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Heart stopped beating? Extra extra long ectopic?

theonethatgotaway1 profile image

So I was sat with the missus and my daughter last night, feeling fine and out of the blue I got a horrible feeling as though my heart had stopped. I turned to my partner in fear and said "my hearts stopped beating!" I felt the pulse and there was nothing. Went a little light headed, then after what seemed like the longest pause time ever, (probably a few seconds) I felt my heart start jittering all over, and eventually setting itself back into the normal steady rhythm its been in.

Now having heart failure, over the past couple years I have suffered badly with palpitations and ectopic beats. Skipped beats. I have had tons of them daily, every minute. Sometimes clustered together. But this one time was something different. I have had a handful of times like this over the years where I have instantly recognised this and thought damm my heart has literally stopped and its done this.

Does anyone know what this is or experienced something similar?

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theonethatgotaway1 profile image
theonethatgotaway1
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14 Replies
Jetcat profile image
Jetcat

That sounds so scary.!! I suffer with ectopic beats a lot. Sometimes 4 a minute but usually 2 a minute daily up to 2 weeks at a time but thankfully I just get the normal short pause and little thud.! I absolutely hate ectopics, more than my afib to be honest. I hope you don’t get any more.👍

Cliff_G profile image
Cliff_G in reply toJetcat

"I absolutely hate ectopics, more than my afib to be honest."

Ain't that the truth.

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat in reply toCliff_G

I’m glad you feel the same as me regarding ectopics cliff. They are horrible.

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat in reply toJetcat

Sorry cliff I didn’t mean I’m glad you feel as horrible as me with the ectopics.!! I meant I’m glad you agree they are horrible.

Cliff_G profile image
Cliff_G in reply toJetcat

Yes, I knew what you meant ! 🤣🤣

It's the first time I've ever seen anyone else say what I often feel about ectopics vs AF. Nice to know I'm not alone

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat in reply toCliff_G

Yes me too cliff. Next time I get them I’ll be thinking of you.👍

Crystal614 profile image
Crystal614

Hi, I used to suffer with multiple pauses in the heart rhythm for up to 7 seconds at a time then when the heart did get going again I would go into bradycardia. I used to feel lightheaded, almost a drunken feeling where I would struggle to stand up. I had to have a pacemaker which has now thankfully resolved the problem.

theonethatgotaway1 profile image
theonethatgotaway1 in reply toCrystal614

Oh that is scary. So does it still happen but the pacemaker works?

Did it completely stop for 7 seconds? How often did this happen to you?

Crystal614 profile image
Crystal614 in reply totheonethatgotaway1

I knew about the brief pauses from 24hr ECG's that had been done as I'd been having near fainting episodes. My cardiologist agreed to me having a Loop Recorder but that was for some kind of tachycardia that I was having which turned out to be SVT. The Loop Recorder (ILR) had only been in for 5 days when one evening I remember feeling really ill, too unwell to even make it to a chair to sit down on so I ended up sitting on the floor! Eventually I made it to the bathroom as I felt so sick. I didn't bother doing a recording via the ILR as I put it down to something I'd perhaps eaten! A week or two went by and I had a call from Cardiology and they asked if I'd remembered any events from the 22nd. Of course I told them what had happened, I was told about the long pause/bradycardia. Within an hour I had another phone call to say I urgently needed a pacemaker. A few weeks later I had to have the ILR checked while I was there I asked to see the ECG. The pause was for 7.7 seconds, he printed it of to show me. The printout seem to go on forever "Wow I'm shocked " I said to him and I was!! I could see the line from the electrical activity but no actual heart beat, then when it did get going again it was very slow. My pacemaker now takes care of any pauses that I may have and yes it was scary and one long pause was more than enough for me.

Cliff_G profile image
Cliff_G

One possibility is sick sinus syndrome, would need the usual Holter monitor session. I get similar long pauses though whenever I try to count the pauses, they don't seem so long.

Prada47 profile image
Prada47

Hello mine can pause for around 3 seconds and it is followed by a very low heart rate. My Bisoprolol was changed from 10mg to 7.5mg which sorted it out. My ectopics changed from one every other beat to almost none at all after starting on the Mid Dose of Entresto. I was addmitted to CCU when ectopics were one every normal beat, now that wasn't a good feeling !!!

Regards

Dollcollector profile image
Dollcollector

If your heart keeps pausing for a number of seconds, maybe a pacemaker would stop that.

theonethatgotaway1 profile image
theonethatgotaway1 in reply toDollcollector

Yes I was thinking maybe this. But this has happened only a handful of times over the years. Apart from the usual ectopic.s I will speak to the cardio when I see them next.

Prada47 profile image
Prada47 in reply totheonethatgotaway1

CRT seems to be the way forward I know I fit the NICE guidelines for a CRT device but Cardiologist says wait. I think because 15months ago Intervention Cardiologist opened my already bypassed LAD and it has certainly helped a lot with my breathing. He said prior to opening it he didn't know if it would make a difference but it certainly did !!

Regards

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