Ectopic heartbeats

[Asmokes1]

Hi All, I am 32 years old fit and healthy, i think however i suffer from ectopic heartsbeats. Sometimes i would get them freguently and other times its once or twice a day. I am Lostaron for my high blood pressure and i have had MRI scan of my heart, Ultrasound of my heart and stress test all fine. I do suffer from anixety but i would like some advice on getting rid of these ectopic heartbeats

[Hidden]

It depends on the cause - whether they’re triggered by the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system - but for many people, getting rid of them completely is next to impossible. There is a belief now that almost everyone is likely to experience ectopic beats, it’s just they’re only felt by a minority. A study conducted a few years back showed that a very high percentage of participants - all of whom had no history of experiencing any kind of palpitation or had an underlying cardiac condition - had ectopics on 48 hour holter. Off the top of my head, I think the figure was 80%. We also know that once you start noticing them, it hardwires the body and brain to be more aware of them, so you tend to notice even more. Treatment wise, unless you’re having several thousand a day, or they’re leading to frequent bouts of arrhythmia like SVT, the only medical option is medications like betablockers. These work well for some people, but not for everyone, and can sometimes actually increase the number of ectopics: unfortunately, because they’re rarely problematic in their own right, not a lot of research has gone into understanding or treating them. We know enough to determine when they’re something to worry about, but still don’t actually know why they happen, which means we also don’t know how to reliably stop them.

For some people, there are lifestyle factors that can increase the frequency of ectopics. I have SVT, which is an arrhythmia triggered by ectopics, and had frequent episodes due to having hundreds a day, although I usually only felt a dozen or so of them. Some of mine are positional, triggered by lying on my left side, or bending forward, but the bulk were associated with foods, medication, and lifestyle. Medically, we know that caffeine, dark chocolate, white chocolate, certain medications (including, but not limited to, asthma inhalers, antihistamines, decongestants like pseudoephedrine found in cough and cold remedies, and adrenaline based meds), tobacco/nicotine, alcohol, stress, anxiety, and insufficient sleep, are all proven to be able to cause or increase the number of ectopics some people experience. Anecdotally, ginger, and spicy food, are also linked to increased ectopics. By cutting out/changing the lifestyle triggers I’m sensitive to (I experimented with them all to determine caffeine, dark chocolate, ginger, and insufficient sleep increase mine), I was able to get my ectopics down from hundreds a day even with medication to roughly a dozen or so, and now haven’t had a single episode of SVT since 2015 as a result. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for everyone, but I would always advocate giving it a go to anyone that is struggling with PACs or PVCs - there’s nothing to be lost, other than a morning drink that helps wake you up, and potentially a lot to gain.

[Faub in reply to Hidden]

I couldn't have explained it better. I have been living with ectopic for almost 25 years now, and mine are caused mainly by my aortic valve problem. For me, what worked to reduce them was definitely losing weight, reducing caffeine intake and trying to reduce stress levels. Also staying well hydrated plays a huge role in palpitations. I still experience them on a daily basis though, even my cardiologist said it's nearly impossible to get rid of them and understand their precise trigger.

[Farmer87]

I have them because of my leaky valve - They are a pain in the..

So basically what I have done is cut out as much sugar as possible, no caffeine (only drink Decaf tea or water, I only eat junk food once a week, I used to smoke until 3 years ago - I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol at all anymore and if I do its non alcoholic and try to sleep at least 8 hours a night. If you can cut out any type of stress that would also help. Anxiety was a big issue for me too but I've only really been able to deal with that the past year. I do exercise only walking and cycling - I am 34.

Pm's are always open if you need a chat.

[road2ruin]

Stress for me certainly seems to bring on more ectopic beats. If I am relaxed and happy I ether don't have them or.....I don't notice them lol.

[omits]

I know if have had flutters most of my adult life. Maybe noticed them once or twice a month and not known what they are. I am 75. I had a heart check four years ago and only thing was moderate blocking of one of the passages and the surgeon decided I did not need a stent. My LDL is 3.5. About a month ago I had a bad evening starting with feeling ill (red herring?) and then ectopics came on sometimes three in a row and made me feel awful, no sleep. I can see them on my own monitor and Dr confirmed ectopics but did not treat them. I now regularly get them and feel them with often disturbed sleep. Very keen on trying to avoid some of the foods mentioned here?

Anyone got ideas about controlling the stress when they occur as they make me feel bad.