Feeling of nervousness in the chest

[Shayshell]

Can anyone tell me what causes the feeling of nervousness in my chest when I am in sinus rhythm

[Shayshell]

I definitely know when my heart goes out of AF and into sinus rhythm and my apple watch confirms it. I am not in AF when my heart rate is steady and staying around 68-85 when I'm not exerting myself. This just feels like a butterfly feeling in my chest. I did have an AF episode for 5 hours 2 nights ago. I think it is the vagal nerve related.

[Shayshell in reply to Shayshell]

What do you mean left bundle branch block.

[frazeej in reply to Shayshell]

The neurons firing the heart will travel down from the AV node to the Bundle of His, and after that split into a right and left branch-each controlling each ventricle. They nornally travel at the same rate, so your two ventricles contract at the same time. Sometimes there will be a very short delay in one of the neuron brances, which means that (left or right) ventricle will contract very slightly later than the other one-thus Left Bundle Branch Block, or Right Bundle Branch Block. On the ecg, the QRS complex will be wider than normal. This may last for a few beats (non-sustaining), or longer. This is generally a benign and self limiting effect, but will definitely give you "nervousness" in the chest.

[DawnTX in reply to frazeej]

I should’ve asked you sooner lol my new pacemaker as of three weeks ago tomorrow has the new Azure pacemaker with HIS pace, bundling. If this was not available now, I would’ve continued to heart failure. It’s amazing what they are coming out with for all of us day by day. There may never be a cure, but they are working on new ways to give us quality of life. Thank you for your post here. My ventricles were not beating together.

[Shayshell in reply to frazeej]

Thank you for explaining that.

[Shayshell]

I think mine might be different than that, when I have an episode it starts by telling me my heart rate is too high and it then goes up and down from 150 down to 50s or 60s it is very erratic. The episode I had on Thursday morning lasted from 2:30 - 7:30 in the morning and then it just went back in sinus rhythm This morning when I got up I had this feeling in my chest. I have had it before usually a day or so after I have an episode. I think it may be the vagal nerve and the nervous system.

Where in Australia are you?

[Singwell in reply to Shayshell]

I get this even when I haven't had an AF episode for months! My.HR is always OK when I check. I think it is vagally related. In my case it happens most often after eating. This is because my vagus doesn't work at the digestive end. The stomach, heart and diaphragm are all quite close to each other and i rationalise that the fluttering I often feel post eating is due to my digestion.

In your case it might be different. We do.have thousands of neurons in the heart - perhaps post AF episodes your vagus feels disturbed. I know people who get pain post AF due to the vagus having been upset. Take 5-6 minutes of slow breathing in an put through the nose if you can.when.this happens. Male.sure you're not slumped over the upper chest and stomach. You might find this is all you need to do to calm your system.

[DawnTX in reply to Singwell]

Hi thank you for posting that. I was not aware of that about the digestive area and that probably explains some of my issues previously. I did find over eating would give me almost instant a fib, such as eating in a restaurant and by the time I got to the car I would be miserable. Posture also plays a big role.

[Singwell in reply to DawnTX]

Definitely. Just Google an image of the abdomen and chest and you can see how close together it all is.

[DawnTX in reply to Singwell]

thank you even without doing that it makes sense and therefore makes sense why I reacted like I did when I over ate😊. It is lack of knowledge that tends to make us scared. That’s why I ask questions. Thank you again Singwell.

[Lilac1927 in reply to DawnTX]

if I eat a large evening meal it will set if AF

[DawnTX in reply to Lilac1927]

I discovered that last year when I decided to finish my meal instead of bringing half home. By the time I got to the car, I was having serious a fib. Thank you.

[DawnTX in reply to Shayshell]

Sometimes we might be too aware of how our heart is beating. Prior to all of this. My heart rate had stayed in the 150s for the last year. Maybe longer but continually since last May. I have always been aware of the changes in the thumping etc. Since the pacemaker I have been very aware that when I do anything my heart feels like it’s pounding out of control. Right now my pacemaker is set at 80 they will be lowering it to 70 at my next appointment, and if that goes well down to 60. I was not aware that my pacemaker compensates for my activity. That is what I was feeling. Because I am just beginning to be able to be active again, active meaning walking or doing dishes, etc. nothing extreme, my heart rate would go up to about 88 or so and I was not aware it could do that lol after speaking with my cardiac nurse and the tech, it was all explained to me. I am telling you this because the first thing they told me to do was stop checking my heart rate and less it was extreme. I was told that can cause stress if your numbers are what you were thinking they should be and just like anyone else with a heart you are going to feel activity, when you think of some thing or do something even thinking about paying a bill and make a change. Yes I still check it in the morning. Lol just a bad habit.

I am a type two diabetic and this was the same type of info I was told about checking my numbers all the time. Numbers fluctuate don’t make yourself crazy. Unless I was feeling extremely weak or some thing I let my diet handle my numbers. Just like a fib, you know When your sugar is off especially if it’s low I’m beginning to think all these new things they come out are made to drive us crazy. A fib is a fib. Have you noticed how it does whatever it feels like doing? Watching it is not going to change a thing. If you feel bad enough you go to the ER or you call your doctor I do not need a device to tell me to do those things. try to relax a little. If there’s one thing I’ve learned especially the past year is that we have to roll with this thing and hopefully the doctors can make it easier.

[Shayshell]

Yes I think it is different when it happens my watch tells me I am in A/F and my heart rate is very erratic. This is the first one I have had since Boxing day. I also had an echo cardiogram about 2 years ago and was told my heart was structurally good.

I am in Brisbane

[Shayshell]

Yes it is a great site. I hope everything goes well for you and thank you.

[Hidden]

Lovely country down there, Culburra, Moruya, Eden, Batemans Bay - Bega (Lovely Cheese) often took the coast road when kids were little when travelling between Sydney and Ferntree Gully. Making me bloody homesick now.

John

[pd63]

When I started on bisoprolol I could feel my heartbeat much more and it made me anxious and I continually thought I was about to go into AF but never did, anxiety passed after a couple of months.What meds are you on?

[Shayshell in reply to pd63]

I am only on Anticoagulant. I don't want to take Beta Blockers because when I am not in AF my heartrate is always between 60-80 when I'm not up walking around and when I'm sleeping it is between 57-65 and from what the dr says it is to slow my heart rate down. I don't want it to go any lower than where it is normally.

[mjames1]

Could it be ectopic beats/palpitations? Your Apple Watch will still show normal rate and rhythm, but if you look at the ekg closely you might see one or more uneven intervals indicating skipped beats. You can sometimes also feel it at your wrist or neck.

Jim

[Shayshell in reply to mjames1]

Yes Jim I think that is what it was, I did notice in the ekg some different beats I don't have it today, but it lasted all day yesterday. My ekg is really even with the beats today.

[Ppiman]

These are palpitations likely mixed in with some ectopic beats. The nervous feeling is a natural anxiety response of the mind to a disturbance in the heart. People cope with it in different ways, some well, others less well.

I get them regularly. The ectopic beats can feel "thud" like as they are stronger being a touch delayed causing the valve to close more forcefully; palpitations are normal beats that - for some reason - feel more forceful. I can't find out why they do. Some here say it's because we are over-sensitve to them, i.e. we imagine them, but I don't think that's the explanation, they are real and occur for some unexplained reason.

Steve

[Shayshell in reply to Ppiman]

The funny thing is I didn't feel any thuds or anything else just a feeling of butterflies like a nervousness in my chest, I think they probably are palpitations. It was there all day, And I guess because I didn't know what is was I probably worried about it which probably didn't help. There is nothing there today. I had a five hour AF episode Thurs morning and I remember when I had to go to hospital 2 years ago because I was in AF for 24 hrs the next day when I came home I had the same feeling. Maybe it is something to do with having an episode. Thanks for your reply

[Ppiman]

I think you've worked it out. The heavier thuds are only when ectopic beats occur; palpitations (well for me...) just cause a sensation as you describe and, yes... anxiety!

Steve

[Shayshell in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks Steve.

[DKBX]

Ask the ep if you might be having atrial flutter. I get the same nervous feeling in my chest occasionally when in sinus and that’s what my cardiology team determined. I’ve been through four ablations already with another in two weeks to sort it out.

[Shayshell in reply to DKBX]

OK thank you. I don't get it often I think the last time was about 2 years ago and that was after I had an AF episode too. I had an AF episode 4 days ago and this happened 2 days ago so I feel it could be because the electrics and the nervous system have been upset.