Skipped Heartbeats

[Leopard45]

I was wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed w palpitations/PVCs/ectopic heartbeats. I had a normal EKG, but since I have about one PVC(basically an extra heartbeat, feels like a skipped beat) every minute, next week I am gonna do a 48 hour holter monitor.

However, I am very anxious about these heartbeats, they feel very uncomfortable and I have a really tight chest and get lightheaded. Is this from the heartbeats or anxiety?? I can’t tell. Wondering if anyone else had these symptoms with PVCs

[Calm_mama]

Hi Leopard45,

Yes I've had these. I still have them. I first noticed them when I was about 21 (30 years ago!). I was going through a particularly anxious time then. My anxiety decided to zero in on my heart and these occasional, funny beats. On rare occasions PVC's and PAC's are the result of something. But usually, they're nothing, and they occur in the general population often. If your doc said everything is fine then I'm betting it is. After the holter you will have more info on their frequency.

Here's the thing to remember: When your anxiety is on high alert, it stimulates a part of the nervous system that innervates the heart. As a result, there are often more PVCs or PACs than usual. Then there's more focus on it all from you. Before we know it, we're checking our heart beats constantly, ruminating about all the possibilities, and anxiety ramps up even more - causing more palpitations, causing more anxiety, etc etc. All the while, there's usually nothing whatsoever wrong- the body is actually doing something very normal. I'm going to bed soon and when I do, if I pay attention, I'll usually have 3-4 irregular beats in about a minute. I rarely check this at all. But if I do - there they are. This is going on 30 years! If I check- there they are. 30 years later- alive, well, no cardiac problems. I run for exercise. No problems

It's scary I know. Try to remember that PVC's and PAC's are common and usually they have no importance in terms of your well-being and health. Keep us posted?

[Autumn822 in reply to Calm_mama]

I really like your post please tell me how you stay positive when every time you have one of these events it makes you about sick on your stomach?I am under a cardiologist care who says that my heart is basically fine I just have the PACs PVCs and the occasional PSVT. I am on a low dose beta blocker. Makes me tired. I have a low resting heart rate in the fifties usually. I have mild mitral valve prolapse. Stress test good Echo good. Cardiologists says that ablation is not required at this time. But I am dealing with this everyday and it seems to be worse because of hormones I am 56 and had a hysterectomy 20 years ago also I have IBS and my stomach stays bloated and makes everything much worse.

I am so tired of this. How do you stay positive and shake the fear? At times it feels it takes the breath out of me. And my quality of life is terrible. 😒