so for years I got occasional ectopics. Was difficult to not panic at first but I got used to them. Felt like they were bought on from the gurgles in my stomach so eating or burping helped.
fast forward to two days ago and I end up in hospital as I woke up at 5am with CONSTANT ectopics. Like every 5-10 beats. Now had my bisoprolol increased and diazepam is my best friend as I’m terrified. Seems to be worse when I wake up?? But seriously all day long and I can’t understand why it changed after 20 years. Soooo panicked and so fed up
Written by
Mallets32
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Learn to relax, do the slow deep breathing thing (use search facility of you do't know) and understand that everybdy gets ectopic beats up to 200 a day regardless of any other arrhythmias. Apart from being annoying, they are benign and won't do you any harm.
It is very hard to not to panic I found in the moment. If you can find someone to teach you the breathing so you just follow them it helps. When you panic, you also find it difficult to think so if there is someone around you who can stay calm and REMIND you to breath SLD - SLOW - LONG - DEEP breaths, it really helps.
Yes agree it's hard not to panic .My own e topics were Bigeminy for weeks and weeks till I was put on the highest dose of Verapimil.So you have my sympathy.
BobD how do you determine ectopics from afib. My heart goes all over the place, fast for a few beats then misses a couple then goes slow! The real scary bit is when I wake with a sudden jolt as if my heart stopped for a bit! This can go on for about 30 hours although most of that time I can carry on as normal apart from it making me very irritable. Nighttime is the worst as I wake getting panicky and then start taking my pulse...what is wrong with me 🥺
An ectopic (out of place) beat is a thump . What happens is that one or other chamber contracts out of time so the partner closes on nothing. The next beat then feels harder.
AF is often described as feeling like you have a chest full of frogs. In reality , the atrium instead of contracting in a regular fashion, writhes like a bag of worms. What you feel as a heart beat are the signals triggering the ventricle to beat. Since the atrial signals are chaotic not all get through to the ventricle so whilst it may be fast it will have no regular rhythm.
You have my sympathy. There seems to be something about ectopic beats that bring anxiety and panic in their wake. I dont know whether that is the mind or whether there is some chemical reaction in the brain or whatever, but ectopics and anxiety are scary bedfellows in my personal experience and and I know I am not alone.
Breathing exercises can help to calm the anxiety and therefore the ectopics but its hard when panic has set in. Generally when you get some freedom from them and I find they can last a long time then go as fast as they came, keep doing mind relaxing activities so your body and mind is generally in a calmer place. It may keep them at bay over time.
In the interim take comfort that many of us suffer these on a regular basis and have come to no harm. After years and years of them they still trip me up when they raise their head. If life is severely curtailed by them revisit your medics and dont be brushed off. Best wishes.
Thankyou x All reply’s helping atm. Just listening to others that may have them as much as me will give me the confidence to actually get out of bed cause that’s where I’ve kinda stuck myself through fear?
Think it’s defo the quantity cause I’m not used to it and can’t understand why I’ve gone from 10 a day to 10 a minute at times and how they have been going on now for 3 straight days!!!
Ectopic are horrid, I hear you and get it, especially the panic feelings. There are many here who do, you are not alone.
Like others more experienced than me have said, trying to keep calm and breath well and deep can help...but it can be hard to do that when they hit so hard!!
I find mine tend to come in clusters at rest but after a busy bit of activity, like my hearts just letting me know its ready to reset!
If you can, have a look at the DARE app, I've found it really worthwhile in tackling panic/anxiety which go hand in hand with iffy beats! It's similar to the 'old school' Claire Weekes.
I started with continuous ectopics 3 weeks ago and am even more confused now than I was. A 111 call ended up in Urgent Care, Troponin test clear but ECG showed atrial ectopics which I've never had before. GP (by phone) decided I needed a 24 hour holter monitor which I get on MOnday. They got no results from Urgent care. A different GP saw me face to face, did a whole series of bloods ( Thyroid looks a bit dodgy) and another ECG. The nurse showed me the ecg and he atrial ectopics but when the doctor looked at it she said ventricular ectopics. I then got a phone call from the doc in charge of Urgent care to apologise for the lack of report . He said he was looking at the ECG they did and it shows ventricular ectopics, NOT atrial as the doc on duty said. ALl I can do is wait for the Holter monitor on MOnday but I feel terrible; ectopics every 2 to 5 beats; feeling faint regularly when standing up. BP and pulse perfectly normal. I had a heart attack 4 yrs ago and stents and am told this could make me more prone to ectopics. I've had ventricular ectopics for years which are harmless and increased by anxiety or stress. I can ignore those but these are completely different and constant. Like you they started completely out of the blue. Have you had bloods done to see if you have an underlying condition?
So good hearing your the same… in the nicest possible way.
I’m on the verge of going back to the hospital right now but logically don’t see the point. Like you going every 2-15 beats randomly. I feel exhausted.
Seems like no one thinks they matter even though they came on do suddenly. I too had bloods and the tri thing was fine so no heart attack… yet!
You need a 24h ECG. Your GP can arrange that for you and also a 12 lead ECG to make sure there’s nothing else going on. I have a fairly high ectopic burden, and my Apple Watch will often pick up several in a 30 second reading. In fact if there’s no ectopics in a 30 second reading it’s unusual for me.
Are ectopics “harmless”? Almost always, yes. However, I believe that anything more than the occasional ectopic can be a sign that there maybe another vulnerability. My ectopics went from occasional to frequent over the years and in the 2-3 years before my first AF episode they were becoming particularly frequent. That’s not necessarily the same for everyone though but it was the case for me.
As for anxiety, it can make ectopics worse but if you don’t respond to the usual pep talk stuff about breathing exercises and cutting out caffeine — and I didn’t — you’ve either got an area of misbehaving cells firing off at random and/or another issue like valve regurgitation that your heart may be trying to compensate for. You should also have an echocardiogram as well as a 24h ECG to check for anything like this.
The ectopics aren’t in themselves harmful but they could be more of an indicator that something might not be quite right. But please don’t worry. Tests are about ruling things out, and you may well be absolutely fine.
try not to worry Mallets. Easy said I know.!!!! Worry and fear will just aggravate it.? I’m the same as you and have had them for decades. I can go weeks without them but then get weeks with them and they play havoc with your mind if you let it.?
30+ years Iv had them, my mother and my aunti have each had them for 50+ years.😡 we are still here telling the tale.👍
Hiya...snap, exactly the same since July, 2 decades of phases of ectopics which came and went but now 24/7 and they happen every 3,4,5 beats. On 2.5 bisoprolol but doesn't appear to help which I take in the morning, but it is waking ( or they wake me up ) and sensing them that really drives up anxiety. Got an appointment with cardiologist in 2 wks so can but hope for some relief, but ectopics really do affect daily life. You have my sympathies for living with them and just do as much as you can to distract overthinking. 😎
I’m so sorry. You sound EXACTLY like me just hopefully not as panicky. Guess the people that know must be right as we both still alive and typing??
Let me know what happens.. what meds they suggest. Im trying magnesium and things to calm me - even the ambulance man said try wine lol. I think I’m prob making them worse but it’s defo not all me!!
For a word of reassurance Mallets32: Before entering into constant A. Fib. I spent a good 12-months with constant Ectopics, 40,000 bigeminy ectopics per day. I’m still here! Try to be rid of your anxiety and simply go with the flow.
Sorry Rod, can’t help too much there as I never had Paroxysmal A.Fib, I went straight from 40,000 ectopics a day, through 1-month of NSR then straight into constant A fib, where I am one of the lucky ones in that I am basically Asymptomatic; that doesn’t mean that the problem isn’t there, as I also have severe L Ventricular impairment with 33% E.F. Heart failure.
I am feeling considerably better than when I was having the ectopics which gave me overwhelming tiredness, which, thankfully has all gone now.
Frankly, if I hadn’t gone through the tiredness of the ectopics, I wouldn’t know that I was in A.fib. now. I only picked it up because I was using a Kardia monitor to keep my eye on the ectopics.
So, from my perspective, apart from being a little out of breath when exercising, I have no discernible problem with the Constant A. Fib.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Would ablation help me?
Magnesium Taurate worked for me :)
Body position helping ectopic beats
Ablation coming up January or February.Still some doubts.Should I or shouldn't I!
Chiropractors, can they help with AF?
