So confused

[Rachelanx50]

Hiya all hope you are all ticking along nicely, I've a few questions, I've had paroxysmal af for a few years now which I could cope with on a daily basis my last episode of af was over a year ago. It lasted for 7 months before I reverted back to nsr on my own. My problem is I'm getting weird feelings like my heart stops for a split second! Is this an ectopic beat?? I don't know what an actopic beat feels like I'm confused? I'm still waiting for a report on my recent 24 HR monitor it's been weeks

[BobD Volunteer]

Ectopic means out of place so one chamber tries to beat before the other has passed it blood so nothing pumps. The next beat is often heavier and it feels like a missed beat followed by a kick.

[bantam12]

I get a few flutters, a pause then a thump. I can get 1000s of ectopics in a day, some come as single or in runs and I also feel lightheaded if really bad. There isn’t really any treatment for it and Drs usually dismiss it saying “ it’s normal so go away and live with it” which is unhelpful and very annoying 😠

[Autumn_Leaves]

It could be ectopic beats. Your 24h ECG will be able to identify ectopic beats as PAC/PVC or as SVE/VE (same thing), whether these are isolated, occur in runs, or in various patterns. The 24h ECG will also calculate your ectopic burden. A few hundred per day is seen as trivial. I have a few thousand every day and no one has ever been concerned about it, but it has been all day every day which can be unsettling and hard to ignore.

[Ppiman]

There is a pause with every ectopic beat, called a "compensatory pause". It occurs as the ectopic beat comes in too soon, which is never noticed, but the pause is (and it's that that causes the anxiety that naturally accompanies it).

I would ask your doctor to check, myself. Alternatively, if you buy a home ECG that diagnoses these things, such as a Kardia or Wellue, that would help. I use the Wellue touch screen one as it now has an AI diagnosis which gives lots of information and detail which you can show your GP.

Steve

[Rachelanx50 in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks to you all! For replying to my post , these episodes are hard to detect on my kardia as they are infrequent it feels like my heart stops for a split second. Makes me dizzy it's more of a vibrating feeling it can stop after a few seconds or last for upto two or more hours it doesn't feel like a palpitation when there's a bang and a thud! It's a vibration that sends my heart rate from 60 to 170 BPM in a split second I've had a 24 HR monitor just 2 weeks ago I had no symptoms so how can this problem be diagnosed I don't think 24 hrs is long enough

[Ppiman in reply to Rachelanx50]

I bought the Wellue 24-hour home ECG just for that reason and it caught lots of my issues after two very kind and helpful people here recommended it. An ectopic beat can do just what you describe, too, except to create the sudden increase in heart rate to 170bpm. That would imply atrial fibrillation or some similar arrhythmia (there are a few). I often cannot tell the difference between frequent ectopic beats and AF, for example.

Also... anxiety from the "thump" can also send the heart rate sky high. It's hard to realise this and many people seem to reject words like "anxiety" (or "depression") but, it can be very hard, as I know myself, to unpick the two parts: the heart arrhythmia and the anxiety it (naturally and instantly) induces.

Steve

[Rachelanx50 in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks Steve as always for your reply. I totally agree with you about the anxiety factor I've suffered with the disorder for many years. My heart symptoms are much worse if my nerves are off

[Ppiman in reply to Rachelanx50]

It looks as if we’re in the same club, Rachel!

Steve

[wilsond]

My youngest son has had Supra Ventricular Contractions (SVC) since 19,he is now 33. Was told these are benign extra heartbeats, ectopic like you're. At the time he was in a high anxiety state compounded by thinking the worst every few heartbeats. It took him time to accept and be reassured., months in fact. If he gets stressed even now it affects his ability to override his awareness of the ectopic. He did get some health counselling which really helped focus him .

Easy to say try not to stress but it really does help if you can .

Best wishes ❤️