’s and PVC’s so I completely understand.Nothing really helps me, although concentrating on deep breathing takes my mind away for a bit.

An emergency room nurse took my pulse and said “ I can feel the ectopic beat making your rate irregular but the underlying/main beat is regular.” So that is what I tell myself, in addition to Doc’s saying “not life threatening”, as I feel my pulse.

I also say “ at least it’s not AFIB” !

You are not alone but I feel your frustration and alarm.

[Boxertwin]

I have experienced this many times. I captured it on my Apple Watch and my doctor said in my case it was nothing to worry about, but it is still very uncomfortable. The times it has happened to me does get my anxiety up so I know how you are feeling.

[Shrek1974]

Hello Rdiehl01, breathing exercises normally works for me. In busier or noisier times where I can struggle with focus (normally at work having to focus hard on something else) I find that giving my heart something to do tends to work really well - just a few flights of stairs, ladders or some squats if I need to stay at a single point is normally enough to kick its backside into gear.Good luck & stay strong. 💪

Steve

[Rdiehl01]

Everyone in here is so sweet and supportive